Chapter 81

**Justin’s POV**

I groaned when the rays of the sunlight poured through the window. I looked around, trying to sit up. A hand pushed me back down.

What happened? I wracked my brain trying to remember what happened and why I was in the hospital.

“Don’t move yet. You are still in an immense amount of pain. We have had to keep you sedated for three days…”

Everything came rushing back to me. The plan, the rogues, her heat…Oh Goddess, her heat. Kataleya.

“Kataleya,” I croaked.

I finally looked at the person that was in the room with me. Michael and Oliver.

Oliver shook his head sadly. No, they still had her. Fuck! I quickly sat up and was met with resistance from my body.

Goddess, everything hurts. I groaned.

“I told you not to sit up, Justin. You have been out. Your muscles are sore. We could not think of a better option as her heat continued to ravage you. The more cycles that Kataleya would go through, the longer her pain continued to hurt you. Each time, we would give you a stronger dose of monkhood and oleander. With each wave of heat, someone touches her, causing lacerations on your body. Dr. Leigh was able to stitch the majority of them, but some are going to leave scars. We tried to make you as comfortable as possible. While we had you in a coma-like state, you were screaming for her. Luna Everleigh tried coming and using her gift on you, hoping that it would calm your mind, but it was not working. She could not bear to see your pain or to envision what they were doing to Kataleya, so King Lucas made her leave the room.”

The bastards used oleander on me. Of course they did. That is why everything fucking hurts. Looking at my chest, I could see the lines where Dr. Leigh had to stitch me up. Since Ares’ was in pain, too, he was not able to heal me.

“Are we any closer to finding her?” I croaked.

Michael and Oliver simultaneously shook their heads. “We were hoping that you would be able to find her with the link, which is why we weaned you off the monkshood and oleander. Kataleya is too far out of reach for us to reach her through the link, but you are her mate. You can essentially reach her anywhere as long as she is not on any medication or knocked out.”

“I don’t know if I will be able to reach her. Every time I tried to reach her before, I was met by a solid wall…until her heat ravaged her. I felt a small connection when I spoke her name as Ares’ was losing his mind.”

‘Ares,’ I quietly spoke in my mind. He did not respond. I tried pushing harder and I was able to find a faint link to him. I could tell he was struggling without our mate.

He would not last much longer without her. There is a reason mates do not go for prolonged periods of time without each other. I closed my eyes. I need her. We need her.

The door to the room opened and Dr. Leigh walked in, followed by the Alpha and the king.

“Justin…” the Alpha spoke quietly, “I know you are in an intense amount of pain…after all, I have never felt anyone feel the effects of their mates' heat…but we are desperate. I need you to use your mate bond with Kataleya and try to see if you can find her through that connection.”

I closed my eyes. I have to be able to do this for her.

I opened my mind, searching for the rope that bonded me to her. Once I found it, I grabbed it tightly, using it to pull me towards her.

I was looking through someone’s eyes. Kataleya. I must be seeing what she is seeing. They had her bound to a table and I could feel the anger that was burning through her. Good, she was fighting back. She was glaring at one of the rogues.

“You think that your mate is going to find you,” he growled at her, “he has lost interest. Our informant told us that he had been sleeping with one of the females that he had had previous relations with. I believe he said her name was Anna. Why else would he have avoided coming to you? It has been four days….four days that he has let your heat ravish your body…even though he knows you are in our care and we would do anything to fuck that pussy.”

I could feel her anger turning into my anger, burning through my veins. How dare they insinuate that I am fucking someone while she is being held captive? My anger was starting to get the best of me. I could tell her anger and her trepidation was getting worse. She feared the bastard was right, that I had abandoned her.

I pulled myself back slightly…how do I reach her? What can I do to help her?

I had to wait for them to leave the room and then contact her. I cannot take the risk of her eyes glazing over. Unless they have her on monkshood…maybe if they have her drugged, they will not suspect anyone is able to link her. That is my best hope. I pray they do not realize that I have a link to her and that I am using it. Hopefully, their informant did not know what has actually been going on with me the last several days...

I closed my eyes and pushed back into her mind, using the rope binding us and pulling us closer.

‘Kataleya,’ I whispered in her mind.

I could tell she was taken aback by the voice she heard, but she was trying not to let it show on her face.

‘Justin?’ she whispered back, fear evident in her voice, 'Were they telling the truth? Have you been sleeping with Anna?' I could tell she was scared of my answer and what it would mean. It kind of hurt the lack of trust that she had in me...I knew she was not going to show them that she was scared of me actually sleeping with her. She would keep up a front, saying that she had absolute trust in me and knew that I would never screw anyone that was not her.

‘I am right here baby. I am coming for you. I promise. My queen, you know that Anna is nothing to me. She does not even come close to holding a flame to you. You are it for me. I have been sedated for several days...that is why I am just now reaching out to you. I will come for you, but I need your help though. Do you remember anything about where they took you or can you tell me anything that would help me distinguish where you are at? How many are there?’

‘I overheard them talking. We are right outside the distance, allowing pack members to link me, about fifty miles north. I pretended that I was still asleep, so they would not know I was listening. I am in a dungeon-like cell, with one window and the top of the room. I suspect that it is underground. The three rogues that took me and there are some others…I do not know how many rogues they have…I have typically seen a few women coming and going. They come to bring me the food that I have refused. They are the only ones allowed me since they do not know when the rounds of heat are going to hit me…the women are scared. Scared of the men. A few have had whispered conversations with me…they are hoping that I can save them, even though I am struggling to save myself.’

‘I know, my queen. I know. I am so proud of you. You have been so brave, love. You have fought back and that makes me incredibly happy and proud. I will be coming soon. I am going to try to use our bond to make it to where I can get exact information on your location. Are they injecting you with anything to keep you docile?’

‘Yes, I can tell that they are injecting me with monkshood by how weak I am. Skye was here with me, but after the third heat cycle, she disappeared into the dark recesses of my mind. I cannot reach her…the food as well…it is laced with something; I just cannot tell what it is. One of the females warned me about the food.’

‘My love, I will be there as soon as I can. Keep fighting and give them hell. I love you.’

‘Justin! Wait!’ she exclaimed quickly, ‘be careful who you trust. They keep talking about multiple informants they have. Only let our inner circle in on the meetings. Don’t trust anything else…including the elders. I am not Alpha yet; therefore, you are not required to listen to them, like dad is. Tell dad that you are asking me to conduct all meetings related to me. If the Elders throw a fit, tell them that since the Alpha is not conducting any meetings, then they do not need entry. Dad does not like the elders, so if he thinks that it will help me, then he will allow it. If you have to, link him and tell him what I have told you. We do not know who we can trust...If I can figure out who has betrayed the pack, then I will let you know. Check for bugs…or use the mind link for meetings…anyone you cannot link to, the King will be able to do it for you…I love you, Justin. Please hurry…I don’t know how much longer I will be able to last…’

With those last words, I cut the link and my eyes flew open.