Page 132 of Jagged Souls

“It doesn’t, or rape babies wouldn’t happen, but the V –”

“Please!” I shriek, my voice cracking. “Please! Just help me!”I thrash against my binds, my arms and legs flailing against the mattress, rubbing my skin off until it burns.

“Micha! Micha! Stop! You’re going to hurt yourself!”

I scream, arching back on the bed, all my pain ripping out of me. I can’t live like this.I can’t.I just can’t. I can’t make it through another day.

But I will.

Because they will force the food and water down my throat.

They will carry me to the bathroom and bathe me.

They will change my sheets so I’m not lying in filth, so the risk of catching a disease is slim.

They will heal me from any wounds.

They will keep thethinginside me alive.

Because their alpha wants it to make it to term.

With the three female werewolves failing to get pregnant with hybrids, Rudy’s magic too strong to share the womb, I am currently his only option. So I will live.

Because Varius doesn’t love me enough to kill me.

Screaming myself hoarse, I thrash on the bed until I’m so exhausted, I pass out.

I wake up in a sweat, Micha’s pain pushing down the bond despite the wall I’ve tried to erect. They’re torturing her right now, making her hurt more than she ever has. My heart beating rapidly, I throw my covers off and sit up. I can hear her screams as if she was in the room with me. My magic crawls across my skin as I run my hands through my hair and tug.

I want to help her. I want to do what she is asking of me simply becausesheis the one asking me.

Help me, Varius!

You can stop the pain.

Why won’t you stop the pain?

Her words echo inside of me, soundless as we’re not telepathic, but I canfeelthem. The hatred for me. Theneedto get it all to stop.

I want to help her.

But Dayne knows her best, and he’s confident she will survive this.

If that requires her to hate me, to never want to come back to me, then so be it. But she will live.

And she will heal.

And I will love her from afar.

Breathing out harshly, I rebuild the wall in my heart like Khalid told me to do. Each brick I lay is a solid commitment to losing her in order to save her. But even with it up, my skin itches.

For another loved one of mine weeps, their pain so deep, their desire to die so pungent on the air.

It’s a giving up.

A plea for someone to end the misery of being forced to stay alive.

My eyes closing, I shudder over the sickness I can smell in the air, my senses having sharpened with the breaking of my curse.