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I glance between them, watching as my cousin squeezes his hands into fists to stop his shaking. It’s not until Kristle takes the initial step forward that he practically runs the final ten steps to her.
“Hi,” she says breathily.
I grasp Aqua’s arm, pulling her away. If I didn’t know any better—which I do—I would say that Kristle just found her mate and her reason for staying on the island.
“Are they—?” Aqua asks, raising her eyebrows meaningfully.
“I think so,” I respond.
“So does that mean her pod will come and live here?”
I glance back at Kristle and Mizu, watching as they make their way toward the water.
“I hope so.”
Knowing that Mizu will show Kristle all she needs to see of the island and convince her to stay, I link my arm with Aqua’s and make my way to our home.
It’s been too long since I’ve seen my father. If what Skarlyt says is true, he probably has a few things to discuss with me.
Chapter Six
Loukas
It’s been two weeks since we returned to the coven. Two weeks of pain. Two weeks of not seeing my children. Two weeks of being chained in this room.
My wrists have become chafed and raw from the leather straps that suspend me from the ceiling. Antonia didn’t mistake my anger for passion in that kiss. If she did, she must believe I did something else to earn this punishment.
She would never willingly take care of Amelia on her own for this long.
Just the thought of my Pumpkin with that woman—even though she’s her mother—sends chills down my spine. My mother said she could shift at any time, but I hope it hasn’t happened yet.
No. If she had, I would have heard Antonia cursing me from here.
“Good morning, pet,” Antonia calls out as she opens the heavy basement door, bringing with her the first sliver of light I’ve seen in days.
“Is it?” I ask, my voice hoarse from disuse. For the first two days, I pleaded with her to stop. I begged her to tell me whatI did to warrant this punishment. She would respond only with dark laughs. I stopped begging.
Then came my screams as she had her brother brand me over and over as hers. It didn’t take long to realize she was getting off on my pain. Since then, I’ve kept my mouth shut and let her—or her brother—do whatever they want. It is difficult, but they don’t deserve the satisfaction of hearing me suffer.
“It is. I trust you’ve learned your lesson by now,” she says matter-of-factly as she steps in front of me. Her makeup is perfectly done, and her long black hair hangs loosely down her shoulders and chest.
“It would help if I knew what lesson I was supposed to be learning,” I snap back. Gone is the man I pretended to be for eleven years. I played my role perfectly to keep myself and my children safe. In his place is an alpha male who will do whatever it takes to get the three of us free from this monster.
She clicks her tongue at me, shaking her head.
“You think I’m stupid, Loukas? You think I don’t know you were distracting me so our son could have his head filled with pretty fantasies by your mother?” She grips my chin with her hand, and her long, red fingernails dig into my cheeks.
Of all the reasons I had imagined for this punishment, that was not one of them. The fact that she even thinks of my mother as a threat is a shock.
“It’s taken me this long to deprogram him, to pull that woman’s nonsense from his mind.” She pushes my face to the side as she uncuffs one of my wrists. “That’s the only reason I am letting you out of your cage—because I was able to deprogram him. Do you understand?”
I brace myself, but it’s no use. My legs were hovering above the ground, so I fall in a heap on the concrete floor when she releases me.
“Make yourself presentable before you come out,” she hisses, throwing a towel and the keys at me before walking away.
I glare daggers at her back as she walks away. For a moment, I consider walking out of the basement just like this. Caked in blood, feces, and dirt. My clothes are in tatters, hanging off me. Then her precious coven can see what kind of person she is. The thought of either of my children seeing me like this, of knowing that their mother is the type of monster capable of doing this to another person, gives me pause.
Painstakingly, I unlock my feet with the set of keys, pick up the towel, and attempt to stand. Even with shifter healing, a body can only take so much damage and walk away. Besides, other than water and a meal here or there, I haven’t had anything to sustain myself. Beyond that, I’m sure Antonia put something in the food to keep me weak and suppress my healing. My owl, who had come out a little during the time that we were gone, is now back to being completely silent.
