Defiance

3.1

Chapter 31

Aldric

Elysia was there. And worst of all - Heera was also there. I wasn't sure what "there" was - I could only see them in a black room. Heera stood behind her - burning with what seemed like rage. Elysia had her head down and was looking at someone - I ran forward - my instincts faster than my vision - my entire body jumped towards Elysia but only then I realized I was chained to thick shackles against the wall- the same chains Heera had tied me to when she captured me. I tried to break free of them, used all of my energy to break free of them but I couldn't. No matter what I did, the chains were stronger. I growled and screamed and cried but all in vain.

This monster - this horrid monster - despite all my strength was more powerful than me.

I was too late.

The whip in Heera's hands suddenly slashed across Elysia's entire back, the silver glittering and then - it was red with her blood. The scars on her back - the wolf mark and now a whip mark.

"No!" I screamed. "STOP!"

But it was too late - Elysia was already hurt. Her pain became my pain - I felt my back hurt - it tore through the past scars. I cried out, falling to my knees - letting it consume every part of me. I took it in and gasped, feeling the whip pierce through the circular scars of Heera's curses. My muscles tore apart - aching and begging - yet I took it with a smile.

It didn't matter.

I would take a hundred lashes if I had to but no one hurts Elysia.

But just like that - it was gone. At the same time, I saw Elysia's facial expression change and she shut her eyes tightly; the pain was hers now.

No.

I rather take it - I wanted to take it rather than see the way her body began to register the pain.

"NO!" I screamed at whoever was playing this cruel game with me. I imagined the pain hurting her the way it did to me - and no - I had to get out. I struggled against the chains, pulled as hard as I could, fought with all my fight but the chains only to cut through my wrists, creating bruises and cuts. I tried to transform to my wolf but it was not working - nothing was working.

Instead, I just saw the pain in her eyes. I saw the way she shut her eyes, bit her lip hard and curled her fingers into fists. She didn't cry out. Instead, she just took it. Let it hurt her. I wanted to take her pain away. I wanted to take everything away from her. The chains behind me wouldn't let me move - I kept fighting them - to somehow move closer to her, to cut my claws through Heera's body.

No one hurts Elysia.

But Heera just did and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I screamed in frustration.

I struggled against the chains again, yelling and fighting but it was all useless.

"Aldric," she whispered. Except it wasn't her voice.

That wasn't her voice.

Elysia was disappearing and in the vague light I could see her unconscious in someone's arms - I couldn't see who he was - just that he was running.

"Aldric."

My entire body jerked and I woke up and found myself looking into a pair of bright blue ocean eyes. I blinked before realizing it wasn't Elysia.