Page 8

7

AMAYA

H ow long can someone live without water? I must be coming up on the limit because there is no fight left in me as I'm drug out of my cage by my numb ankles. I don't even twitch.

The reality of my situation barely registers. I'm woozy, and all my energy is going toward rebuilding the protective walls between me and Vincent. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm doing more harm than good, but I'm teetering on the edge of existence. I fear the finality of the next time I close my eyes.

The bite of pain in my biceps and scraping of my knees on concrete keep me awake though, so at least there's that. Taunting remarks float around me, but I pay no attention, my dad's accusation and Vincent's soul crushing guilt playing repeatedly in my mind.

Was that even real?

My head hangs, and it’s impossible not to enjoy the pinch in my neck muscles. Anything to ground me . It doesn't last long, because soon I'm flying through the air. It feels like years until I'm crashing to the ground and crying out. The lack of food has left my bones protruding, making them take the brunt of the fall.

A ball gets lodged in my throat and my eyes burn with the need to cry, but nothing comes out. All light seeps from the room with the slam of the door a moment later, and I release a tiny, relieved sigh.

This, this I know.

My muscles spasm and protest as I try to curl into a fetal position, but nothing works. I'm numb. Pins and needles stab me every which way. The only semblance of comfort I find in the dark silence is stripped from me in a flash of blinding white light and blasting rock music.

Limbs that refused my command just a second ago now scurry to cover my ears and eyes. I can't even fucking scream with my throat so dry. Instead, I mouth the words, "make it stop," over and over again.

But it doesn't. The pounding base rattles my skull, and the light shines brightly on my deteriorating form.

I could deal with the solid ground, freezing temperature, and blessed silence. Where I once thought being lonely, cold, and uncomfortable was omega hell, I now know better.

This is omega hell.

I can't. I can't do anything but shake and try to block everything out. These torturers have made it impossible for my disassociation tactics to work.

Most importantly, though, I can't spare Vincent.

The walls he tore down with his explosion of guilt are nothing but a thin film now. It's all I can muster up. My only goal at this point is to keep him from suffering the blasting music and blinding light. I can only fucking hope the blurry soundproof barrier I'm imagining is actually working because the torture on my senses is keeping me from fading into our bond to check.

'Alpha?' my omega whimpers. The music is so loud I can barely hear her in my mind.

Shhh . I soothe her to the best of my ability and encourage her to cover her ears too. We can't call for Vincent. I won't allow his attention to drift to me if I can manage it.

All at once, the music turns off, then my ears ring like I was just front and center for an explosion. The reaction has a whimper clawing from my throat and it almost drowns out the heavy metal door opening.

Shadows pass over my closed eyelids and my anxiety dares to peek them open. Multiple people are moving around the cement room, but one man kneels next to my head with a grin. I blink. And blink again, hoping to make his cruel attention disappear.

His mouth moves, but nothing registers. Smirk widening, he reaches for me and peels my hand away from my right ear. "Thirsty?" he asks once again.

I can only stare at his far too sharp jawline and angled nose. His tan skin speaks of time spent in the sun, and his low dark ponytail looks like something I could use to smash his head into the wall.

All thoughts of murder fly out of my mind when a glass of clear liquid enters my vision. For the first time in I’m not sure how long, I lift my head and my mouth pops open on a gasp.

The alpha, judging by his disgusting rubber and smoke scent, chuckles and tips it to my lips. "There you are," he says warmly, like he's feeding a pet.

I don't hesitate and suck the water down. It takes a moment to realize the wrongness that just entered my system, then it’s coming right back up and soaking my thin sleep shirt in salt water.

"That's n-not wa-water," I sputter, and look up at the alpha in confusion and betrayal.

He snorts and splashes the water in my face, making me cry out and cover my stinging eyes. "Technically, it is water," he taunts.

I squint in time to watch him uncoil from the ground like a fucking snake. I have half a mind to snap at him, but he shifts and the head of a hose is staring me down.

"You want to hydrate? Open wide!" the alpha cheers just as the hose opens and blasts me in the face.