Chapter 25

Curled up on the floor of the shower, the pain finally flowed out. I cried to the heavens, my body convulsing with loud sobs as the water gently cascaded down my coiled form. There was only one other time when I had turned to a higher power for guidance and help and that had been a long time ago. A time when I was still a little girl trying to survive a world bent on stripping away my innocence. And right now, I felt like that same girl who I had left behind.

Lost, confused and helpless.

I stayed there until my tears had run out and my body had turned numb, both from the pain and the prolonged exposure to water. Unwrapping myself, I leaned my back against the wall and tried to stand up, my legs cramped and wobbly, I balanced my weight against the cold tiles while I turned off the shower and dried off. And all the while, I refused to look in the mirror that stood over the sink for the fear that I might catch sight of the utter defeat etched in the deepest pits of my eyes.

Holding the towel around me, I stepped back into the room as the bed and the monitors came into view. The tubes that I had ripped off right after Liam had left lay on the bed along with the white gown that I had been dressed in. I felt an irritated sigh bubble to the surface at the thought of getting back into that flimsy gown again but a movement in my peripheral vision had me jumping in fright and whirling around to the corner of the room that held the table.

My heart hammered nervously as my eyes landed on an older woman writing something on a pad before glancing up and offering me a kind smile. "I knew I should have waited outside. I'm sorry for startling you my dear. But I'm Joanne- Jo for short and I'm the assistant head healer for the pack. I just need to ask you a few simple questions and make sure everything is as it should be. Is that ok sweetheart?"

Her tone was formal but held a jovial, almost motherly undertone to it. And even though her expression was kind and her stance held no threat, I remembered Liam's warning about not talking to anyone. So, I decided to take the cautious approach.

"What kind of questions?"

"Oh. Just about how you feel. Any aches and pains? Pulled muscles, dodgy bones and so on. But mind you, I have never treated a human before so this is both exciting and nerve wracking." She let out a giggle that sounded scarily similar to that of an excited school girl going on her first date and I had no idea if I should laugh or be extremely worried.

"Err. Sure. Fine."

"Fantastic! Ok. So, let's start with – Are you feeling nauseous, dizzy or feverish?

"Uh. No"

The question-answer session went on for another fifteen minutes. Some seemed pretty standard like allergies and medications but some, like the one where she enquired about the last time when I had experienced the human equivalent of "heat" had me squirming uncomfortably.

"Alrighty. All seems good. Do you have any questions?"

I snorted. Of course I bloody had questions! Just not the kind she was expecting. "Are you a wolf too?"

A high-pitched shrill of a laughter left her body as she clutched her pad in one hand while she tried to muffle her mouth with the other. "Oh my! You are a funny one! And such a pretty one too! Everyone here is a wolf dear. Well, everyone except you of course."

I had no clue why she found my question funny but I carried on with my line of questioning, ignoring her overly enthusiastic and strangely giddy attitude.

"And do you know why I'm here?"

Her laughter ceased as she eyed me up and down as if seeing me for the first time. "No dear. I was asked to check on you. And when someone from a higher rank gives an order, we simply obey. It is not our place to question them no matter how strange or odd it maybe." Another around of nervous laughter left the woman as she glanced towards the door and held still.

After a few seconds she turned back to me with a smile. What the fuck. And what did she mean by "simply obey" and "not our place"? What the hell kind of brainwashed-madhouse was I stuck in?!

"Oh ok. Could you tell me how long I was out and what the time is? Oh and also why my bruises don't hurt anymore?"

She looked down at her pad and then at her wristwatch before answering me. "Well. I would say you were out for at least three hours. It's now almost 8.00 pm. And we gave you a bit of zemofline which is a pain killer that we use on the wolves that take too long to heal. Could also be the reason why you were out for so long. But don't worry I only gave you the smallest of doses. Wouldn't want to accidently kill you now do we?"

Another giggle left her, a show of obvious pride at her own sense of humour. But me on the other hand, I let out a nervous laugh, not entirely at ease with the fact that I had been medicated with some wolf drug which was probably never tested on humans.

