Chapter Seven
The pain was unbearable today.
On most days, he could grit his teeth and bear it. But today was brutal, and he nearly passed out from the stinging pain across his chest.
He struggled against the bonds, but he was too weak. How long had he been in this hell hole? Days? Weeks? Months? Time lost all meaning in the darkness of his cell.
His eyes were closed in sleep, but as soon as he heard the creaky opening of the rusty door, they flew open. There was shuffling, and he knew who was coming. The man. Maybe he was a man, he couldn’t tell. He wore brown robes, sported a long beard, and had cold hands. But other than that, Sebastian couldn’t see his features.
The man entered his cell, and he knew what was coming.
The sharp steel cut into his skin, moving from his left wrist up his forearm, digging deep into his flesh. Then, the man poured a liquid over the wounds. It was hot. No, it was cold. He couldn’t tell; all he could feel was pain. His eyes rolled back. The man was chanting in a deep, mesmerizing voice that put him in a soothing trance.
The language he spoke was strange. It wasn’t Pashto or Dari, but it was like a dialect. He could pick up a few words here and there, but the rest was gibberish. Alive…come…beast.
Sebastian woke with a start, but his body was still paralyzed with sleep, and he struggled to move his limbs. Slowly, he regained the feeling in his body, and he sat up, rubbing his face with his palms. The soft mattress and silky sheets were a reminder he wasn’t trapped in that cell anymore. Most guys who came back from war had a hard time adjusting to soft beds and covers. As soon as he got home, however, he bought the most luxurious sheets and most expensive mattress he could afford. That way, he knew the nightmares weren’t real and he wasn’t trapped back in the cell. Fisting the one thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, he tossed them aside and padded across the hardwood floors to the bathroom.
He ran the tap, the sound of rushing water giving him some comfort. The cold water felt good against his skin, and he splashed some on his face. With a deep breath, he slowly looked up at the mirror. With an angry growl, he punched the glass, the smooth surface breaking under his knuckles.
“Fuck!” he cursed and ran his hands under the tap to clean off the blood. He grabbed a towel and wrapped his injured hand. He looked at the mirror again. It was here. His eyes, normally the color of slate, were now a burnished gold.
This always happened after he dreamed of Afghanistan. Actually, as he learned later, the people who took him were from a tiny border nation: Zhobghadi. Few people knew about the tiny separatist state, and the Afghan and Pakistani governments mostly left them alone, as both countries had too much to deal with in their own backyards.
Sebastian was doing a scouting mission near the border when he was suddenly surrounded by a group of local men. He was better armed, but there were simply too many of them to fight off. When they managed to grab his weapons, they bound and gagged him, then made him walk for hours under the heat of the sun. Finally, they arrived at their destination, some cave system deep in the mountains. First, they put him in a cell with nothing more than a loaf of bread and some water. He spent all night trying to find a way out, thinking of a plan to disable his kidnappers and escape.
The next day, they came for him. He tried to knock them down, but they bound him again, then brought him to another cell. Then, they strapped him to a cold, stone slab and left him. He waited for hours, it seemed. Finally, the rusty door opened and the man in robes came.
The torture began immediately. They weren’t using any of the techniques he’d learned during training. The man used a curved knife to cut along his left arm, moving all the way up to his chest, over his heart. He would do this over and over again. Then he would pour this godawful liquid all over the wounds and begin to chant over and over again. It would have driven most men insane, having them beg for death. But he was a Marine. He was trained to fight and to endure torture. He just had to hang on and find a way out. Stay sane. Keep calm.
It was a month later when help came. Sebastian’s troopmates, of course, realized he was gone and his CO had done everything in his power to rescue him. After doing their investigation, they eventually found the cave and raided it. The man in the robes was in the middle of his ritual when one of his troopmates came in and shot him in the head.
