Vicious Vengeance {BxB}

Empty Space: Leo POV

My skin tingled slightly in this blackness. Where? What happened? I tried to remember, but the very attempt made my head explode in pain that seemingly rocketed down my spine. I took deep breaths. I focused on the feeling of the air in my lungs while the pain passed. Taking in my surroundings, I saw nothing but an inky, never-ending expanse of black. Everywhere I looked was the complete absence of light. As unsettling as it was, it wasn't the most noticeable thing about this experience. No, that award went to the intense emptiness. It was like I'd been hollowed out. Like I was simply a shell. Though I could only feel it, I was sure that the hole inside of me, the emptiness, was deeper and darker than my current surroundings. What is it? I sat in the unsettling expanse, trying to find some semblance of anything or anyone. There was nothing. No scent. No sight. No sound-, no, wait. Far off; so far away that I thought it was merely an illusion of my hollow mind, I heard a sound. A persistent one. Rhythmic. A beeping. Why did it sound so familiar? I'd definitely heard it before. Was it good or bad? Something told me the connotation was a mixture of both. Time passed as I focused on the sound before I heard familiar sounds; sounds of movement. Soon after, I felt warmth around my hand. I looked down, wanting to see the cause, but I couldn't make anything out in this darkness.

"Still sleeping, I see. I wish you would wake up. There's too much compounded pain. I also wish you would stay asleep as well so that you wouldn't have to bear this hurt, too. At least until we have something. Waking up to this sort of uncertainty is too painful."

Where was this voice coming from? It sounded close. Like it was everywhere, but also coming from a specific location. Sleeping? Is that what I was doing? I don't remember seep feeling like this. So empty and hopeless. This can't be what Ciara experiences or else she wouldn't sleep like she does. Ciara? My daughter. My baby girl. Her cute little face came to mind. Those silver eyes and the quickly growing blue-black hair with a small silver patch. Those round cheeks and cute little nose. She was beautiful. As beautiful as her mama. I smiled as a pair of crystal blue eyes came to mind. My baby. Cyrus. Something jolted through me and the sensation of emptiness intensified. I felt like my heart was tearing.

"Leo?"

That voice again. It was worried. It was Josh's voice. He must be holding my hand. I would be more concerned with his concern if my heart didn't hurt so intensely. Another thought hit me as the pain settled into a consistent, but dulled ache. It didn't go away, but I could function.

"C'mon Leo. You can't play with me like this. Ciara misses you. You and Cyrus..."

Cyrus. Why wasn't he here? He would be stuck to my side, so where was he? I need to wake up. I have to wake up!. I pushed for-, for something. Anything. How do I wake up? I felt around mentally and the sensation of closed eyes and a stiff body met me. I tried to move my free hand and just barely succeeded. Again. I flexed my fingers. Then my arm. Then my shoulder. I frowned as my eyes fought to stay closed. I'd been here too long from how stiff I was. My eyes opened a crack; bright light assaulting them. I ignored the discomfort as I blink to clear my sight. The infirmary ceiling. Fluorescent lights. I turned to see Josh with his head tilted back, eyes closed. There were tear trails on his face. I squeezed his hand, drawing his reddened eyes to me. His gaze was a mixture of shock, sadness, and relief,

"You finally woke up..."

I nodded before squeezing his hand again and forcing raspy words out,

"Where's Cyrus?"

His reddened eyes widened and watered slightly as he looked down before answering in a weak voice,

"We don't know..."

I swallowed a pained whine as the hollow feeling began to shape itself into the absence of my mate; my baby. I took a shaky breath; my heart clenching and squeezing tears from my eyes,

"What-...do we know anything?"

Josh sighed and dragged his hand through his hair,

"We-, we had a scent. It was faint, but we followed it with the best trackers we had but-"

His voice cut, swallowed by the pain that had been filling his tone. He took a breath, more tears racing down his face while my vision began to blur with my own,

"By the time we reached The Outlands, it was lost among the other scents. We-, we're looking for leads and the surrounding communities are doing the same..."

The lump in my throat choked me up. I closed my eyes as more tears traced down. I'm so sorry; I told you I'd protect you and stil-. I screamed. Josh pulled me into his arms but nothing made this feeling of uselessness go away. How long had I'd been laying here; doing nothing?! What was happening to my baby?! What had they done to him while I lay here sleeping?! What if he was- I sobbed. Damn it! How could I let this happen?! He was right next to me! I remember him being right next to me. Right there and still I allowed him to be taken! How could I? So careless! So stupid! So-

Don't...say that...

I froze. That voice! It was strained and exhausted, but it held not a single drop of anger or disdain or disappointment.

Baby, I'm so sorr-

A faint hushing filled my mental space like a gentle breeze before his presence began to fade.

I love you, Leonitus. Always

More tears fell from my eyes. Maybe I should feel relieved that I'd heard his voice; that I'd gotten confirmation that my worse fears hadn't been fulfilled, but how could I? How could I when I felt a pain so intense and deep that even as my baby suppressed it almost made me light-headed and nauseous? What have they done to you, baby?

(A/N: Welcome back to the Vicious Universe and thank you for reading! If this is the first book you found from me don't read it yet. Book 1 is Vicious Submissive so please read that first! Also no rude comments, you don't have to waste both our time reading this story just to dislike it.)