Coming Home to You

His POV

Over the last week, I could feel myself getting stronger. My cuts and bruises are slowly starting to heal. My senses were starting to come back.

I didn't know what had changed, but I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by.

I thought that it might have been seeing my soul. It had only been for a moment and she was only a hallucination, but it was like she restarted my spirit.

With each moment that I grew stronger, I was forming a plan to escape. When the time was right, I would be able to snap my restraints and the cell lock.

Until then, I focused on memorizing guard schedules and learning the building's layout by talking to the others around me.

The more I learned, the more I started to believe that escape might be possible.

I'm going to make it home.

A Few Months Ago

We sat under our tree in deep thought. This was where we first said I love you and where I proposed to her. The willow tree had become our spot.

My hand moves in soothing circles against her raised stomach and she releases a deep sigh at the movement.

"What are you thinking about, Sunshine?"

"Our daughter," her voice wistful with her soft smile on her lips.

I smile back down at her, "Our little Ella."

"Ella?" she laughs as she places her hands over mine, "Don't you mean our little Marie?"

"No, I meant Ella."

"Marie."

"Ella."

"Marie."

"Exactly," I tell her as I place a kiss on top of her head. She gives me a look as she prepares to argue with me, but I just chuckle, "Ella Marie."

She laughs before she tests out our daughter's name in a soft whisper, "Ella Marie."

I kiss her again on her temple, "It's perfect, my soul."

We sit for a few more moments in silence.

"You know you've never explained why you call me that," she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"I was talking to the pack’s Luna and she said that the wolves call their soulmates their mate. But you call me your soul," she explains.

"Because wolves focus on the mate part of soulmate, while lycans focus on the soul part," I tell her as I kiss the top of her head, "For wolves, their soulmate is the person who completes them. Their mate is made for them where their two souls are a perfect match. It's different for lycans."

"How?"

"For lycans, our soulmates aren't two souls, but one. When a lycan is born, they don't have a complete soul until they find it. When the soul mark completes itself, the two lives are held by one soul. It's why if one dies, the other immediately dies too," I tell her, "I call you my soul because that is exactly what you are. My soul lives in you."

"I could never have found a better person to share my soul with," she tells me before leaning back to kiss me gently. When she pulls away, she watches me for a few moments, deep in thought, "I think its time," her soft voice says.

"Time for what, Sunshine?" I ask her.

"I think when Ella is born, we should go to the lycan pack."

I turned her in my arms so she was sitting across my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck before placing her face into the crook of my neck.

"We still have time. No one has noticed yet," I tell her, referring to our lack of aging. I know the pain she had been feeling over saying goodbye to those she loves, and I don't want to force it upon her yet, "Once we leave, we won't be allowed to come back."

"I know, but I want Ella to grow up with her own people. I don't want her to ever have to hide who she is, just to fit in."

I nod in understanding, "If its what you want, I'll inform the alpha that we'll be leaving soon. I'll have him tell the council to place a new lycan with the pack."

She kisses me gently, "Thank you, my love."

"I will do anything for you and our daughter," I kiss her, "Always."

A guard bangs his baton against the bars of my cell. He signals to the camera and the metal chains pull me tighter to the wall.

I can't move as the cell door slides open and four guards walk into the cell.

"It's your lucky day," the first one says. I could make out the name on his badge as Thompson, "One of the doctors wants to study you closer."

I growl lowly as he gets closer to me. I was just starting to feel stronger. If they cut into me, I might not get strong enough to make it out of here.

I push against the restraints and the metal moves slightly, but not enough.

"Shock him."

Thompson slams his baton into my stomach as the electricity fills my body. He shocks me repeatedly until I fall back against the wall.

"Have fun being today's guinea pig," the guard laughs before he shocks me again and I feel my body collapse.