Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three - Suffering

Olivia Peterson's P.O.V.

Two weeks later.

I'm taken to a different room in the morning today for my usual check-up and ultrasound. I am now halfway through my first month of three since werewolf pregnancies are much shorter. Thankfully Vincent hasn't tried to harm my baby but he has been taking his anger and frustration out on any part of my body except my belly. He's also using drugs that have blocked out my mate bond, mind link and my wolf without harming my child.

I lay down on the bed completely exhausted as the doctor glances at me worriedly. Because I don't have Jade to help me heal and I'm being physically abused almost every day, my body isn't in the best of conditions to be nurturing a child. Carlos, the doctor, has been trying to do the best he can in taking care of me but I have been running into some issues.

Alongside extreme fatigue and nausea I'm also experiencing a high blood pressure, iron deficiency and regular fevers. In addition to that, Carlos must keep tending to my numerous wounds, bruises and any swelling.

"Nothing yet, thankfully." I joke humorlessly as he gets the ultrasound machine and device ready.

"I'm so sorry." He bites his lip as he regards me with pity and fear.

"They're keeping you hostage too. You have nothing to be sorry about." I smile weakly as he runs the gel covered device over my stomach.

"Still. I wish I could just help somehow..." He whispers sadly as he glances at the screen.

Carlos and I have figured out that we're in an abandoned house of sorts but we just don't know where. I don't think we're in Ontario or Vancouver because surely someone would have found us by now? Either the spies Atticus had in Vancouver or Atticus himself.

Just like I'm locked in a cell so is Carlos and we are only allowed into this room so that he can check up on me and my baby. We've been stuck here for two weeks and every time we venture out of this room we've seen numerous groups of guards walking around the place so attempting to escape would be a stupid idea unless it's fool proof. My only hope is Atticus.

"I really need that blood pressure to go back to normal and for you to not stress a lot. Because if this continues you may have a premature baby which isn't good considering the pregnancy is shorter and the development is faster." He sighs and I catch the anger in his eyes. "This is so unfair to do to a baby and you as a mother!"

"I know." My voice trembles as I speak because I'm trying so hard not to break down. "But he or she has been strong so far."

"Just like their mom." He smiles before wiping the gel. "I'm going to talk to Vincent about ways to get your blood pressure down through meals, exercise and stuff but you must work on staying calm. I know, it's crazy for me to even suggest that with the current situation but please try."

"I'll try. Thanks, Carlos." I smile gratefully as I pull my shirt down and get off the bed.

"No problem. Tell someone immediately if you need me but I'll see you soon for your next check-up. Remember to keep taking your medication and vitamins. And if the guard doesn't change your bandages correctly let me know immediately." He instructs before giving me a tight hug. "Hang in there."

"You too." I whisper before pulling away just as a guard opens the door.

The guard ties a blindfold over my eyes and guides me to my cell. He takes it off as soon as I'm inside before chaining me to the wall and leaving. I whimper in pain as the silver burns my skin. They keep changing the limb that is chained to the wall each week so right now it's my left wrist.

I thought I was going to be left alone until breakfast was given to me but I'm surprised when Scarlett walks in. She closes the door behind her and I hear it lock before she leans against the wall. Her brown eyes roam over me and her lips quirk at the corners maliciously when she spots my newly changed bandages.

"What's going on?" I frown in confusion when I see her take out her phone.

"Atticus is going to receive a recording of you all beaten and bruised." She smirks haughtily as her eyes roam my figure in disgust. "And we're also going to reveal that you're pregnant."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you working for Vincent – ah!" I cry out as she wraps her hand tightly around my throat.

"Because I was supposed to be Luna! Atticus was mine and you took him! You took everything away from me!" She growls with a wild look in her eyes as she slams my head against the wall. "And now you're pregnant with his child! I was to give him heirs! He would have been mine forever!"

"You would have never been happy with him! You rejected your chance at happiness and true love for status!" I reply in frustration over this girl being so deluded. "Atticus was so happy for you when you found your mate. Do you honestly think that he would have ever picked you to become Luna?!"

"Yes! If you hadn't come along and ruined everything, yes he would have!" She shrieks as she stumbles back. "I grew up in the same pack as him! I adored him! Even when he dated you years ago I still waited for him! Even when he broke his bond with his true mate I waited for him to fall for me and when I nearly had him you snatched him from me!"

"Scarlett..." I trail off in disbelief.

I realize that I'm never going to get through to her. She's conjured up a whole fairy tale of her and Atticus being together for years that anything that doesn't fit with her perfect story will be rejected.

"You will pay for what you did to me. And if Vincent doesn't kill that pup inside you I will!" She states threateningly and I kick her legs out from beneath her.

She yells as she falls before my feet and I kick her face repeatedly before she eventually shuffles away. I glare at her murderously as my protective instincts flare up over her threatening my child. She snarls hatefully with eyes narrowed on my hand resting protectively against my small baby bump.

"Threaten my child again and I'll rip your heart out, bitch." I growl warningly and notice a flicker of fear flash in her brown eyes.

Right at that moment Vincent walks in. He frowns in confusion at Scarlett who gets up from the floor before glancing at me in suspicion. I stare at him blankly and he rolls his eyes in response before ordering Scarlett to start recording. He steps up to me with a wicked grin before revealing the wolfsbane laced whip and I can't help but fear the extremes he's going to go to just to send a message.

