Mine to Claim

Chapter 36

I wake up feeling disoriented. My mouth feels like I ate cotton, it's that dry. My hands and legs ache from the slightest movement, making me wince as I pull myself together.

The first thing I note about my surroundings is that I am sitting on a chair in a dark room. And that I am tied to it. But there are no ropes, holding me tied to the chair.

These are chains. Lead and Silver.

Memories from my captivity surface at the forefront of my mind, making it difficult to breathe as the painful memories make themselves known. Breathing through the pain and humiliation that the memories bring me, I close my eyes, pushing away at the memories, however, this time they refuse to be controlled.

My mind refuses to push the memories away. One by one every moment since my birth runs past my mind. The bright light when I entered the world along with the disorientation. The confusion when mother was running away with me and Sascha in her arms. The pain when she cut my fingers to lock the wall. Then after that incident, everything in my life was either painful or numb.

I push through the memories of when I turned 16, the age where my body became my enemy and my beauty became my tormentor. Kestrel hated me because I look like my mom.

Because of my unique appearance, Xavier chose me to sell to Wulfric. Because of my otherworldly nature, Wulfric decided to cut my already fragile wings. Because of them, Xanthos thought it his blood right to treat me like a slave.

But then my memories take a shift. It's when Fenris comes into my life, barging in through the broken wall as dust flies around him. He broke my chains! He freed me.

My entire life rolls in my mind as if it's a movie.

And then it stops when I reach this moment.

Here, trapped as I am in this room, I wish I had lived my chance at life a little more. I wish I had the guts to confront Dominic about me being his second mate. I wish I had the guts to demand from Fenris that he be lenient with Sierra. I wish I had Myla's and Catrina's daring nature to push the past behind and embrace the future. I wish I had Sierra's fearless attitude to fight my demons.

A sob escapes from my throat as I realize that I might never meet my family again. I might never meet Dominic again. I was too late to realize that I had something precious and now it's lost.

"Done with the pity party?"

The smooth drawl makes me jerk in my seat and terror seizes my heart as I recognise that voice. It's Wulfric.

I look around, my movements are frantic as I react in panic, trying to get away from this chair and this place. But it's impossible with the way these Lead Silver chains are holding me to the chair. They are wrapped like a wise, covering my neck, my arms, my waist and all the way down to my toes.

I am numb to the pain that Lead Silver brings me as I deal with the realization that I am at Wulfric's mercy. Once again!

The room or whatever this place is; is dark, and pitch black, making it very difficult to see Wulfric but from the intensity of his voice, it's clear that he can see me. Still, my eyes dart around, trying to catch him, to make sure that he's not here. Perhaps my mind's making things up. Maybe I am going crazy!

"No, you are not crazy, my flower. You are fully conscious of your fate," he laughs, sinisterly.

No!

He's in my mind! And I am helpless because of these chains. I can't push him out!

The realization makes my heart thump loudly in my chest. I can hear my own breathing. It's heavy and the smell of my fear permeates the air.