He spent weeks in the hospital after that ordeal. Physically, everything was fine, no permanent damage, unless you count the web of scars he now had running from his left wrist up to his chest. But, mentally, he was changed. The nightmares would come every night, and he would wake up screaming, his chest burning, like something big was trying to claw its way out. Roars and screams would ring in his ears at random times, and then the voice in his head began to talk. He would ignore it, at first, but it became louder and louder. Then, it started talking to him directly. Telling him to do things. One night, he was out having drinks with his friends, and some asshole was trying to start a fight. Usually, he would have just walked away, but the voice inside him was telling him to kill the other man. He did his best to ignore it, but when the asshole tried to take a swing at one of his friends, he lost it. He nearly killed the guy, and it took three of his buddies to pull him off. It was the voice that made him do it. The Beast.
So, to protect himself and his troopmates, he decided to take an honorable discharge instead. He focused on building his company, using all the money he had saved up and the connections he made. He got help, and the meds dulled down The Beast. Driving himself to exhaustion made Creed Security the top private security and military contractor in the United States. He was richer than he’d ever imagined and at the top of his game. The work seemed to calm The Beast, too. He began acquiring houses and apartments all over the world, cars, clothes, everything he had never thought he could buy growing up in a trailer in the middle of buttfuck, nowhere. He also purchased an old factory in Tribeca and turned it into his home. He filled it with artwork, luxury furniture, and all kind of toys. His favorite things and treasures, he kept locked up in a secret vault in his room.
Despite all the money, the power, the riches, he still felt numb. The women helped, and they were coming in droves. Maybe it was because they could sense his brokenness or his bad boy vibe. Sex, the contact, and the feel of bare skin gave him temporary bliss. In the moment, it made him feel more human. Afterward, though, the act always left him empty, but he couldn’t do anything. He felt like his life was going in circles. Work, make money, sex. Over and over again.
Until her.
Ever since that night at Blood Moon, The Beast started talking again. The voice was getting louder and louder each time. Sebastian tried to get his doctor to up his meds, but the damn man refused. He considered turning to the bottle but didn’t want to wind up like his old man. Never. The nightmares were coming back too. Over the years, he was getting them less frequently, but this was the third time in the last weeks, the first one came right after the rescue op to save her.
Jade. Sweet, innocent, and pure Jade. He could never forget the image of her that night at the reception. The combination of the yellow dress with her pale skin, dark hair, and light eyes were stunning. Seeing the other man with his hands all over Jade had driven him crazy. He couldn’t help himself, and even though he was on the job, he went to her. The urge to touch her was great, and finally, he gave in.
She was his every wet dream come true, and kissing her was about a hundred times better than he’d ever imagined. Jade was soft in all the right places and tasted sweeter than any dessert. And her body, the way it responded to his touch was incredible. He was getting hard just thinking of her perky tits and her small, pink nipples. And her drenched little pussy, the way it sucked greedily at his finger. What he wouldn’t do to just sink into her…
No, he had to forget her. He couldn’t let The Beast taint her. She was good and perfect, untouched. When she confessed she was a virgin, The Beast roared, telling Sebastian to take her right then and there. Mark her. Claim her, it urged. Fuck her. Make her ours, The Beast hissed.
Fuck it all. He’ll force his doctor to give him a stronger prescription or find another way to get his hands on more meds. Hell, he’d drink himself to death first before he’d let The Beast have Jade.
The ringing of his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. Calls after midnight were standard in his line of work, so he wasn’t surprised. He ran back to the bedroom to get his phone and frowned when he saw the Caller ID.
“Zac,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Boss,” the younger man replied. “You gotta come to Mount Sinai Hospital. Now.”
“What’s wrong?” Zac was watching Jade tonight. Sebastian couldn’t follow her around anymore. Not when The Beast wanted her so much. Not when he wanted her so much, and couldn’t even touch her. But he didn’t want her vulnerable, so he had Zac do it instead. If she was in the hospital…
“She’s been hurt, boss. Some guys—”
“I’m on my way,” he said, not even letting Zac finish. Inside him, The Beast screeched in anger.
***
“Is he still out there?” Jade asked, peering around the curtain. She was sitting on the hospital bed, wearing an awful, scratchy medical gown.
“Yeah, he hasn’t moved an inch.”
“How are we going to get out of here?”
