Taken by my mate; Second Chance

AMBROSE

Down underground they hadn’t even tried to conceal their trails or scents, clearly dragging the bag they had my girl in down the passage and into one of the ‘rooms’. I could hear… laughter. It turned my stomach and made the bile rise up into my throat, but I kept my pace quiet. If i could peak through a hole or gap in the worn door to see how they were set up in the room I could enter more safely, or time it for when they were away from her.

“Wouldn’t death be better?” One of them was saying. “No one is coming for you. That’s why the alarms stopped. When we split off with you, Anthony went and told them who-you-are. They were all too happy to get you off their land. Of course, we deserve a prize for such a service to all wolven.”

Another laughed and I heard Evadiene scream. My whole body tensed and Covyn was the one to force me to continue my pace. Ten more feet and I would be at the door.

“Shift for us, pretty girl, and we’ll make it quick. You’ve had a long life, it must be so painful to watch everyone you’ve ever known die of old age while you stay the same… shift for us.” Another cooed softly.

“I can’t,” Evadiene sniffled.

I heard a soft moan from another man before he spoke. “That’s it, relax. Death is a gift for those like you. You’re.. what? Nearly the last of your kind, and mated to a wolven? That must be so disgraceful. That your species could end with you for not being mated to one of your own.”

Another tsked his tongue as I was reaching the door. “What must you have done to displease your Goddess so much as to not grant you a mate from your own…”

I could barely see them through the door, two of them seemed to be leaning against a wall smoking. Another had an alcoholic drink in his hand but I could only pick up the burning smell of the liquor over the smell of blood and sweat. I heard a trembling breath leave Evadiene and I moved around the door to try and find another gap to look through.

They had bound her hands and tied her to one of the hooks where we had hung some of the tools. One of them was using a clawed finger to scrape over her stomach. She was basically wearing nothing, standing in just her underwear and bra, her whole body shivered violently and some of the skin at her feet and hands was starting to look blue. With her nose and cheeks pink with the cold her teeth were also chattering and goosebumps covered her skin.

Her tear stained face looked perfect, but they had taken out whatever they felt everywhere else. There were bruises already forming on her arms, ribs, legs, stomach, and cuts slashed here and there over her skin where they saw fit. At her feet gathered around her in a half circle where the layers of clothes she had had on when she was outside with me.

“Maybe you need to be reminded of where you come from,” one said like he was being helpful, and my hand reach toward the knob.

I heard the sound of a lighter being flicked open and lit. I looked to my party, confirming they were ready to get in there and grab someone.

I twisted the knob as I shoved against the door, seeing it fly off the hinges that were probably barely holding it on, and it flew into one of the men smoking. Evadiene’s eyes shot to me and I saw both hope and fear duelling in them. I moved toward her but there was a man nearer to her than the one smoking and his arm pressed up into her throat with his lighter still in the other hand.

“Don’t come any closer!” Another yelled, holding a knife towards her.

“They will lie to you girl. They’re only here because they know who you are, they know what your family did, and they want to throw you in the cells. This could end right now, all of your pain and worries, over…”

“You shut your lying fucking mouth you ingrate!” I barked. “Get your fucking arm off my mate before I tear it off.”

The man smirked at me, angling his face so she couldn’t see. “What’s worse, dying by our hands or having your mate carrying it out your death sentence himself?”

I was still growling while edging myself into the room when the other man pressed the knife against her throat. “She knows we’re better off without her. The world doesn’t need her kind anymore. But she could go out quickly, gently, or suffering… which would you prefer, Evadiene?”

Her mouth opened but only soft whimpers came out.

“See, she know we speak the truth.” He grinned and I was barely aware of my comrades also trying to slink into the room.

“Stay back or we’ll end this right now!” One of them yelled, but I didn’t turn away from the ones with their hands or weapons on my girl.

I heard a growl and a knife flew across the room and landed in Evadiene’s leg. She called out in pain, the gut rolling sound soon taken over by sobs.

“Evadiene, my angel, I am going to get you out of here…”

“Ambrose,” she sobbed. “He’s right, I don’t.. I don’t.. I’ve been around long enough. My being here will bring you pain. I deserve..” More sobs wrestled their way up her throat. “I’ve been in pain so long, why can’t it just stop?”

The one with the lighter was snickering under his breath, the only proof that he was laughing in the wide smile Evadiene couldn’t see.

He moved his mouth near to her ear and I growled low. “Shift girl, and the nightmare will end.”

The one with the knife stared at me as he spewed more lies. “He wants to kill you himself, to avoid the pain through the bond when you die, but just like your poor mother, it will not be quick.”

The one with his mouth near her continued, and the only thing keeping me from lunging was knowing I couldn’t stop both of them. “Even if you live now, you will think of me every time you close you eyes. We will become your every nightmare and waking dream. Shift and die to end your suffering.”

“You get away from my MATE!” I growled.

Something flew from my blind spot into the one holding the knife and I lunged for the one with the lighter. When I got my hands around him my fists flew into his face without hesitation, his blood colouring my knuckles a jubilant crimson. No sooner had I tackled him to the ground did I remember his lighter and moved back to my mate. I only stopped when I smelt the smell of fabric burning, finding his lighter had landed on her puffy coat and stomping it out before tossing the pile away from her feet.

