Chapter 38

Forest's POV

I read the message again. Again. Again.

Over and over and over.

The world swirled round my head like a spinning top, or more like a million spinning tops, but they made no sense.

The whole thing made no sense. It wasn't supposed to.

It was designed this way. It was designed that we never find her. Never find Aria.

But I wouldn't give it. I would never give in.

"I still think it's literal," Ash said from beside me. That was the only suggestion he had. For days he had been saying he thought it was literal, but he never would explain why, except, 'I have a hunch.'

"You always say that," I said turning to him, "Why don't you explain why for once." Ash looked down at the ground before shrugging.

"A city in the middle of the woods," He said, looking round, "I, well, I heard Aria call this city 'a city in the woods', when I asked her why she said her Dad always called it that."

In a split second I was beside him, my fangs bared in his face, "Why," I hissed at him, "Why is this the first I'm hearing of this,"

He looked down at the ground, baring his neck in submission, "She asked me not to say anything, she begged, she looked really scared that something would happen if I told anyone. I tried to tell you."

Sometimes I really wonder why he's my best friend....

"Any more grand revelations you wish to share with us?" I yelled, not caring who could hear.

He shook his head, still showing his neck in submission. Clever. I turned to walk out the room.

"Ah, wait." Ash suddenly yelled, "Wait, she did say, um say something else." I stared at him, "I forgot ok,"

I nodded, motioning for him to go on, "We were talking about indoor rainforests, you know we have one in this town, and I asked her if she ever wanted to go, she said no, said they were man made trees and she would rather go to the woods and hear real trees sing."

I just sighed at him, why he didn't think this was important to tell me days ago is a mystery to me.

As I walked out the door I was struck with a blast of pain, causing me to fall to the floor.

Ash was by my side in an instance, "Forest, Forest are you ok? Is it Aria?" I shook my head.

I was on the ground, clawing at my chest.

I knew what it was, I knew what it meant.

My heart felt like it was on fire, bright as a star, exploding.

I had heard stories of this, everyone explained it differently, but most say it feels like death.

True.

There are only ever two reasons why you would feel that way, both being the destruction of a mate bond, by death or by magic.

Terra's POV

Adaption. I had made my choice. I had to adapt.

I knew I had to be good. I had to obey. I had to sit still. I had to look pretty. I was Simon's. I belonged to him.

I knew my life wasn't perfect, but I was thankful for what I had, for the small privileges I had.

I got one meal a day if I was good. I got a door in the bathroom. I got a book to read and clothes to wear. I got a glass of water a day.

I have everything I need to be happy. I have everything I need to be safe. I have everything I need to be healthy.

My arm only hurt because I let it. They beat me everyday for my own good. It taught me resilience. It was character building. It only hurts if I let it.

Pain is an emotion.

My wrist jutted out at an odd angle, and it hurt. But I wasn't hurt. I know I wasn't hurt because Simon told me I wasn't.

That night as I ate my few crackers for my meal, I bit down a cough. I wasn't ill, I was healthy. Simon said so.

I sat across from Simon, him eating the vegetable soup I had made during the day. I don't need any. I don't want any. It was my mate's. Just like me. I belonged to him and I would cook and clean for him because he loved me.

Once I had finished my meal I still felt hungry. I'm not actually hungry though. Simon gives me the exact amount of food I need. No more. No less. If Simon said I had all the food I needed. I had all the food I needed.

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I cleaned the kitchen. I cleaned the bathrooms. I washed the windows and the cars.

I cooked food for Simon, for his friends, for my brother and father.

My father and Simon laughed as they beat me. "It's for your own good." I just lay there. They were right. Of course they were. They are always right.

Every day was the same.

I woke up next to Simon, although I always woke up before him to light the fire in his bedroom and cook him breakfast.

I cleaned the kitchen, the bathrooms and the bedrooms.

My dad came over, My brother came over, Tasha came over.

If I was good I'd be rewarded, if I was bad I'd be punished.

I would go to sleep next to Simon, my mate.

It was a good life.

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But one night everything changed.

Simon gave me a few spoonfuls of soup for tea, to have with my few crackers, and gave me two glasses of water to drink, instead of one for dinner.

I was so happy!

I didn't think my day could get any better, until......

"We're getting married," Simon said, looking at me, handing me a ring, "The wedding is in three weeks."

I was so shocked, we were getting married? I had never been to a wedding before!

My brother appeared at the door, he saw my ring and smirked, "So, when's the wedding?"

"Three weeks," Simon answered as Tasha and my dad came through the door.

Tasha squealed, she ran to my side asking to see my ring, "So," She said, grinning, "How did he ask you?"

I laughed at that, "Tasha," I said in between my laughs "He's my mate, he didn't ask, he told me,"

The smile fell of her face faster than water falls off a waterfall, "But surely, no, that, that's not, right?"

"He's my mate," I said, smiling, "I belong to him, he chooses everything. When I get married, when I get pregnant, whether I get a job or not, everything,"

She frowned down at me, "What happened to you." She whispered to me, "This, this isn't you, what changed."

I smiled at her, slightly sadly, "Everything has to change one day. It's just the way it is."

Tasha was smiling again, but this time the smile didn't quite reach her eyes, "I need to go, my ummm, my parents need me at home," I nodded for her to go on and then walked over to Simon.

"Hey Terra," Simon said, throwing his arm over my shoulders, holding me close to him, holding me captive.

I smiled at him, trying to wriggle out of his tight grip. He held me tighter,"You are mine, remember that," He hissed into my ear before releasing me.

"Now," Simon said, "It's time to celebrate, Nathaniel if you would do the honours," I hadn't spotted Nathaniel, lurking in the shadows.

Nathaniel clicked, his eyes flashed, I felt a searing pain through my heart, then everything went black.