“I tried everything, Jade,” Meredith said. “He won’t go away.”
Jade sighed and looked down at the bandages on her knees. The doctors in the ER patched her up pretty quickly, so hopefully they didn’t notice the wounds were healing as they cleaned them. But they needed to get discharged now or try to sneak out before anyone else tried to look at her knees. The pain was gone and she could feel the skin scabbing. By morning, it should be all healed. But now, she was trapped in the hospital ward as Zac refused to let them leave until they got the all-clear from the doctor.
“I called Nick Vrost from your phone and he’s on his way,” Meredith said, referring to the New York Clan’s Beta and Fenrir Corporation’s Head of Security. As Grant’s second-in-command, he was in charge of such things and would know what to do.
“Thank God,” Jade said. The Beta should be able to get her out of the hospital.
“I don’t understand it.” Meredith shook her head. “The mages are after you again? Does Grant know? Is that why he had an additional guard on you?”
Jade shrugged. “I’m just as clueless as you are. Why wouldn’t the Alpha tell us?”
“I don’t’—”
The curtain dividing Jade’s bed from the rest of the room suddenly flew open and both of them whipped their heads towards the figure standing in front of the hospital bed.
“Holy fucking crackerjacks, you’re huge!” Meredith exclaimed as she craned her neck up at the intruder.
“Sebastian?” Jade said in an astonished voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Yeah, and did you Hulk-smash your way in here?” Meredith quipped.
Sebastian ignored Meredith and lumbered over to Jade. “Are you hurt?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Like I told your lackey,” Jade huffed. “I’m perfectly fine, but he insisted on bringing me here.”
“Good,” Sebastian said in gruff voice. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“I will not!” Jade crossed her arms over her chest. “Please leave.”
“Stop being stubborn!” Sebastian growled and took a step towards Jade.
“Hey, hey!” Meredith stood between them. “Just who do you think you are?”
“I’m protecting her, I need to be debriefed on the situation.”
“I’m sure you can do that once Mr. Vrost gets here,” Meredith began. “Fenrir is your client right? He’s in charge of these things as Head of Security. But you should maybe step back a bit and give my friend some room? She looks like she’s going to pass out from all the testosterone you’re flinging around.”
Jade’s cheeks pinked, and she realized she had been holding her breath. She couldn’t help it. Being around Sebastian made her forget things, like how to breathe. No, she shook her head mentally. Mustn’t think like that. He wanted nothing to do with her. He made that very clear during the wedding reception. She was just a job, someone he swore to protect because he was being paid handsomely to do so.
“Speaking of which…” Meredith fished out the phone in her pocket. “Jade’s phone,” she answered. “Fine. Yes, I understand.” She turned to Jade. “Mr. Vrost is here. I’m gonna go get him.”
“Go ahead,” Jade said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she insisted. “Get Mr. Vrost so we can get out of here.”
Meredith gave her a concerned look, then strode towards the exit. When she was behind Sebastian, she turned back, slammed her fists together and mouthed Hulk-smash to Jade before walking away.
Jade suppressed a giggle and shook her head.
“Jade,” Sebastian began as he took a step towards her. “Tell me what happened? Please?”
She shrugged. “Meredith and I were going to this diner on 3rd Avenue for a late supper. Then these guys just came out of nowhere and chased me down. Meredith was able to hold off most of them but one guy found me and put a gun to my head. Zac came and knocked him away…” She choked, and she turned her head away from him. She didn’t want him to see her cry and break down.
“Jade,” he said softly, putting his hands on her shoulders. His masculine scent tickled her nostrils, making her dizzy. “What’s going on? Who is trying to kill you and why?”
She shook her head. Keeping her mouth shut was the smartest thing she could do right now.
“You’re hiding something from me,” he said through gritted teeth. “Tell me who’s trying to hurt you so I can protect you.”
Anger bubbled in her. How dare he pretend to care about her? She brushed his hands away from her, then hopped off the bed. “I don’t need anything from you,” she declared, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Jade, if this is about the wedding reception—”
“Shut up!” she shouted. “Just leave me alone.”