She was sobbing louder now and Covyn had called the guards to come down and detain the men. Two of them were unconscious before the guards arrived, and I knew they would be in worse shape later, but my focus was entirely on Evadiene. Apologizing over and over I pulled the knife from her leg and wrapped it with a scarf from her pile of clothing to slow the bleeding.

Next, I helped her stand up, taking weight off her hands as I untied them, and then she was in my arms. My arms wrapped around her and I hugged her as gently as I dared with her injuries. Someone had handed me a blanket and I wrapped it around her, vaguely aware that she was softly muttering to herself. Her expression blank and distant through it all.

“Not worth it, not worth it, not worth it…”

What had they done to her?

I remembered Sequoia’s warning, and gently pet her hair back. “My girl, my angel, I’m taking you to the pack doctor right now. I will get you anything you need, anything you want.”

“Just end my pain, please. I’m such a burden, I don’t know why I’m here…”

They had her for a around two hours but I could only imagine how long every second had felt to her to make her like this. They must have repeated their words of hate into her ear, over and over with every cut and hit that they gave her, but I also knew they had to have built on something that was already there. The pain twisted in my gut to wonder if this had happened to her before.

Even in the blanket her whole body shook, and I picked her up bridal style to try and warm her against me.

I heard Covyn on the phone. “Sequoia, we have her. She’s safe.”

“Sequoia?!” Evadiene’s head perked up and she looked for the voice that had said it. “My Sequoia?” She asked again and Covyn came over with the phone, handing it to her. “Sequoia?”

I could her the woman on the other end squeal. “Evadiene! My heart stopped when they took you, where are you? It can’t start beating again until I’m with you.”

“Sequoia…” she said again more sadly.

“Don’t you dare, don’t you dare believe a thing they said!” Sequoia called through the line reproachfully. “Where are you? I’m on my way.”

“I’ll bring her to you Sequoia,” I offered.

There was a long pause before Sequoia asked seriously. “How is she?”

“Coya…”

“She’s rough,” I admitted. “But..”

Sequoia growled. “Do not let her alone! Give the phone to back to Covyn.”

Whatever she asked him he only responded with yes or no answers and confusion took over my thoughts at her anger.

She’s safe, we’ve found Evadiene. Why does she sound angry?

Evadiene pushed away from me, her body still trembling. “She’s… a worrier..” she said quickly, moving to stand, but I didn’t put her down.

“Let me hold you,” I said gently, rubbing my cheek against hers. “You have no idea how worried I was when I saw the state of our room.”

“Ambrose..”

“Yes my Angel?”

“Put me down.”

Her words were so firm that, despite my thinking she wouldn’t be able to stand in her state, I lowered her legs to the ground. She wobbled under her weight, but remained standing, and took a step back that tore a hole in my chest.

“I… I ..” her lips trembled and I could see her eyes welling with tears. “I want a minute.. alone.”

My throat dried out like I’d tried to drink flour. “Angel…”

“Sequoia worries about me alone, but… I need this.” She looked up into my eyes, the tears running silently down her cheeks.

I wiped them away with my thumb, hesitating in my response. We had been left alone in the room while they dragged the men out but the smell of the room remained. She was begging me for a moment alone after something traumatic.

“How long do you need?” I asked, not wanting to cave to her.

“Less time than it would take to put on all my layers of clothes,” she said softly, not meeting my eyes.

I hated the nod I gave her before I kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right outside. You get five minutes.”

She nodded and kissed my lips passionately.

I moved outside the door way, remembered I’d thrown the door off and paced slightly further down the hall. My gut was eating at me, my mind basically screaming in my skull that this was wrong and I’d only made it to the one end before I turned back towards the room. I got to the open doorway just in time to see her picking up one of the knives from the ground.

“Angel, take it easy…” I said softly, walking slowly toward her.

“Ambrose, I love you.” Her words were too firm that I started running towards her right away.

I reached her as the knife’s edge met her skin and I grabbed the blade, tearing it from her hand. I barely felt the bite of the blade in my hand as I tossed it aside, picking her up into my arms to keep from knocking her over. I searched her pile of clothing on the floor, tearing a long piece off one of her shirts and wrapping it tightly around the wound she’d made.

Her body shook against mine but this time she didn’t push me away. Her blanket had been taken off and as I wrapped it back around her I checked over her injuries a little better. Takin my time I touched each one and noted her bleeding in my mind. Before I was ready to go I had to check the cut she had made again, and struggled to repress the anger I felt that she would so easily give up and leave me. I could tell she felt my emotions and tried to each out to me but I wasn’t ready for that, not until she was truly saved.

She was in my arms again, the blanket wrapped snuggly around her to keep her from moving, and I was leaving the cellar. I didn’t speak to anyone as I got into one of the vehicles that were brought, but Covyn had seen me in work mode enough to follow and get in the drivers seat.

I was gripping Evadiene’s wrist, holding the fabric there firmly while she quietly cried against me. “Ambrose I’m sorry,I’m so sorry.”

I held her head against my shoulder, stroking her hair as I released half a breath. “You’re safe, I have you,” I soothed. “They will never touch you again.”