56

Ivy’s POV
I’m breaking.
I’m losing track of time and the beatings are getting more severe. Cole and Alarik have released me from the chair into some dark cell they made down here and its here I sit currently, shivering due to the dampness of the room.
Blood is caked on my face and neck, streaked all down my arms and has now permanently stained my clothes having sat for so long. I managed to re-break my own nose and set it a little better, but I know my entire bridge of my nose and sinus area is purple with bruises that followed.
I’d hate for Nate to see me now.
I can feel the strain on our bond and wish I could reach out to him and let him know I’m okay, but without Seles and the ability to mind-link, it’s useless. All he can probably feel is that I’m still alive, since the bond isn’t severed like it would be with my death.
I push my matted hair out of my face and sigh, trying to relax but it’s impossible. I hear the familiar door close, and I stand and back against the wall of the cell in case I have to defend myself. I wait patiently until Alarik makes himself known in front of me and unlocks the cell. My muscles tense, thinking that another beating is coming, but I’m surprised as he places a bag at my feet.
I hesitate to reach for it, and he speaks lowly. “It’s new clothes for you. Undergarments, sweats and a t-shirt.”
“Why.” Is all I say, and he shakes his head. “You can’t sit like this the entire time you’re here as much as Cole wants you to. I managed to convince him to let you shower upstairs and clean up. With my direct supervision of course.”
Again, I don’t move out of fear that it’s a trick and Alarik scoffs. “I’m not going to hurt you. I know I’m an asshole, but I can’t keep seeing you like this.”
I slowly reach down and grab the bag, still hesitant but Alarik steps aside and allows me to walk out of the cell. He steps in front of me and walks forward and I follow slowly behind him. We walk up the stairs and out the door into what looks like a regular house, but very much abandoned.
No furniture aside from a small couch in the main room that we enter. I see a small kitchen ahead of me and stairs to my left by the front door. The floors are wooden and walls an off white, but full of cobwebs and dust.
“Let’s go. Bathroom is upstairs.” Alarik grabs my arm tightly and leads me up the stairs to the second floor where the bathroom is in the hallway. Two more doors are upstairs which I can only assume would be bedrooms if the house was actually occupied.
“Go in and get undressed and start the shower. Once you’re in, I’ll be coming in and standing by the door.”
I sigh loudly. “Okay.”
I walk into the bathroom and start the water, noticing some brand-new bottles of shampoo and other toiletries sitting on the counter. I grab them and place them on the inside rim of the tub before stripping down and getting in. The water is hot and warms my chilled body, but I wince in pain as it goes into the cuts and scrapes that are all over me.
I hear the door open, and I hear a couple footsteps before the door closes again.
“How long do I have in here?” I ask and Alarik sighs. “As long as you need.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I let the water run down my face and I wipe it gently, trying to loosen up all the dried blood. Eventually it starts to wash away and down the drain as I see the brown and red stained water at my feet before draining down the tub. I put my hair under the water and put a lot of shampoo in it and scrub as best I can, inhaling through my teeth as it stings.
As much as it hurts, I need to get it clean.
I do the same with my body, finally feeling the hot water take effect and loosen some of my muscles as I wash myself.
“Did you want to be a part of this?” I ask Alarik and I hear him shuffle his feet before responding.
“Truthfully? No. But it’s not like I had a choice. Once Cole set his sights on this, there was no deterring him.”
“What does he have on you?”
“Ivy…” Alarik trails off and I scoff. “He’s probably going to kill me so it’s not like you can’t tell me anything.”
“I’m not supposed to.”
“Who cares. You may be the last person I talk to in my life.”
I hear him shuffle again and sigh loudly.
“It’s not like he has anything on me now that we’re exiled. But before he used to hold it over me that I killed his dad’s Beta. I didn’t do it willingly, he forced it, made some stupid situation in which I had to kill him.” He pauses and I stretch in the shower as I wait for him to resume.
“When it was done, he said if I ever told anyone that he would turn it so that I would be charged with murder. But he had done more damage than I had originally thought. My wolf was already unstable, and since killing the Beta, he’s God damn bloodthirsty and wants to kill all the time.”
