Chapter Twenty-one

Alice

My head continues to throb as my vision is a bit blurry from the previous incident. I look around, trying to find anything familiar but nothing seems to come to mind. Everything looks dull, dark and almost confusing—even my back hurts, as if I've been sitting for too long without moving. I come to realise that my wrists are tied behind my back against this chair including my ankles. However, they're not tied with a rope but something harder, something metal.

'Where am I?' I begin to question myself, completely out of breath.

A figure remains hidden behind his own shadow while I try to make out of his face. I keep wonder if I'm actually bad luck because if I'm kidnapped, which I am, this happens to be the second time within a range of a few weeks. If this person wants my parents' money, they'd be impressed because my parents would hand them over their money. As long as I'm safe.

"I can't see you," I mutter. "But, I know you're there."

"Of course you do."

"Luther?" I raise an eyebrow, slightly confused.

Luther steps out of the shadow, letting the light hits his face. My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I struggle to break free from the chains but radically, it is too impossible. He has tied me securely, there is no way for me to escape unless someone breaks me out. These cuffs are hurting my wrists and I know the moment I'm out of here, they'd be burning red.

"You guessed it correctly," He replies.

"What are you doing here? Why am I here? Please, just let me go."

Tears begin to stream down my cheeks as I pull my wrists towards me but I'm only hurting myself. The pain causes Luther to shift towards me, stopping my hands from moving any further. For a second, I saw sincerity in his eyes but they disappear immediately as he crouches down to my height, "Please. Don't waste your time trying to do that. You'll only hurt yourself," He responds.

"Damon will be looking for me." I say, firmly.

"It has been four days, sweetheart. He won't be looking for you,"

"What?" I breathe, struggling to break free again.

That's impossible. Knowing Damon, knowing how he cares about me and about the bond, he'd come after and safe me. Logan would've told him and Damon would've been furious about my sudden disappearance. There is no way that he'd be quiet, letting me out of his sight. Luther must've hidden us somewhere far, away from Damon's pack.

I clench my jaw, trying to hold my anger as he grabs onto my shirt near my chest and rip it into half, letting my breasts be in full display—the only thing covering them is my bra. If he'd pull that away too, he'd be seeing everything and that terrifies me. Painful memories start to overwhelm me as I remember what happened between Eric and I.

"Luther . . . please, don't." I beg, eyes watering.

"Alice . . . I'm going to make you want me,"

"Just, let me go."

"And what? Risk the chance of having you as my mate?" He scoffs, "Not a million years."

"You already have a mate!"

All of a sudden, he slaps me across the face which causes me to blink a few times, trying to bear the stinging pain. "And, she died. She left me alone for so many years—and you, don't understand how lonely I feel when she was gone. I just need another her,"

"Fuck you!" I scream, trying to kick my legs out.

Luther laughs, roughly grabbing my hair and pulling my head back. My whole body trembles with fear before looking directly into his eyes, as if challenging him to go on with his next action even when I'm scared, even when I'm in pain. I know Damon is going to come and safe me, it's just a matter of time.

"Don't challenge me, sweetheart. You won't like it," He whispers, licking the side of my face.

As soon as he walks out of the room, I start to let everything out including the tears that I was trying to hold back; regardless of the endless pain, I still try to have hope. My heart sinks at the thought of Damon trying to look for me but my body is in pain, greater than the pain in my heart. I need to have hope, I need to stay strong for the sake of my future.

I breathe, trying to hold my body still as I look for a way to escape.

Unless I cut off my hands and my legs, there is no way to run.

"Damon . . . please," I beg, looking down.

Hours and hours have passed, my body has grown weak just by sitting and trying to stay awake. I keep forcing myself to stay away and ignore the darkness that has been calling me. My body is tired, my brain is exhausted. There is just a little bit of hope left as I try to think of the positive things but I am in more pain than I can imagine.

I keep on opening my eyes, controlling my breaths.

Luther appears once more, closing the door behind him and looking directly at me. My eyes meet his in an intense gaze as he holds a tray of food, probably shit and shit. All I can think of is stuffing myself with delicious food back home, where it is safe in Damon's arms.

"Stop thinking about him, princess. He's not coming," He speaks as he stops in front of me, showing the perfectly made food on the tray. "I've made this for you. You'll love it,"

"You're just bullshit," I mutter before laughing, somehow already losing my mind.