Just like I predicted he shows no mercy and the video starts off with a bloodcurdling scream.

***

Atticus Bauer's P.O.V.

"Alpha, this CD was sent to us by mail." Brendan, one of my warriors, steps into the room Bastian and I are working in.

I frown in confusion before realizing it's probably from Vincent. I take it and dismiss him before turning to my Beta with a grave expression. He stares at the disc with a knowing look before sighing heavily and nodding at the laptop. I put it in before it loads and Bastian presses play with slight hesitation.

Instantly a terror filled scream echoes in the room and we growl when we see Vincent whipping Olivia's back. Pain and desperation fills me when I see how beaten and bruised she looks. She's chained to a wall and there's bandages everywhere alongside swelling. Blood pools on the floor and I can tell that it's wolfsbane but what catches my eye is that she has her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. She's put on some weight which makes me frown in confusion.

"Show him, Olivia!" Vincent chuckles darkly as he whips her relentlessly. "Show him or else I'll –"

"O-Okay!" She gasps and whimpers in pain as her arms fall to the side. "J-Just stop...p-please stop!"

Her emerald eyes stare up at the camera and my heart shatters when they look so broken and full of hurt. She looks exhausted and her back isn't healing as quick as it should be. But as my eyes roam the rest of her figure I notice that her belly is slightly rounded and swollen. Bastian curses from beside me the moment I realize why Vincent demanded that she unwrap her arms.

Olivia's pregnant.

"That's right, Bauer. Olivia's pregnant with your child but it won't be long before she either loses it or I kill it!" He laughs manically as he throws the whip to the ground before yanking her up by her hair. "Her wolf can't heal her anymore and with how weak she is I wouldn't be surprised if she miscarries!"

"No!" I snarl as I stumble back in shock. "Fuck!"

Xander howls furiously in my mind and the need to have our mate in our arms overwhelms me. I'm going to be a father but all I can feel is fear and pain. If I don't find Olivia in time then I have no doubt that Vincent will kill both her and my pup. She looks exhausted and weak as it is without her healing abilities.

I look back at the screen when I hear her crying softly in the background. My heart breaks all over again when she cradles her belly protectively as Vincent yanks her up. A thundering growl escapes me when he throws her on the bed and backhands her as he yells at her to be quiet. Bastian shoots up from the chair and pulls at his hair as he steps away. I can tell that seeing his Luna in such a state is hurting him.

"I've heard you're sniffing around my pack in Vancouver." Vincent drawls bemusedly as he cleans my mate's blood off his hands. "You're wasting your time, Bauer. I've taken Olivia to a place where you won't be able to find her. But don't worry, when I'm done with her I'll have her body delivered back to you."

Olivia glares up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks as her own blood soaks her clothes. He smirks smugly as he caresses her cheek which she smacks away in disgust. But that only angers him and I roar in anger when he strangles her to the point where she's blue in the face.

"Fucking bitch keeps testing me!" He snarls as he lets go but not before delivering a hard blow to her face which knocks her out.

"Livi!" I cry helplessly as I watch her fall back onto the bed.

"Goddess knows what Atticus sees in her." A familiar voice scoffs from behind the camera and my blood runs cold.

"Scarlett! That fucking bitch!" Bastian snarls as he clenches the edge of the table.

"You have one more week to find her...although I should just kill your mate and pup now since you're never going to be able to save them anyway." Vincent smirks as he walks up to the camera. "But you know what? I'll be gracious and give you some time. Happy searching, Bauer."

He reaches out and takes the camera before pulling Scarlett against him. She smiles victoriously as he pecks her cheek before waving mockingly at the camera. And then everything goes dark as the recording ends. I roar in anger and pain as Xander tries taking over. But frustratingly, Bastian stops me as he calls the warriors in and they pin me to the floor.

"I know you're angry and I know you're in pain but Atticus, we need to find her! We don't have much time!" Bastian yells as he tries to talk some sense into me.

However, his words don't get through to Xander who becomes so enraged and bloodthirsty. All he wants to do is find Vincent and rip his heart out for hurting our mate and pup. I know Bastian's right and that me going on a killing spree right now won't help anyone but try telling that to my overprotective wolf.

"Alpha! Beta! We may have found a location!" A young tracker comes running in with a laptop.

Immediately, Xander gives me back control and I spring up from the ground. We all crowd around Novak as he takes a seat at the table and begins to explain. The spies I had by the Red River pack had managed to follow Vincent to a certain extent before they lost him but as more and more trackers joined they started to pick up on some clues.

Novak walks us through the directions before opening images of an abandoned house in Masset on the northern coast of Graham Island. "We used a drone to get near it and take pictures. As you can see the place is crawling with rogues who are probably working with Vincent to guard the place."

"This is it!" I turn to Bastian with a renewed sense of hope. "All the other provinces in Canada are our allies and he knows that if he even stepped on their lands they would hand him over."

"Let's get started on a strategy for attack and we'll move out as soon as everyone is briefed." He grins and I can see the thirst for blood in his eyes.

I nod as everyone files into the room to work on the plan. I'm coming for you, Livi. Just hold on a little longer. Moon Goddess, please protect my mate and pup, I pray before taking everyone through positioning and entry. It's time to get our Luna back.

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