Chapter 43

MISTY

Across the room, my dad watched, his expression stricken. He kept raking his hands through his hair, a gesture of helplessness that broke my heart.

His eyes were wide with anguish, unable to tear them away from the scene unfolding before him. He looked like a man on the brink of shattering, desperate to help but unable to find a way.

Axel yanked the chain upward, forcing me to my feet. The silver links seared into my skin, burning like fire with every movement.

I fought to keep my composure, my chin trembling as I bit down hard on the inside of my cheeks, trying to stave off the sobs threatening to break free.

But I couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down my face, each one a testament to the pain and fear surging through me.

~“You’re not in the helicopter yet,”~ Lloyd linked. I couldn’t maintain eye contact with him; it was just too painful. Maybe this was fate, and Lloyd and I were never meant to be.

~“I love you,”~ I linked him, my voice trembling through the bond.

Luke helped Adam up, and even though he groaned and clutched his stomach, I knew his wolf would heal him.

Axel’s grip tightened around me, one arm snaking around my middle, and I could feel his breath on my neck and shuddered at the repulsive smell.

The short sword in his hand hovered just above my skin, the tip grazing my throat. I flinched as it pressed harder, the sharp edge slicing into the delicate flesh. Blood welled up, warm and sticky, and a soft gasp escaped my lips.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the blood trickle down my neck, mixing with the tears that refused to stop.

I could sense Lloyd’s desperation, fear, and anger pulsing through the bond, but I tried to calm him, sending what little reassurance I could muster.

~“Please, Lloyd, don’t do anything reckless,~” I pleaded silently, because if the curse was broken, then he was no longer invulnerable.

Time seemed to stand still, the world narrowing to this one agonizing moment. I was trapped in Axel’s grasp, but my heart and soul belonged to Lloyd. No matter what happened, that would never change.

“Draw blood one more time, and Goddess help me,” Lloyd growled, his voice low and dangerous, fury burning in his eyes.

Axel snorted—a derisive sound that held more bravado than strength. “Clear the way,” he commanded, but his attempt at dominance was weak, almost laughable, especially compared to the raw power that radiated from Lloyd.

It was as if Lloyd’s presence had swelled, his authority growing even more formidable—if such a thing was even possible.

Lloyd moved toward the hallway, his stance unyielding, his voice reverberating through the palace like a thunderclap. “Clear a path to the helicopter,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for disobedience.

For all his earlier bravado, Axel did not hesitate. He grabbed me roughly, pulling me sideways, his back pressed firmly against the wall as he edged forward, taking no chances.

We reached the stairs, and our descent was agonizingly slow, each step a painful ordeal. The collar around my neck dug into my skin, its metal burning like fire.

Desperation clawed at me as I tried repeatedly to summon my magic, but there was no spark, no flicker of power, nothing but a void where my abilities should have been.

Cammy’s voice, usually a source of strength, now came as a faint wail of despair, the silver affecting her just as brutally as it did me.

I should have known something was wrong when the writing in the grimoire looked fainter than before, and now I could no longer access any magic.

According to Cammy, the spark was gone. That humming coursing through my body was also absent.

We reached the entrance, and Axel stopped, his back against the door frame.

Lloyd, Adam, Luke, and my dad watched in helpless silence, and the thought popped into my head that once we got away, Axel would likely kill me, and I would die somewhere alone…

My dad’s and Adam’s eyes glazed over, and a second later, Adam asked, “Shall I open the door to the helicopter?”

Axel’s head snapped around. “Good plan. Try anything, and I will end her,” he threatened again.

Adam ran out toward the helicopter, clutching his stomach. The wound hadn’t healed completely, and he ducked as the wind from the helicopter blades caught his hair, whirling it around his face.

He yanked open the door, moved far enough away, and got on his knees submissively.

“Adios,” Axel said smarmily, and we walked briskly to the helicopter. He got in first and then yanked the chain mercilessly until I was in.

“Close the door, bitch,” he ordered, letting out just enough chain so I could reach the handle. “Let’s go, Egon.”

He buckled himself in and then looked at me with narrowed eyes. “Get on the floor and put your hands on the seat.”

I slipped to the floor as the helicopter took off, wishing it would crash.

~“Follow his orders and don’t try to escape. I will find you.”~ Lloyd’s link came through, bringing a fresh wave of tears.

