Eren
Pain rippled through my chest, and it was getting hard for me to breath let alone think about what this f*cking pr*ck was saying.
My whole body ached, and it felt like someone was trying to rip my heart from my chest with their bare hands. I looked down at myself just to make sure that wasn't actually happening.
There were cuts and gashes in all different degrees of healing with blood and dirt all over me, but nothing there at my chest. Gasping for air, I forced my head up as best I could to try to, I don't know, clear my airway.
Forcing air through my nose helped, but not by much. The pain was excruciating, and I was still reeling from the realization that I couldn't connect with Dylan and Rae, but this was just as bad.
I heard Zane speak, but my mind had stuck on what he had just previously said about using me to get Dylan and I couldn't take any more of his bullsh*t right now, I might actually be dying.
Being chained in this position made it hard to relax or get comfortable in any way. The chains were bound to the wall and ran up to loops in the ceiling that only gave about a foot or two of length from it to my cuffs.
With my arms stretched wide as they were, I was forced to either constantly stand or lean into the chains but the pressure from my weight made the iron cut into my skin. I guess I should be thankful that the bastards hadn't used silver at least.
With no other option I wiggled my hands to try to move my body around, and that was when I felt something there on my wrist that hadn't been there before. Turning my head, I moved my wrist again to try to see if I could make out what it was.
It took a minute, and while I was working on the issue at hand, I had been able to keep my heart beating inside my chest. Too bad Zane was watching and seemed to be waiting for me to figure out what he or someone else had done there.
Finally, after quite a bit of twisting, I was able to see a dark black braided band there. For a moment I just stared at it, but I couldn't figure out why someone had put a bracelet on me. It just didn't make any sense at all. There was a tickle or hint of familiarity there, but I just couldn't place it.
That was until Zane spoke again, and this time, I felt his breath, before turning to see him running one finger along the corded band. He whispered, "so it does work."
My chest still felt like someone had broken all the ribs of my sternum, but his closeness could mean much worse was coming and I had to try to focus. Zane just looked at me while he continued to admire the band and I was beginning to feel uneasy.
"Aren't you going to thank us for your beautiful little bracelet boy, or maybe I should be thanking you I guess." I had no idea what this psycho was talking about so I figured I would just wait for him to tell me what he so obviously wanted to say.
Suddenly another pulse wracked through my body, and I couldn't help but curl up into myself. Again, I had to look down and see if the bastard had done something to me. There was nothing there.
This time, as I tried to catch my breath, he laughed, and it wasn't pleasant because he truly seemed excited about something and that was never a good sign. "Man, Rogan must be seething right now watching this. I'm sure he wished he had the other brother in this moment."
Other brother? What the hell was he talking about? With everything going on in and around me I hadn't been awake long enough to even think much past my immediate issues. This had been the longest moment of consciousness I've had for a while, so I was determined not to waste it.
It hit me then, brother. Could he be referring to the twins? Oh gods, Cruz! How had I forgotten about the twins? What kind of friend was I? Not only had Cruz jumped in front of Dylan to take Zane's blow that was directly aimed at her, but I hadn't been able to save him.
Even though I knew turning back to help him would mean the last moments that I would have with Dylan, I owed it to him and his brother, my friends, to try to help him. And regardless of how hard I tried, I had felt the last beat of his heart before it had stopped completely.
A part of me had wished that the Gods would step in and save him, but I knew they cared little for us and would ultimately leave him to the fate they had essentially planned for us all when they had no more use for us. We had been in the middle of a fight, and I hadn't had time to stop and mourn him fully.
Now though. Now it was different. All I had was time. Even though I didn't know how much, I would mourn Cruz the way he deserved to be because this world had truly lost an amazing wolf, warrior, and person. But Zane's words didn't make sense the more I thought about them.
He had said something about my uncle wishing to have the other brother, but that would have meant that he had one to begin with, but that just didn't make any sense.
Another burst of pain went through my body, and I felt Zane's burning gaze as my body tried to crumple down in on itself, but the chains held me up. "It seems that fae bastard is as good as his reputation claims him to be. What a shame his creation fell into our hands," he said with mock sadness.
