me, him, and the moon ☾ l.s.

twenty one - twist the knife

Louis could still feel Harry's fear. Every beat of his heart pulsed his mate's terror through his veins. He dropped his head back against the cold wall of the cave, feeling more helpless and useless than ever. He had always hated waiting, but he had never hated waiting this much.

Harry, on the other hand, felt a bit stronger. He could feel that Louis was still close. He had slept most of the night away, and his overwhelming exhaustion overtook him easily, despite being unable to find a comfortable position with his hands still bound in front of him.

If the temperature and thick darkness were any clues, he figured that it was still the middle of the night when he woke. The moon cast long shadows across the clearing, stretching the tall trees into thin creatures that seemed to crawl across the cold ground.

Nick sat just across the clearing, still in the same spot as before. They didn't speak to each other; instead, Harry just watched the dark-haired boy move intermittently about the shadowy clearing, gathering a bit more wood for the fire and rifling through his bag. He never retrieved anything, though, which did make Harry a bit curious.

And uneasy.

Against his better judgement, he finally broke the silence between them. "I thought you said that other soldiers were coming."

"They're already here." Nick stopped his movements, smirking at Harry. "Don't worry, darling. They won't be coming anywhere near you. Let's just say that they're a rowdy bunch, and you wouldn't enjoy meeting them. They, on the other hand, would very much enjoy meeting you."

He swallowed hard, dropping his gaze to the ground.

"But I'm not cruel. They're camped out just a bit North of here, and I won't be introducing them to you." Nick leaned down, his lips just inches from Harry's ear. "Yet."

Harry shivered, a combined effect of the threat and the chilly wind that swept through the trees.

Nick stood up and crossed the clearing, reaching into his bag once again. "For now, I think I can handle you on my own."

"What are you doing?"

The alpha didn't answer. When he turned around, Harry caught sight of the knife he now held in his hand. His eyes widened as Nick advanced toward him. Suddenly, without Niall by his side anymore, Harry didn't feel so brave.

"Y-You can torture me as much as you want, but I won't ever talk," he stammered, although he was already shrinking away from the weapon. The silver blade glinted menacingly in the moonlight, sending shivers down Harry's spine.

Nick tilted his head to the side, smirking with satisfaction at the curly-haired boy's fear. He twirled the knife expertly with his fingers. "Oh, Harry. I'm not going to torture you. I won't make the same mistake twice," he said. He crouched down in front of Harry's trembling figure, holding the terrifying object out for his inspection. "This is a special kind of knife. But I think you could've figured that out yourself, mister healer."

Harry bit his bottom lip, staring at the knife curiously as he tried to figure out what made this weapon different from any other. The shape and the length were the same, but he thought that the sharp point on the end was a bit darker than the rest . . . he paused. Then it hit him.

"This is a leech knife," Nick confirmed Harry's suspicions.

The omega's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened. "But you . . . you need me alive. I-I'll talk, I promise. I'll talk."

"I think we both know that you won't ever give me the information I want. No matter how long I keep you away from your alpha, and even if your bond fades, you'll always be loyal to Louis." Nick had the nerve to look disappointed. He bent over in front of Harry, holding piercing eye contact. Harry's eyes flicked nervously to the knife. "Louis won't survive losing you, and he'll never have the strength to lead the Sons of Selene. So, unfortunately, you're suddenly more useful to me dead."