"You have to learn to respect me,"

"Why should I? Who the hell are you to me?"

A sudden slap lands on my face which causes me to close my eyes due to the stinging pain. My body continues to tremble in fear especially after what just happened but as soon as I open my eyes to look back at him, "There are a few things you should know . . . so listen carefully. You will have to listen to everything I say and do everything that I ask. You will not disrespect me. You will not disobey me. You will not say his name in front of me. You will not beg me to leave. You will not deny anything. You are now mine, not his. Do you understand that?"

Tears are streaming down my cheeks as I blink a few times, wondering if this man is actually a lunatic. A psychopath. Why does he want to force me into doing the things I never want to do?

"Do you understand that?!" He shouts, slapping me once more.

I nod, avoiding his eyes but he grabs my chin, wanting me to look at him.

"Good. You better understand everything,"

Then, he picks up the tray of food before slowly trying to feed me. I open my mouth as he tries to get food into my system but even when I feel like I want to spit it on his face and get away with it, I know I would not. I'll be kicked or punched and when that happens, I'll be weak—he would hurt me because of my disobedience. He'd try to even kill me.

"Here," He feeds me another spoonful of rice, giving me a moment to swallow them. "If you just listen to me, if you're a good girl, you'd be out of this chains. You'd be able to roam free. Just do anything I ask you to. Okay?"

I nod again, agreeing for his own pleasure.

Luther continues to feed me until I'm full and he walks out of the door, locking it behind him as his step echoes down the hallway. I blink a few times in the darkness, trying to not fall apart and cry but it feels as if I've lost hope. I'm being held as hostage here, somewhere I don't even know, all by myself. I thought that for once, Luther was a good friend but I was mistaken.

It has been four days since I was unconscious. How can Damon not look for me? Where is he?

It makes me wonder if I'm even an important person in his life—did he notice my sudden disappearance? Did Logan not come back to the car and panic for his dear life?

There are questions in my head with no answers. I'm left overthinking about the possibilities of never getting out of here unless Damon comes to save me. I'm not strong enough. I'm never going to be strong enough to fight Luther. He's a vampire with super-strengths and I don't even know what is out there, out of this room. I might get myself into my own grave.

I close my eyes, trying to fight the drowsiness but it is slowly consuming me until I find my body falling into a different state:

Our hands are entwined as we look up at the bright sky, letting the sunlight hitting on our skin. My whole body feels the warmth of the sun and it makes me appear more glowing, more golden. As Damon lays beside me, he has one of his hand playing with my hair.

"You're so beautiful," He mutters under his breath, loud enough for me to hear.

I turn to look at him, smiling. "You sure?"

"I'm confident. You're so freaking sexy,"

We both laugh. I continue to smile at the sight of his face, loving just how he has managed to make me feel; appreciated and at ease. It feels as if there is no problem in this world and it's just the two of us. We are having the best moment of our lives, being in each other's arms and enjoying each other's embrace, how I wish this would never end. How I wish this is us, for an eternity.

"I love you so much, Damon. I love you," I breathe.

Damon lifts his head before landing a sweet kiss on my lips, "I love you the most, Alice. Forever."

"Just me?"

"And, our baby." He leans down, kissing the baby bump.

My grin widens at the sight of him kissing the bump. It makes me wonder how he would look like when we have our baby, when the baby is born, he'd be kissing him, he'd be holding him. It would be the most beautiful sight and I'd be blessed, to be able to witness all of that.

We continue to laugh as we enjoy our feet in the water. Damon keeps on pulling me close as we run, teasing each other, knowing that we're having the best moment. I feel his kisses on my neck, on my cheeks and on my lips—making me close my eyes.

Then, all of a sudden, I begin to feel his grip loosening. My whole body starts to drift away from Damon, even when he is trying his hardest to run towards me in order to grab me close. His voice screams out my name, calling for me, somehow begging for me to come back, wondering why am I running away? Even when I'm not.

The baby bump has also disappeared, leaving me to stare at my own reflection in the mirror.

I am left alone. In the dark.

Damon is now out of sight. The perfect moment has somehow ended and there is just me . . . my reflection . . . a dark and tall shadow behind me. It is like I'm trapped in this place with no escape. Even when I continue to hear Damon calling out my name, it is fading away.

Just like that, the black shadow pulls me deeper into the gallows.