The Usurper's Throne

36

No matter how hard I tried to keep myself up, my legs had given up. I could only hold it for a second before dropping back down. My arms had lost their strength hours ago. A constant ache from my neck flooded a migraine into my entire body. My ribs were shouting at me to die.

I heard muffled shouts down the hallway.

Damien.

I would tell him I was ready. I would mate with Damien. I would become his prize.

Ironside's hand went to his weapon. I closed my eyes. I just had to survive until Damien saw me. That had to be under a minute. Then I would beg him to mate. Then I would be free.

I would finally be free.

I heard Ironside take a step forward, and he shouted in alarm before his voice disappeared.

I opened my eyes as my legs gave out once again, choking me. I didn't even have the breath to tell Damien I was done. Maybe I would just die instead. Ironside was gone. Was this a psychological tactic before I broke? I was done. I had nothing left in me.

Then, a dark swirling portal appeared, and six men poured out, Elijah at their head. He was dressed in all black. His combat pants had a gun held at his side. His crew spread out with their guns drawn—automatic weapons. Elijah and two others raced up to me.

I tried to stand up, but my exhausted legs gave out automatically, nearly yanking my head off. I felt like I was drowning.

"Get her down. Now," Elijah ordered sharply. He turned his back to me and scanned the area.

"Hold her up," one of them said to the other. One of them grabbed my waist and lifted me a few inches off the ground. I moaned in pain as my ribs jostled.

"It's okay. We've got you," the one holding me up said.

The other one was fidgeting with one of my wrists. Suddenly, my wrist sprang free, and I began crying in relief. I desperately tried to use my hand to pull the collar from my neck, but my arm felt like it was disembodied. Quickly, the second wrist fell.

"Let me see the lock," one of them said. I blinked and a face came into focus before me. He was fiddling with the lock at my neck.

"Reid?" I asked hoarsely.

He looked up quickly and gave a wry smile. "At your service, m'lady."

I felt the collar at my neck swing open and I jerked my head away, almost toppling myself and the man holding me. I reached up to feel my neck and winced as my fingers touched raw skin. The salt from my skin made it burn.

The guy holding me lowered me to the ground. "Can you walk?" he asked. His voice was familiar. Once my feet hit the ground, my legs gave out and he caught me before I hit the ground. "Okay, dumb question." My brain felt like it was vibrating out of my skull, desperate for sleep and relief. My legs were jelly.

Elijah turned and our eyes locked. He approached slowly and looked at the guy holding me. "Can you carry her?" he asked. The man must have agreed because he let me down on the ground and then swooped me into his arms. The air in my lungs were squeezed out as my ribs compressed.

The room was spinning.

"Breathe, Naomi," Elijah urged, his warm hands on my forehead. I blinked in confusion before realizing that I had been holding my breath. I still felt like my windpipe was being crushed. Elijah looked at my wrists and then tilted up my chin. It was hard for him to see with how I was resting in the man's arms. "Naomi, how long were you up there?" he asked. "Breathe, Naomi. I need you to take a breath."

It was like my body had forgotten. I gasped in a breath as I sobbed. "Three," I managed.

"Hours?" he asked in confusion. "Days," he realized. He swore softly. I nodded and then winced as the raw skin on my neck grate against this guy's t-shirt. "Okay. We're going to get you somewhere safe, and we'll go from there, okay?"

"I'm so tired," I whimpered. Adrenaline was pumping through my body. I had to stay awake.

"I know, I know. You can sleep."

No. I couldn't sleep. I had to stay awake. I'd choke and die if I fell asleep.

Where was I?

He gestured and everyone fell back into a line. However, instead of going to the dark realm, they stayed together.

"Keep her in the middle. Stay formation. The king is still loose."

I found myself surrounded by the group, Elijah directly in front of me.

"Breathe, Naomi," the guy said. Who was that?

They continued to walk down the hallway. No one was there. Why were there no guards?

Elijah led the group as they made their way to the garage. Reid entered a code, and the large door began to pull open. He went to a lockbox and pulled out two car keys. He took one and tossed the other to Elijah. They raced over to two vehicles.

"Take point. We'll follow." Elijah said. Reid nodded and we followed him to a vehicle. One guy moved to the back of the SUV and one to the passenger side. The garage door was now fully open, blasting ice cold morning air into garage. I was shivering. My feet felt like ice.

The guy holding me set me into a seat in the SUV and buckled me in. "Orion, do we have an emergency blanket?"

Orion?

The name was familiar.

The door slammed shut and the other opened. I heard a rumpling noise and a shiny silver blanket fell over me. I blinked at the one who had tossed it over me. I kept blinking, like my eyes couldn't stop.

Daniel?

From Joshua?

I flinched at the memory. He told me to never come back. Orion. He was one of the fighters at Redwood. Who was rescuing me? Why? I flinched again, trying to process the information, but getting lost in memories.

Don't go to sleep.

"Where?" I asked hoarsely. Where was I? Why was I so cold?

"Naomi, rest. We're taking you home, okay? Breathe. Sleep. Just sleep. We'll take care of you," Daniel said. Reid started the engine and we lurched forward into the dark and misty night.

"Where's Eli?" I asked, brain swimming as we drove into the mist. He left without me. My ribs were screaming.

Suddenly, the car swerved, and I heard a chorus of cursing from the front of the vehicle. Reid and the guy in the passenger seat jumped out and raced ahead.

Daniel looked and went white. "Naomi, do not look," he said urgently, turning to me.

He was too late. My eyes locked onto the horror before me. There was a baby carrier in the middle of the road.

Inside was little Seth.

White as snow.

A red bullet wound in his skull.