“'Cause, baby, I could build a castle

Out of all the bricks they threw at me

And every day is like a battle

But every night with us is like a dream

Baby, we're the new romantics

Come on, come along with me

Heart break is the national anthem

We sing it proudly.”

(

'Olivia! I can fell him! I can connect to him! Wake up!'

My wolf's voice reverberated in my head, stopping me from falling into sweet, sweet slumber. She was draining her energy to me, giving me incentive and power to stay awake.

But the thing was, I was too tired to stay awake. Her words slowly made sense to me and I understood that she could talk to Lupus now. She could tell him the plight we were in.

'Don't tell him we're hurt though,' I told her groggily, my voice almost fading away. 'He'll worry too much.'

I am not sure whether she replied to me or not, but I couldn't hear it as I was no longer conscious. But I know that she left to contact him as I couldn't feel her anymore.

My wrists were so numb that I could no longer feel my arms. My worries were that the blood vessels in my arm might rupture, causing immediate death. Or my nerves in that region might die, causing my arms to paralyze forever. I might never be able to use my hands again.

I was questioning everything. My life. My decision. What had I done to receive this?

I don't even know when that monster will turn up again. I can't waste these moments I've got. I must rest. I must sleep.

And so I closed my eyes. And fell asleep.

When I next opened my eyes, I saw haziness in front of me. I couldn't make what was happening clearly. But there was something— rather someone. Standing in front of me.

Fear crawled in as I considered the probability of that person being monster Keither. I almost didn't want to wake up anymore.

It took my a few seconds and a few blinks to get in control of myself and I noticed that my arms didn't hurt to much anymore. Also, I still couldn't feel my wolf, meaning that she was still talking to our old pack. It made me feel nervous and I hoped that she would handle everything properly.

"I see you've woken up." A lady's voice said and I looked up to see Patricia walking towards me from the corner. She had full black outfit and her black hair were down her shoulders, making her look a lot younger than before.

"Yeah," I muttered. I wasn't scared of her yet, but still, she had the job of giving me injections that knocked me off.

"I removed the chains of you." She said, sitting on the floor, cross legged, in front of me.

She seemed a bit more friendly and happy today, than yesterday.

Maybe she was warming up with me already.

"Were you allowed to?" I asked and she shrugged.

"I'll just say that they could have killed you." She checked her nails and I gasped at her confidence and boldness.

"He doesn't want you to die, you know." She said, looking up.

"I know, he wants me to give him information. I'm, to him, his key to vengeance. Why would he kill me?"

She gave me a slightly impressed look before saying, "What are you planning to do now?"

I looked at the closed door and appreciated the light of the morning. "My wolf is trying to connect to my pack."

She nodded and kept quiet. I did too, but in a while, out of curiosity, I asked.

"You seem nice. What are you doing here?"

If my question baffled her, she didn't show it as she maintained her neutral expression while staring away from me. When she didn't speak for a while, I thought that she doesn't want to share and decided to shut up.

I am not the one who pushes people into telling me things. I like to wait for when they are ready. Probably the reason why I could never directly confront Chance.

Look where it landed me though.

"I was 17 when I found my mate," she said suddenly, shocking the hell out of me. But I didn't show it as I listened patiently.

People don't like to be interrupted when they are sharing something important to them.

"It was like heaven, we used to spend all the time together. We knew each other more than anyone else did, and it was like we never got bored of each other. I was a huge believer of the fact that everyone gets tired of each other at some point in their life, but when I met my mate, my thinking changed. I realized that if you truly love someone, you never get tired of them. Their changing doesn't bother you. In fact, you love when they change themselves, because it's like discovering them all over again."

I wondered if she knew she was smiling. Her eyes were unfocused. Probably reminiscing old memories behind them.

I agreed with her. I have seen the same with my parents. They loved each other through thick and thin, strengths and weaknesses and accepted each other no matter why. Probably that was the reason why I was so hopeful.

I shook my head as soon as the thought came. Not the time to think about myself.

"We were inseparable for 3 whole years before the tragedy happened." Her expression fell and fear took over her eyes as if she was reliving the moments.

"I won't say much. I c-can't explain how it happened and what we went through, but these bastards— they, they look my life away from me. The kidnapped—"

My hands flew upto my mouth in horror as I registered the word 'kidnap' and my first reaction was—

"Oh Lord! Have you seen him ever since? Is he okay?" I needed to know that he was alive. I needed to know that Patricia was here for some sort of a revenge.

Because I know that I would break down and not be able to handle it if she tells me that has lost him.

She looked at me with a blank expression and raised her eyebrow. "How can you just judge it to be a 'he'?"

