Prints on our hearts

Chapter Twenty

AN: Okay so I am going to work on making my chapters a little bit longer. We will see how that works out. Here's the new chapter. Hope you enjoy! :)

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          Green eyes haunted her dreams. She was sitting on the beach with Alma as she ran her fingers through her hair that was down and brushed out. Alex felt warm and happy there with Alma. She had seemingly forgotten what had happened to her. She leaned in and placed butterfly kisses along Alma's neck. "Wake up.", Alma whispered to her. Alex pulled back confusion. Alma's eyes had darkened, her once happy face twisted into fear. "Wake up Alex.", she said a little louder. Alex furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Wake up!!", Alma screamed at her, her voice had twisted deeper. Familiar. She was torn from her dream and groaned as her head pain returned to her. She was dazed and confused as she rolled her head around with her eyes shut tightly. "Alex damn it!", a familiar voice cried out to her. She painfully opened her eyes to see she was on a cold cement ground. There was a loud rattle of chains nearby. She looked up and her heart leapt to her throat. James was chained to the floor by his wrists. His dirty blonde hair that was once brushed back was now fallen around his face, dirty and splattered with blood. He had some rough facial hair but his bright blue eyes were the same. He was breathing hard and yanking against his chains. Bruises covered his arms and his exposed torso. He was still very well built. "Alex damn it talk to me!", he begged, his voice cracking slightly. Alex lifted her head and went to reach for him only to have her wrist yanked hard by a cold shackle on it. She slowly sat up and touched her head. There was a fair amount of blood that was now drying. The head wound was coagulating quickly. She looked back over to James who was fairly close. He was pulling hard against his chains. She scooted slowly close to him. There was an inch between them They strained and managed to put their foreheads together. A tear streamed down her cheek. Her best friend was alive and here with her. "I thought you were dead.", he said quietly. She scoffed. "Says the man that disappeared for sixteen years.", Alex said with a smile. A blood curdling scream filled the air and struck a deep fear into Alex's heart. She pulled back quickly. "Amelia.", she whispered. James looked at her confused. "Friend of yours?", he asked sitting back onto his knees. "Alex shot him a death glare for seeming so calm. "No you twit. She's my daughter. Our daughter.", Alex spat out. Another scream filled the air. "Amelia!", Alex shouted and yanked hard against her chains. A sickening laugh filled the air as Charles came out of the shadows. Alex growled loudly and pulled harder against her chains. "Go ahead and change. The chains with rip your front legs out of socket.", he said with an evil smirk. He knelt down just out of Alex's reach. James was staring at them as he still tried to process what Alex had said. "You really are gorgeous. If his daughter looks like that I wonder what ours would look like.", he said huskily as he stroked her cheek. She growled harder and snapped at his hand. He pulled back with mock offense. "Would you prefer me to go to her instead? She's new to it isn't she?", he asked smiling wide. James suddenly leaped forwards to him. His chains were taut and straining and the shackles dug into his wrists. He growled a loud growl. "If you lay a hand on her I will tear you apart piece by piece.", he growled out and barred his teeth. His eyes turning a bright gold. He ignored James and knelt down to Alex. "She would make an excellent bride.", he said lowly into her ear, his voice was husky and made Alex's skin crawl. "Take me. Not her. Let her go and I will do whatever you want me to.", Alex pleaded as she showed him fake weakness. James snarled sounding like a caged animal ready to strike. His growls rumbled low in his throat. Charles smiled and stood. "Good, I shall be back for you shortly.", he said and turned to walk away. "I want to see her!", Alex cried after him. He stopped and turned towards her. "What will I get in return?", he asked with an almost purr. Alex grit her teeth and forced a smile. "A kiss. No boundaries." she said as she kept her forced smile. His eyes lit up bright. He walked back to her and knelt down to her. James snarled louder, his teeth beginning to change. Charles grabbed Alex's hair surprisingly softly and crashed his lips to her. She inwardly cringed but kissed him back. She squeezed her eyes tight and tried her damndest to picture Alma. He growled lustfully into the kiss. The noise made Alex's stomach twist with disgust. He pulled back with an excited smile. "I shall bring her here. Five minutes.", he said seemingly more excited. Alex smiled up at him and batted her eyes. "Thank you darling.", she said taking a lesson from Alma. He smirked and quickly walked away. James looked at her in shock. She rolled her eyes. "Oh don't look at me that way. You've done worst to save us.", she said shooting a look at him. He caught on and sat back with a small amazed smile. "Damn, you have learned.", he said. She smiled at him and the sound of heavy footsteps running towards them caught their attention. They looked up to see Amelia running at them. Alex scooted back so she could have enough chain room to grab her. Amela collapsed into her mother's arms with a loud cry. Alex held her tight despite the chains. Amelia began to sob