Watching her come down from her giggly episode, my mind egged me on to ask her my most burning question. "Umm. Just one more question. Do you know where Thomas is and how I could reach him?"

A very confused look crossed her face as her eyes darted back and forth searching the air between us. "Thomas? Who is -" Suddenly, something seemed to dawn on her as her confusion switched to recognition. "Do you mean Beta Thomas?"

Beta? I remembered Liam addressing James as a Beta. Would Thomas fall in the same category since he was James's brother?

"Umm. Yes?"

Another peal of laughter left the woman before she gathered herself to respond "Oh dear. I don't blame you. You don't understand these things after all. But no sweetheart, I don't know where Beta Thomas is. I have not seen anyone from the higher ranks for three months until today, when Beta James brought you in. Hmm...he was very tense. Nearly bit my head off when I tried to get to you...hmm....strange."

She paused as if she was in deep thought before looking back up again with a smile. "But all in all, us lower ranking wolves aren't privy to their whereabouts or what they do. It's just how it is. Anyway, I have to go now. You make sure to eat and get some rest."

"Uh. Right. Sure. Thank you."

With a broad smile on her face, Jo left the room before I heard a click from outside. Oh perfect. I'm locked in.

Walking over to the little table, I grabbed a sandwich and dug in. With everything that had happened, I hadn't realised how hungry I was. Within minutes I had finished everything on the table, my belly feeling full and rounded. Changing into the gown and laying back on the bed, I let my mind drift over all the new information I had gathered.

I truly didn't know how to feel about the existence of a whole other world with wolves and God knows what else. But I was definitely worried about the fact that I was now stuck in it and would probably never get the chance to go back to my old life or even live long enough to see another day. The faces of the brothers flashed across my mind as a mixture of feelings began to surface, making me genuinely question my sanity.

Had I really hit my head that hard? Why the fuck am I feeling horny, angry and happy at the same time? Especially towards those assholes who wanted me dead?! Know what. Fuck this and fuck them! Closing my eyes and taking deep breaths I forced myself to calm down. And just like that, I fell into a restless night's sleep as the day's terrifying ordeal finally caught upto me.

****

It had only felt like a few minutes before I felt hands on my side, shaking me awake and a worried voice filling my ears. "Mia. Wake up! Mia!"

"Huh? W-what?" Cracking my eyes open the smallest bit, I caught sight of Liam leaning over me with an anxious look on his face. I jerked awake immediately, my mind and body on full alert.

"Liam? What's wrong? Is it Thomas?"

"What? No. No. Thomas is fine. The Alphas and the Betas are asking for you."

"I'm sorry. Who?"

"The Alp- I mean Alex and the brothers. They want to see you now. So, get up. We have to go."

No! Not again! My panic surged at the thought of coming face to face with those monsters once more, my mind vividly replaying the events that had transpired just this afternoon. "Liam please! Don't take me to them! They will kill me this time!"

His eyes widened as his voice changed to one of incredulity. "Kill you? Mia, you're Tommy's mate. They would have figured it out by now. And there is no way in hell that they would even think to hurt you after realising that."

I felt a surge of annoyance replace my worry at his blind faith in these murdering monsters. "Oh really? So, they had me kidnapped, forced me to watch while they tortured the man I love and then ordered me killed before landing me in a bloody hospital for what? To show me a good time? Yeah right. A-and.. And that psycho dude with the tattoo tried to take a chunk out of my neck and eat me! EAT ME! So forgive me if I have a little trouble believing the whole "they wouldn't hurt you" bullshit!

I was out of breath by the time I finished the rant, my chest heaving as I silently dared him to argue. But his reaction was not what I had expected. His face drained of colour before his mouth dropped open in shock. "They... they did that? Fuck...! This is bad... really bad...." He began to pace, his footsteps barely making a sound. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath and although I tried to lean in, it was too difficult to hear.

