The Lost One

Chapter 44

"Did you spread my message?"

"Of course."

"They know I'm coming."

"They know you are alive ... for now."

"They have that much faith in your abilities?"

"I have you don't I?"

"I came here voluntarily."

"You will always come back to me."

"You hold no claim over me. Have I not proven that already? I came only so that I may rip your heart from your disgusting body and put an end to your pathetic miserable existence."

"So much hostility. How you have changed. Hmm, perhaps you need another lesson?"

"You will never touch me."

"You forget who you speak to? I own you. I own your body and your soul. Or did you forget that too Bella?"

She stood frozen.

He laughed hysterically. Manically. Unnervingly.

"You are mine Bella. You will always be mine."

"I will kill you." She bit out through clenched teeth.

"You always were the spitfire. Now, enough! I told the others I'd have you handled and I'm finished standing in the woods like an animal." He laughed obnoxiously at his own pun. Her lips curled back in disgust.

"I hope you told the others my exact message?" That shut him up.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked innocently.

"I never intended to say those words and yet I had no choice but to repeat them."

"How many times?"

"What?"

"How many times did you repeat my message?"

She could see as he tried to fight against her words. She saw the struggle as he attempted to refuse her. Finally he spit the answer she had been waiting for. The number that had haunted her for five years. "Thirteen. I repeated the message thirteen times."

"Was that all of them or did you miss any?"

"That was all of them. There are thirteen left."

"Wonderful." She said a grin spreading as she let out a shuddering breath of pleasure.

"Whatever little trick you learned won't save you Bella. I don't care who you think you are because you are mine again. Now and forever."

And then the darkness descended. She felt the sharp prick in her neck the scorching feel as the foreign substance was forced into her body and began to spread. She choked as the bile rose in her throat burning as the acid fought its way up and out. Her muscles trembled ever so slightly, dizziness washing over her as adrenaline flooded her veins. Her body wanted to fight, to be strong. Her mind screamed to run, to get as far, as fast as she could. But she couldn't, she was frozen.

Captured.

Lost.

The blackness descended further until it was encompassing everything she was. She distantly felt as she began to go limp, her body failing. Falling. She knew the ground was closing in on her.

Her last thought was of his face. How she wished she was in the safety of his arms. That he could hide her, shield her, protect her, from all that was going to come. But he wasn't here. And there was no safety for her. No peace. Not when there was thirteen left.

She knew what waited for her at the end of this road. She knew what monsters laid just ahead and around the bend. Ready to snap their jaws at her. Salivating at the idea of sinking their claws into her once more. She hadn't walked into it blind. She knew exactly what was to come.

But that didn't mean it didn't make her sick. Didn't mean she wasn't terrified. Nevertheless she fought the rising panic down, beat her fear into submission and swallowed the bile.

She was Aislinn Nox, lost Queen of the wolves, and she was ready for blood.

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The End

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