Chapter 17

Berlin

I've never felt so tired in my entire life.

Both my body and mind were spent beyond belief and the trauma of today's events was really getting to me.

It was supposed to be the perfect day, the day that I officially became Luna of Osias's pack and completed my bond with him, but of course the Goddess had never seemed to be on my side in times like this. Even though I was extremely nervous at the time, beyond the wall of fear that I'd built was a field of excitement, one that I only got a taste of before it was completely ruined. On top of that, my tummy was beginning to bother me. Just my luck.

It's hard to explain how it felt when I saw Max's face walking down that aisle, but the best word to encompass it had to be dread. I dreaded seeing his face again, the one that I thought I knew oh-so-well. A vivid image of the demented state of the features that I once admired, stolen and twisted, was burned onto the back of my eyelids, taunting me. Each time I snuggled deeper into the covers with Hannah and Brook on either side of me, trying to drift off to sleep, my eyes would snap right back open as I whimpered softly in fear, trying to keep my voice down each time as not to wake my two friends beside me.

What did I do to deserve to have such a complicated life? I only wanted to live with a loving mate, be held in his strong arms every night, and bare his children. I wanted to be a happy couple, the kind that go out on dates on the weekends and struggles to raise their litter of pups without pulling their hair out.

Instead, I got a demon who possessed the body of my ex-mate, who undoubtedly wanted me (and probably Osias also) dead, and one loving mate that wanted to do nothing but protect and care for me. Why couldn't I just choose Osias and be done with this entire situation? It was really becoming too much for me to bare and I was sure that it has barely even begun.

I'm so weak...

Turning my head into my fluffy pillow, I inhaling deeply as tears began streaming down my cheeks. Osias's scent that clung to the soft fabric filled my nostrils, and I found myself only crying harder at the reminder that he wasn't beside me.

I want him...

Despite the fact that I begged Osias to stay with me tonight, I could practically see the bloodlust in his eyes when Max was dragged away into the basement. I could tell that he was debating the options, however his need to torture the demon who threatened my life easily dominated his sanity. Before he descended the crumbling stairs to the basement, he instructed Hannah and Brook to watch over me while he "attended to business". Although I didn't like the idea of being watched all of the time, I have to admit that their presence next to me in bed was at least a bit comforting, and I definitely need as much of it as I can get right now.

I peeked my head out from under the covers and turned my head to the right, only to be met with Brook's sleeping face. It was safe to say that even when she sleeps she looks like a model. Reaching out a finger, I gently pushed back a curly piece of hair that slipped in front of her eyes, not wanting it to tickle her nose and make her wake up.

Thats when I saw it.

It was barely a flicker, but my teary eyes were fast enough to detect the slight movement that reflected in the wide window.

Who would be able to get into the Alpha Wing without Osias' permission?

I sat up in the bed, trying to be gentle with my movements so that I wouldn't disturb my friends. A chill went down my spine as another movement registered in the corner of my eye. A dark figure ran past the door in a flash and I immediately slipped off the bed, padding slowly towards the dark hallway. I wrapped my arms around myself to try and find some warmth as the chill of the night was causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

Pursing my lips in confusion, I peeked my head out of the door, squinting down the left side of the hallway before turning my head the other way, only to be greeted with green eyes that were so bright that they seemed to glow in the dark.

"W-what are you d-d-doing here?..." I breathlessly stuttered out, much too scared to move. In fact, I was surprised that I could choke out those simple words. Casey was helplessly whimpering in our head, and I knew that he was a moment from taking over from pure fright.

A soft but sinister laugh came back in response and before I knew it, a gun was pointed to my head and my arms were trapped behind me.

I let out a scream so loud that it could've broken a wine glass. I was frantically struggling against the hold of the imposter that had me so tightly bound in their arms, but my measly strength was nothing compared to how strong they were. Tears streamed endlessly down my face, blurring my vision as I was practically dragged across the room towards the window.

"I've got him, boss. I'm exiting at the moment, prepare the van." the person holding me commanded through some sort of headset, and my eyes widened at the familiar tone. However, before I was able to confirm, someone else did.

"Callie?!" came Brook's surprised voice from the bed, and I could've laughed out loud with how happy I was at the sight of both Brook and Hannah sliding out from underneath the covers. The relief I felt was unreal.