loudly. "Amelia. Amelia look at me.", Alex said trying to pull her face up. "Do you remember the stories of your father?", Alex asked as her voice cracked. Amelia nodded. A tear slipped down her cheek. "This is James, your father.", Alex said turning her towards the beaten blonde. Amelia gasped and crawled over to him. She reached out and gently touched his cheek. He smiled at her as tears began to well up in his eyes. "Amelia.", he breathed. She threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He held her back just as tight. "You are so beautiful. No matter what, I will always be proud of you Amelia.", James said after they finally pulled back. He wipe a tear away from her cheek and smiled at her. "Amelia you run. You run all the way home. You never stop until you get there understand me?", he asked sternly. She nodded as more tears slipped out. "No matter what happens, we love you and you are not to come back okay?", Alex managed only a whisper for fear of her voice cracking too hard. Amelia nodded and Alex reached up to her necklace Alma had given her. "Take this to Alma. Tell her not to come after me.", Alex said pushing the necklace over to Amelia. Some blood had been smeared on it. Charles came around the corner with a smile. "A deal is a deal.", he said as he clicked a remote. A large door opened behind them. Alex and James turned to the now open door. Fear pounded in Alex's chest as Amelia stood. She took one last look at her parents and changed. James gasped to see his daughter standing tall and strong before him. Her sleek form was a pure muscles leopard but her fur was blackened from her mother. She gently took the necklace in her mouth and sprinted out the door. No gunshots rang out, no shouts were heard. Alex released a sigh of relief to knew her child was safe. The door closed back down and Charles knelt back down to Alex. "I will have more comfortable arrangements made for you. And have you cleaned up.", he said looking closely as the dried blood on her face. "I would like to stay near James. I want to be able to always see him.", Alex requested. He looked over at James then back to Alex. "That can be arranged.", he said and walked away without another word. Once he was out of sight, Alex collapsed to the floor and began to cry. Her daughter was safe. She would never see Alma and the children again. For all she knew, her father was dead somewhere and her and James would die here. "Alex.", James said. "Alex sit up. I know you are stronger than this. You have this under control.", he said in a calming voice. Alex knew he was right but the overwhelming feeling she had was too much to bear. She forced the crying to stop and picked herself up from the floor. Charles came back with keys in his hand. "Try anything and I will kill them all.", he said kneeling down to James. He growled but let Charles unshackle him. Two men grabbed him as Charles unlocked Alex. She rubbed her sore wrists and stood up. Charles snaked an arm around her waist and walked her farther into the building they were in. They came to two large cages with beds and a food tray in each. The left one was bigger and had a stack of clothes sitting on the bed. They also each had a shower. It was just a shower head hung high with a curtain around it. The left actually had a stone wall up to Alex's shoulders. James was shoved into the right one and locked in. Charles opened the left one and allowed Alex to walk in on her own. "Clean up. I will have a med kit brought to you. And perhaps a large curtain here.", he said motioning to the fencing between James and Alex. She simply nodded and watched him leave. As soon as he had, James shoved his bed against the cage where Alex was. He knelt on it and stuck his fingers through to stroke her face. "I will get you out of here no matter what I have to do.", he whispered as Alex closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He was her best friend. Her partner. Her protector. As footsteps grew close they pulled away. James sat down and ate his food. Charles opened the door and passed the kit to Alex. She watched him expecting him to leave. He instead pulled up a chair and watched her. She felt like a zoo animal. She knew she had to wash herself before she bandaged herself but he was watching her. She sucked up her pride and walked over to the shower. She could feel his eyes watching her hard. She turned on the water and was relieved to find it hot. She stripped down to her underwear and bra and stepped behind the curtain trying her best not to get her remaining clothes wet. She took them off and and tossed them out of the curtain. She heard a sigh of frustration. "You are indeed a tease. I shall leave you to clean and rest them. Tomorrow, I shall take what is mine.", she heard Charles say before hearing footsteps leading away. She sighed and let the water wash over her. It burned her wound and found a few more cuts she was unaware of. She gently rubbed her sore wrists. The metal shackles had definitely left a bruise and rubbed her raw. She shivered and finished cleanly quickly. She was scared Charles would return to watch her again. After she turned off the water she found a towel and wrapped it around herself. She sat on the bed without dressing and looked at James. His eyes were full of pity. They both knew that any attempt to escape was hopeless. She leaned her head back against the caged. Her mind drifted and wandered to Alma. She would be able to escape this and kill Charles. As she finally stood to put on her clothes, a brilliant idea hit her. She would kill him.