All of a sudden, he turned back around sharply and studied me. "What did you mean, when you said Kole tried to bite your neck? Tell me exactly what happened"

I launched into the story, carefully leaving out the part about how I had reacted to the tattoo guy. Kole huh? Too many bloody names to keep up with. And by the time I had finished telling him about the encounter involving Kole and me, Liam resembled a corpse, his pale skin turning even paler.

"Goddess have mercy! You are mated to all of them! I'm sure of it! Fuck! Oh goddess.... No wonder they acted like that! Mia. Listen. Do not and I mean DO NOT repeat what you just said to me to anyone. And don't tell the brothers that you told me either. That would be a definite death sentence. At least for me. Now hurry. We're already late."

I gulped as I realised that I might have put him in danger in my stupid attempt to prove him wrong. The one person who had shown genuine concern for me. Fuck! But what did he mean by mated to all of them?

"Uhh. What does mated mean? Like friends or like sex? And by the way... I'm...uh... also not dressed appropriately Liam."

"Not now. I'll explain another time." Looking me up and down he cursed while running his hand through his hair in frustration. "Fuck! Wait here. I'll get you something to wear." By the time I could blink, he was out of the door and back in, holding a blue top and a pair of blue loose pants. "Found it in the staff cupboard. It's the infirmary's uniform. Should do. I'll wait outside. Make it quick."

I quickly dressed myself. The top was a bit tight and I still felt naked without a bra and panty but this was still better than that gown. Stepping out, I gasped as I felt Liam grab my arm before dragging me at a fast pace down the dark corridor. And before I knew it, we were in the car, driving down a dirt road in the dead of the night. Liam was at the wheel, occasionally muttering something to himself while I felt numb at the thought of seeing the brothers again.

"Can't you let me out and tell them I escaped?"

He snorted in amusement. "There are wolves patrolling for miles. You would probably end up as someone's dinner or worse rap- Uh... never mind. But even if by some miracle you did manage to get past the territory, there are humans and other creatures who would drop everything to hunt you down and drag you back here the minute the brothers tell them to."

I didn't doubt his words. After all, it had been human officers who had kidnapped me in the first place. I'm really fucked!

Seeing lights from a building, I looked up and felt my jaw drop in horror. It was the same prison-like building I had been brought to earlier. Was there going to be a round two of torture that I would have to watch? Or would they torture me this time and make Thomas watch? Oh God! No!

"Liam please. Not this- "

"Hush! There are wolves everywhere! You cannot let on that you know me. Now calm down and come with me. If what you said earlier was true, then there is a small chance that they won't kill you"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I whispered back furiously.

Without another word, he got out and came to my side. Pulling me out roughly, we walked in silence until we reached the entrance and he scanned us through. Walking across the same foyer, my heart thundered, flashes of what had happened running through my mind and worsening my anxiety.

Getting into the lift, he hit the last button marked "B". Were we going to the basement? Oh God! Nothing good ever happens in basements!

I was really beginning to panic as the lift stopped. And when the doors finally opened, I gasped as my hands automatically jumped to cover my ears and shield them tightly. Loud roars greeted us from the far end of the corridor which appeared to be sealed off with a circular steel door that looked like a bank vault. There were a few rooms lining the sides, designed the same way as the floor I had been in before. And as we began to walk towards one of them, my hands squeezed harder against my ears trying to shut out the roars that sounded like an engine revving in a closed empty hall.

We reached one of the doors to my right and before I could hold Liam back, he pushed it open, dragging me inside along with him.

My eyes at first took in the large spacious room furnished with expensive things; the dark mahogany desk, tan leather sofa, fancy artwork on the walls and the dark red carpet beneath my feet before landing on the four brothers who had their gazes pinned in my direction. Alex was seated behind the desk while Kole and James were seated on the sofa. The last brother who I assumed was Marcus, stood leaning against the desk to the side, twirling a small knife between his fingers.

For a second only the roars could be heard in the background before Alex's sharp voice cut through, the tone sending a chill down my spine.

"Leave us"