Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight
“You are fucking dying, you need to let go of your pride and eat something.”
I had the words in mind to respond, yet my throat was so sore, I couldn’t utter a single word. There was a slight fear in his eyes; he was scared I would go through with this.
I didn’t think Thane loved me, but I don’t think he wanted me dead either.
He attempted spoon–feeding me; I wouldn’t eat a single thing; I wouldn’t let him win. “You either eat or I will make you.” I had been about to ask how exactly would he ‘make me‘, “There ly would he ‘make me“, “There are these pipes that can be used to pass food directly into your body, and I would do that if I had to.”
“You have no right,” I say. My voice sounded so tiny.
“I am trying to keep you alive.”
“And I don’t care. You either let me go, or I’ll die here. I bet you would love to see that.”
“What do you want, Riley? I am ready to do any other thing, and I don’t care what it is; say it and it’s done; all you have to do is eat the damn food.”
“Anything?” I asked
“Anything,” he repeated, and it brought me back to the moment I had kneeled before him. I had been willing to offer myself to him just so I could stay with him. He had humiliated me and made me feel like nothing but a whore. He had used me in every sense of the world. There were so many things I could request; I could dare request that he stop attacking other packs, but I didn’t think he would keep to his promise, not when it all boils down to that one thing… power‘.
“Nothing. I don’t need anything from you.”
Thane didn’t return the next day. The following day I stared at the food. The meal must have gotten a bit hard and dry, but… as hungry as I was, that looked so appealing and satisfying, I stared at the food. Was this worth dying over?
Was he worth it?
Just then the door was unlocked once more. I had expected to see Thane, but I was wrong; standing before me was a person I hadn’t seen in months. Axel.
I couldn’t help but imagine how I looked–ratty, dirty hair, stained clothes. I looked like crap, and I was almost ashamed to see him, ashamed to have him stare at me.
“Riley,” he called, but there was no disgust in his voice, only pure surprise. He walked in, shutting the door behind him. He walked to me, and as filthy as I was, he drew me in for a hug; his hold was firm.
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Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Eight
I couldn’t bring myself to hug him back. Maybe he had done nothing wrong to me; maybe he wasn’t in on Thane’s plan, but he never came for me either; he never cared to know if I was alright. They were so much alike.
When he pulled away, I noticed the redness in his eyes.
I had never seen Axel shed tears, this must have been the closest I had gotten to that.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to find you… I just didn’t think you deserve the pain we’ve caused you, you deserve better and so I hoped you’d move on” he paused, staring at my ring. Thane must have told him about that because he didn’t look surprised. “Congratulations on that“.
“Thank you. I missed you Axel”
“I missed you too… a lot”
More than anything, I wanted to question Axel, did he know about the innocents who were dying?, He must have been aware, Right?, But he could stop these, he alone could talk some sense into Thane and yet, he went on with it, I needed to understand why.
Axel pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around me I was indeed cold. “You are a fighter Riley. Don’t give up this so easily” he says and I nodded, the words were at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t say it, maybe because I feared the answer.
