Chapter 24 Won't Back Down

TASHA's POV

I stirred and groaned the moment I moved. Cold steel pressed underneath me, the parts that contacted the steel were sore, and I was sure that there'd be bruising there.

I opened my eyes only to be welcomed by a great light hovering over my head.

A light bulb, I thought, how typical.

I push myself to sit, biting my lower lips fighting the urge to groan or whimper as m body screams in protest of being moved.

I looked around the room but could barely see anything as the bulb only lit half a meter around what seems to be a cage that I was in.

Again, how original. I thought.

I looked around and guessed that the cage was insinuated in the middle of the windowless room.

How long had I been out? I wondered.

There was not much difference, really. If Serenity was captured as well, then there is no hope for even me to be saved.

I sighed and moved to the side of the cage, and leaned on the side.

Cole...

In an instant, I remember the last time we spoke.

I know he is probably disappointed, maybe even hurt. But I was sure he wasn't mad.

He can never be mad at me.

I groaned at the thought, just one of the things to prove that he does have feelings for me. And it's probably for some time seeing it was such a bug deal to him.

But how was I to know?

All I know was I got through him. He listens to me cause I earned his trust. That, somehow, I think I remind him of his little sister. But I never thought of asking him.

Well, what was I supposed to ask him if I didn't even know what he felt for me?

It's not that I can never feel the same. In fact, I might have liked him for some time, but my judgment knew better. He was a shifter; if I wasn't his mate, then it is never meant to be. It would be useless.

Besides, he was one of the few I truly trusted, and to ruin that by having a relationship and coming across with his mate later on. We'll have to part or, worse, choose.

I wouldn't want that.

I don't want to hurt him by pushing him to his mate; then again, there's a small fact that I was scared to be hurt myself. And by someone like Cole, it would break me like... well, a broken-hearted girl.

Heart ripped out and fed to the dogs. Excuse the pun.

But hearing his words, seeing the glint of pain in his eyes? I knew I still did the very thing I didn't want to. To hurt him.

Thinking about it now, he always did mention he would never mate or as much as be intimate with a femme shifter. Too complicated.

It's a one-way ticket to hell. I remember him say.

I frowned and looked at my bruised arms and palms.

Will he be too angry to think of looking for me? I wondered.

I felt a sting in my eyes, and a tear dropped on my palm. The hot tears prickled and traveled through the creases of my hands until they can no longer roll.

It was the first time that I've seen a tear, my tear. Cole was always there to stop me from crying, reminding me of how strong and amazing I am.

I chuckled, yeah amazing, me... not.

Suppose he can only see me now. All the things I have learned in my past life are coming back to me. None of it can help me now.

All I have now is my mind that will slowly lose its sanity the longer I stay here without water or food.

Water... I thought I looked back at the tear streak on m palm. I raised it to my lips and whispered an incantation that's probably as old as time.

No, unlike the movies, the tear didn't become a liter of water. But the life that it represents, the life of water, I slowly felt its energy surge through my skin. It ran up my arms and swirled around my heart.

I closed my eyes and let the energy fill up the physical needs that I was currently lacking. It isn't the same as eating in the physical body, but as long as I can feed my mind and center's needs, I will be able to overcome anything.

Mind over matter.

But like I said, it isn't a long-term solution. Probably a month top.

A month.

Surely, Cole and Serenity won't let me stay here with my captors that long, would they?

I sat up feeling replenished.

No, Serenity won't let that happen. I will be home with them soon.

Well, that is if they aren't captured and locked up somewhere around here.

Then as if to make me doubt, I feel an energy coming near to where I was. An aura that I would have to clean while I'm still here, just to be productive.

I calmed myself and prepared for whatever hell was about to come.

A door behind me swung open. The loud noise it made gave me the impression that it was roughly pushed open.

I smiled. It would take more than that to psych out a witch, ass.

"Well, I can see you're up." a man snaps. "About time."

"Time, hmm..." I say in almost a whisper, "I seemed to have lost track of that." I turned around and stared at him, "Tell me, stranger, how long have I been here?"

"No questions." he snaps, "As if it would make a difference."

"Then there's no harm telling me."

