Chapter 141 - Keep your hands on me

EMMA

My lungs are screaming for air. I buck my body and I’m grabbing desperately for anything around me. My nails drag over the wooden surface of the table. I try to kick myself free and glass shatters on the floor when I knock the tumbler off the table. The bottle of whiskey falls over and the liquor spills over the surface. I reach for the bottle that blurs in my vision.

I grab it by the neck and with all the strength that’s left within me, I swing it backward. The thick glass connects with his skull and the glass breaks around us. The sharp shards and cold liquor spill all over me.

His grip around me falls away and a hard crash combined with a loud groan comes from behind me. I heave in deep breaths and the air is mingled with the taste of harsh liquor. I can taste it in the air and it makes me light-headed. The whiskey has soaked into my clothes and a shiver trembles through my body.

I look behind me and find Dex lying on the ground clutching his head. Blood streams down his face and still, he’s trying to push himself upright. I don’t wait and run over the shards of glass towards the basement door. I nearly lose my footing when I reach it with velocity.

My hands shake as I try to guide the key into the lock. Everything is soaked in liquor and the key almost slips from my fingers.

There is a scuffling sound behind me and the scratching of glass shards over wood. There’s a burning desire to look when I hear his groans and string of curses. I nearly burst into tears when the door finally unlocks. I push the door open and I walk into a cold darkness.

There’s a presence at the bottom of the stairs, I can feel it in my core. When I look around, I see Dex clamoring from the ground. I quickly close the door and the key falls from my hand and clatters on the floor.

I’m consumed in darkness and I search around for the light switch with my hands. I hear a click beneath my fingers and it ignites the single lightbulb.

There’s a heavy scent of herbs and ointments emanating from the space. At the bottom of the stairs lies a gigantic black wolf. His size is unnatural in the home of humans. He’s sprawled on his side and unmoving.

A loud hammering on the door makes me jump. “Emma, open the door!” Dex shouts with fury.

I don’t do that and I step down the short stairs. Tears break through the dam that I’ve been trying to hold. I fall to the small patch of concrete beside Nero and run my hands over the wounds on his head. His breathing is low and barely there. Blood is sticking on his fur and burn marks are visible on the skin in between.

“What did he do to you?” I hold his heavy head and place it on my lap. His limbs are lifeless and there’s no sign of any movement.

The door slams open and clatters against the wall. Light from above streams in and at the top of the stairs stands the outline of Dex holding another key. “Get away from *it*, Emma.”

“What did you do to him?” I demand, but the quiver in my voice betrays the fear I feel. The fear of the life of my mate and the fear that I now feel for the man standing in the doorway.

Dex takes calculated steps down the stairs. Blood still flows from the gash on his head. “He’s sedated so that he cannot hurt anyone.”

“Sedated?” The word escapes together with a gasp. He is a giant werewolf, how is that even possible?

Dex stops at the bottom step. He resumes his laid-back posture when he pockets the key. It shows his confidence, but with his other arm, he wipes away blood from his face. “Wolfsbane paralyzes them when given in a smaller dose.” He explains with a smirk covered in blood and it shows his sinister edge. “That monster isn’t going anywhere.”

*Wolfsbane, of course.* It’s strong enough to kill a werewolf.

There’s a lack of remorse and an ease with how he justifies the things he does. Poisoning, destruction, and murder, it’s all allowed in the name of war. He acts like a hero to the people of Aldea. People praise him for his dedication and nobody questions his ways.

“You’re the monster here, Dex,” I say as I hold Nero close to my body. His temperature is colder than usual.

“I see,” Dex murmurs as he watches me. “You’re more corrupted than I thought.” The statement is filled with disappointment.

He casually walks back up the stairs and picks the fallen key up from the ground. “I did wonder if you knew that she was one of them.” His knuckles turn white as he grips his hand around the key.

His words don’t make sense at first but then I gasp when the realization hits me. “Graciella.”

He repeats her name with venom and spite. “I take that as a yes.”

“Where is she?”

“I can’t believe how blinded I was by my feelings for you. Enjoy rotting away in here.” Dex walks out and the door slams behind him.

The turning of the lock tells me that Dex has us trapped in here.

My tears fall down my chin and onto the mangled skin of the wolf on my lap. I run my hand through his fur and over every wound on his head. Little by little his skin starts to heal.

Nero sniffs and I jump at the movement. “Nero?” *He’s waking up.*

Nero moves his nose closer to me and growls. Then he sniffs again up my torso and every second is alternated with another growl. The sound is low and threatening.

“What are you doing?” I shriek when a wet tongue runs over my neck and chest. His tongue is warm, and rough and leaves a trail of saliva.

“Nero, stop!” I clamor when he continues.

Nero doesn’t stop and I move away when he tries to lick my face. But Nero moves his paw over my waist and the heavy weight keeps me in place. I grimace and I try to wipe my face with my hands, but Nero licks my hands instead.

The weight above me changes and fur is replaced by skin. Paws become arms and his snout becomes a masculine mouth. Hadrian hovers above me as he takes labored breaths. His hair tickles my nose. Hadrian's weight leans heavily on my body, but he doesn’t make a move to leave.

“Hadrian?” I accept the pressure it gives on my chest and the squeeze to my lungs.

“You smell like him.” Hadrian growls and the animalistic edge is not quite gone.

“Did you kiss him?” He asks, but his shoulders relax before I can answer. He shakes his head and lets it fall down to my neck. “That’s why Nero was licking you.”

His weight becomes heavier and heavier and continues to press down on my lungs. “Hadrian.” His name comes out in a wheeze and I futilely try to push some of his weight from my chest.

Hadrian grunts and in slow moves rolls off me. He groans and pulls me with him. “Keep your hands on me.”

My hands are on his chest and a warmth is developing under my palms. I blink my tears away and watch how his eyes close and how his chest lifts with every labored breath.

I lower my hands to his solar plexus and press my palms on the withering source of heat.

Hadrian groans again. “Yes, right there.” His low rasp creates more heat within my own body after enduring all the freezing touches.

I kiss every little wound on his shoulder. I pull back when I notice the black markings of a tattoo. I blink my eyes, but the drawing of a black wolf is unmistakable. *What? How? When?*

I lean closer and lift one hand away from his solar plexus. I trace my fingers softly over his inked shoulder and down his arm.

“Sorry, little mate,” Hadrian says with strain. He's lying naked on the ground. His muscles turn taut when his strength starts to return. “I'm not really able to right now.”

I chuckle and it comes out soppy. The tears that spill now from my eyes are ones of relief. “That’s okay,” I whisper against the skin of his neck.

Hadrian sits up with more grunts and groans. He opens his eyes and they gain more focus. They immediately zero in on my bandaged shoulder and they fill with fright. “What happened?”