The Mating Rules

Jamie-Lee’s POV

This is the second time I’ve heard heart wrenching screaming, only to realise it’s coming from me. Hadley’s chest is barely moving now and the pain pouring through me is crippling. I assume it’s partly what he’s feeling from his wound and partly the pain of our bond severing as he dies in front of me.

Avrilak saunters over to the warrior, reaching out and pressing his fingers to his neck.

‘Don’t touch him!’ I snarl, yanking at my bonds, ‘don’t you ever touch him, I’ll kill you!’

The Warlock turns to me, a smirk playing on his lips, ‘you are mistaken Spirit Wolf’ he replies, ‘it’s I that will be killing you. . . . not yet though’ he adds softly,’ there is still a pulse, but it’s weakening with each second that passes.’

He walks around the back of my mates, Caden turning his head to growl threateningly at him, before pursing his lips and spitting in the Warlock’s face.

Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, Avrilak wipes his cheek with a look of disgust. ‘Such barbarians’ he mutters, ‘I’m beginning to think that the new world would be better off with one less species.’

Caden’s eyes flash gold for a split second and my eyes widen in shock, Cobalt? Is he here?

No sooner is the colour change there, it’s gone again, along with my flicker of hope that we might have a chance to get Hadley out of here and find him help.

‘I’m going to enjoy ripping you apart’ the Alpha growls menacingly, ‘I’m going to savour every tear on your flesh, make it last as long as possible.’

The Warlock laughs derisively, ‘and how will you do that?’ he asks, ‘even if you could get out of that chair, the wolfsbane and sedative in your system makes you no stronger than a human. You certainly have no wolf to call upon to exact your far fetched revenge plan.’

Caden shakes his head, his gaze never wavering from the other man, ‘I don’t need my wolf to take care of you’ he promises darkly, ‘I’ll do it with my own bare hands, you underestimate me.’

Avrilak reaches out and pats my mate on the head like a dog, ‘yes yes’ he agrees, ‘let out your frustrations little dog, would you like me to pull in a rug for you to pee on? So you can really show me how upset you are, teach me a lesson like the mutt you are?’

A growl crawls up my own throat at his ridicule of my mate and I forcefully push my grief about Hadley away, refusing to glance back at him as I focus everything I have on trying to free myself from my bonds. Hadley would be ashamed of me if I gave up, he would tell me to keep fighting right up until the end. I can almost hear him in my head, telling me that I can grieve later, right now I need to get myself and Caden out of here.

‘OK, onto the next part of our fun packed night’ Avrilak says excitedly, clapping his hands together before picking something up from behind the chairs, and moving to the front of the Alpha again. Crouching down, he snaps what turns out to be silver cuffs onto each of Caden’s ankles, then one onto each of his wrists before pulling out a remote and pressing a button, releasing my mate from his chair.

Caden jumps to his feet, hands balled into fists, ready to pounce on the Warlock and my mouth falls open at our enemy’s simple mistake, there is nothing chaining Caden’s wrists and feet together, they are just cuffs.

I wait for my mate to strike, seconds stretching out between us as he remains in place, his face red with fury.

‘What have you done to me’ he snarls, his body rigid, each muscle in his neck and shoulders vibrating under his shirt.

‘Do you like them?’ the Warlock asks conversationally. Holding up the remote, ‘they are of my own design.’ He looks over at me, giving me a wink, ‘those old chains that the humans designed for use on prisoners, they are so bulky don’t you think? These are much less cumbersome and yet work much better than anything else we have.’

He taps Caden on the nose with the remote, his grin widening at the rumble of aggression that rolls up my mate’s throat. ‘While these are on your wrists and ankles, you are unable to move without my permission’ Avrilak continues. ‘I can make you do anything I want, I could make you slap yourself’ he says, pressing a button as Caden’s hand raises and strikes him across his own face. I bite back a shriek as red blooms on the Alpha’s cheek, b***d dribbling from a split in the corner of his mouth, that strike must have been at full force.

