Chapter 107: Chapter 107

I was abruptly awakened from what could have been a deep and pleasant dream due to the shrill sound of an alarm coming from the tablet. The tablet vibrated on the Persian carpet on the floor, causing me to quickly get up. I rubbed my eyes to clear the sleep as I hastily threw the blankets off my body.

While I was sleeping, the tablet had fallen to the floor, and I almost leaped off the couch to grab it in time. Though I was bothered by the tablet’s intense light, I forced myself to look until the spots disappeared, finally allowing me to understand the situation. My stomach sank momentarily, but then a feeling of relief flooded over me.

“We know someone’s in there, let us in!” Aly’s voice wasn’t filled with fear or panic, but with aggression and determination.

For a moment, I was surprised. She had always been confident and strong, but this time her voice held the strength of a leader. I impatiently touched the tablet, navigating through the deep security measures that encompassed the house. There were boundary lines in the forest that would trigger an alarm if something heavy crossed them, cameras watching over the house and its surroundings, and sensors on every window, entrance, and opening. Either Sven Ross was filled with paranoia or he truly had dangerous enemies threatening him.

I finally found the sensor for the front door, deactivated it, and heard the soft hum of locks disengaging. The front door swung open abruptly, and I watched in astonishment as Aly, Lucy, and Nicolas Zoe, the latter unconscious and injured, stumbled in. Neither Aly nor Lucy, the latter pale and unsteady, could hold onto Nicolas much longer. All three collapsed to the floor, emitting muted g****s. Lucy was the first to recover from the wreckage, sitting up with her back against the wall. Her hair was disheveled and tangled in places, and her eyeliner was smudged on her face, though not from tears. Aly had a similar look, worn out and fatigued, but with a fierce determination in her eyes.

“This guy could skip a few meals,” Lucy muttered irritably, putting her hand to her head. “First, I’m Sleeping Beauty’s babysitter, and now I’m part of the rescue team. Not only does he owe me a new phone, but he should also make sure his father doesn’t go after my family due to my involvement.”

“Thank you, Lucy. I might not fully understand the risks you took, but I genuinely appreciate it,” Aly spoke firmly, her eyes showing determination as they settled on Lucy.

This seemed to lessen Lucy’s irritation somewhat, though she only shrugged and mumbled. I approached to help both of them.

“I’m glad to see you two are alright, but I’m guessing you didn’t just coincidentally come across Nicolas,” I commented, trying to inject a bit of lightness into the situation, although it was difficult considering he was bleeding on the floor. I reached out my hand to Aly. “Come on, let’s get Nicolas onto the couch. I think I saw a first aid kit in the kitchen. While you attend to him, you could tell me everything that happened.”

“I hope Sven doesn’t mind a little b***d on his couch,” Aly said, grabbing scissors to cut Nicolas’ shirt.

Aly was focused as she removed the b***d-soaked fabric from Nicolas’ wounds. She did it not out of affection or love, but because it was a real necessity. He was too valuable an ally to leave behind, a young man who had escaped from his father’s dictatorial control.

“I’m pretty sure there are at least ten other couches in this house,” I remarked, managing to coax a small smile from her.

The first aid kit turned out to be larger than expected. I pulled it out of the pantry and approached Aly. Lucy staggered over to the kitchen and grabbed a container of warm water and a cloth before collapsing onto the couch with a bag of chips in her hand.

“All our abilities have their downsides,” Lucy explained with a shrug as she chewed gum. “I knock people unconscious, so if I use my ability excessively, I can knock myself out too. You’ll figure out the downside of your ability, we all do at some point.”

“I devour others’ emotions and experience what they feel. Sometimes, this is a major inconvenience,” I chuckled lightly, though I had only just begun to appreciate my power a bit.

“However, I’m sure it’s saved you time more than once,” Lucy nodded in my direction.

“Yeah, but this world is so different from the one I knew. It’s hard to undo binary thinking, where everything is black or white,” I explained, shrugging. “But I’m making progress. Every time I use my abilities to save a life, I can’t regret it.”

“Sussan, can you hold this while I stitch it up?” Aly asked, indicating the b***d-stained towel in her hands.

I was careful, but every time Nicolas let out a silent g***n, I paused. He had cuts on his torso, from his chest to his neck. He also had purple bruises, clearly the result of blows. At least the wounds on his face would heal in a day or two. The cuts on his body would require more time to heal.

“f**k!,” Aly exclaimed as she threaded the needle through one of the larger cuts on his body. “It’s going to take almost two weeks for this cut to fully heal.”

“Can you sort out this mess without me?” Lucy grumbled from the other end of the couch. She lay on her back, with a pillow covering the upper half of her face. “I think I’m going to retire for a while.”

“Understood,” Aly muttered, not looking away from her task. About ten seconds later, Lucy’s soft snoring filled the room. Aly glanced at me before refocusing on Nicolas. “It wasn’t my intention to leave you like this, you know. The circumstances changed last minute.”