Axel jerked on the chain to get my attention. “You know, I have a feeling we were meant to be together after so many random meetings. You should have been in my bed long ago.” He tapped my mark thoughtfully. “You are lucky because, as a Sayelle-Moreau, I have the ability to cover this mark with mine.”

Horror ran through me. No matter what Lloyd said, I would fight tooth and nail before I let him touch me.

“Nothing to say? It’s better to accept your fate,” Axel chuckled, cupping my face. I reared away from him, gasping as the silver burned me anew.

The minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity, and I lost all sense of time. The drone of the helicopter’s blades was as ominous as the pounding of my heart. Axel ignored me, his attention on his cell phone.

I had left my phone in the car after Tanner said that once you shifted, you would lose it, and I didn’t want to lose another phone. I hadn’t planned on shifting, but it had made sense then…now, not so much.

I still couldn’t understand why my powers disappeared. I hadn’t broken the curse, yet Lloyd was free and immensely stronger. Had the crone appeared and set him free?

I knew in my heart Lloyd would look for me, but how could he track me? We must have covered hundreds of miles.

I vowed that I wouldn’t underestimate Axel, but I hadn’t expected him to come through the panel, which was very similar to the one that covered Lloyd’s chamber.

He had a sword at Adam’s neck before I could shout a warning, slamming and locking the door.

He broke a display case and demanded I put on the collar or he would kill Adam.

Fear for Adam’s life made me comply, hesitating momentarily until the tip of the sword entered Adam’s stomach, and I hastily grabbed the collar, hissing in pain as the silver burned me.

I snapped it around my neck and watched in horror as Axel sank the sword into Adam’s flesh before grabbing the leash and forcing me to my knees.

I was trapped and at his mercy—nothing but a pawn. But maybe I could use that to my advantage.

The moment the helicopter began to descend, my stomach tightened with a sickening sense of dread; we were nearing our destination. The hum of the rotors shifted, the pitch changing as we dropped lower and lower.

The descent grew steeper, and the vibrations intensified as we landed.

Axel stepped out of the helicopter and stretched his legs, the muscles in his back rippling as the rotors above us gradually slowed to a stop.

He rolled his shoulders, the motion casual, almost leisurely, before jerking his head in my direction, signaling me to get out.

He didn’t bother to grab the chain this time, a small but deliberate gesture that sent a clear message—he knew I had no choice but to follow.

I shifted across the cabin, my movements slow and stiff, my legs cramping from being forced to sit on my knees for so long.

As I exited the helicopter, the cool air hit me, a brief relief from the claustrophobic confines of the cabin. But before I could take in my surroundings, Axel’s hand shot out, seizing the chain with a firm grip.

I barely had time to glance around before he began leading me toward a metal door. It was only then that I realized we were on a rooftop.

He entered the code, the door clicked open and led me down a flight of stairs.

The air grew warmer as we descended, and we emerged into a lavish open-plan apartment with polished floors and sleek, modern furnishings that gleamed under the soft lighting, but there was no time to take in the details.

I knew where we were headed when he veered off the kitchen and opened another door. A cold dread settled in my stomach as I saw the stairs leading into darkness—the basement.

“You first,” Axel said, his voice dripping with mockery as he bowed theatrically, flicking the light switch with a smirk.

I hesitated, then began to climb down the stairs, careful to keep the chain slack so he wouldn’t jerk it. The basement contrasted starkly with the luxury above—a cold, empty hull with bare concrete floors and walls.

There were no windows or light except for the harsh overhead bulb that cast long, sharp shadows.

“Make yourself comfortable, my little insurance policy,” Axel chuckled, the sound echoing off the walls as he darted up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind him.

The sound of the lock clicking into place reverberated through the empty space, and I shivered, glad I still had my hoodie fastened around my waist.

~“Cammy?”~ I reached out desperately, hoping for the familiar warmth of her presence.

~“Misty. I can’t heal you,”~ she replied, her voice faint and strained, as though she were speaking from a great distance.

~“That’s okay. At least it wasn’t Wolfsbane,”~ I reassured her, though the words felt hollow.

I walked around the basement, scanning the area for anything that could help me, but the space was meticulously clean—devoid of any signs of use or life.

There was no furniture, no tools, nothing that could serve as a weapon or a means of escape. The walls were smooth and unmarked, offering no purchase for climbing or hiding.

The cold concrete was unforgiving, and the silence suffocating. This place was a tomb, exactly like Lloyd’s chamber—just bigger.