Page 14 of Dark Goodbye

And that’s when things start to flood back. Not all at once, but in bits and pieces. The plinking from the jail, the maggoty food as it squirmed about the floor. The massive guard that shook me and threw me across the room.

The terror must be evident in my eyes because soon, Mogen rests her wizened hands against my cheeks and forces my gaze to meet hers. “Breathe. Just breathe.” Unable to calm down, each breath is rapid, bordering on hyperventilation.

Try as I might, nothing stops it. It keeps coming and coming until spots dance before my eyes, encroaching on my vision. Unable to make them go away, more memories unlock. The strange Alpha that held me hostage. The searing pain as he pulled on my arm.

Looking down, I stare down at my wrist, a scream clawing at my throat as the pale tinge of pink seeps through the cotton. Despite the pain, despite the warning, I claw at it, needing to see, needing to know just how bad it is.

Before I can so much as peel back the first layer, Mogen is there, her strong arms wrapping me in a hug. It stills my movements, quieting the loud buzzing in my brain.

“Shhh now, child,” she croons, rocking us back and forth. “You need to settle. I don’t want Master Davix coming home and finding you worse than he left you.”

“What did he do to me?” My voice is hoarse and raspy as I turn into her comforting figure, unsure of why I’m willing to trust this complete stranger.

“You better not be referring to Master Davix. He saved your life. That’s what he did.”

“No,” I stammer, detesting the fact that my words refuse to come in coherent spurts. “I don’t doubt that Davix rescued me. He was always there to keep me safe.”

Tension seeps out of her shoulders as her lips curl up into a soft smile. “Just as long as we’re clear. In that case, you’re wondering what that monster did to you.”

I go to raise my uninjured arm to rub my head, hoping the action alone will release some of the memories I seem to be blocking, but I find it’s immobile. Panic surges through me as I turn to look at the other hand, scowling at the soft cuff that holds it to the side of the bed.

“What? Why?”

The smile disappears as she gives a stern shake of her head. “Master Davix said it was for your own good. I’m only to release you if you need to — you know.” A red tinge flares up on her face as she turns her head.

“No,” I scream out, hysteria lacing my tone. “I don’t know.”

“Use the-the privy.”

“The what?” Confusion edges out a bit of the fear, but not enough to make it any more palatable.

With an impatient sigh, she straightens up and plants her hands on her hips. “The necessary. The facilities. The toilet. Is that easier to understand?”

Laughter bubbles up on my lips, but there’s no humor in it. Is this what my life has been reduced to? At least in the prison, I had my own private room I could use whenever I wanted. Granted, I mostly needed the privacy to cry, but no one disturbed me in there.

Looking deep within myself, the urge is not there, but by fleeing to this new sanctuary, maybe I’ll have time to gather myself before resigning to being a prisoner yet again. “Yes. I need to use the toilet.”

Mogen’s lips twist into a scowl as she stares at me, her eyes shifting back and forth across my face. “You are to do your business then return. You are still far too weak to be out of bed longer than necessary.”

“I think I’ll manage. But please. Release me. I’m afraid I’ll wet myself if you don’t.” For good measure, I add in a bit of squirming and a grimace of discomfort. With a soft harrumph, she turns her back to me and heads out of the room. “Wait. Aren’t you going to let me go?” I call out to her, my heart sinking with every step she takes.

“Yes, silly girl, but preparations must be made. I told you; you woke up far sooner than expected.”

Biting down on my lower lip, I squeeze my legs together, that way when she comes back, my discomfort will be a bit more believable. I stare down at the cuffs around my ankles and choke back a sob. Why is he doing this to me? What did I ever do to him?

Let’s see, you enticed him with your omega scent, made him believe that you both had a future, then ran, leaving him to pick up the pieces while you thrived in a far-off land. And of course, my inner critic is correct. There’s so much that he could blame me for, so much I blame myself for.

Given a chance to do it all over again, however, I would have done the same thing. It was different when I still thought I was a beta. There would be no claiming mark, no bond to drive me senseless. Just a happy, content marriage between the two of us.

It’s all I ever wanted.

Tears gather at my lashes as I conjure up the last memory I had of him. One before I knew for certain that I was an omega. He found me crying with a large scrape on my calf and me sobbing for all it was worth. The tenderness he showed when he wiped it clean and tended to me still has a special place in my heart and mind.

Turning my right leg in the restraints, I stare down at the faint scar, the physical reminder that we had something good once. Something we will never get back again. But at some point, I have to stop mourning the past and look toward the future.

And right now, the future looks impossibly bleak. The Alpha I knew when I was younger was not the type to chain up helpless women, keeping them prisoner. Unless this is just about me serving out the rest of my sentence. Could that be the reason I’m chained up in this bedroom?

Even I have to admit it’s far more comfortable than the cell that held me. The bed is plush, comfortable, and there are no sounds to drive my brain insane. In fact, the calm quiet, in comparison, is a bit unnerving. Though I don’t want the steady plink that haunted my dreams, I don’t want the silence either.