There was a slight annoyance in her voice and I realized my mistake.

"Oh, I am so sorry," I apologized, meaning it. "I mean, how is she?"

Her annoyance slipped into giddiness as a little smile took over her expression. It was like just the mention of her mate, joyed her.

But then she turned grave and answered. "I don't know. I've been looking for her too. I know that these people have her. And I know that she isn't dead. But where, I don't know. I have been slaving under these disgusting creatures for 2 years now, spying. But I can't reach her."

My heart felt for her, and I was saddened by her misery. I don't know her much, but I know her enough to tell that Patricia is a tough girl with a kind heart. The world made her put her shields up.

"You remind me of her," she said, looking at me. "When they kidnapped you, your vulnerability made me feel like my Alissa must have felt the same. My heart pained when I saw you hurt and beaten up, because my mind immediately wondered if the same had happened to my Alissa."

"I never help anyone who's kidnapped." She continued. "My job is to look for my mate here, but you— you just look like you don't deserve to be here. Just like her. And that's why I wanted to help you. That's why I am helping you. When I saw you today, withering in your sleep in those chains, I pictured my Alissa in that torture. I couldn't help but free you even if it burned my hands."

She looked down at her burned fingers and smiled sadly. "You must have a mate out there too. And they are probably worried out of there mind looking for you. It's my duty to take care of you, because I feel like there was no one who looked out for my mate."

My heart soared at the love she was giving me and I wanted to hug her. But she probably wasn't a person who liked to be touched. So I settled with giving a grateful smile.

"Thank you," I said. "You really are an angel. And I mean it when I say that. If there is a Moon Goddess out there, looking for us, I am sure you'll find your mate and I'm sure she would have an angel like you, looking for her. You just need to have faith."

Her eyes shone with tears as she sniffed while saying. "If you need any help, just tell me. I'll be more than willing to help you."

"I know," I whispered, looking down.

Patricia left shortly after the heart to heart conversation because she was worried that Keith will get suspicious.

I laid on the ground when my hands on my either side. I thankfully could move them, but it pained to, probably because it had damaged my muscles.

My wrists had bruises and dried blood on a cracks. Telling me that some of the blood vessels were actually ruptured.

I pursed my lips. Maybe Patricia wasn't making an excuse when she said this could kill me.

How irresponsible and ruthless can Keith be? I felt disgusted.

'Olivia? Are you there?' my wolf's voice said in my head and I got alert immediately.

'Are you okay?' she asked and I replied with a, 'Yeah,' because I knew she had important stuff to tell me.

'So I talked to him.' she said, making me more curious and nervous.

'To Chance?'

'Lupus.' she said immediately, as if Chance's name repulsed her. It probably did.

'And?' I asked, hating her to keep the suspense.

'They, uh,' she stammered. 'I don't know how to start, Olivia. But first off, Ryder can't be found. They've been looking for him for 3 days and Lupus told me that they tried to contact him when he first felt you pain, but he just can't be found.'

My mouth formed an 'o', and I was worried for him, but not too much. I was sure that he was at least alive.

'They'll find him soon, right?' I asked hopefully buy she didn't reply so affirmatively.

'Can't hope, Oli. He can be really good at hiding. But his absence has a serious impact on us at the moment.'

'How so?'

'The pack is weak rightnow. Very week. Without a gamma, and without the public support. When the news about your kidnap was spread and when the pack members learned from us that the rogues have taken you, they were petrified. They still are. They are not willing to fight these powerfully rogues as they worry about their children's safety. The school attack incident is plastered in their memory.'

'So they are ready to let someone else's child die to save there own's?' I asked in complete shock.

She shrugged. 'Pretty much.'

'So they are not coming?' I asked.

She sighed. 'Not exactly. But they are mustering support. It's taking time, Olivia. Lupus wanted to attack single-handedly, but the Alpha stopped him telling that it would be silly.'

'So basically, you contacted Lupus and told him everything, minus the torture, and he in return told the pack?'

'Yeah,' she replied. 'He is so miserable, Oli. My Lupus.'

Her gloom was felt by me, but I couldn't comfort her in these conditions.

'They asked us to be careful and distract Keith for as long as possible. If Keith thinks that the stone is with someone else in the pack, he'll attack the pack, which is something we can't take right now.'

I took a deep breath, and nodded understanding.

'So we endure this for now?' I asked and she nodded.

'For how long?' I whispered, thoughtfully, not exactly asking her.

'For as long as we're alive.' she replied and I smiled sadly at her comment.

At least, I had her.

'For as long as we're alive.' I whispered back.

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