Denver’s restless gaze drifted to mine as his grip on the handle tightened; his knuckles turning all white. His eyebrows knitted together in a deep frown and a single drop of tear trickled down his cheeks.
Slash! With a loud cracking sound, the silver whip made contact with my left arm. The stinging sensation it left was like being struck with a hot iron rod. I wanted to scream, but my broken jaw rendered even that impossible. Silent tears streaked down my cheeks, and I drew my body closer into a fetal position.
Slash! Another strike landed; this time on my back. This time, the strike was so hard that it felt like my entire body was on fire. A wave of agonized convulsion coursed through my body.
“Keep at it Denver and don’t stop until you have struck her at least thirty times,” Alpha Azarel’s decisive voice sounded, followed by receding footsteps.
Slash! The whip zipped through the air, causing the knot in my stomach to tighten. There was no way I would be able to endure thirty strikes.
Thud! The whip landed on the floor a few inches from me. Had he missed? I wondered if that would count. Probably not.
I braced myself for the strikes; gasping as the whip sounded. Again, it missed me by a few inches. I raised my head and looked at Denver. His jaws were taut and a fine layer of sweat sparkled on his forehead. The hand that held the whip was shaking like a leaf in the wind.
His eyebrows narrowed the moment his gaze met mine. He threw the whip away and groaned as if in deep agony. Running his fingers through his hair, he hissed in frustration, “I hate myself!”
He stood there like that for a few moments before approaching me slowly; his hands raised in the air, “Are you okay?”
I pulled myself to a sitting posture and nodded. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he knelt beside me. He lifted my chin gently and gulped, “I am so sorry, Omega. I am sorry that I couldn’t do anything about this.”
I shook my head and waved my hands, trying to tell him that this wasn’t his fault.
“I am so silly, right?” His dejected voice sounded as he pulled out a small box from his pocket. “I am asking you if you are okay…. How can someone be fine in this hellhole?”
He applied the medicine to my bruise; his fingers moving along my skin with a feathery movement. “It is all my fault, Omega. I should have helped you escape long back; maybe the first time Alpha Azarel laid his hand on you.”
He cupped my face, his lips pressing into a thin line and his eyes brimming with guilt, “I am sorry that I couldn’t stand up for you….” His voice cracked with emotions as he continued, “I am sorry that I considered my sister’s life more important than yours.”
My eyebrows furrowed, and I looked at him; perplexed. His sister? I didn’t even know he had a sister.
“Alpha Azarel captured her three years ago when I tried to go against him…..” His voice trailed off. He took off his coat and placed it around my shoulders before helping me to my feet. “You need to leave, Omega. You have to escape before you become a puppet in his hands, like me.”
My eyes widened, and I patted his shoulder. My lips parted, and I managed to rasp out, “Your sister?”
His lips curved in a weak smile and he did something I had never expected him to do. He kissed my forehead. “You are such a kind soul, Omega. I just hit you with a silver whip, yet here you are, thinking about my sister instead of grabbing the chance to escape.” He brushed the strands of hair on my forehead and tucked it behind my ears. “My sister will be fine. Alpha Azarel still needs my support to strengthen his pack.”
His gaze lingered on my face for a few more moments before he released me. Walking up to the large window, he opened it; his gaze analyzing the exterior carefully, “This is the perfect time to escape, Omega. Alpha Azrael must be thinking that I am still punishing you.”
He held out his hand to me; a shadow of a smile playing on his lips, “Trust me.”
I don’t know if it was the way he looked at me or the way he always tried to protect me; I felt like I could trust him with my life. I tried to smile back as I held his hand in silent agreement.
He pulled me closer and led me out of the room, stealthily moving along the corridors, hiding me behind the pillars whenever we came across the guards.
He was very adept at this, and within moments, we were out of the packhouse. The cool wind slapped against my face. Though it stung my bruised face, it was filled with the pleasantness of freedom.
It had been almost three months since Alpha Azarel had let me step out of the packhouse. So, I wanted to take a moment to cherish this moment. Spreading out my arms, I closed my eyes and drew deep breaths, reveling in the refreshing taste of liberty.
“You look so beautiful when you smile,” Denver commented as he drew closer and cupped my face, his thumb grazing my cheeks gently.
This was the first time someone called me beautiful, and it stirred something deep within my heart. My eyes snapped open to find Denver looking at me intently; there was a kind of fire in his eyes that drew me in and held me captive.
The moment was so beautiful that I wanted to freeze it. The warmth of his gaze wiped away all my worries and fears. The flame of hope that had faded due to constant abuse and disdain flared again; burning brighter than ever.