‘I can make you yank out your own hair’ the Warlock carries on, another button pressed and I watch helplessly as my mate reaches up and pulls harshly at his own head until a clump comes out between his fingers.

‘I could have you rob somewhere, no mask, no protective clothing, just you, with a gun, terrifying young mothers and old pensioners for money. I could have you take the blame, get you thrown in prison and never see the light of day again.’ The man taps his chin thoughtfully as he glances between me and the Alpha, ‘I could have you kill yourself’ he murmurs, his tongue sliding over the words as he relishes them. ‘have you pick up a silver knife and drive it into your own heart right here, let your little mate sit and watch you die by your own hand, knowing you were too weak to fight for her.’

I bite down on the inside of my cheek, refusing to raise to this monster’s bait, I will not show weakness, I will not!

‘Or even better, I could have you murder your own mate’ Avrilak hisses, his eyes sparkling as he presses another button and Caden starts to slowly turn toward me, horror in his eyes.

‘What are you doing, stop this’ Caden roars as his feet inch toward me, his hands moving upward, fingers extending as he reaches out for me, closing the gap between us at a snail’s pace.

‘The suspense’ the Warlock crows, ‘will he fight the magic? Can he stop himself? Will he suffocate you slowly as he fights against his own body or will he give in and crush your throat quickly to put you out of your misery?’

‘Caden?’ I whisper, my eyes drilling into his fear filled ones, ‘you can fight this, you know you can, you are strong.’

The Alpha’s fingers barely move as he screws up his eyes fighting with everything in him whilst his feet move him ever closer to me. I watch his footsteps falter but they don’t stop moving, behind him Avrilak is cackling, ‘this is so exciting! Keep fighting Alpha, I’ll be so disappointed if you can’t even make a minute against me.’

‘Caden, you are doing so well, keep going’ I encourage softly, ‘you are so strong, keep fighting, I know you won’t hurt me.’

His fingers brush my jaw and I will my body not to flinch as they move down, his thumb running over my skin as I swallow thickly. It feels like an eternity, my gaze glued to his face, studying his tightly shut eyes, the pain etched in his features as he fights with everything he has. His fingers rub against my exposed flesh, before leisurely crawling around my neck until they are circling my throat.

‘Caden?’ I whimper, unable to move, sitting like a statue, begging him silently not to tighten his grip. I’m not scared for me, I’d happily die a thousand times to save them both, but I know my Alpha, he’ll never forgive himself and this sick bastard would let him live just to torture him some more.

‘Avrilak!’ I shout, moving my eyes to the Warlock as I feel Caden’s fingers start to tighten, ‘stop this! Don’t do it! If you want to kill me, at least be a man and do the dirty work yourself, what are you? A Coward?’

The Warlock grins at me smugly, ‘nice try little wolf’ he replies carelessly, ‘but many have tried their hand at getting under my skin with taunts of cowardice, I don’t bite to name calling.’

My gaze flicks back to Caden’s who is now staring at me with a stricken expression and I can see it before he even opens his mouth to speak.

‘I’m sorry Leeway’ he croaks, as tears fill his eyes, flowing over his bottom lid and sliding down his face. ‘I’m not strong enough, my dad was right, I’m weak, I can’t fight it. It should have been me, you should have picked me not Hadley, he could have fought this.’

I shake my head a fraction of an inch each way, as that’s all the movement I have as his grip becomes tighter and tighter around my throat.

‘You are stronger than you think’ I force out desperately, ‘your dad was wrong, I know who you are.’ I hold his gaze as I struggle to breathe, feeling Caden shudder as he howls loudly in grief.

‘I love you’ I whisper hoarsely, ‘this is not your fault, do not blame yourself for this, promise me.’

My vision blurs around the edges as my brain becomes starved of oxygen, my lungs desperately trying to suck in air that won’t come. I don’t look away from my mate, conveying with my eyes that I don’t blame him, willing him to believe me and let the guilt go.

‘I love you’ those are the last words I hear fall from Caden’s lips before the darkness pushes over my vision and I start to sink into the abyss.