"You are under my watch. That means my rules."

I bowed my head as if to show respect. "If that is what you wish."

I didn't need him to answer anyway, making him think about it. He had already answered me. Two days.

Two days that must have been some drug they injected me with.

"I do wish to know if I will be fed or even offered a glass of water?" I ask again.

"Nothing for you little girl," he sneered, "boss' orders."

I raised a brow, amused. "Boss? I thought it was your rules?"

"It is-"

"Then you need no boss to tell you of what to do." I said, "Especially with me... your captive."

He frowned and stayed quiet. An idea popped into my mind. I need to do it now if I want the information I need.

"I mean, really, for you to be stuck here with me in this..." I looked around. "basement of what seems to be a huge house..." I look at him with admiration, "you must live in a castle. Giving me accommodation like this is really sweet of you. I do hope my friends have the same comfort you have shared with me?"

He gives me an amused laugh, "Man, you are more f*ck up than I thought." I frowned, "If this is your idea of a castle, ha! That's hilarious."

Relief ran through me, thinking that I pinned him wrong- I thought he was a stupid baboon, I guess I was wrong—apologies to all the baboons and monkeys alike. I've met smarter apes than this guy.

"Well, maybe you can enlighten me?" I say in the sweetest voice I can muster.

He steps forward. Half of his body was now shed with light. I look closer and got bits and pieces of his face's details. I was pretty sure that he was smirking.

Arrogant.

"As much as I love to, sweetheart," he says, "but you aren't to get out of there, no matter what temptation you throw at me."

"Temptation?" I acted, "I don't know what you mean."

He snorted again, making me think twice if he was also a shifter- only he turns into a pig.

I caught his stance stiffen, "Look here, little girl." he says, "You aren't getting anything from me. You can throw me the best wh*re impression you can muster. I wouldn't fall for it." he paused, "I've seen better-looking h*e than you."

I frowned and glared at him.

"Is that so..." I said, controlling my anger

"Yes," he says, heartless.

"Then I hope those dirty excuses of a human being can help you with what I'm about to do."

"What do y-"

Before he can even finish his sentence, he starts to shake, and he dropped to his knees in pain. I crawled to the other end of the cage where I was nearer to him and rummaged through his mind.

I needed information, their plans, the mastermind, my location, and his family's background.

The family background is to punish him with a curse.

I know it will come back to me three folds, but that's far from what I care about right now.

This man took me away from my family, the people I love, and is probably held captive.

"Tell me where we are!" I hissed.

"No!" he snapped and followed by a groan. He was now rolling on his back, cringing in pain.

I smirked and scanned his head, and once again, he provided me with the answer.

"Where are my friends?"

"Hell!" he screamed over the pain.

"No," I frowned as I scan deeper into his mind. "That's where you are heading."

With that said, he grabbed for his head, pulling his hair back and screaming at the top of his lungs.

I smiled as I watch him cringe and in pain. To cause him pain through psych is one thing, but to rummage his brain while punishing him, the outcome usually ends up like mush. Literally.

I hear three or more footsteps rushing to us. I move toward the middle of the cage, sat cross-legged, and faced the door as if preparing to attack. But I had no intention to. I needed to save my energy. I needed to link with Cole and Serenity.

I have never tried t mind link in long-distance, I guess now is the best time to practice.

The screaming stopped, and a thud was the signal of the silence that surrounded me until more unwanted people came.

The door burst open, and four figures rush into the room. A woman and a man rush to the side of the stupid being on the floor, turning him on his back.

I wish they didn't. A man with a mush of a mind is never a pretty sight.

"I told you not to send anyone without me!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

"George..."

He stepped into the light and crouched down with a smirk, staring at me from the other side of the cage.

"It was all an act then?"

"You were always the wise one, you tell me."

I stared at him with cold eyes, "Where are the others? Kyla and Ken? Dana?"

"Don't worry." he says, "They're ok. You don't think I'll put my family in danger, do you? I'm not that heartless."

"Couldn't have fooled me," I said, my face showing no emotion.

I held his gaze with one of my own. "Why George?"

