Forever Bonded (Complete)

Chapter 26

Amber

I woke up with a pounding headache. I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark in the room. I was laying on something uncomfortable. I tried not to move in case he was watching. I remembered being taken from my Bonding ceremony. I could feel pain in my temple. My wrists were hurting. I realized my arms were tied behind my back, tightly, and I was on my side on a cot. My mind was really fuzzy. I couldn't feel the things I usually did. I could always sense Grayson. His feelings, his location, his thoughts. But right now, I felt nothing. Was he dead? Had he killed him to torture me? My heart was beating too fast. I didn't want to appear to be awake, but my breathing had quickened.

"So, the princess finally wakes." He said snidely. "You haven't made this very easy." He reached over and harshly pulled me up. I couldn't read his emotions. I felt a little dizzy. "I gave you something, to keep your precious mate from locating you." That just destroyed all my hopes. I wondered what could block our mental connection. "It will wear off, but by then you will be dead." He told me bluntly. That was not good news for me. I looked around the room, it was dark, but I could see a little. It looked like we were in a hunting cabin or something.

He turned on a light above us. I could see his face. I didn't know him well, but I knew who he was. The man whose wife and baby had died right before Grayson and I were born. He looked at me wickedly. I was starting to see a little bit of colors over his head. I wonder if my stronger healing ability was compensating for whatever he gave me. I honestly had no idea how long I was out. But I didn't want to let him know my powers were coming back. I was starting to see a real evil within him. I tried to connect with Grayson, but there was nothing.

"Do you know you and your boyfriend ruined my life? My family died so that you could be born. My daughter should have bonded with him, not you." I knew he was depressed over the loss of his family, but I had no idea he felt like this. "You couldn't just die with your parents. You had to survive, again. But not this time. I am going to take from you like you took from me. Your life for hers." "You already killed my parent's, can't that be enough? Can the killing just stop there?" I asked pleading. "You are so foolish little girl. Don't you even realize what you are? You're going to rule our people one day if I don't kill you. That should have been my daughter."

I could see his colors clearly now. Revenge, hate, despair, sorrow, misery, depression, fury. I tried to reach Grayson again. I tried to picture him as I searched for his mind. I could make out just the slightest hint of fear. This would be the first time I was ever happy to feel that emotion. I kept looking right at the man. I didn't want to give anything away. "Grayson, I'm here. Please find me. I'm in a hunting cabin." I kept trying and trying to send the same message. I let my emotions flow freely to him. "How did you survive that knife attack?" he asked me. "I don't know, I was lucky. Grayson found me immediately." "I notice you don't even have a scar. That is unusual. You should still have one for a few months, at least." I didn't answer.

Then I heard him. It was very faint, but I heard it. "I'm coming for you." I was filled with relief. I didn't show it on my face at all. I simply stared at the man in front of me. The emotions from Grayson started pouring through me suddenly. Relief, anxiety, distress, and hope. I had to control myself to remain stoic. "Where are we anyway?" I asked. "Just a little place I have. No one will find you here. It's very out of the way. No one has even come close since I built it ten years ago." What he didn't realize was that Grayson and I had a very strong connection. If he could sense where I was all the way in California, he could find me in Colorado. I didn't know exactly where I was, but I couldn't be that far from home. I sent Grayson another message. "It's the man who lost his wife and baby. He says we are very well hidden." "I feel you baby, we're close. I love you." "Forever" I sent back.

The man stood and pulled me up into a standing position. He roughly pushed me toward the door of the shack. We went out into the cold. I was still in my dress. I wasn't wearing any shoes. We trudged out into the snow. I could see we were in the mountains. There was a nice house in front of us. It was a beautiful log cabin. I assumed that's where he has been living. He pulled me around the back of the hunting shed. There was a long hunting rifle sitting on a small table. A large plastic tarp was lying open on top of the snow. I guess he didn't want a mess. "Behind the shed. He has a gun." I sent quickly. My anxiety was ratcheting up quite a lot at this point. "Really close to you." He sent back.

I needed to keep this guy talking. "Where will you put my body?" I asked. "Don't worry about that. I have a place." "Everyone will come looking. I don't think they will stop until they find me." "I'm not concerned with that. I won't be here." I wasn't sure what he meant by that. But I could see that he was telling the truth. "Where will you be?" I asked. "Not alive." He said honestly. That surprised me. I thought he was just going to get out of here. This means he doesn't want to live with himself. Maybe he has some remorse after all. He was pacing back and forth in front of me with the rifle in his hands. Maybe this was harder for him than it seemed.  "So, do you feel guilty?" I asked bluntly. "You need to shut up now!" he yelled.

I could feel Grayson approaching. The tingles were running through my body. I hadn't heard a vehicle. They must be on foot. "Be careful, he's holding a rifle." "Don't worry, I've got this." What is that supposed to mean? I needed to make a distraction. "I'm immortal!" I yelled. He turned to me startled. "That's not possible." He asserted. "I didn't die in the car accident. I didn't die when you cut my carotid artery. I should have bled out in minutes. But I healed myself. Not even a scar. You saw it yourself." "No, I don't believe you." He was looking right at me. His back to Grayson and a large group of men slowly approaching. "It's true. I healed all the women. They can conceive children again." "Now I know you're lying. That was how we were made, to only produce one child." He looked confused and filled with disbelief.

He heard the sound of the crunching snow behind him. He swung around quickly. Grayson was faster. He charged straight at him and tackled him to the ground. Jack was right there snatching the rifle from his hands. One of our Security officers brought out hand cuffs. Grayson stood and picked the man up off the cold ground. The cuffs were slapped onto his wrists. Grayson released him and came straight over to me. He wrapped his arms around me. He tucked my head under his chin and rocked me back and forth. In my head he was talking to me quickly. "I found you, Oh God, I love you so much. I can't believe you are safe. Thank God." He continued to rock me, then he ran his hands down my hair, my arms, my back, like he couldn't believe I was there. His emotions were overwhelming. The love and relief were flowing through him to me. I had tingles everywhere.

Suddenly he swept me up into his arms and carried me away. We were headed passed the cabin and around the back where the vehicles were hidden in the woods. He carried me all the way to his Jeep and placed me gently inside. I was seated on the passenger side with my legs still outside the Jeep. He stood in front of me and brought my head into his chest. "I'm not ready to let you go." "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."  I felt so cherished and safe at that moment. His big strong arms surrounding me. There were all kinds of things going on around us. People getting into vehicles. The security officers making phone calls to other people, telling them they got him. But none of that mattered. All I could feel was Grayson holding me, sending me all the love he had.