The Path to Love

Chapter 22: Captive

From time, I believed that life was one giant puzzle, waiting to be solved. Now, I'm not so sure . Waking up in a cage was enough to discourage one from any feeling of hope. There was one window, way beyond my reach, covered with snow from the outside. I wonder where I am . My memory is a bit hazy.

After admiring the room Caelan made for me, I escaped into my happy place, encapsulated by beautiful serenades. Then ,there was a loud crash. I halted playing the piano and put my ear to the door . Nothing . It was eerily silent .

I searched my pocket for a phone and remembered that I forgot the one Luna gave me at the pack house. Carefully, I opened the door and peered outside to the empty white halls .

I shut the door behind me and called out Whintar's name. The only response was of Xerex sounding frantic as he spoke to someone else.

I gasped, horrified at the sight of Whintar's bloody head. She was still conscious, but barely . The man who stood beside her had his back turned to me. He was tall and built ,in all black clothing . I know him...

Griffin. As if hearing my thoughts ,he turned his head and looked at me, looking half crazed, half normal.

"What did you do ?" I shouted ,pushing past them and bending down to hold Whintar.

"This was not the plan!" Xerex exclaimed ,clutching his hair rightly and pacing around the living room .

Whintar was silent ,nothing unusual. But she looked so peaceful, as if she waited for this moment .

"Say your last words and all that . We don't have much time ." Griffin remarked .

"Whintar? Can you hear me ?" I asked. I hardly knew her but knew that Caelan and his family, excluding Xerex, loved her so deeply."

"This was my fate, from the begining. I will transfer my powers to you ." She whispered.

Behind us, Griffin and Xerex were arguing .

Confused, I asked her what she meant . " Of all the people I have ever known, you are pure enough to wield the gifts I have . Your unending loyalty to my people bring me great pleasure." She spoke, hoarsely.

Before I had a chance to response to reply ,she placed her hands on my chest and a soothing heat filled my chest and spread throughout my body and I almost tipped over .

"Use it wisely." She finally said before closing her eyes for eternity.

"Wait, stay with me Whintar. How do I use them ? Whintar?!" I gently shook her but I knew from the minute I saw her that she wouldn't make it .

"Party's over . Let's go." Griffin practically threw me over his shoulder .

"Oh, and I almost forgot." And then there was a gunshot. Xerex dropped to the floor ,right beside Whintar.

"No, stop! You can't do this !" I hit him with all my might and thrashed like an annoyed child . He carried me out of Whintar's house .

Some men and women were waiting for him outside.

"Finish the job." He blankly stated. They immediately poured a liquid from red containers around the house. Moments later ,it went up in flames . I screamed ,as if I were the one inside the house .

Griffin had enough of me, hit me hard in the head and I passed out .

Now, I'm inside of a grey room with a black door . My throat was dry after calling out for help for what seemed like a milennia.

Pain filled my whole body; my head throbbed, I was famished and weak . The silence of the room surrounded me from all corners. I shivered, holding my blue sweater closer to my skin. Scanning the room for the billionth time, I hoped to find a clue, a key, anything that could help me escape or discover where I was.

The room was completely empty. I huffed in frustration and sat on the floor of the cage. Was Xerex working with Griffin? If he was, why would he betray his pack? Questions floated like clouds in my mind.

I knew that Whintar's gifts were now my own. But how do I use them?

Suddenly, I heard a click and my head turned to the direction of the sound. Slow and heavy footsteps could be heard and there stood Griffin, broad shouldered and probably cold blooded.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

He let out an unsettling chuckle, sending the wrong shivers down my spine. Without replying, he walked towards the cage, opened it and waited for me to get out.

"I can drag you out, if that's what you want." Reluctantly, I got up and walked out. If he wanted to kill or attack me, he would have. I considered running to the door but with his super speed, he beat me to it. Instantly, the cage door was shut and he opened the room door.

His facial expression changed from stoic to a scowl. "If you try to escape, you will regret ever being born." I frowned at him and spoke no words. After threatening me, I was handcuffed and led to another room. But, I was still underground. We walked though dinghy and damp halls. The light fixtures sporadically flickered and I even stepped in some puddles. The walls were made of grey and chiseled stones.

I immediately imagined Caelan, his face remained planted in my mind for some moments. And in those moments, my current situation felt less unbearable. We entered an elevator but the buttons had inscriptions on them of languages I could not understand. An uncomfortable silence filled the elevator.

As soon as the elevator opened, there was a flurry of movement all around me. People scurried around with a purpose, and did not notice Griffin and I. It was a large factory.

"Where am I ?" I asked. Griffin was walking so quickly that he did not hear me. As I looked around, I realized that there was a giant logo on the far left side of the factory that said "Pegasus."

"When Griffin becomes the CEO of Pegasus, the people who work closest to him must be people he trusts, in other words, people he cam control." Avran's voice sounded loudly in my head and the realization of what was happening hit me like a boulder.

I sped up my pace, following Griffin as he walked in and out of multiple stairwells. Outside the many windows we past, we were in the middle of nowhere. In the far distance, there appeared to be a road. But it was too far to tell.

"Get in." He said, shoving me into another room.

"No need to push me. It's not like I can escape. " I replied in annoyance as I walked into a large waiting area.

Without answering, he picked up his phone and made a call. He spoke in a coded language and occasionally glanced at me whilst I sat down on a brown chair beside a large window.

"That bastard." I heard him growl.

"We have to leave. Your mate has just complicated things for both of us." He hissed.

Knowing Caelan, he is searching for me with everyone he knows and trusts. Surely, soon, I can return to him. There was no reason for me to be afraid.

"Where are you taking me?" I did not expect an answer and was surprised when I received one.

"Back home. I'm sure your parents will be delighted to see you again." As those words left his lips, he smiled a vicious smile and the room suddenly felt cold.