Chapter Twenty-Four
Everything hurt. I tried to reach Donovan along our bond, but it was like grasping at air. Bhrunyz had taken me to some deep, dark pit and I couldn’t reach my mate. I was stuck without a way to call for help.
The cave smelled like dirt and mold and death.
I was in Bhrunyz’s lair. Lucas said Bhrunyz tortures his victims until fear floods their blood, and then he kills them. That was my fate. And it was probably too much to hope that I’d find some way out of here.
I had to believe that if I stayed alive long enough for Donovan to figure out what just happened, then I’d be okay. He must’ve felt me pull his power before our bond cut off. He’d order the pack to hand over the brooch. I just had to hang on.
I got up on my hands and knees, but one of my arms wasn’t working right. I glanced down and my stomach rolled. There was a curve in my arm just below the elbow. It’d broken and healed that way. Which meant I’d been unconscious for an hour or more.
My heart picked up as I started panicking. Why hadn’t Donovan gotten the brooch yet? That was more than enough time…
I’d been through worse though. I wasn’t sure when, but I’d been cursed and almost died. And I’d already survived Bhrunyz once. Panicking wouldn’t be useful. Using my head—that was helpful.
I took a few even breaths as I tried to get control.
I stood up, and the cave walls swam in my vision. I must’ve hit my head really hard if it wasn’t healed by now. I swallowed down nausea.
Bhrunyz hadn’t killed me yet, which was a good sign. He wanted to play with me first, but that meant that I could buy some time for Donovan to take Saoirse down.
I had to think if I was going to survive. Bhrunyz was probably going to know I was awake soon if he didn’t already. Shifting would make me safer, but with a broken arm, it wasn’t a great idea. I could run on two feet just fine, but on only three paws, I’d be slower.
In human form, I had a lot more vulnerabilities, but my human eyes had already adjusted so I could see in the dark. The cave was taller than expected, but if I stood on my tiptoes, I could touch the ceiling in some spots. There might be a place where Bhrunyz couldn’t reach me. He was pretty big, and I could make myself small. It was a long shot, but I was grasping at hope wherever I could find it.
The cavern had three smaller tunnels branching off the main chamber. All I could see at the end of each tunnel was darkness. The floor was mostly dirt with rocks, some the size of my fist and others three feet wide. I could smell death and decay, but I wasn’t sure if it was just Bhrunyz’s scent that permeated every inch of this place or there was a stash of decaying bodies somewhere in this hellhole.
There was a mildewy smell, too, but I didn’t see any water. There weren’t any stalactites or stalagmites, which made me think that despite the smell, there might not be any water. Which was bad. I could go a while without food, but not without water.
A scratching noise brought me back to reality. Claws on dirt and rocks. If he was making as much noise as possible to scare me, then it was working.
I’d faced Bhrunyz once before, and I hadn’t wanted to again. I’d barely survived the first time. My only choice was to run. Even if there was no way out.
Bhrunyz was coming down one of the branches. That left two to choose from.
Donovan would come. I had to believe that. As long as I kept running, there was a chance.
I tucked my crooked arm against my body and tried to decide which tunnel was better, but there was no way to know. They looked the same, and everything down here smelled like Bhrunyz.
I closed my eyes and took a step toward the right branch.
Bhrunyz cried out.
All the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I froze in place. This time I didn’t have Donovan’s magic to counter its hold.
I was so royally fucked.
The freeze only lasted a second. Just long enough to terrify me.
I ran flat-out, taking twisting turns through the tunnels. Little branches off the main ones kept tricking me. I’d go down one way only to hit a dead end. Back-tracking when Bhrunyz was behind me…
I was fully terrified. Every time the beast’s magic froze me, my fear ramped up.
Adrenaline coursed through me and my teeth rattled as I ran frantically. I couldn’t think. All I could do was try to stay ahead of Bhrunyz.
Run.
Run.
Run.
I went through the cave, stumbling over rocks as I tried to find a place to hide. The only thing that saved me was that Bhrunyz moved slowly. I had no doubt that he could move faster if he wanted, but the beast was toying with me. Making sure my blood was thick with fear before he killed me.
This was his sick game, and when he finally grew bored, I’d be dead.
Time passed in a fog. I wasn’t sure if I’d been running for hours or minutes, but my muscles ached and threatened to give out.
The tunnels were endless. Each turn I took looked the same as the last until I had no idea where I was. All I could do was keep moving forward, with no goal but to stay as far away from Bhrunyz as possible.
I tripped, falling to the ground.
Shit. I tried to get up, but my legs were shaking.
I glanced back in time to see Bhrunyz shimmer into being behind me. Three slices gouged my leg and I screamed.
He disappeared. Transported away. He was giving me time to think I could get away, but I knew I couldn’t.
I sobbed as I tried to get up. My leg burned and I was losing too much blood. But I had to move or I was dead.
I screamed as I pushed myself up from the ground. Pain burned down my leg as I tried to stand on it, but I limped forward. I was even slower than before, but I had to keep moving.
The need to survive drove me. I had to buy Donovan enough time to get Saoirse. He’d find the brooch. I just had to keep going.
Sweat poured down my face, making it hard to see. I tripped a few more times, getting covered in dirt and grime and my own blood. My left leg grew numb, but I made myself move down another tunnel.
