The Defiant Claim - The Claim: Book 2 [LGBTQ+]

Darkness and agony was the totality of Mik’s existence. With no windows to gauge the passage of time, he couldn’t be sure where one day ended and the next began. He slipped in and out of consciousness, from one dark place to the next, one real and one in his mind. One burning, tortuous agony to the next. He hadn’t felt this miserable since he nearly froze to death his first winter as a rogue.

Even then, when that happened, his father was there with him. His father was there trying to take care of him and keep him alive.

He had no one now. No one but Dr. What’s-His-Name coming in and redressing his wounds. Mik was in too much pain and embarrassed to ask him his name. Why didn’t he pay attention before? This man treated him months ago without judgment. He should have learned his name then, tucked it into his memory instead of letting it slip away...

Like Sam.

Mik’s father curled his lip. 'You’ll never become Alpha if you accept him. No one will follow a fag.′

In his moments of consciousness—or were they dreams? Mik couldn’t be sure with the fever raging within him. Whatever the case, his father appeared in his mind, his voice whispering in his left ear. The only companion he had when the doctor didn’t pay him a visit.

What did it matter if he became Alpha now? As much as the thought of fucking Sam made him physically ill, it still gave him a raging hard-on. And if he couldn’t get a stiffy with Nikki—a sexy female strong and capable enough to act as Luna at his side—how could he fuck any other female?

The matebond was the enemy, the one pushing him and Sam together. How could he break free of the matebond? Death of a mate was the only thing he could think of and that was the last thing he wanted for Sam.

‘You have to kill him,’ his father sneered. ’He isn’t natural.′

Groaning, Mik pushed him away as a door opened overhead. Footsteps strode across the wooden floor to the door that led to the staircase to the cells in the basement. The doctor’s scent drifted toward Mik as he opened the door and began his descent toward him.

“Thank the Goddess you’re here,” Mik grunted out.

“Hello to you too,” the doctor replied. “Feeling better, are we?”

“Going fucking insane,” Mik grumbled as the doctor’s boots hit the grated floor and walked toward him.

“That would be the fever.”

“How’s Sam?”

The doctor paused in his steps at the foot of the door to his cell. An inhale of breath and an exhale made the hairs of Mik’s nape stand on end.

“Hard to say,” he answered.

Mik frowned. “How many days have passed? He should be doing better, right?”

“Only two days have passed.”

“What? You shitting me?” It felt like at least a week to Mik.

“45 hours since he was brought to the infirmary to be exact.”

Damn, he really was going crazy down here.

“It’s Friday morning and Sam is still in a coma. His body appears to be healing, but it’s abnormally slow for our kind. His heartbeat is weak and that’s probably slowing the healing process down as it’s not able to pump blood as easily throughout his body. His lungs collapsed... multiple times...”

Mik’s heart fell. Sam’s heart was strong... “He’ll pull through,” Mik said, though even he could tell that he was only trying to reassure himself.

The doctor shuffled into the cell and set his tools and materials around him before offering Mik more of his herbal concoction and setting to work. Peeling back the strips of cloth, Mik gagged on the smell of his blood as his wounds reopened again.

He gritted his teeth as the doctor worked. When he was done and packing his things up, Mik asked, “So, how does it look?”

“Well, your fever is down one degree, it’s still higher than normal. The infection is still present, though doing better. It will still take a few more days to clear. You’re on the path to recovery, but it will take some time still.”

“Thanks.” Mik hesitated before pushing himself to ask, “What’s your name again?”

“Waaban.”

“Thanks, Dr. Waaban,” Mik mumbled, the herbal drink clouding his head and making it heavy.

“You’re welcome.”

Mik began to drift off to sleep again as the doctor left. He plugged that name into his memory. It was the least he could do for this male who owed him nothing and had taken care of his injuries on more than one occasion in the last few months. Now Sam’s life was in his hands as well. Mik had to trust him with Sam’s healing. He would know better than Mik.

Dr. Waaban came twice more before he told Mik he’d see him tomorrow morning. He gave Mik some chicken broth through a straw until he finished and gave him more of the herbal medicine before getting to work with his back. He seemed more tired and tight-lipped with each visit and Mik didn’t blame him. He was probably tired of running back and forth to change Mik’s dressings. Mik thanked him by name during both visits and asked him about Sam. Nothing had changed regarding Sam though. Mik wanted to ask for more details, but his father snarled in the back of his head and he clamped his mouth shut.

If anything different was going on with Sam, Dr. Waaban would have said so. Badgering him for more information would irritate him and the male looked exhausted. Mik could hear it in his voice and sense in his movements. He was dragging his feet when he bid Mik goodnight.

