Found at Midnight

Chapter 19

Vic's POV 

I raced down the stairs, nearly running face first into a door at the bottom. I skidded to a stop, giving myself a moment to slow my heart and catch my breath. Once I had regained my composure, I held my breath and listened closely. Nothing could be heard from the other side of the door, but I doubted that would prove to be a relief. I hesitated before grabbing the knob and throwing the door open. 

The room was a bright white, and likely made of pearls. Every available space on the wall was covered in armour and weaponry. At first I thought that Jess had betrayed me and Kellin by misleading me and bringing me to the armory, but it dawned on me that she was actually being more helpful than if she had just taken me to Kellin. Now I could arm myself before tearing the castle apart in search of my mate. 

I ran around, grabbing as much as I could hold. I wasn't sure what materials the weapons and armour were made of because when I picked them up, they were light as a feather, but I had witnessed firsthand how well they held up in battle. Since I was going to be carrying weapons, I wouldn't be able to shift into a wolf, so I decided it would be best to throw on some armour. I glanced through all of the armour hung on the walls and found a chest piece that looked about my size. I strapped it on before collecting the spear I had selected from the armory. I considered grabbing a sword as well, but I didn't want to be carrying around too much stuff.

With that, I made my way back up the stairs. I was surprised to find Jess waiting at the top. She had a slightly fearful look in her eyes, probably expecting me to be furious that I hadn't found Kellin at the bottom of the steps. Rather than get angry, I pulled her into a hug. She flinched out of surprise but quickly relaxed into the embrace. I released her after a moment, and we began moving without a word. She took me down many winding hallways, which made the castle seem more like a labyrinth. She eventually paused before a door that mirrored the one she last led me to. Before I could open it, she pulled me into another hug. 

"You're a good man. I can tell that you don't think so, but I can see it, and Kellin can too." She whispered into my ear before letting me go. I was a little stunned that she could read me that easily, but I snapped out of my daze and opened the door. I nodded at her once before venturing down once more.  

Kellin's POV 

My body began to shake from all of the emotions coursing through it. My breathing quickened, making my lungs burn with every inhale. He took one step toward me, and while my mind screamed for me to take a dozen steps back, my body collapsed. I crashed to the floor, gasping for breath and trying to calm down. Even thinking about Vic rescuing me wasn't helping me to get it together. I could hear him getting closer, until finally a rough hand gripped my chin and yanked my head up. I looked at everything except his eyes in an attempt to pretend that this wasn't happening. He slapped me, hard, and let me fall back to the floor. 

"Oh, dear Kellin, how I have missed you. You know, it was very bad," he kicked my stomach for emphasis, "To run away from home." 

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to whimper as he kicked me again. 

"Answer me, bitch." 

"Yes, Father." I spit out. The word burned on my tongue, and I could feel his smirk as he circled me. 

"I think your actions warrant a punishment," he told me, and I flinched at the words. His punishments had gotten increasingly more disturbing and cruel as the years went on, so I could only imagine what I would be put through now. He grabbed my arm and pulled me off the ground, dragging my limp body over to the table. He tied me back down, much tighter this time. He took note of the cuts in the rope and carefully adjusted the bonds, so that I wouldn't be able to escape how I had earlier. Even though I knew it was useless, I thrashed against the bonds violently with the energy and determination that had finally returned to my body. He growled at me as I struggled and marched over to a cabinet. He pulled something out and brought it back over. He brought it into the light, and before I could even register what was happening, he had a long knife pressed to my throat. I stopped my movements, keeping so still that I was barely breathing.