8
He was in hell. There was no other explanation for what was happening to him. His body burned, and his head pounded.
His wolf screamed in his head, but even that grew weak.
He heard the constant drip drip drip of water somewhere and it was driving him crazy. The dankness of the room was weighing on him like a wet blanket and the smell of mildew made his stomach churn.
He blinked, but he was sure it had been days rather than moments since they reopened.
Where the hell was he and what had happened?
He closed his eyes and reached for his animal, but it was gone. It wasn’t sleeping, it was gone. There was an emptiness in him that made his heart want to break.
He mourned the comfort of the beast. He mourned that part of him that he had always depended on. He mourned his own weakness.
There was something else sharing his brain, but he didn’t know it. The feel of it slinking through his mind felt like needles in his brain. It felt like an alien had invaded him and was taking over his body.”
He screamed and pounded his head against the floor.
“Get the hell out of my head.”
He felt claws in his mind as if his brain was being shredded.
He shivered with the pain in his head. Chills raced over his body even as his head burned.
“Oh, my pet, you will accept this. You have no choice. Accept what you must and live a life of luxury or suffer, but it will still happen just the same.” The woman with golden eyes grabbed his jaw.
“I will have my cubs.” She vowed.
“I’d rather die.” His cursed through the pain in his head.
“I guess I’ll ask you again tomorrow. Would you like something to drink my pet? It will cost you a kiss.”
“No.” He said through a throat so dry it hurt. “I don’t want anything from you, except your blood.”
“Maybe tomorrow.” She turned to leave. “Turn the heat up and increase the dosage. Get rid of that damned dog.” She told the guard and the door slammed with a metal clang.
Line tried to gather enough spit to swallow, but he had none. He lay there on the hard floor and shivered despite the heat that blasted into the room. He would die there, he knew he would. He would die, or they would break him, but either way, he would be no more.
He saw Harmony’s face in his mind and reached for her. His chest burned, and he felt tears leak down his face. He would never see her again.
His chest burned like someone had lit a fire inside him, but it was a good pain. He felt something move in his mind like a shadow. His wolf was there, like a ghost in his mind, but he was there.
She did this, somehow, he knew that she was sending him strength. Without her he would have already fallen. He would fight, he would do that for her, but how long could he hold out.
Harmony.
His mind screamed for her and she could feel her there.
Help me. I can’t escape. Help me.
He felt her pain and then her courage. He couldn’t hear her voice in his head, but he felt her strength. She would go to River. His pack would find him, they had to find him. He’d been such a fool to leave them. He was nothing without them.
They will never accept you.
The voice slinked through his mind like glass cutting flesh and he screamed.
You are mine. I will never let you go.
How had she gotten in his head? How was this bitch in his head? He pounded his head on the hard ground as despair threatened to drown him.
Harmony.
His mind screamed, but he couldn’t reach her.
He would never feel the softness of her lips on his. He would never see the glimmer of happiness in her eyes when she looked at him or the welcome in her arms. He felt something in his chest, a surge of strength, her strength. She was sending him strength and he needed it desperately. She was fighting against the hold the lion bitch had on him and she was winning.
He fought, against what he did not know, but he thrashed and fought until his body was spent and he lay sweating on the floor. He cursed until his voice was nothing but air, but he wouldn’t give up.
He reached for his wolf, but he couldn’t find the beast that had been with him since birth. His fingers went right through the shadowy figure in his mind like smoke.
The pain increased in his head and he heard an unfamiliar sound hiss from his lips.
This could not be happening.
How could this be happening to him?
He faded in and out of consciousness, for how long, he did not know, but the pain never left him, and he could never find his wolf.
You are my brave little wolf aren’t you my little clothesline puppy? Muriel’s face swam into his mind. I need you to be so brave right now.
It hurts auntie.
I know it does baby, but you are my brave boy. You can take a deep breath and then another until the pain is better. Can you do that for me?
Line took one deep breath and then another, forcing as much air to move in his lungs as he could. His mind cleared a little, just as it had all those years ago, but this was different now, it was as if she were there, urging him on. It wasn’t Muriel, it was Harmony and she was urging him, pushing him, giving him all of her strength.