"We're saved!" cried Casey, although we were both unaware of what was about to transpire.

Before I was able to get over the shock of Callie, someone who I thought was my best friend, working to kidnap me, two gunshots rang through the room.

I could've sworn that time moved in slow-motion as Brook and Hannah fell to the floor, blood trailing across the hardwood floors before I was yanked out of the window. I let out a cry of anguish, clawing for my friends and sobbing harder than ever before. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, fate turns against me once again.

"Please, save me..." I begged, desperately attempting to reach Osias through our straining mating bond. If only we'd finished the ceremony...

"Ouch..." I whimpered as I was thrown into the back of a van roughly, my fragile frame bumping against the walls as I felt the vehicle lurch forward.

"Ugh, your crying is so annoying." said Callie, reaching into a black pouch on her hip to pull out a syringe filled with some sort of thick, pink liquid. "Hopefully this will shut you up."

I couldn't fight or protest when she moved over to me as fast as lightning, pressing the needle into the side of my neck. The pricking sensation was barely registered in my mind as I sobbed against the dirty floor of the van. I just wanted to sleep.

Sleep.

That sounded like an amazing idea. Without another thought, I allowed the drowsy feeling to cloud my senses and take me off into a state of nothingness.

Osias

It took no time at all for me to reach the Alpha Wing. My legs had a mind of their own, and their only thoughts were consumed with Berlin. I heard Berlin trying to contact me through our link as I rushed to him, however it was far from being fully established and resulted in a faint sound of static instead. I silently begged the goddess that he was alright as I approached my bedroom, my blue eyes clouded around the rim with red. Bloodlust.

I'd left the torture chamber without touching the demon, which was something that never happened to my victims. He simply laughed like a maniac when he saw me sprint away at the sound of Berlin's scream, chanting a song that sounded vaguely of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'. The man was definitely clinically insane, and that gave me all the more reason to skin him alive.

The first thing that I noticed was the empty bed, which sent my instincts into hyper-sensitivity mode. Berlin's scent was strewn throughout the room along with the faint tinge of his friends' as well. It only took half of a second longer for me to pick up on the pungent stench of blood. My head snapped to the side, taking in the sight of the two girls on the floor with blood pouring profusely from two wounds in their abdomen. Shit.

"Ortiz, put the pack house on lockdown. We have a breach. Benji, I have two wounded in the Alpha Wing. I need you here immediately." I instructed through the pack link, cursing to myself when I picked up fresh scent of Berlin along with another faintly familiar one belonging to one of our newer pack members, Callie, near the open window.

It was slowly fading, no doubt from the slight breeze that entered the room, but I'd always be able to recognize the tantalizing scent of my mate. I guess that York was right to protect Berlin from those 'friends' of his. It was surprising, as the horny wolf was hardly useful for anything else other than getting his dick hard.

Red began to creep further into my line of sight as I let out a growl, York forcing himself to surface when it began to sink in that Berlin was most definitely gone. With a roar of anger as well as agony, I turned to run back towards the torture chamber.

Max.

That fucking bastard.

I should've killed him when I had the chance.

"Alpha!" the voice of my head warrior, Luka, pierced through my link, and the fur on my hackles stood on end at the urgency of it. I'd left him to watch over the Incubi when I ran to check on Berlin, and it was easy to tell that something was wrong through his tone of voice.

"What the fuck do you want?" I growled back at him, my voice sounding deeper as York began to take over once again.

"It's Max! He's gone!" I could practically feel Luka's face paling through the link at the pure anger I shot back at him. I was so riled up that I couldn't speak, let along respond to him as I turned the corner that led to the chambers. Luka jumped at my sudden appearance in the damp basement, but I couldn't care less.

Just as he said, the pole Max was previously attached to was barren, the shackles left open and dangling. I roared out with rage, stomping my way over to the pole and flattening the hard metal against the floor with the swipe of my hand. My chest heaved and my eyes began to fill up with tears as the weight of the situation dawned on my in one fell swoop.

Berlin is gone.

My baby is gone.

My Angel was ripped from my arms by a deranged asshole.

I fell to the ground with a sob, feeling nothing like the powerful Alpha I usually am. The most important part of my life was taken from me, and I felt nothing more than emptiness.

I'd get him back, no matter what I had to do. I swore to protect Berlin, and I would never give up on that promise.

Not until my very last breath.