FULL NOVELXO Chapter 43 - Waiting Game
I wake up to a stream of bright light filtering through the small window in the bricks of the cell. It confirms a new day. Sighing, I get up into a sitting position, groaning when my back aches from the stiffness of sleeping on the cement floor all night.
The cell is cold and damp, walls splattered with dried blood and gore. It’s disgusting and I try not to look at it too long for fear of vomiting. I only have the clothes on my back to provide me with heat, my body working hard on not letting the biting cold affect me. But it does.
It’s maddening being stuck in here, unable to move because of the heavy shackles bound to my wrists and ankles. I feel like I’m going crazy with how quiet it is and not being able to move around to stretch my sore limbs. There is dried blood on my skin where the metal has cut into it many times.
A few hours later, I hear the familiar, eerie moan of the door being opened. The sound of footsteps greets me just like they have been doing every morning and night. But this time, it’s not a maid or a guard. It’s him.
My kidnapper unlocks the door and steps in, dragging a wooden chair to the centre of the cell. He places the silver dish down and slides it towards me, but I make no move to eat. I see the anger in his eyes, brown orbs fading to black before he closes his eyes, inhaling deeply to reign his anger in.
“If you think I care about your wellbeing girl, I don’t.” He sneers, picking up the plate and throwing it against the wall.
I don’t even flinch. He has done this every time he came in to meet me. I rest my head against the hard wall, the cold seeping into my bones. On the first day, I thought they would hurt me but that never came. Every little sound I hear throughout the day, I think someone is here to cause me pain.
Being stuck here is driving me insane.
It feels like a waiting game.
“Who are you?” I rasp, my voice dry because I have not drunk water since yesterday morning. Every day I ask him the same question but he denies me an answer.
He smirks, taking a seat on the chair and staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable but I don’t let it show. “I’m your mates father.”
My eyes widen in shock, heart racing as I fully take in the man before me. His eyes are brown but he has the same sharp and angular features as Kaden, his hair is jet black but not as unruly as my mates. I was so caught up in my situation that I didn’t stop to wonder why this man kidnapped me.
“Reid.” I breathe out, his deep chuckle bouncing off the cell walls. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want him dead.” He snarls inhumanely, making me flinch at the loudness of it. “He found out what I wanted to achieve; to control every pack in Europe before moving on to the rest of the world. He is a weak excuse of an heir, too interested in the pack’s wellbeing and making alliances instead of grabbing the opportunity to rule the world. He is a disappointment, like mother like son.”
“He is a true Alpha, not a monster like you!” I spit angrily, hating the way he talked about my mate. “You killed your own mate, how could you?!”
Reid rolls his eyes, scoffing as he leans back in his chair. “Esme planned to rat me out to the Royals so, I killed her before she could.”
“I hope Kaden kills you, you deserve to die for causing his mother and him pain.” I shake my head in disbelief and anger, struggling to comprehend how evil this man is.
His growl is thunderous as he reacts to my words. In the blink of an eye, my head snaps to the side when he backhands me. Biting my lips to muffle the cry of pain threatening to escape, I glare up at him with a blurry vision, tears brimming my eyes.
He snarls and straightens up, cursing as he holds his back. My eyes narrow in suspicion as I notice his slow movements. He walks around the room, a slight limp in his walk before leaning against the door, slightly panting. Light laughter spills out of my mouth as realisation hits me.
“Don’t tell me a few days in a cell is enough to make a human go crazy.” He deadpans, his tone hostile as he stares down at me in disgust.
“You’re weak.” I state triumphantly, watching as anger and frustration clouds his vision. “You are a weak wolf without your mate and it’ll be child’s play for Kaden to kill you.”
“Shut up. You know nothing, idiotic human.” He growls, standing straight with his fists clenched.
“You don’t scare me, Reid.” I sneer, anger coursing through my veins. “You are a stupid man to believe that you’ll achieve control. I promise you, you’ll end up in Hell sooner than you think.”
His form trembles and I see his canines and claws elongate, his wolf present in his dark eyes. The last thing I remember is a terrifying growl as he charges towards me, his fist causing intense pain to erupt in my cheek and jaw.
And then it’s dark...once again.
Kaden Reid’s P.O.V.
The cold wind kisses my cheeks as I shift on the wooden swing outside. I sense her before I see her, but I don’t make any move to acknowledge her presence. Looking up at the sky, I feel as if they reflect my mood. A storm is brewing and the colour of the clouds are now dark grey. The weather is miserable, just like how I feel without my mate.
Axel and the others took a flight back to Berlin, wanting to get the pack ready for what they knew would be a war. If it wasn’t for Vulcan convincing me to stay until we found her location, I would be searching everywhere in Berlin right now. Wherever my father took my mate, the signals were extremely weak.