"Why did I side with these men?" he checked, "Well, one is they pay well. Really good. Second is I need to get Cole out of my back." I frowned. "Ever since that alpha blooded dog came, everything changed. Everyone listened to him, does as he says, followed him-"

"Cause that was he was taught." I said, "You said it yourself. He's an alpha-"

"Not mine!" He shouted, "I am the boss of me and not some punk with trust issues!"

He slammed the steel bars and caused the cage to shake, but that didn't make me falter. This was George, George the stupidly impossible as* of a husband and father.

"Then that femme wolf came acting all great and better than all of us with her powers." he sneered, "Wherever they are, I hope that other alphas do find her!"

"What?"

He gave me a look and then laughed. "So much for being a friend, is she?"

I rolled my eyes, "Tell me what you mean, George." I demanded.

"She's unmated, her connection with her mate is faltering, and she's the daughter of the moon. Do you really think that the other alphas would not grab the opportunity to claim her?"

If it was possible, my frowned dips lower.

"One thing you don't know about us shifters is we value our pride." he continues, "If a chance like this, mating the deity and the princess, is to come- by hook or by crook, it will be grabbed by power-hungry shifters. It is in our nature, its-"

"Not everyone's case." I finished off for him. "She was with us for a week, George, a week, yet not you or Ken claimed her. Not even Cole, who saved her, did anything."

He frowned.

"You can't say that you did this of your own free will." I continued, "They must have something on you and-"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Tasha," he cut me off, "you don't belong in this war. Leave until you can."

I rolled my eyes, "I would if I could, duh?" I waved at the cage.

Hey, I may be wise for my age, but I'm still a teenager. I know sarcasm toward adults is a never-ending art.

"That's enough, shifter!" a man snapped behind him. "And you witch, you are to stay here with no food or water. Let's see how that talent and powers of yours save you."

I smiled at him, "You might not be able to take the amazement, sir."

"Enough, Tasha!" George snapped, "You will stay here until the war is over."

"Until your use had been stretched to its limits." the man cuts him off again. "I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't think that the princess is that high a price."

My icy glare came back. I'm thinking it'll be Serenity who'd be thinking that.

"Give her the blankets and leave."

The woman who came with them walked to what seems like the gate of the cage I was in and tossed in some blankets and even a change of clothes.

I stared at it, then at the woman who now slammed the gate close and locked it again. She glared at me as she checks the lock.

"We aren't that cold-hearted, but we can be if you kill any more of our comrades."

She then gives me one last glare and left along with George and the other man, and I stared at the now-closed door. My sight shifted to the dead body a meter away from me.

"Well, at least I have a source of energy, dead or not. I thought. I just need to clean up his aura and energy a bit to take them as mine.

But for now, I need to rest.

I lay back in the middle of the cage, putting two thick blankets underneath me, trying to get rid of the cold of the steel, then I wrapped the biggest blanket around me. I sighed underneath and relaxed.

I closed my eyes, and before I fell into one of my deep sleep, I made sure to put up a shield around the cage, getting the energy emitting from the corpse.

Cole and Serenity are not here. Everything will be better. These were my last thoughts.

I sighed as I flip another tarot and see that it was blank. I frowned. I had never seen that before. I flipped open another card that was in front of me, and, like before, it was blank.

I did this a couple more times, and it was all blank.

A wind suddenly came and flipped over the cards, revealing all cards were blank.

"Interesting, isn't it?"

I look up and saw a boy standing by the door of my tent back at the circus. Wait, did I say boy? I mean, god, maybe an immortal of the Greeks?

His tousled hair falling in perfect places complimenting his eyes, his cheeks, his strong jaw.

I felt a little uneasy now. I've never met anyone that had me noticing their physique.

Don't get me wrong. I know how to appreciate handsome, body sculpted guys with the scent of mint and lemon… Did I just really described his scent?

Man, I must have hit my head when I was abducted.

Then, as if being snapped out of my momentary brain relapse, I looked around, questioned.

What am I doing here? I thought.

The boy laughed, "Well, you are a bit like her, slow and adorable."

I raised a brow and crossed my arms over my chest, "Don't you think it’s rude to call someone you have never met before slow?"