Like all the good things in my life, the moment was fleeting. It was broken by the shuffling of footsteps and clanking of swords.
Denver grabbed my hand, and we broke into a run, but it was already too late. They were closing on us. My steps faltered as a sense of hopelessness gripped me. Extracting my hand from Denver’s grip, I rasped, “I don’t think we both can make it. You should leave first.”
He shook his head and took a step towards me, but then stopped. His eyes widened and pulled me behind him. The guards had found us. They formed a circle around us and pointed their silver swords in our direction.
“I didn’t expect that you, of all the people in the world, would turn out to be so foolish.” Alpha Azarel’s voice sounded as he walked past the guards and moved closer. His gaze took a sinister edge as he grabbed a sword from the guard and pointed at Denver. “You will have to pay the price for this.”
Slash! He thrust the sword into Denver’s abdomen without even giving him a chance to respond. The color drained from his face and his hand flew to his abdomen.
My eyes widened in horror and my hands flew to my mouth. How could Alpha Azarel just stab him like this?
“Denver,” his name left my lips with a pained gasp, and I rushed to support him. I wrapped my arms around him, but my frail body couldn’t take the weight and we both dropped to the ground.
His body went limp against mine and he rested his chin against my shoulder. I tried to pull away,, but he wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered, “At my signal, you have to run with all your might. I will use my last few breaths to hold them off.”
“No…. there is no way I will leave you alone.”
“Don’t be foolish….” His chest with the effort of talking. “The sword has sunk very deep. There is no hope for me… but you….” He broke into a bout of violent coughs. With a sharp intake of breath, he managed to add, “You have to live.”
“No… please don’t ask me to do this.” I shook my head vehemently. His shaking hands moved along my back, tracing their way to the back of my head. Patting my head gently, he entreated in a croaked voice, “Just listen to me, okay? Let me do this for you.”
I shook my head again as tears streaked down my cheeks, “You are the only person who has ever shown me any warmth. I can’t let you die like this. I will beg Alpha Azarel to spare you. I don’t care what he wants in return. I will do it as far as he saves you.” My legs shook as in tried to get up; forcing me to crouch again.
Denver grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes, “When I give you the signal, just run, don’t wait for your eighteenth birthday, don’t wait for your mate; just run….” He gulped before mouthing, “’Cause your mate is dying in front of your eyes today.”
It was as if an asteroid had struck me. Denver was my mate? No! That was not possible. Fate couldn’t be that cruel.
I was still reeling with shock when Alpha Azrael grabbed me by my hair and dragged me away. “Enough of this drama. Now, go inside and wait for your punishment.”
My eyes darted to Denver. Blood oozing out of his abdomen had soaked his clothes. His arms were rigid and his face was contorted with agony. His dry lips parted, and he mouthed, ‘Please.’
My heart sank and a shaky gasp left my lips. Clenching my eyes shut, I nodded. Pushing Alpha Azarel with all my might, I broke into a run. Clashes and screams echoed behind me, but I didn’t turn to see. I knew if I looked back, my resolve would weaken and I wouldn’t be able to run.
I only got a lead of half a mile before the guards caught up with me. The distance between me and the guards was reducing rapidly.
“You have to live,” Denver’s voice played in my head and I pushed myself to go faster. I ran and ran; gasping, stumbling, falling, but never stopping.
I couldn’t let Denver’s sacrifice go in vain. I couldn’t let Alpha Azarel catch up with me. The land tapered into a steep valley, forcing me to an abrupt halt.
In my haste, I had taken a wrong turn; heading to the Layman Cliff instead of the city. I ran my fingers through my hair; my gaze wandering over the meadow in panic. What was I supposed to do now?
The sound of crunching leaves and shuffling footsteps grew louder. The guards were drawing closer. The meadow that stretched in front of me was mostly barren. There was no place to hide.
I leaned forward for a closer look into the valley. A small rock dislodged and dropped down; clattering a few times against the rocky surface. It seemed to go on and on; I never heard it strike the ground.
“Did you think you could escape me?” Alpha Azarel’s voice sounded, startling me. I craned my neck to look at him. He was barely a few meters away from me. He could just reach out and grab me.
My gaze drifted back to the valley. Without giving it another thought, I took the plunge. It was better to die than get trapped in that damned place again.
Everything slowed down as I dropped down into the abyss. Splash! Gasp! Then my eyes snapped open.
I wasn’t drowning in the water, I was sitting in the study. Tears rolled down my cheeks as Denver’s last words played in my mind, “You have to survive.”
I sat there numbly as my brain processed everything. My fingers traced the fabric of my shirt where the faint scar lay underneath.
The potion had worked. I wasn’t having a nightmare. Those were my real memories….