With the pain coming both internally and externally, I had nothing left to try to figure out what kind of nonsense he was spewing so I figured I would save myself the trouble and just ask him whatever it is that he so desperately wanted me to know.
"Why don't you spare me your riddles and taunts and just tell me what the f*ck you're trying to get at," I spit with as much venom in my voice as I could muster.
I knew the moment the grinch like smile spread across my uncle's face that I had given him exactly what he wanted. Zane walked closer to stand right in front of me, and to my surprise, I stood an inch or so taller than him.
Unsure if he realized it when I did because I saw a flash of black in one eye before the smile disappeared and he reached out and laid his hand against my chest right over my heart.
"Do you feel it boy? I know you do. That pain in your chest like someone is ripping you to pieces. I wonder, have you figured out where it's coming from yet?" His words sunk in one by one, but I couldn't understand why he was still touching me.
I should feel the warmth from where his palm laid against my skin, but instead it only made me shiver. My heart continued to race even faster because his words were actually starting to make sense.
That a**hole was right, and I knew he could see my pain, but if it wasn't mine. So, then who's, "oh gods!" It couldn't be true. If the pain I was feeling wasn't my own, then the only other person that I would be able to feel like this was Dylan. The moment it set in; I lost it.
Thrashing against the chains that held me as tears burst from my eyes. I begged the gods and searched for Dane in the recesses of my mind, but no matter how hard I pulled, the chains barely budged. I had used what little energy I had left and at the end of my worthless little show, that piece of sh*t still stood there smiling.
Again, he placed his hand on my chest, but this time he didn't just leave it there to ultimately fondle me. No, he slowly started to dig his claws into my flesh right around my heart. "Are you curious as to why she's in so much pain boy? It's because of you. You and this handy dandy little bracelet that she just happened to leave behind when she left you."
I couldn't let his words get to me. I know that Dylan hadn't left me on purpose or even because she wanted to. He was just trying to get under my skin. But I still didn't understand how he knew that she was in pain. Did he have her or have someone watching her somehow? I wanted to ask, but I still didn't know why he was so obsessed with the damn band on my wrist.
Just as suddenly as Zane had begun to slice into my skin with his nails, he moved his other hand up and gripped my face. "I can see the smoke coming out of your ear's boy. How anyone had ever assumed there was a brain in that thick skull of yours was sorely mistaken. "
Holding me there he continued. "That band on your arm has an enchantment on it to prevent anyone from using tracking magic or any other types of dark magic to find its wearer. Did you know that?" He asked as if he truly wished for me to answer.
But then he continued his monolog. "If you didn't, now you do, but what it also has is one of the best concealment charms we've ever seen. Not even Marq could dream of creating one as powerful." It was then that I recalled the way that man had acted when I had mentioned Marq and how I had seen some kind of resemblance in him.
Too lost in my memories, I let myself forget about who stood in front of me, but Zane was determined to keep my attention. Piercing claws even deeper this time, I couldn't help but wince as the blood began to trickle down my chest.
"Before you get too lost in your pain, let me make it perfectly clear. While you can still feel her pain, she no longer has any way of feeling whatever bond the two of you think you had. When the pain becomes too much for her to bear, we will remove your little trinket and have her come running for you."
Squeezing the bones in my chin so hard, I felt the beginning signs of a fracture, but he released me just before he broke anything. This time he brought his face right beside mine as he whispered in my ear. "And when I am done with you, she will show up ripe with her powers and find nothing but what I chose to leave for her before I take her for my own."
Rage like nothing I have ever felt before filled me, because I knew exactly what he meant by those last words. Where my uncle would use her for her powers, Zane would use her exactly like he had implied. It was in that moment that I finally felt a flicker from Dane, and I grabbed a hold of it with everything in me.
Forcing my head forward I cracked my forehead into his nose so hard, I heard the crunch before I felt it. Blood spilled down his face, and I pulled at the manacles around my wrists. There was a ripping noise, and I felt a little give in one of the restraints, but Zane was still fast even with a broken nose.
Laughing maniacally and looking like a crazed lunatic with blood spurting from his now crooked nose, the now full black eyes danced with delight as they took me in.
"Oh, it seems there is still fight in you boy, that's good. Let's see how long it lasts," and that was the last thing I heard before he cracked me across the face, and I returned to utter darkness.