"But adorable." he reminded, "Never forget that." He gave me a look as if he was studying me, "No, adorable, don't do you justice. Beautiful maybe? Gorgeous? Hot?"

I frowned, "Who are you?"

"Just the guy who will be getting you home," he says as he casually made his way toward me and sat across my table.

"You aren't welcome here-"

"Well, you really can't say that." he sits back, making himself comfortable. "This is your dream. You are in control; therefore, you wanted me here." he grins, "Hm, I think I like to think that you want me, period."

"Really, I've never someone so conceited and rude and-"

"Who can make your inside turn and feel like a dozen butterflies were released inside you?” he cut in, "I know the feeling."

I felt a blush crawl into my cheeks.

"Now fireflies are just lighting all around you, making you blush," he says.

I stared at him with much curiosity.

"Am I supposed to fall for that?"

"Well, no," he says, his face turning serious. "I'd like it better if you would fall for me and not for physique or my minty and lemony scent."

I frowned and sat back, never taking my eyes away from him.

He chuckled."Calm down, baby girl. I’m just here to check on you."

"Check on me?"

He nodded, "I'm glad they're kind enough to give you blankets."

I looked down at my clothes and saw that I was indeed wrapped with the big blanket my captors gave me earlier.

Suddenly I smelled my favorite food in the world, curry, which was now on top of the table in front of me, the cards earlier gone. I look around, and I was back inside the cage.

"What the-"

The boy looks around as well, making a face. "Weird, you find being inside a cage more comfortable than your place at the circus."

"What?" I asked.

"You chose to go back here when you could have gone anywhere you like." he explained, "As I said, this is your dream."

I looked back at the food in front of me.

"You should eat, baby girl. You need your strength if you want to keep your physical self safe," he said.

I picked up the spoon and fork and started to eat. And I ate like a woman who hasn't been fed for days. Oh, wait a sec, I am a woman who hasn't been fed for days.

I stuff myself like crazy until I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked up again and saw the same boy staring at me with satisfaction.

"What?"

He shook his head and handed me a bottle of water and glass.

"I hope you wouldn't have me this whipped when we're together."

I felt the food I swallowed go down the wrong pipe. He moved toward me, pouring me a glass of water and held it up to my lips, and tipped it for me to be able to drink. After a few seconds, I pushed away from the glass and looked up at him.

"When we're together?" I asked.

He smiled at me, and then he pushed a strand of hair back, tucking it behind my ear.

"I thought I'd never find you." he said, "And once I did, I can't even protect you."

"What are you saying-"

"That I will be the one to get you out of here," he said with so much assurance that I was so sure that he'd be bursting into the door in reality. "I promise nothing will ever harm you ever again. I will kill those men who made you suffer like this."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"I promise you my life and my love... You brought back hope to me Tasha, you are the reason I live, and I won’t let that be short-lived."

His eyes held my gaze, I know he was the one controlling the moment, and I was just there to feel loved and cared about, to feel my worth.

Suddenly, as I sink in deep into his blue-green eyes, an image of Cole popped into my head.

"No."

"No?" he asked, surprised.

"No, "I repeat.

He frowned, "Why?"

"As much as I want all those sweet things," I said, "I'm pretty sure my friends will come for me."

"Friends?" He asks, not believing.

"Yes," I repeated.

"And who are these friends?" he asks, annoyed, but still, his face reflected worry.

"Serenity and Cole," I said, oozing with loyalty.

"Ah, of course, why am I not surprise?" he says, "This boy, this Cole, what is he supposed to be to you?"

"Cole..." I start, "He's my best friend, the only person I deeply trust and yet I hate."

"Hate?"

I grinned and thought of Cole, "He's like the big brother who meddles with every business you have and then will step in once it’s getting good and steamy."

"Well, I guess I owe him more than I think."

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head again, "How sure are you that they're coming?"

"Very, very sure," I said with pride.

He nods, "Well, I guess I don't mind being second to your supposed big brother." he smiled again. "I'll wait for the war and find you still."

I stared at him, more curious than before.

He smiled and walked to the door, "I guess for now I'm your Dark knight." he said.

"Well, even Knights have names, don't they?" I said.

He chuckled and faced me and bowed, "Liam... Sir Liam..."