Tempting Darkness

"No! No! No!" I shrieked while kicking my legs. Darius pinned them to the bed before crawling on it and straddling my waist. My eyes frantically searched the room before my eyes fell on Kalen. Lycus looked away beside him, like he couldn't handle watching as Darius and Tobias pinned me to the bed. "I was trying! I was trying, Darius!" I screamed as Darius took the bowl from my hands, and Tobias shoved my shoulders down flat on the bed. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thrashed. I was doing what they wanted. "Darius, what are you doing?" Kalen said, sounding outraged, his eyes going to me, and I looked at him frantically, wanting him to stop them as he rushed over to the bed.

"She did it to herself. We warned her. Lycus, get Kalen out of here," Darius snapped. Lycus grabbed Kalen's arm. Kalen shoved him off and stepped closer to Darius.

"She was eating, for f**k's sake," Kalen told him, grabbing his arm as Darius moved higher, straddling my chest.

"No, she was deliberately spilling it," Darius snarled.

"No, I wasn't... I wasn't, please..." I begged. Tobias pinned my hands in one of his before pinching my nose, so I had to breathe through my mouth.

"She is starving, Darius. For f**k's sake, you try holding a spoon steady when you haven't eaten in days. I told Tobias to put it in a cup for her," Kalen snapped before glaring at Tobias, who growled at him.

"You dare go against us? You just saw her tip it back in the bowl." Darius turned to glare over his shoulder at him, but Kalen didn't flinch away from his gaze. Lycus touched his shoulder, and Kalen shrugged him off. I didn't know what look he had on his face, but it was enough that Lycus took a step back.

"You haven't gone hungry. You have no idea how hard it is to eat when you have gone days without food. I will feed her. Just let her go and move. She wasn't spilling it; her hands are shaking," Kalen told Darius, who scoffed. Embarrassment hit me, making a hiccupped sob escape me. This was so humiliating.

"Please, Darius," Kalen pleaded, touching his arm and making Darius glance at him over his shoulder. Darius glared at him before his features softened, like he couldn't bear to see Kalen upset, before he sighed and looked down at me beneath him. Tobias let go of my nose and wrists. Darius nodded before climbing off me, and I scrambled upright, tugging the shirt down and bringing my knees to my chest. It horrified me that he was about to force a tube down my throat, not caring that he would be hurting me. Kalen held his hand out for the bowl, and Darius handed it to him with a growl. Kalen sat on the bed beside me and reached for me, trying to pry my arms away from my legs. My eyes flicked to Darius, who sighed, pinning me with his glare, when I felt fingers gently grip my chin and turned my face toward Kalen sitting beside me.

Kalen nodded, holding the bowl up and pressing it to my lips. My hands grabbed it as he tipped it up, and my hands shook violently as I gripped his hand on the bowl, so I wouldn't choke as he poured the soup into my mouth.

"That's it," he said as I drank straight from the bowl. Soup ran down my chin and spilled onto his shirt.

"Slow, you will choke," Kalen told me, pulling the bowl away for a second and letting me catch my breath.

"When did you eat last?" he asked as I reached for the bowl. He brought it back to my lips, and I drank the remainder of it, my stomach feeling heavy and full for once when he pulled it away once I had drained it.

Kalen held his hand out, and I noticed Lycus had my towel in his hands. He passed it to Kalen, who handed it to me. I used it to wipe my face and his shirt, where I spilled some of the soup on it.

"You didn't answer," Kalen said, and I looked at him, my brows pinching as I tried to remember if he'd asked me something.

"Better?" he asked, and I nodded, giving the towel back to him.

"When did you eat last?" Kalen asked.

"Seven days ago," I told him.

"Bullshit, you have only been here three days," Darius snapped, taking a step toward me, and I cringed.

"That's why you were in the shifter city," Kalen stated, and I nodded.

"Yeah, everything froze over, all the vegetation and the stream. Most of the water sources were polluted. I didn't realize it was a shifter city. I was hoping it was a human one. I was desperate, mainly for water. I could have lasted longer... I have lasted longer but not without water," I admitted.

"You expect us to believe you were living in the forests and homeless all this time? Bullshit! Aleera, who did you run off with? We saw the surveillance footage, and you left with someone? Who is he?" Darius snarled and Kalen glared at him. Did he seriously think I ran off with some man? That I would run away for someone else? Clayton had only helped me get out. That was it; we were not friends, merely acquaintances.

"I don't care what you believe, Darius. I know the truth, and that is all that matters. Whether or not you believe me is up to you or you could ask Tobias. He should be able to tell if I am lying or not. I have no magic left to mask myself," I told him. Darius looked over at Tobias, who was observing me like a complicated math equation.

Tobias moved around the bed stopping behind Kalen before reaching his hand toward my face. I pulled away when he suddenly pinched my chin between his fingers.

"Repeat it," he said, his eyes boring into mine.

"I hadn't eaten before now in seven days, drank anything in nearly as long. I ran because Darius killed my parents," I answered him, and he let my face go. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling. "Well?" asked Darius.

"I was wrong. She is telling the truth."

"So you called me in here for no reason?" Darius snarled at him.

"How was I supposed to know? I thought she was refusing to do what she was told."

"By f*****g asking. Did you bother to ask her?"

"You deal with her then. I didn't even want to be near her," Tobias said before storming out of the room.

I looked down at my hands, my throat restricting at his words. The mate bond made his words sting, even though the feeling of hatred was mutual. Their outright blatant rejection was like a slap in the face, making me remember they didn't want me. I was here out of necessity and for them to ruin. I didn't want to be here either, but forcing me to stay was cruel.

"Can I sleep now?" I asked, wanting them gone. Kalen's hand dropped onto mine as I picked at my nails before gently squeezing.

"Kalen!" Darius's angry voice makes me look at Darius, who was glaring at Kalen's hand gripping mine, and Kalen sighed, removing his hand before dropping his head.

"Go with Lycus," Darius growled at him, and Kalen stood, taking my empty bowl and the tray. Lycus followed him to the door before stopping.

"There is a bag with clothes in the wardrobe for you," Lycus told me before turning and walking out, leaving Darius alone with me.

"Just because Kalen stood up for you, don't think you can turn him against us. So stay away from him. If I catch you seeking him out, you will beg for me to kill you. Understood?" I nodded, pulling the blankets back up.

"I asked you a question."

"Yes, Darius, I understand," I answered as I tucked my legs underneath the blanket, my stomach sinking. Why wasn't I allowed near the only person that didn't seem hellbent on trying to kill me? He was the only one who was sort of nice, and I couldn't go near him. Darius walked out before flicking the light off, leaving only the light from the fire in the fireplace. The door handle jiggled, and I knew he'd locked me in when I heard the lock click.

One thing I knew for sure was that I needed to find a way out of here. Get away from Darius because I could tell this was only the beginning of the cruelty I was about to endure.