Bus Stops and Coffee

Chapter 31

Burning, electrocuting, numbing. Adapting, enhancing, paralyzingly. This process has been repeated for the last three days, with periodic breaks so as not to put too much strain on my body at one time.

Sometimes when I was all alone in that room, and the numbness had faded to a dull buzz I found myself wishing that someone would just kill me already. But then I thought of how my family and friends would feel. And how Lucas would feel. God I missed him. He was on my mind day and night and I'd do just about anything right now to see him.

Some kind of fierce power was awakening inside of me. I'm not sure what it is but I was conscious of it. It wielded only to me and at the moment I wanted nothing more than to use it. Of course the only reason I have them is because of the torture I've been put through, but if they were going through the trouble of awakening them, it meant that I was suppose to be able to use them.

"Lucas." whenever I thought of him the power would surge a little.

"You're pronouncing my name all wrong sweetie. I'm pretty sure it's Christopher, not Lucas." my gaze shifted to the door where he was standing.

"That name sounds familiar." he said, squinting his eyes in thought as he moved closer to me. I instinctively moved back until I fell off the bed.

"Lucas...." he repeated the name and grabbed my face.

"The second born son of that wretched vampire clan. Wait till I tell Malik." he said; smiling viciously. My breath hitched and my fear spiked.

"You can't!" I grabbed weakly onto his sleeve as he turned his back to me.

"I can. You just don't want me to." he said. Tears shined in my eyes for what I feared he might have done to Lucas.

"I'll make you a deal." he lifted me from off the ground and pressed me against his body.

"Sleep with me and I won't tell him." he said. My eyes widened considerably.

"No! Let go of me!" I protested.

"I'll make you feel really good." he said kissing my neck sloppily.

"Christopher." he looked at Antonio who was now standing at the door.

"What?"

"Malik is ready for her." he said before walking off. Christopher sighed dramatically.

"Well, you heard him." he said.

"No, please don't." I begged.

"It's no use. You know you have to go." he said; his grip tightening as I resisted. I was crying again as he effortlessly carried me on his shoulder, kicking and screaming to that torturous room again.
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Lucas POV

it's been 3 days since the raid, and I slept through them all. My body had been mentally and physically exhausted from everything that happened. Getting up, I showered, brushed my teeth and got dressed for the day.

Riley must be mad that I haven't seen her. I hope she doesn't think something happened to me. I should probably call her. Reaching to the nightstand I grabbed my phone and turned it on to see many missed calls from Darrel.

"Hello?" came Darrel's voice once I called him. He sounded tired, his voice cracked and rough.

"What happened? You alright?" I asked.

"No. It's Riley. I can't find her." he said.

"Can't find her? What do you mean?" I asked.

"She hasn't come back home since that party dad held. We sent police to the location but they said the building wasn't there. They said there was nothing there."

"Send me the address."

"I already did. But I doubt you'll find anything." he said. I ran a hand through my hair, trying not to loose control over the phone.

"It's my fault. I told her she should go when she didn't want to. I forced her and know she somewhere only god knows." I could hear him crying through the line.

"I gotta look again." he said.

"No Darrel. You're in no condition to go driving. Stay in the house, I'll look for her. Maybe she's somewhere we've been." I said.

"Okay. Please find her."

"I will. I promise." I said before hanging up. I rushed down the hallway to the living room where I paced. Everyone was sitting there.

"Woah. Lucas, what's wrong?" asked Jeremiah, being the first to notice.

"It's Riley. She's gone."

"What do you mean gone?" said Kit.

"Is auntie Ley not coming back?" Kat asked. That thought only frightened me more and the speed at which I was pacing increased.

"Shes been gone for 3 days and hasnt gone home. I need to find her. But she's not a vampire so I can't rely on a mate bond for this."

"Maybe you should calm down first." said Gwen.

"Yeah. You won't be able to think straight if you're in panic mode." agreed Carter.

"Lucas..." my eyes widened and my head whipped around the room.

"Riley?" the others looked at each other weirdly and then around the room.

"Lucas... Help me..." she pleaded. It broke my heart to hear her like this. Wait, how was I even able to hear her?

"Riley, baby where are you?" I asked.

"Vampire hunter hq." she responded.

"The hunters have you?!"

"My father... My ex... They're in on it...." my rage increased at hearing this.

"Lucas... Please... They're tying me down again... It's tighter than before... I don't want it...."

"Riley?!" what are they doing to her?

"Luc-agh!" a scream tore from her lips the same time I felt an immense pain.

"Agh!"

"Lucas!" everyone else was panicking now as the pain brought me to my knees. This must be what Riley is feeling. Gritting my teeth I tried to endure it. I could feel her pain through our link, because she was calling out to me.

As soon as I had managed to gain even an ounce of strength I was knocked down by a fiercer wave. This was torture. I could Riley's screams in my head and I clutched desperately at my hair as I writhed on the floor; wanting nothing more than to stop her pain.

"What's happening to him?" asked Gwen.

"It's their mate link. Riley must be in some sort of pain from how he's responding." said my father. He looked the most worried.

All at once the pain dulled and then stopped for me. My breathing was ragged and drawn out, tears I wasn't even aware of making their way down my face.

"Riley..."

"I wish I could just die... But they won't let me..." she sobbed. Hearing such things from her made me sick to my stomach. The fact that they could make my baby girl say that was horrible. She's so cheerful all the time, I wasn't used to hearing or seeing her any other way. They'd broken her. I could feel her consciousness slipping.

"Baby...stay awake."

"I can't.... If I sleep, I don't have to feel..."

"Riley... I love you and I'm gonna come get you." I said, trying to get up.

"H-hurry..." she slurred before her consciousness faded entirely.

"Lucas, careful." Jeremiah said.

"You should sit down." Gwen said.

"No. I have to go find her. And I have to do it now."
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