“I know you wouldn’t have split up if it wasn’t important,” I said with a slight smile, though I wasn’t content as I waited for the twins to arrive.

“The guy Sven sent us gave the address. Luckily, I managed to memorize it, or we’d be in trouble,” Aly laughed, though her tone was fragile. Nicolas let out a faint grunt, making Aly shudder slightly. She overlooked the reaction and continued sewing. “We were running down the hallway, and I caught his scent. It was so strong; I knew he was close. I split off down another hallway and heard him moving further down. But it turned out I wasn’t the only one there. I found Lucy lurking from a few doors down.”

“What was she doing there?” I asked, feeling like my tone sounded a bit suspicious.

Aly didn’t seem to mind and responded without interruption. “I don’t know everything she does in her father’s pack, but some of the white wolves are loyal to her. Despite her tough exterior, Lucy was trying to help. In fact, she was the one who knocked out the guards.”

“And what about her injuries?” I asked, furrowing my brow, unable to believe that guards from her own father were hurting her.

“The men were following orders from her father,” Aly answered grimly, and her emerald eyes darkened like a deep moss tone.

I wasn’t sure why this surprised and horrified me so much, but it did. I guess I wanted to believe that there was a limit to the cruelty a person could show.

Aly finished tending to Nicolas, wiping away the remaining b***d from his face and torso. His skin was irritated and reddened, wrinkled around the wounds on his chest. The stitches would help close the wounds and speed up the healing process. I watched closely as Aly moved, with steady hands and not the slightest tremor.

As I watched Aly stitch up Nicolas’ wounds, a question formed in my mind. A theory I doubted I could ever confirm. I wondered if, since I could drain someone’s life energy, it would be possible for me to also give it?

My thoughts drifted as Aly turned on the television and flicked through channels randomly. “I need some background noise, or I’ll fall asleep,” Aly sighed, pushing some strands of crimson hair from her forehead.

“You don’t have to stay awake with me,” I urged, understanding that all three of them were exhausted after everything that had happened.

“Nah, I’m not leaving you up alone,” Aly shook her head, her lips forming an expression that indicated she wouldn’t change her mind. “I know you won’t sleep until they get here.”

I settled on the couch beside her, huffing when Nicolas began snoring softly. A familiar sitcom was on the screen, with laughter in the background whenever something slightly funny was said. Midway through an episode, Aly’s quiet words caught my attention.

“You understand why I went back for him, right?” she asked, her eyes still on the TV screen. “Despite what Lucy says, I didn’t save him for the cursed bond. I did it because it was the right thing to do.”

“Believe me, I understand,” I replied, letting her share what she wanted.

The relationship between Nicolas and Aly was complicated. Aly knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Nicolas had to live in the shadows, splitting who he was and who he had to be into two separate identities. A wall built by his father’s cruelty and hatred had emotionally blocked him, pushing him away from me and himself. The glimpse I had into his inner thoughts made me understand how he felt, and I knew not to press for more information.

“We entered the room where they had him. Lucy knocked out the guards, and I went to free him from the cuffs,” her voice softened, and her eyes turned towards where Nicolas lay. “He wasn’t fully conscious, but he was mumbling. He was saying a lot of things, and when he saw me, it got worse.”

I was curious about what he had said, but I suppressed the question. I let her take her time to reflect on what she wanted to share.

“He said it was dangerous for him to have a mate, that he was never meant to have one,” her voice was a soft whisper, almost to the point where it sounded imaginary. “He also said that… that he needed to protect me, even if it meant breaking my heart.”

The conversation stalled, and the laughter from the sitcom filtered in as I was left speechless. I had never been one to give advice. Though I could feel their emotions as if they were my own, I didn’t know what to do next. Nicolas had clearly made a decision, but he was also convinced we would lose against his father.

Minutes turned into hours, and my eyes grew dry and sore from staring at the bright TV screen. The family-friendly show failed to capture me, and I sighed with relief when Aly switched to a science fiction movie.

“A little fantasy won’t hurt,” she murmured, laughing as a grotesque alien appeared on the screen.

“Speak for yourself. Werewolves were a fantasy to me until recently,” I chuckled softly, needing a moment of normalcy before reality captured me again. “For all I know, those slimy things are real.”

“Believe me, if they were real, I would have told you,” Aly gave a small but genuine smile as she wrapped herself in a fur blanket. “I would have told you while Liam and Ethan were chasing you if they hadn’t asked me to keep quiet. They wanted to be the ones to break the news to you, but Axel beat them to it.”

“Good old Axel,” I snorted, though I genuinely hoped he and Thomas would come out alright from the hotel. Nerves were still on edge from Liam’s capture, and the last thing I needed was another family member disappearing. “I guess I probably wouldn’t have believed them anyway.”

“Being stubborn isn’t exactly attractive, Sussan,” Aly joked, sounding a bit closer than usual.

“Lucky my best friend is twice as stubborn as me,” I shrugged, laughing when her eyebrows raised.

