Salt to Her Sea ✔️

22. lowest of lows

THADAL

The white of the room was oppressive. Slate, blank, spattered with blood. I don't know how long it had been since they took my blood, but I did know it was what they wanted. Handing myself over was all I could do to get to her. These wrongs commited by the Lab could always be righted later. What couldn't be pushed off was getting to her. I knew I had to, no matter the cost. I was willing to pay that price. 

Red essence still dripped from open wounds that took longer to heal without the Wild in me to accelerate the proccess. A puddle was forming beneath me. It was dark, depthless, slowly sliding towards the drain. There was no shine to it, almost black looking, evil. I felt evil, the need to be dark was prominent inside me.

The wolf didn't make me a monster, no, this Lab did. Their motives, the taking, the lies. It all added up, but the blood was on my hands.

If I closed my eyes for long enough, my body would transport itself to the forest. Back before her when I would sleep on a bed of pine needles bathed in the full Moon's light. So convinced was I, the scent of fresh soil filled my nostrils and rainwater peppered my skin. A breeze blew, sort of cool against a warm Summer day. Akesis never saw Brine Peak's Summer.

I just wanted her back.

My goals were simple; I wanted her with me, safe. I wanted my pack secure and thriving. I wanted control over my own body. Was it too much to ask? What did she do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve her?

Opening my eyes back up would only equal the dropping of my heart. The sick realization that my brain had fooled me again and I was still lying in a puddle of my own blood, piss, and sweat. The twisted fact that my mate was in here somewhere, tormented and stolen, not who she really was.

Akesis was at the top of the list, she would always be the top of my list. A first priority. If we were together, we would be unstoppable. Broken, but unstoppable. I had faith we could grow together, better ourselves and make light of our lives.

Over time I began to realize it was mostly me that needed the fixing. She was perfect, pure, a healer. I was nothing like her. In this moment I felt so weak, but she had always been strong in her own way. 

Hours passed at a slow pace, time creeping and wasting away. It was elusive, hiding from me, disorientating. When the door finally creaked open again, I was ready to spring at the attacker again. The wild inside me was beginning to wake, still drowsy and slow. Cuts and brusies began to heal faster, body feeling less tired.

I would have sprung, had the gun not been pointing at my chest. Instead, I stood still, staring directly into Romanov's eyes. He shifted uncomfortably while his aim remained true.

"Look, a deal's a deal. I'm a wolf of my word, and so I'll take you to her." His look grew more appeased, a wolf who has gotten his way. "Your blood was exactly what we needed. Pumped with your adrenaline from the fight, well, it made for the perfect agent to strengthen her blood's healing ability."

Growling low in my chest, the fine hairs of my neck raising, alert.

"A few more viles of her blood and yours... We won't need either of you anylonger."

Foot forward, heel to toe, a ripple of energy out. The atmosphere quaked with the torment of my anger.

"But I promised you could have her. I know mates. Maybe you'll liven her up a little before the inevitable comes."

I lunged, aiming for the throat of the filthy male. In no time, the crack of the gun went off. Three darts imbedded themselves deep in my chest. Cold seeped into my skin, tiring me out. Unbending, I did not go down, not until his throat was in my hands. Shouts erupted, I began to squeeze. Another gunshot, it felt like I was grasping water. Releasing my grip because my legs no longer held my weight, falling to my knees. I was staggering, looking for a balance that didn't come.