“What’s going on here?” Nick’s icy voice broke through the room. He stood by the opening of the curtain partitions, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Mr. Vrost!” Jade exclaimed in relief.
“Dr. Cross, are you ok?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she nodded. “Are we leaving soon?”
“Cady’s taking care of it now,” he explained.
“She’s not leaving until the doctor says she’s good and ready,” Sebastian said, nodding to the bandages on Jade’s knees. “Zac said she was in shock and she couldn’t even walk. They might want to keep her overnight.”
“And what are you doing here, Mr. Creed?” Nick asked, his eyes zeroing in on the other man.
“I’m protecting her,” he stated.
“Meredith,” Nick barked. “Take Dr. Cross to the nurses’ station. We’ll be leaving soon.”
With a nod, the blonde took off her jacket and wrapped it around Jade, escorting her out of the ward.
***
“You have some nerve lying to me, Creed,” Nick said as soon as Jade and Meredith left.
“Lie to you?” Sebastian asked. “How am I lying to you?”
“Meredith and Dr. Cross seem to be under the impression your man was following them because Creed Security is working for Fenrir. But you know damn well Grant didn’t hire you to protect Dr. Cross,” the other man stated. “Now, tell me why you were having her followed.”
“I didn’t lie,” Sebastian stated. “I said I was protecting her, and that’s what I was doing. And it was a good thing Zac was around, too. Your team obviously wasn’t doing a good job keeping her safe.”
Nick’s eyes flashed with anger, and the air suddenly felt heavy around them. An unfamiliar wave of energy seemed to emanate from the other man and The Beast rumbled. Kill him. Sebastian was very tempted, but kept his arms stiff at his sides, his hands curling into tight fists.
“Sweetie,” a soft voice called from behind Nick. “Are you done yet? I have Jade’s discharge papers.”
Sebastian’s gaze zeroed in on the source of the voice. At first glance, he thought it was Lara Chatraine, but that didn’t make any sense. She and Liam Henney should still be on their honeymoon. As he stared at the woman, he realized that although they looked similar, this woman was not Lara.
“Cady,” Nick warned, placing himself directly in front of her. “Stay behind me.”
The woman whispered something to Nick and then stepped up from behind him. Another glance at her and he became aware that she had a baby strapped to her chest. The Beast quieted and stilled inside him at the sight of the child.
“You must be Mr. Creed.” Dark blue eyes peered up at him and her lips curled into a tired, but warm smile. “I’m Cady Vrost. I’m Grant’s Executive Assistant and I take care of HR matters during emergencies.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Vrost,” he said calmly. He understood why Nick was so protective, seeing as his wife and child were here.
“Meredith told me your guy saved Jade. I just wanted to say thank you. She’s very precious to us.” A soft cry pierced the room, and Cady immediately began to soothe the baby. “Apologies, Mr. Creed. We don’t have a nanny yet, so we had to take Zachary with us.” She looked up at Nick. “Ready to leave soon?”
Nick put an arm protectively around Cady. “I’m just wrapping things up, love. You go ahead.” His eyes softened for a moment, but as soon as Cady left the room, he glared at Sebastian. “Now, tell me why you were having Jade followed.”
Sebastian remained as still as a stone. “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
“No? Well then,” Nick said in a cold voice. “I’ll be speaking to Grant about this as soon as possible. And if you don’t stop stalking Dr. Cross, I’ll personally make sure you suffer the consequences.”
Sebastian didn’t reply, but he felt The Beast stir in him again. Nick Vrost gave him one last warning glare before he left. He stood there for a moment, trying to calm the rage inside him, when Zac popped his head from behind the curtain.
“Boss?” The younger man cocked his head. “They’re leaving. Do you want me to try and stop them?”
Sebastian shook his head. “No, Zac, it’s all good.” He let out a gruff. “Good job, by the way,” he praised. Zac had saved Jade’s life and for that he owed the young man.
“No prob, boss,” he grinned.
“I’ll drive you home and you can take some time off. But tell me what happened first.”