The Hollow Moon (Downworlder Series, #2)

Chapter Seventeen: Mercy

I stared out at the city, looking but not truly seeing. My body ached. Bruises coloured my flesh. The last remnants of MacIntosh's cruelty my body would ever see. I wished the thought of his violent demise would have brought me more joy but being trapped in this place did much to smother out all happiness I had. The tower I had been placed in kept me far above the streets I had gained my freedom in.

After so long being free I was once again stuck in a cage. It didn't matter that the male who now held the key was my mate. It didn't matter that he was attentive to my needs because he and MacIntosh were two sides of the same coin. One captor was no better than the other simply because he didn't smack me around, didn't force me to my knees, didn't degrade or defile me.

Revan wasn't MacIntosh. I knew that, I was glad for it but I was still stuck in a cage away from the world I wanted to roam. Both of them removed my freedom and Revan making my cage better than the previous one didn't make the act of placing noin it any more acceptable to me.

I rubbed at my forehead. I was so tired. I glanced at the bed before looking away. With sleep came the nightmares and with the nightmares came exhaustion and the cycle continued on and on. I looked away from the window to the open apartment. It was too open, too clean. Everything was meticulous and in order. My chest ached for my apartment, for my cluttered space and my projects. I wanted my stall, I wanted Smoky. I wanted normalcy.

Instead I was trapped in a sterile cage far above the world I had called home. I searched my mind for my wolf but she had tucked herself so far back all I could see was a few bits of her fur. She was terrified, refusing to resurface, to even move herself away from the shadowed place she was staying. I was terrified she had been broken down too much this time.

There was very few of us who hadn't been broken down. I hoped that the small mountain female hadn't. I hoped that she held strong, forever fought those that wished to defile her like they had me. I looked towards the elevator doors. I knew I could simply go down and see if she was okay but I felt heavy apprehension about returning to the harem.

I knew MacIntosh was dead. Revan had tormented him in front of me. He took his hand, his tongue, and his eyes. Took them for me before he eviscerated him, pulling his death from him slowly and painfully. He had did as I had ordered, he had made him bleed. There was a faint glow of satisfaction that flickered and died out within a few moments.

I wasn't deluded, just because MacIntosh was dead and gone it didn't mean that the others were okay with me. I knew just how much my blood was liked in this tower. It hadn't just been MacIntosh who had used me. The guards had as well. Their hands were always moving, searching for a greedy grope or grab. I shuddered against the memories that swirled around in my head and settled into a large lump in my stomach.

I felt like I wanted to see the harem, to see the females. I wondered what had happened to them after MacIntosh's death. He was the only one who truly wanted us. Many males had used us because it was convenient, because we had been there but none of them had actually liked us. I had been deluded about my freedom but I refused to be deluded about that.

Still I slowly paced, glancing at the doors as the urge to leave was thick in my veins. My mark itched and I resisted the urge to scratch at it. All it did was make me want Revan. Touching the marred flesh made an unbearable ache fill me. It was relentless until Revan took care of it. He was softer, gentler with me as he did so. There was still that overbearing presence that demanded I obey but there was no frantic movements, no punishments. He seemed apprehensive even about initiating sex with me, worried he would hurt me worse. He hadn't stated that to me but he didn't need too, I could see it in his eyes.

I stopped in my walking, my eyes on the elevator. The urge was almost too strong to ignore so I took several steps before I stopped once more. There were still guards posted everywhere and I didn't wish to wake up in chains again. Revan might have marked me but that wouldn't stop the stupid peons that MacIntosh had following him. I was merely a mongrel whore and I belonged in the harem.