Aurora takes a seat on the swing, but not before wiggling around to find a comfortable position. I watch from the corner of my eye as she rests her hand on her large baby bump, caressing it absentmindedly. She does that a lot; rubs her stomach even when the baby doesn’t kick or move. It must be a maternal thing.
“I told you that you would find her one day.” Her soft voice is slightly drowned out by a gust of powerful wind but I still manage to hear it perfectly.
A humourless chuckle escapes me as I nod. “Maybe I should have left her alone, never told her what she meant to me. At least that way, she would be safe right now instead of Goddess knows where.”
“The trackers are trying their best, Kaden. We will find her.” She ends with conviction, meeting my eyes.
“What if...what if he’s hurt her?” I wonder more to myself, my voice cracking slightly at the thought. “I can’t feel her Aurora, it’s like she’s not there anymore.”
“He probably injected her with something to block out the mate bond.” A deep voice interrupts, making both Aurora and I look up.
Vulcan walks closer, picking up his mate and settling her on his lap. He inhales her scent deeply and I look away, longing for my angel. “The trackers located her. Reid took her to an abandoned warehouse near the borderline of The Netherlands.”
I stand quickly, turning to face the couple. “I need to go.”
“I have the private plane being readied for flight, half of my warriors are with you.” He stands, holding Aurora’s hand and following me into the house. “If you want, I can come with you and -”
“Hell no!” I stare at him in bewilderment, the twins halting their conversation to look up at us. “You can’t leave Aurora in that state and the twins. You’ve done enough for me already, Vulcan.”
He sighs and nods, picking Ayla up when she nearly stumbles. “Fine, but if you need anything just call me.”
I nod, looking down at Ivan who pokes my leg. Picking him up, I settle him on my waist and arch a brow. His bottom lips trembles as he avoids my eyes, a light blush on his cheeks. I groan, looking to Aurora for help who only chuckles and shakes her head.
“What’s wrong, champ?” I grunt, bouncing him in my arms slightly.
“Are you leaving already, Uncle Kaden?” He asks, each of his words perfectly pronounced.
It still baffles me that these kids are growing faster than any other wolf pups. They started walking and talking a year before actual pups would. We won’t know if they will inherit the werewolf or vampire gene, or both. But, I know these twins will grow up to be a force to be reckoned with just like their parents.
“Yes, I need to go find your aunty Luna.” I sigh, taking Ayla in my arms when she struggles to escape her father’s grip.
“Is she mad at you like momma gets when daddy eats her food?” The little girl asks, making us chuckle.
“Yes, something like that.” I nod, a smirk on my lips at how unaware children are.
“Will you visit soon?” Ayla asks, her long brown hair flowing slightly as she moves.
“With aunty Luna!” Ivan adds excitedly, clapping his hands.
“I promise. But, I need to go now kids.” I say when I notice two warriors by the door.
Their happy smiles instantly drop and sadness overtakes their features. Leaning forward, they wrap their chubby arms around my neck and hug me tightly. I chuckle, patting their backs awkwardly before kissing their cheeks and setting them down on the couch beside their mother.
“Don’t make Alexei or Vanessa the godparent of this next pup.” I whisper to Aurora when we hug, her laugh echoing in the room.
“Why not?” She asks, her grey eyes twinkling as she pulls away.
“They’re too...energetic. They’ll lose the baby in a second.” I roll my eyes, briefly hugging Vulcan.
“Thank you for everything.” I say, watching a smile tug at his lips as he nods.
Picking up my suitcase, I wave at the family before walking out the door. I quickly get into the car, several SUV’s that contained the extra warriors following us out of the pack. I stare out at the scenery as the car speeds down the streets, my mind filled with thoughts of Luna.
I remember the first time I met her, her scent, our first date and when I told her about what I really am. The first time we made love, her blush when I tease her relentlessly, how sexy she looked in that red dress. I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
When I find her, I am never going to let her go. She will be within my sights always. I don’t care if she’ll hate it, there is no way she will be taken from me again.
Finally, we reach the bustling airport and I hop out of the car. We all go through security checks and soon, we are waiting in the terminal for the plane to be ready. We are told that the team is finishing off the last checks and then we can board.
“I’ll be right back, just going to the bathroom.” I explain to the warriors, seeing a few nods in response.
I make my way to the nearest bathroom, hearing a few footsteps behind me and the sound of the hand dryer being used. Ignoring it, I do my business before stepping out and washing my hands. As soon as I have dried my hands, the door slams open. I turn with a frown on my lips, my jaw clenching when I see five men pile in. They stand with their arms crossed, their guns gleaming as they move to let me know that they are all armed.
And then he enters, that familiar evil grin on his lips.
My father.