Chapter 108

Aurora’s POV

Something warm and hard moves beneath me, pulling me from the depths of sleep.

It moves again, and I open my eyes. The first thing I see is a bare chest, and my body moves before I can think. I scream, throwing myself back and off the bed. I hit the floor, crawling backwards without a thought to the pain that races from my tailbone into my spine.

“Aurora!”

He’s beside me in seconds, cupping my face between his hands and forcing me to look at him.

“Th-Thorne,” I gasp, my eyes flying around the room. The familiar room. Our room. We’re in the vacation house… alone… and we were in bed?

I try to remember what happened, but my mind is a blur of pain and darkness. I can’t remember anything after they locked me back in my cell after seeing the Dark Knight Pack’s Alpha. It’s a blank. A dark, hollow cavern that I’d rather not fall in again.

“Aurora, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?” Thorne asks, his thumbs brushing softly across my cheeks. I lean into his touch, needing him almost as much as I need air.

My eyes land on Thorne again, and I take in the worried wrinkle in his brow and the frown pulling his lips down.

He’s here.

Tears prick at my eyes as I realize the Dark Knight Pack lied.

“You’re alive,” I cry, throwing my arms around him and pulling him closer. His woody scent wraps around me as he hugs me back. Strong arms lock around my waist, making me feel secure enough to let the tears fall.

“Th-They said you were dead!”

Never have I been so happy to be lied to.

Thorne’s hand brushes down the back of my head, tucking me into him while he hushes me and holds me. I don’t move, afraid that at any moment, I might wake up back in that cell without him.

I hold him tighter at the thought, not willing to part with him again. If this is a dream, I’ll gladly surrender myself to the dream world, never to wake again.

“I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere,” Thorne whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “I promise, just like I’ve promised for the last three days. I’m not leaving your side.”

“Three days?” I pull back and look up at him. “Is that how long I was gone?”

It felt like years.

Thorne pauses, his jaw clenching tightly until I reach up and smooth it out with my fingers. He slowly relaxes at my touch, only answering when he’s fully relaxed, “You were gone for six days. You’ve been asleep for three.”

Six days.

SIX days.

Six DAYS.

“Aurora?”

How was I gone for only six days?

“Aurora? Can you hear me?”

Does he know what they did to me during those six days?

“Aurora, talk to me.”

When I look at him again, I curl my fingers into his shoulders. Thorne doesn’t flinch or protest, he merely stares back at me, waiting. Waiting for what, I’m not sure, but I’m thankful that he’s not pushing me. The physical pain may be gone, but I can still feel it deep in my chest.

An ache rests there that wasn’t inside me before, and I’m not sure if it’ll go away.

Thorne sits silently, allowing me time to gather my thoughts and emotions.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened if you’re not ready, I just—”

I stop him by softly pressing my fingers to his lips. The fact that he would wait, that he considers my emotions before his need to know what happened, is what makes me want to tell him.

“What they did to me isn’t easy to talk about. It’s painful and will probably haunt me for a long time, but I want you to know,” I tell him, searching his eyes for any sign of doubt. When I see none, I take a deep breath. “I love you, Thorne, and I don’t want you to think of me any differently or treat me any differently, even if I have a hard time—”

“I’m here,” he says softly, resting his forehead against mine. “You are my mate; the woman I choose to spend the rest of my life with. I won’t let some psychotic Alpha ruin that.”

Nodding, I close my eyes and let everything spill. I tell him about waking up in the cell, about them drawing my blood, about how I couldn’t stop thinking about how to escape. I find my voice fading in and out, my throat constricting as memories come rushing back.

“He would cut into me, sometimes small cuts and other times carving chunks of flesh,” I croak, turning my face into Thorne’s chest. “I didn’t have the strength or ability to fight after they drugged me and took too much blood. All I could do was lay there, paralyzed.”

Thorne’s arms tighten around me, a vibration starting in his chest as I continue, “The thin man came for me again and again, taking more of me each time he put me in that lab. The experiments seemed never-ending, and I prayed that you would save me from that hellhole. That’s when he told me you were dead. Seeing me lose the only piece of hope I had made them happy.”

A low growl rumbles through Thorne’s chest, but I don’t mind it. The fact that he’s here is all that matters. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s angry for me.

“I swear, Aurora, that I’ll find them and make them pay for everything they did to you,” Thorne promises, cupping my chin and lifting it. Our eyes connect, and I gasp. Golden wolf eyes stare down at me, stirring something within me.

“Is she in there?” He asks softly.

I nod, “I think so. I’m not really sure, though. I-I think she tried talking to me before, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the pain.”

Thorne nods, tenderly rubs his forehead against mine, and then pulls back. The gold in his eyes fade back to the warm, familiar brown eyes that I love, and I smile.

“Ready to see Anders now?”

“I am.”

Throne helps me out of the bed, holding onto my waist as I try to stand. I don’t fall over, which is a good sign, but Thorne has to help me walk downstairs. My body is still weak from the abuse of the last week, so I lean on him and soak in the comfort he provides.

I try to ignore the tingles that sprout in the places we touch. The little sparks of warmth spread through my body, helping me relax and stay calm.

When we reach the living room, a snore pulls my attention to the couch. I stifle a giggle at the sight of Anders. He’s snoring with his feet hanging at least a foot off the end of the couch. His head is thrown back and drool slides down the side of his cheek.

Thorne chuckles when Anders twitches and snorts loudly.

Seeing the giant looking so goofy while he sleeps pulls a laugh from me, and I can feel Thorne physically and drastically relaxing.

Suddenly, Anders bolts up, jumping to his feet and startling me. I knock back into Thorne’s chest, which then has Thorne growling at his friend.

“Calm movements,” Thorne orders in a hushed voice. Ander’s eyes soften when he looks at me, and the silent apology is enough to calm my quickly beating heart.

“I-I’m okay,” I tell him, trying to smile. “I just need time to readjust. I know you won’t hurt me.”

“Of course,” Anders says with a nod. “If you’re uncomfortable, just say the word, and I’ll back off.”

Nodding, I follow them to a makeshift medical room that I didn’t realize was here. Thorne helps me up onto the bed, and I hold tightly to his hand, not letting him leave my side as Anders checks my vitals.

Each time he touches me, I jumps a bit, but Thorne is there, whispering that I’m safe. I know Anders won’t hurt me, so I focus on that, keeping my mind as clear as possible until he’s finished.

“Physically, you’ve almost completely healed,” Anders says. “I still suggest you take it easy for a few days to make sure there aren’t any lasting effects. I also suggest that you find a therapist or counselor to talk to about what happened. It might help you work through your emotions and—”

A loud bang from somewhere in the house makes me jump. Thorne and Anders are immediately in front of me, standing between me and the door.

The banging comes again, this time sounding more like loud knocks.

“Someone is at the door.”