“I’m sorry.” I say genuinely with concern. I had heard that some wolves were more susceptible to killing their own kind if they did it enough, and sometimes even one kill could set it off, which seems the case for Alarik.
“It doesn’t matter now. I’ve made my bed and now I’ve got to lie in it.”
“It’s not too late. I’m sure Nathaniel would help you.”
“I appreciate the gesture Ivy, but I don’t deserve it.”
“Do you know why Cole’s going through all this trouble?” I ask and he sighs again.
“He wants power. Always has.”
“Really? This is all some big power trip?”
“I know it seems ridiculous, but honestly, he’s so hard-headed when it comes to this. He’s trying to even plot to take over the rogues once him and I are accepted into their ranks.”
“He’s delusional.” I state as I turn of the water.
“All finished?” Alarik asks quietly.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Your towel is on the counter here. Just knock when you’re done and changed, and I’ll walk you back downstairs.” I hear a click of the door shutting and I step out of the shower and wrap myself in the towel and start to dry myself off. I glance in the mirror and freeze. I see the bruises but they’re not as bad as I once thought.
I continue and finger comb my damp hair before changing into the clothes from the bag. Sighing, I knock on the door and Alarik opens it and gives me a half-sided smile. “You look better.”
I nod and follow him back down through the house and back into my cell, an odd feeling settling in my chest.
Is this really all for power?
— –
Nathaniel’s POV
I sigh as I get up for the day again without my mate beside me. I quickly shower and head down to my office and sit down to go through more paperwork from Red Moon like I’ve been doing alongside Evie, Kane, and Tobias for the past while. We’ve only come across minimal things in addition to the information we found out about the tincture used to suppress a wolf and speculated that it was used on Ivy and Cole’s parents.
We’re no closer to finding her than we were when she first disappeared.
It’s not long before the others join me and as we work through pages and pages of paper, I hear Evie groan loudly.
“You okay?” I watch Kane ask and she scoffs. “No, I’m not okay. I’m sick of this.”
I furrow my brow. “Sick of what? Looking for your friend and making sure she’s still alive?”
Evie glares at me and stands up from her seat. “You better watch what you’re about to say, Alpha.”
“You better remember who you’re talking to, Evie.” I stand as well, my temper flaring and getting the better of me. She stalks over to me and shoves me back. I see Tobias and Kane approach and I hold my hand up, signalling them to stop.
“Evie.” I state coldly and she shrieks.
“Don’t. This all could have been avoided.”
“What do you mean?” Tobias asks and she runs her hands down her face in frustration.
“If Alpha King idiot here hadn’t been so damn selfish and would have just fessed up and told Ivy she was his mate from the get-go, we wouldn’t be here now! You both would be off living your happily ever after and Cole would be a mere afterthought.”
I watch her, feeling my heart sink as her words hit home.
She continues in her exasperated tone. “You could have taken her away from everything. Not let Cole continue to manipulate this entire situation and get the better of all of us. Which he clearly has if you haven’t noticed. It’s been a month without her. A fucking month!”
“We’ve been doing all we can.” Tobias states sadly and Evie shrieks again.
“No. I’m not accepting that. There must be someone that knows something to put us in the right direction. Looking through all this nonsense is useless to us right now, until we find her.”
We all stand there in silence, before Evie walks out with a slam of the door.
Kane approaches me and places his hand on my shoulder. “She’s just upset.”
“I know she is, but she’s right too. We could have avoided at least some of this if I had just told her from the start. Ivy should be just as mad at me if not more than what Evie is right now.”
“Then you’ll just have to apologize when we get her back.”
I nod and head out of the office myself to track Evie down to apologize as well, she didn’t deserve any type of attitude from me regardless of how I feel right now. I walk down the hallway and head into the main foyer of the packhouse where I see Evie talking to someone. As I approach, Evie turns, and I can tell by the look on her face that she’s in shock.
“It’s one of the rogue wolves. Kaiden sent him.”
I look to the man in front of me. “What is it?”
“Kaiden wants to speak to you at the rogue compound. It’s about your mate.”