The Hunted

Chapter 4

Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault, loss of a parent, death

Axel's POV

The first thing I noticed was the stench. The room reeked of bleach and other cleaners. It was lined with old-fashioned white metal hospital beds. About half of the beds were filled with females that looked too thin, bruised, and mistreated. I looked down to see Callie still in my arms, pressing against me, shaking slightly. Sam stood next to us as we watched the events unfold.

The sound of heels clicked on the tile floor as Lisette came into the room in a tizzy with two large men following her. One carried a body over his shoulder with a sac over their head. I knew instantly it was her by the way Callie tensed. I pressed my lips to her head and whispered, "It's like watching a movie, Princess. They can't hurt you - I won't let them." She held my arms and nodded.

"So what now," one of the men asked Lisette.

"I don't fucking care," she growled. "As long as she disappears, you can do whatever the fuck you want with her. Just keep her away from Lyonesse and away from my brother." She walked over to the bed the men had put Callie on and leaned in close to her ear, whispering low, "I win, you fucking little tart. Just think, you always wanted kids and now you can have dozens - just not with my brother," Lisette spat and walked out of the room.

The two men leered down at Callie's body, then one stepped to a medicine cabinet and came back with a syringe. The second man had removed her dress and was running his hands over her body as she thrashed to get away. They held her down and injected the drugs into her arm. Soon her movements became disjointed and weak, and that's when they removed the hood. Both Sam and I let out a growl at the sight of her bruised face. Her eyes were glazed and she was muttering to herself as the drugs took hold.

"Do you know what they gave you?" Sam asked gently.

"It was a cocktail of vervain and ecstasy. I didn't know until much later, but apparently in addition to weakening us, vervain helps increase the likelihood of impregnating a vampire. It brings us closer to being human thus making conception easier regardless of the race of the father. The ecstasy was added as a booster to keep us docile." She turned and hid her face in my chest as the men started to abuse her. With a wave of his hand, Sam accelerated the events, stopping at various times to ask questions about events or things that were said. He asked her about names and times. She did her best to stay strong and answer everything she could, but I could see the strain it was taking on her and so could Sam.

He took a step away from us as the room darkened slightly. I lifted her face to mine, "Callie, look at me." Her tear-filled eyes met mine as I ran my hand over her cheek, pushing her hair back. "This isn't who you are, love. You got away - you survived. You created a life for yourself, a business, and a home. I need you to remember how strong you are." I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her softly. I felt her fingers dig into my arms as she deepened the kiss.

"Axel," she breathed as her tongue darted across my lips. I could feel her fear, her need. I tangled my hands in her hair and crushed her against me.

"I think I've learned all I can, Callie," Sam said as the scene changed to one I was unfortunately familiar with. "Are you ready, Axle?" he asked me and I nodded. "I know you were younger and there may be missing moments, but just tell me what you can, okay?"

"I'll try," I replied, "Like you said, I didn't see everything." What I didn't say out loud was that I'm almost thankful my mother wasn't taken. I was struggling enough knowing what had happened to Callie, I don't know how I'd handle seeing that happen to my mother.

We were in front of the old ranch house I grew up in. I was supposed to be in the house, but I was hiding on the front porch eavesdropping. My dad was asking two men to leave. The sun was low in the sky, and even with my increased abilities, the angle kept me from seeing their faces clearly. When the first man started shouting, I felt Callie begin to shake. "Th..that's Clay's voice," she breathed, "He was the one who raped me first, but how is that possible? How could he have been alive when your mother was killed?"

"Good question," Sam said. "Axel, what year is this?"

"Well, I was born in 1954, and I was about fifteen when she was killed, so around 1969 or 70. We didn't pay much attention to dates out here," I said honestly.

"Well, he definitely can't be human. I mean he looked to be in his late twenties - early thirties in Callie's memories," Sam commented.

I nodded absentmindedly as I watched the scene unfold that plagued my own dreams. My dad was yelling for the men to leave when my mom came out of the barn asking what was wrong. My mom sniffed the air - I'd never noticed that before, then she growled and lunged. Wait, what? "I...I don't remember seeing that before," I told them. I felt Callie's arms tighten around me. "She attacked him."

We watched as the men panicked and tried to get back in their truck, but my mom had one of them pinned. "Get him out of here!" she shouted to my dad, who paused for only a moment before racing toward me. My father reached the porch and grabbed my arm as I tried to run to my mom.

"Dammit son, listen to me!" he roared and pulled me away. I heard the gunshots as we ran through the fields, not stopping for what seemed hours. Suddenly, my father stopped and dropped to his knees. He seemed to sway for a few moments then let out a long mournful wail. My childhood self fell to the ground next to him as he wailed and rocked back and forth. He was inconsolable and I didn't know what to do.

I hadn't realized I was crying until Callie brushed my tears away. Both she and Sam looked heartbroken. "Axel, what happened to your father?" Callie asked softly.

I choked back a sob, "He...he took his own life a few months after this. He'd brought me to relatives in South Carolina, then left. My uncle told me they'd found his body in the river from an apparent suicide."

"Oh, Axel, I'm so sorry," she said, hugging me tightly.

"They were soulmates," Sam said as the scene darkened. "The moment her life ended, he knew. It was as if his own life ended at that moment. He loved you Axel, but the grief was more than he could bear. Soulmates are more than just in love, they are cosmically linked at their very lifeforce. To live without your soulmate once the bond has been formed is torture." I tilted my head in acknowledgment. That actually explained a lot. I'd always wondered why he fought so hard to save me to only give up on himself.

"I think I've seen all there is," Sam said. "When I bring you back, it might be a bit messy. I'm sure your men have been busy," he chuckled as Callie and I exchanged confused glances.  

Author's Notes:  And, the connection to their mutual pasts starts to develop.

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