I took another turn that looked exactly like the last three—another passage of rock and dirt—but I couldn’t breathe. The air had gotten thicker. Bhrunyz’s scent was overwhelming. I knew I’d taken a wrong turn, but who the hell knew when. Everything looked the same here. Caves, tunnels, and more caves.
I gagged, pulling my shirt up over my nose.
Piles of bone and body parts as tall as me were scattered along the edges of the cavern. The floor, ceiling, and walls were coated with bits of rotting corpses.
This was where the smell was coming from. I was in his kill chamber. The fucker had kept me moving, terrifying me, all to get me to here, where he was going to kill me.
Claws click-clacked on the stone behind me.
I searched for a way out, but the chamber was a dead end. There were no other tunnels except for the one I’d just come through. The same one that Bhrunyz was walking down. Fifty feet. That was all that stood between me and death.
Bhrunyz stepped into the chamber and roared. It wasn’t a magical sound, but one of triumph. The roar echoed so loud, I had to cover my ears.
The game was over. He was done playing with me.
I only had one option left. I had to fight. I was hurting, exhausted, and bleeding, but I wouldn’t go down without giving every bit of energy I had left.
I spun to face Bhrunyz. Black slime drooled from his jowls, singeing the stones it touched. The claws that extended half the length of his body sliced deep gouges in the dirt. He opened his mouth, baring all his crisscrossing needle-like teeth.
He screamed and this time magic locked my muscles.
Bhrunyz took two steps closer.
The magic was suddenly gone, and I stumbled back a single step.
Then he screamed again, and I was frozen.
He moved inches at a time, and I could see my death coming closer with each step. I moved every time I unfroze, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t going to be near enough to get me away from this thing. There wasn’t any way I could even try to fight him. There wasn’t any way to run. I was out of options.
So, I closed my eyes and tried to block out the beast’s cries.
I thought of Donovan. I tried to reach him to say goodbye, but I couldn’t get the smallest grasp on our bond. This place must be blocking it. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I’m sorry. I tried. I really did. Please find a way to be happy. Find another mate, but make sure she loves you for you. Someone who will be your equal. I’ll love you forever. You’ll always be in my heart, and if there’s a way for me to, I’ll be watching out for you.
He couldn’t hear me, but I hoped that he knew.
I thought of my friends. Tessa and Dastien. Adrian and Chris. Even Shannon. I prayed that they all had long and happy lives. That they got to have families and little werebabies. All the things I didn’t get to have. I hoped they took advantage of everything life had to offer. Because life was short and fleeting. Every moment should count.
And I thought of Cosette. I wished I’d taken her advice and stayed away from Ireland. If only—
Something burned my wrist. Now?
It couldn’t have activated when he first took me?
My darkest moment. I hadn’t reached it until I gave up.
My eyes flew open. The beast was just three feet away. I was still frozen, but all I needed was a second to grab the coin.
I waited until I unfroze and reached. Almost there. I just needed to unfreeze, and my fingers would brush the metal. He was so close. Almost close enough to touch.
He gnashed his teeth, and my heart raced.
Another scream and my hand touched metal. I could feel his hot breath on my face.
I didn’t know if I needed to say anything, but I wasn’t taking any chances. “Stronghold.” I pictured Donovan’s rooms and hoped to God this coin thing worked.
It felt like something punched me in the stomach. I fell to the ground.
I closed my eyes and screamed. I thought Bhrunyz had stabbed me. I felt my stomach but there wasn’t any blood. No real pain. No second hit.
The floor was hard and cold and smelled like Donovan, not like death.
I took a gasping breath before the first sob hit.
I rolled onto my stomach, shaking with the force of my crying. I blinked away tears to find myself in his bedroom.
Thank God. Thank you, God.
The relief was too much. I’d been so scared. So certain I was going to die, and I almost had. In my panic, I’d forgotten all about the fucking stupid, amazing, glorious coin.
I sat back on my feet, but couldn’t stop crying. My hands shook as I wiped my face and tried to take stock, but I was covered in dirt and sweat and blood and I didn’t want to know what else.
I didn’t care. Nothing mattered. I was alive. Everything else could be fixed. Cleaned. Whatever. I was alive. And I was planning to stay that way.
There was no way Bhrunyz wasn’t pissed. I’d gotten away again, and I knew he was going to come after me. This time, he wasn’t hurt and he knew where to find me. I’d said “stronghold” aloud.
I didn’t know how much time I had.
As the cold chill of that realization set in, a crash echoed through the sitting room.
I froze not from magic, but the fear flooding my body.
It was too soon. I needed Donovan. And I had to find Saoirse and get that stupid fucking brooch.
It couldn’t be Bhrunyz. Not yet.
I got up on all fours and pain rolled through my body, but I had to move.
It was too late.
I was dead.
This was the worst day ever. I waited for pain, but nothing came. “Meredith?” Donovan said softly.
I crumpled to the ground, sobbing.
Our bond snapped in back into place. Stronger than it’d ever been.
So fast.
Too much.
Anger.
Fear.
Worry.
Terror.
Pain.
All of his emotions and thoughts hit me one after the other until I couldn’t breathe. My head felt like it was going to explode.
I screamed as I passed out.