The Story of the Exile (The Belesone Pack #2)

Chapter 27

It was difficult to separate the information, from the pain Katarina had felt, but she was pretty sure she was talking sense. She took a minute to swallow some more cheesy crackers and took a drink of water. Her throat felt hoarse from screaming, in the dream walk. But considering that she had been Leo's mate for a while, she knew that his body had suffered a lot worse than she had, for a very long time.

"The person torturing him kept talking about a betrayal," she admitted, in confusion. She still wasn't sure what that meant. "It was almost as if Leo's mate was once high in pack society. Like they had a lot of respect, but the person torturing him was scared of killing him because of that," Katarina explained what she could remember and the few words that she had gathered through her own screams of pain.

Milo reached over and took her hand, once he was sure she was finished eating and drinking to replenish herself. She knew what that meant. He didn't like the thought of her suffering, even if it was in place of someone else who needed a break.

Katarina got up and moved over to perch on his knee for a moment, allowing them to take comfort from each other. "I don't know where he was, but I know he's been there for a really long time. Maybe even years," she pondered, thoughtfully. "He's so used to the pain that he's sort of numb to anything but the hardcore punishments," she sighed as she spoke, because she had felt the intense agony in every muscle of his body.

It had been weird being a boy for a while, during the dream walk, but she was grateful that she had given him some comfort. The moment she had taken his place, she felt his relief. And the ultimate resistance when she was pulled out of her dream walk. She could still hear his voice ringing in her ears.

Please...don't go. Stay with me, he had begged as he scrambled to hold onto the peace she had unknowingly given him, by entering the dream walk.

She felt like crying, as she remembered the desperation and hoarse tone of his voice. She wondered how long it had been since he had spoken to someone, even inside his head. How long had he been in that state? And why?

"Don't worry, little wolf. We'll find him," Milo promised, as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She was afraid to believe him because she wasn't sure what state the mystery man would be in once they found him. Would he even still be alive?

"Whoever he is, we'll find out where he is and we'll rescue him and bring him home to Leo," he promised, faithfully.

And with that, Katarina burst into tears. She couldn't help it. She was so afraid for him, for the man who was Leo's true mate. Whatever he was suffering, she had left him to face it alone. His only friend, in who knew how long, and she had deserted him.

Would he survive the torture as he once had, with indifference and a sense of duty that forced him to bear it? Or would one moment of relief have broken his spirit once he realised that it couldn't last? Did he think that the relief had been a moment of respite before he died? She couldn't bear it.

***

Milo was startled when the door opened and Leo slunk into the room. His eyes were a horrible shade of red, as if he had been crying.

He smiled weakly when he noticed Milo, and advanced until he stood beside Katarina. "I saw everything," he explained, with a voice that was trying hard not to shake.

Milo was surprised and he looked down at Katarina, who was sobbing into his shoulder.

"I don't think she meant to let me in, but I'm not sure she could stop it either. Like you said, a door you can't close," he smiled weakly, as if it was a funny thought. "I'll take her up to bed. We both need to sleep," he explained.

Milo nodded and let his Beta gently lift Katarina into his arms. He readjusted her weight and headed for the still open door.

"So you know then?" he wondered, curious about what Leo had picked up from the unwitting sharing. He was as sure as Leo was that she hadn't meant to do it, but like she said, fear made minds weak and made automatic connections for relief. He was also pretty sure that Katarina would have loved nothing more than to keep that particular experience from his best friend.

Leo stopped in the open doorway and glanced back, almost unseeing. There was nothing in his eyes at that moment except pain. "That my mate is a man? Yes. And I was right; he's being tortured," he spoke in a non-committal way, with no obvious feeling.

Milo could only guess that he was trying to be strong and not let on that his mate's suffering had affected him. But just because he was a Beta didn't mean he had to keep his feelings on the inside. That was something Milo had to learn; that because he was the Alpha, it didn't make him invincible or devoid of emotion.

"Are you alright about that?" Milo wanted to make sure that Leo was coping okay with the continual changes to his life. Worse still, his love life.

Leo shrugged and stood there as if he could hold a sobbing Katarina forever, with no trouble.

Milo wondered if finding his mate had made him stronger, mentally, emotionally and physically. Or if he was using the physical distraction to stop himself from breaking down.

"I've never thought about guys like that before, but if he's my mate, he's my mate. I don't really care right now," he confessed, sniffing, in a way that said he wasn't quite ready for this conversation yet. But Milo had to push. It was his job as the Alpha and as Leo's best friend.

"Are you okay?" he asked again. Leo wasn't giving him straight answers to his questions.

"No," Leo adjusted Katarina in his arms again and turned to leave the room. "But I will be...when I kill the bastard doing it to him."