Chapter Twenty-two

Alice

It seems as if a few days have passed and I was left to tend on my own. Other than Luther coming to visit, feeding me food, I was mostly on my own to slowly losing my sanity. For days, I could only see the darkness, hear nothing but my own screams and it was slowly suffocating me—until, I hated my own voice. I felt like there would be no use to even if I scream, even if I cry for help.

I just keep wondering, where is Damon? Why haven't he saved me yet?

Did he ask Luther to kidnap me? Did he not love me anymore? Has he found a way to get rid of his own soulmate? The one he has been searching for decades . . . am I no longer the one?

My eyes continue to focus onto the ground as they water, letting me blink a few times before sighing. My whole body feels weak but numb at the same time, it is as if I've been thrown. I don't blame it though, I've been sitting on this chair for days without the chains even being loose. I've been in the same position for days, making me too numb to move.

I close my eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

All of a sudden, Luther comes inside the room but this time, he leaves the door open which confuses me a bit. As soon as he crouches down to my height, our eyes meet—it has been a whole week and I've been nice to him, I haven't exactly said a word but I haven't been disrespectful nor disobedient. He seems to enjoy that, it makes him feel important.

"Alice . . ." He calls, caressing the side of my face.

"Mmmm," I barely recognise my own voice, it is as if I'm trapped and caged. The irony? I am truly trapped and caged. I'm not even being held hostage but I'm being left here as a fool, a slave to obey.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asks, looking directly into my eyes.

"W—what?" I stutter, my voice breaking.

"I want to break you free from these chains. Do you want that?"

My eyes widen before I excitedly nod, feeling the drowsiness leaving my body. Luther smiles as he slowly unlocks the chains, making my hands break free. I let out a relief breath as soon as I feel my hands being able to move freely, without boundaries. However, at the same time, I don't have the strength to move as much; my body is still very weak.

"Thank you," I breathe, crying as I try to stand.

As soon as I push myself up, my legs begin to shake which causes me to fall onto the ground but before my body can crash, Luther manages to grab me around the waist. I close my eyes, getting myself ready for the impact but all I can feel is his arms around my waist to prevent the fall. I didn't expect my legs to shake and I couldn't support myself or walk but it's obvious, I have been in the same position for a week and I've been forcing my spine to support my body.

"Let me help you," He says, carrying me as we leave the room.

Instantly, my eyes are blinded by the lights as we pass through the hallway. As soon as we exit another door, I finally see a modern interior which causes me to look around, realising that all along, I've been in his house . . . just under, in his dungeon. How can Damon not know where I am? How can he not come and save me?

Luther slowly places me on the sofa, letting my body lay. "You need rest,"

"Why? Why did you unchain me?" I ask, my voice still cracking.

"I . . . realised I shouldn't be torturing the one I love."

My eyebrows furrow in confusion before looking away, not wanting to mutter a single word; afraid if I might offend him or disrespect him and I'd be sent down to the dungeon again, where I would have to sit and stare at the blank wall—I was almost losing my mind. I was almost losing myself.

"I already have a few pair of clean clothes for you. Do you need help with the bath?" He asks, grabbing my hand before rubbing the back of it. "You're still weak. I'll help you clean up," He adds.

I nod, looking away.

Luther starts to pick me up, carrying me like his bride. We make our way upstairs and once we reach the bathroom, he places me slowly on the toilet after he has closed the cover. Then, he starts to run the water, making sure it's lukewarm for my comfort. I sit still, watching his every movement and it takes me awhile to realise he has a tattoo on his forearm, a name.

"You're saying you . . . love me?" I ask, hesitating.

He turns to look at me, "It's been awhile since I've known love but I still remember how it feels like. I feel like that when I'm with you,"

"But . . . you kidnapped me."

"You think, you'd come to me willingly?" He raises an eyebrow.

"I don't understand, Luther. You already have a mate,"

"I had. I had a mate,"

My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I continue to look at him, seeing that he is somehow thinking of something else as he fights his own inner demons. I know this man in front of me, he may not be a mortal but I'm starting to assume he has issues. It makes me wonder if it's possible of attracting sick men; Eric, was obsessed. Luther? Craves for love.

"You can't have two mates," I mutter.

"Why are our mates chosen for us? I think I deserve the chance to choose myself."

"I can't be chosen by you, Luther. I am Damon's mate,"

Luther clenches his jaw before intensely staring at me, his hands gripping hard onto my wrists which causes them to redden. "You need to fucking understand the rules, Alice. Don't say his name in my house. Don't think about him. If he's your prince charming, why are you still here? Why didn't he come to save you?"