I need you to look around. You hear water, there must be some water. If you can find it, you’ll be alright.
He tried to move, but his limbs felt like lead.
Fight it. It’s your body, make it move.
He screamed as pain shot through him at the smallest movement.
They have drugged you. Fight it. Fight it. Fight it
She chanted it like a litany until he forced himself up. His muscles shook, but he gained his knees and crawled across the floor.
Pie sat near a damp puddle on the floor, grinning like an idiot.
“You look like hell.” He said in a bored voice, but he wasn’t real, none of this was real. Was the water real? Was anything real?
His body shook as he grabbed the water pipe and tugged, but he was too weak.
He collapsed on the floor.
“Get the fuck up right now.” River’s voice cut through the fog, but it didn’t have the power it once had. Still, Line forced his body to move.
“Weak as a kitten.” Pie crowed and laughed at his own humor.
The words caused fury to boil in Line’s blood. He heaved the pipe and it broke. Water poured from it in a cold rush and Line gulped it down. He laughed.
He reached for his animal and found more than he’d bargained for. His mother had been a wolf and his aunt had taught him how to control it, but his father had been something else. Line had never understood it, but he did now, in his insanity he embraced what he was. He was not wolf alone, but he was also lion. He looked down at his hand and watched his claws slide out and retract. He’d always known this was unusual, but he hadn’t understood until now, when his tortured mind was scrambling to survive.
He wasn’t just a wolf.
He was lion too.
A sound broke from his throat that threatened to rip it out. It hurt, but it felt liberating at the same time. It wasn’t the howl of the wolf he loved so dearly, it was the roar of a lion he had suppressed, and he was pissed off.
His skin split and broke apart as his massive lion ripped from his body for the first time and the cell door burst open.
Line shook his massive head and felt the mane shake. It was a strange feeling, so he did it again.
Somehow this didn’t feel wrong. His lion didn’t feel like a stranger.
The woman skidded to a stop in the entrance and grinned.
“Good boy.” She turned to the guards. “Leave us.”
“Kirisima. It is not safe my queen. I beg you.” One of her servants begged, but the woman slapped him away.
“I said leave me!” She screamed.
They whimpered and backed out of the room, leaving them alone.
“Come here.” She commanded and the smile that curled her lips told him she expected him to obey her.
But she was not his alpha. River was his alpha. Even his lion accepted that.
He roared and stalked her.
She seemed to know he wasn’t coming closer because of her command.
“You are my mate. You will give me cubs. Do you understand me?” She kept her voice calm and strong, but her eyes betrayed her.
She feared him.
He was going to kill her. Eat her. Destroy her. She was nothing to him. He was stronger in every way. He would not bow to this woman.
“I need you to change back now. NOW!” She screamed, but he didn’t slow. “Change now!”
She grabbed the cell door and slipped through, barely escaping him. He didn’t care. He would find her, and he would taste her blood.
He heard her screaming commands from the other side of the door. He couldn’t wait for her to regroup.
He slapped at the door with one massive paw and it gave way. Three more slaps and it was gone, hanging askew on its hinges. He was free.
He ran.
He could smell her, all of them. He fought anything that stepped in his path without care, but she eluded him.
Part of him wanted her blood, part of him fought to get free.
“This way.” He heard a voice, meek, weak, but insistent.
The other part won.
Escape. That was all he could think of. Escape and Harmony.
He struggled through the narrow halls until he saw light through a window and he leapt.
He felt glass cutting into his hide, but the air was fresh and cool, and he could smell water. Freedom.
He ran.
There were shouts behind him, but he was free, and no one would ever hold him captive again.
He paid little mind to the small creature who struggled to keep up with him, but she was there. He wanted to hate her too, but all he felt was pity and disgust.
She wasn’t worth his notice.
His stomach rolled.
What kind of monster thought that way?
He fought against the creature that was taking over his mind. Fought against the benevolence he felt growing in his mind.
Then there was nothing.