The tablet began to ring, filling the air with its shrill tone. Lucy emitted a hoarse growl and stood up. Her hazel eyes frantically scanned the room as her hands extended to her sides, ready to use her abilities.

“Don’t you dare, Lucy. It’s just the damn tablet!” Aly hissed, giving Lucy’s shoulders small shakes.

“I could easily put everyone to sleep,” Lucy huffed, rubbing her eyes.

I hurried to pick up the tablet, sliding to answer the call more easily this time. I jumped on the couch as the sound of a punch hitting metal resonated through the house. I started to sweat as the exhausted faces of Liam and Ethan filled the screen. I opened the front door the same way as the first time and rushed out.

The door swung open before I could reach the handle. Seeing the fatigue on Liam’s face, my muscles tensed, and I rushed forward. Both men staggered as they collided with me. Liam leaned on Ethan, who placed a hand on the wall to steady himself. Both twins let out identical sighs as they felt my scent and touch. Liam’s arms wrapped around me in a tight, almost painful embrace. But I didn’t mind and sank even further into his chest. His scent was stronger after being captured by David’s men, but all that mattered was that he was safe.

“We’ll never separate from your side again,” Liam’s voice filled my mind, loaded with his usual warmth and affection. Despite the obvious weariness in his voice, every part of him was grateful to be here with us.

“‘Don’t you dare,'” I chuckled, but the sound was shaky and broken.

All the stress and worry I had been setting aside rushed back to me, weighing on my chest until my breath turned into rapid gasps. At that moment, I couldn’t afford to think about how close I had been to losing Liam. Now, that was all I could think about. Over my shoulder, I felt the twins exchange a look.

“Before they come up, could you take him to a room?” Aly asked, nodding towards where Nicolas lay unconscious on the couch.

“I’ll explain later,” I intervened, my words partially muffled by being hugged by Liam and Ethan.

“Got it. Choose a room, and I’ll see you there. Looks like you’re about to fall over at any moment,” Ethan grumbled, watching Liam.

He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, sharing a look that only the two of us would understand. We both felt relieved that he was back, but the guilt of not finding him earlier weighed on both of us. We remembered that in how Liam’s eyes were shadowed and how his skin was even paler.

I sent Ethan all the warmth and intensity of what I felt for him, the bond that surpassed love and spanned universes. I felt his reaction instantly, how his jaw muscles relaxed and his shoulders loosened.

In a different situation, I would have enjoyed a house like that. Everything was clean and in perfect condition, with no damage caused by living beings. Even the windows had the slightest imperfection. I would have explored every corner of the house and toured every room inside. However, given the circumstances and our current exhaustion, we chose the first room we found.

The three of us fit comfortably in the bed, we could even have tried. It was luxurious, with an oak bed frame and covered with a silk quilt. I let out a small g***n when Liam passed by the bed and headed to the spacious bathroom.

“You can go to sleep, sweetheart,” Liam stopped messing with the shower and offered me a kind smile. It was a subtle curve on one side of his mouth, but it had his characteristic tenderness that I had deeply missed.

The bathroom was larger than necessary, especially the shower with its six built-in heads. My favorite part was the long marble bench inside the shower, a relief when you needed to shave. I wondered what Sven’s personal house would be like, considering his hideaway was a mansion in the woods.

“What happened to never separating again?” I repeated with a hint of a smile.

“Then I guess you’ll have to shower with me,” Liam chuckled softly, and I placed my hand against the firmness of his chest, feeling the vibrations of the sound ripple through his skin. He wrapped an arm around my waist and played with the hem of my shirt. “If I get into bed now, I’ll smell bad.”

“I think you smell good,” I murmured, unflustered by how his eyes fixated on my lips.

Though I wanted to stay awake, to make up for lost time, I saw how exhausted he was. I had no idea how tough his journey had been or how they had managed to escape the hotel in the first place.

As Liam gripped the hem of his shirt, I slid my fingers to the waistband of his pants. I noticed his eyes following my movement, his pupils under the white bathroom light. I lowered them slowly over his h**s, making sure not to touch his growing arousal.

“Sleep sounds less appealing by the second,” Liam grinned playfully, and his expression generated an instant response in me.

“You won’t be saying that in the morning,” I teased, taking off my shirt. I brushed his hands aside when they went for my chest and undid the pants I was wearing.

It was only when we stepped under the shower’s rainfall that I let him take me in his arms. The warmth of the water enveloped us, dissipating the cold and fear that had been with us for so long. The glass surrounding us began to fog, hiding the view from the open bathroom door.

The moment his lips met mine, all thoughts of sleep vanished. His taste danced on my tongue, sweet and masculine as it flooded my mind and mingled with my thoughts. I could feel his rough hands exploring every inch of my body, from the softness of my chest to the curve of my waist and h**s.

The warmth of his hands marked the places they touched, melding with the warm water and reddening my skin. He continued to explore my body, avoiding the areas he most desired. After tracing a path of my skin with his fingers, I settled into his embrace and watched as the dirt and grime of the past few days dissolved and disappeared down the drain.