MC's Viking Warriors- Bear #1

Part 19- Astrid

Groaning, I pull myself from the thick fog clouding my very soul. I can hear screaming and some saying my name over and over. My every thought is sluggish and lagging.

I flick my eyes open and find myself laying on a hard wire frame of a bed. Letting the darkness flood my eyes, I begin to make out other shapes.

I am in a cell, small and freezing. There are no windows, no light has penetrated this room... ever.

I hear a pained groan and my eyes flick frantically about the room. A figure is chained up against the wall, wrists attached to it with cuffs. I cry out horror as I recognise the figure.

Mouse. The shadows on his face tell me he has been beaten worse than I ever was. His breathing is laboured and fluctuating.

"M-Mouse." I call out, my voice is like barbed wire on my throat. Whatever they used to drug me has not yet left my system. I can only pray my girl is safe, my hands hold tight onto my bump and I tremble.

"Girlie?" His voice is so weak, a sob escapes me. "You alright? And the baby?"

"We're ok... I think. Liam?"

"He took him. I tried to stop him girlie, I promise I did."

"It's ok Mouse, I don't blame you." Inside I'm screaming, but the guilt Mouse is feeling will only be magnified by my grief, and that isn't fair.

"You should. I couldn't stop them. I should have protected him."

His sobs fill the room, his face is hidden in his slumped shame, his voice is juddering in anguish.

Time passes like a dream, hours could have passed and it would seem like minutes. In the darkness all I was aware of was my baby's fluttering movements and Mouse's intermittent check ups.

The door bursts open with a bang and I scream in terror. He walks into the room, with a wailing Liam. His lips are quivering as he desperately pulls away from his father.

No, Vidar is his father.

He is pulling away from my rapist.

"You really thought you could escape me?" He sneers, "Liam is mine, you are mine. That baby in your womb is mine!" Liam flinches at his shouting and Mouse desperately pulls at his chains. Roaring in rage.

"You stay away from all of them you bastard!" Mouse hollers, his chains straining as he pulls to be freed.

"Well I've got you now Astrid. We'll be going back home in a few days." He gloats viciously and chuckles as Liam pulls towards me. Whimpering.

"Before we leave though, I'm checking that baby's gender. Don't to waste precious resources on another useless bitch."

I can't breathe.

He's going to do it again.

His voice breaks me out of my panic.

"The doctor is coming in two days. You remember what happened last time don't you Astrid. Don't let me down." He tosses Liam at me, I catch him in my arms and he snuffles into my neck.

I can only weep.

It's going to happen again.

Vidar promised it wouldn't.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My head is splitting, I haven't drunk anything in too long, dehydration is setting in. I can only assume I'm not getting anything to drink until He has confirmed that I am carrying another boy for him. Which of course I am not, he's going to take away my baby again.

A deep aching burns through my chest at the prospect of loss to come. I'm not strong enough to do this again, I've lost one daughter. I'm about to lose another.

Liam stays quiet, letting out the odd snuffle that reassures me each time. His silence around me is eerie and unnerving, like he knows to stay quiet. Like he can sense the loss to come.

I want Vidar.

"Astrid girlie, keep talking to me yeah? Everything will be ok. Vidar's coming."

"How can you be so sure?" I retort, I don't want false hope. It will only make reality that much worse.

"I know he's coming, girlie. Because he would walk through hell to get you and I'm his brother. The club protect its own."

"Do you promise?"

I see him nod in the gloom and hear his chains clink as he moves.

"Get some sleep girlie, I'll watch over you all."

I pull Liam closer to my body, his proximity soothes me constantly.

Without having the intention of sleeping, I fall unconscious. My body drained from stress and exhaustion. I wake to a slap to my face, the stinging knocks my head to the side and Liam screams from his slumber.

My body shakes uncontrollably as I wake up from the sleep to the sound of men's voices shouting and screaming from above me.

Glancing over to Mouse's body, I see he has passed out. There is blood spilling down his chin and down his shirt, they must have really hurt him.

Liam grizzles beside me and I gingerly lift him onto my chest. I hold him close to my body and rock him as the tears stream down my cheeks and my heart breaks.

Mouse promised Vidar would save us.

Vidar promised me he would protect us.

It's all I have to cling onto.