If Mik was ever released from this prison, he wanted to give him something as a sign of his appreciation. He didn’t know what, but he didn’t know if he’d ever get out of there either. All he could do right now was thank him until he stopped coming to see him. Then what would he do?

And what about Sam?

Mik refused to think that Sam would die. He would pull through. He would live. He had to.

But what would Sam do once he pulled through? Would he ask Noodin to release him? Would he want to live with Mik again? After everything that happened, would Sam even want him freed?

‘And if he did take you back, would you want him?’ his father’s voice whispered in his left ear. ‘This disgusting, pathetic excuse of a male?’

Mik gritted his teeth and pushed his father from his mind. That “disgusting, pathetic excuse of a male” was the only one to look at him without a hunger for his flesh. The only one to blush at the sight of Mik’s body. The only one to take care of him and gaze at him and smile at him and thank him for seemingly small and insignificant things. That male never took him for granted.

‘That male will never be good enough for you,’ his father reappeared, taunting.

“That male is the only one to ever give a fuck about me!” Mik roared into the dark cell.

Mik didn’t know what time it was or when Dr. Waaban would return. He didn’t even know if he was awake or dreaming again. He inhaled deeply, his chest hurting with the expansion, and could smell the damp contours of the cell. Definitely not dreaming.

He tugged on the chains holding his limbs down. They rattled but didn’t budge.

‘You’re only twenty-two, plenty of time to find a suitable female. That male will only hold you back from your true potential.’

“Shut up,” he grumbled under his breath.

‘You know I’m right.’

“Fuck you.”

‘Is that any way to speak to me?’

“You’re a fucking hallucination!”

‘I’m all you got right now.’

“I’d rather be alone than to have you insulting Sam like that!”

Silence descended. Mik huffed, looking around him as if expecting his father’s ghost to appear from somewhere. Relaxing, he closed his eyes and mumbled to himself about his sanity. Why was he hearing his father’s voice in his head? It had been five years since he was killed. He was over it. He honored his memory, lived by his teachings, and didn’t stray from the path his father set before him. He knew what he had to do.

Yet, as he lay there on the cold, grated floor of a hidden cell, the only thing that mattered to him now was that Sam lived. If anyone deserved a second chance at life, it was that male. He needed to live. He needed to grow strong. He needed to become a nurse and take care of others and help them heal because that’s what made him happy and gave his life purpose. Mik saw that in Sam and it made his heart swell with pride and ache with longing.

Sam wasn’t who he pictured to be his mate, but he had the biggest heart of anyone Mik had met and that alone made him too good for Mik. It was Sam’s tender-hearted nature that broke him.

You broke him, Mik accused himself. He didn’t care that you were male. He didn’t see you as a curse. All he wanted was a damn chance with you as his mate. All he wanted was the love of his soulmate. Why couldn’t you be the mate he needed?

Why didn’t you leave as soon as your casts came off? It would have hurt him, but he wasn’t as attached back then and would have recovered. How could you have even given Nikki the time of day knowing that she was one of Noodin’s warriors? Of course, she’d be loyal to her alpha and report back to him. How stupid could you be? You should have left and sought a female outside the pack—that would have been the smart thing to do!

Doesn’t matter now. You fucked up and nothing you say or do will fix it. Sam probably won’t look at you or listen to a word you have to say—if they will even let you out of here.

This is what assholes like you deserve. To rot in a pit and never see the light of the moon again.

A series of voices murmured from outside. Mik strained his ears to try and hear better but picked up nothing.

Was it morning already? What was going on up there? The guard never gave Dr. Waaban any trouble before.

The front door opened and a series of footsteps marched at a quick pace across the floor to the staircase.

“What’s going on?” Mik hollered as two males accompanied Dr. Waaban down the stairs.

Anxiety and fear rolled off the pack doctor in waves as the pair followed behind him, carrying a stretcher. Were they taking him out of there? Why was the doctor so stressed?

“In there. Faster. We don’t have much time,” Dr. Waaban ordered them before pressing his hand to his exhausted-looking face.

“Dr. Waaban?” he called as the males set the stretcher down next to him and began unlocking the cuffs around his ankles.

The doctor heaved a sigh. “How are you feeling, Mik?”

“Same as last night, but more achy I guess. Chest feels tighter. What about Sam? What’s going on?”

“I thought so,” Dr. Waaban grunted, raking his fingers over his face. “Sam took a turn for the worst last night.”

“What?” Mik demanded and groaned as the males released his wrists and tried to lift him onto the stretcher. He could feel the lacerations on his back reopening and the saturated bandages drip with fresh blood.

“He’s dying. His body is shutting down. If we don’t hurry, every organ will cease functioning and there will be no reviving him. I told Alpha that the only option we have left is you. If we put you in the bed next to him, your presence, your soul, might be the only thing to help him now. It’s our only option. I’ve tried everything.”