I pull both of my hands away, causing him to stand up before undressing me.

"What are you doing?" I ask, somehow resisting.

"You want to take a bath with your clothes on?"

I continue to stay quiet as he undresses me. However, I appreciate the fact that he doesn't bother to even look down at my body but he chooses to pick me up before slowly placing me in the bathtub, the lukewarm water immediately comforting me which causes me to sigh. Luther, on the other hand, sits beside the bathtub as he watches me.

I run my hand through my body with the water, liking how it feels.

"I'm sorry I made you go through those things," He says, breaking my sudden trance.

"What?"

"You heard me,"

"I know . . . I just, don't understand."

He looks away, "I don't feel the way I felt with my mate when I'm with you. You're different. The things that I felt with my mate was pure, it was intense and it was all perfect but with you, Alice, it feels human. It feels like I'm human again—I can't read your mind, I can only feel your warmth, I can hear your heartbeat. It's something I miss,"

"So, that's why you tortured me? You were hurting me for what?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I was still hurt. Still am."

Luther nods, "Of course. I won't deny that,"

We both continue to stare at each other as I say, "I am not your mate."

"You're not. You're someone I want as a mate,"

I shake my head in disagreement, "Don't you understand, Luther? I can't be yours,"

My head wanders to think of Damon. There is no chance of him ever letting me go. He has been waiting for his soulmate for decades and when he found me, he was selfless—he wanted to take things slow, he didn't want to scare me away and I'm grateful for all of the things. He made me feel wanted, he made me craved myself, too. He showed me true love.

I just wonder why I'm still here. All by myself.

"I think you're done," Luther says before picking me up, bringing me to his bedroom before placing me on the bed—I manage to grab the sheet to cover my naked body as he places a dress beside me. It's a plain black dress which would cover up to my knees.

I quickly put the dress on as he watches my every move.

Then, all of a sudden, a loud noise can be heard from downstairs which causes me to look at the closed door. Luther continues to clench his jaw as he stays still, somehow wanting to listen beyond the noise while I keep quiet—deep down, the only thing I can think of is Damon. Is it him? Has he come to save me? Will I be set free?

"Fuck," Luther groans, walking away.

I look as he starts to pick up a few clothes before placing them in his duffel bag.

"I know you're in there, you asshole! I'm going to fucking kill you!" A familiar voice says which causes me to turn around, immediately making my way towards the glass window—seeing Damon standing there with his hands in fists. However, he is not alone, there is Logan on his side and a few other pack members.

As soon as Damon looks up at the window, his eyes widen at the sight of me.

"That motherfucker. I'm going to rip his throat out!" Damon shouts.

Luther immediately pulls me away from the window which causes me to fall onto the bed. Then, the loud noise begins to be heard once more downstairs mixed with growling and howling. As I continue to call out Damon's name, he keeps on pushing me down onto the bed in order to stop me from raging him on.

"Damon! I'm up here!" I shout, which earns me a slap.

"Shut the hell up!" Luther says, unsatisfied.

"Just let me go. You're going to die anyway,"

"I'm going to drag you with me, sweetheart."

My eyes widen as soon as Luther pushes my dress up and begin to thrust deeply, causing me to scream in pain at the harsh penetration. My voice can be heard from downstairs as the noises continue while Luther ignores it—he keeps thrusting in and out, ignoring my kicks and screams. He starts to slap my face again with another thrust and choke me, blocking my windpipe.

Just when I thought the pain was ending, a sharp pinch began to pierce into my neck.

I try to break myself free but Luther keeps biting deep into my neck, causing my whole body to tremble uncontrollably. He stops for awhile to look down at me but my body is somehow frozen, feeling extreme pain and warmth moving throughout my veins starting from the neck and down to my hands.

Luther goes in again, making another bite on the other side which causes me to scream even louder before going numb, unable to feel or move anything except for the endless pain.

All of a sudden, Luther is being pushed away from me and I can finally see Damon's face looking down as he frowns, a panic look plastered on his face. I continue to cough, somehow out of breath before hearing him calling out my name but everything seems to be blurry and almost inaudible.

"Alice, can you hear me?" He asks, grabbing my face.

"Fuck!" Logan shouts, punching Luther.

"She's not moving!"

"His venom's in her system."

"Kill him now!"

"She's not moving, Logan. She's not moving."

"Move!"

"Stay with me, baby. Please, just stay with me."

Then, it all disappears. Into the darkness, we go again.