Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Fourteen: Delusional

Adam

I wasn’t sure where I was exactly. My glasses along the way had been broken. And, on top of it, my captors brought me to this final destination during the night.

I think I was at some shipyard, since I was in one of those large, metal shipping containers. I could be wrong, though. For the first couple of hours—at least I presume it had been hours—they’d left me in the middle of this container chained to a metal chair. There wasn’t much light, so I didn’t know exactly how long I’d been in here for.

Trying to rely on my other senses, I didn’t hear much. No voices or nearby machinery. In the distance I was sure I could hear something… but I couldn’t be sure. The smell in the air indicated we were close to the ocean, which further added credence to a shipyard.

I regretted having to throw away my phone, because I doubted anyone would find me here before I perished. Initially, I’d been trying to leave Jadea some kind of way to find me. However, I’d had to ditch the phone with the tracking device on it. Needing to warn her about what she was charging into. What they planned for her and my children, so they could all be saved.

Even if it meant I perished.

The loud click of the lock being opened and chains rattling pulled my attention to the doors of the container. Two snickering men slinked in with an IV in hand. “Well, aren’t you just pathetic,” the one with short black hair hissed.

“I figured her mate would be… More,” the other agreed.

I ground my teeth together, knowing I wasn’t an impressive specimen of the male variety. While Jadea never made me feel less than, hearing others say my own doubts aloud was still hard and hurtful. Ignoring them, I closed my eyes and prayed whatever they were going to do to me was quick and painless.

As they hovered and pricked the IV needle into the vein, I heard the term ‘demon’s blood’ mentioned and knew, from my time with Jadea and her pack, it was used as a poison. If I remembered correctly for immortals, demons’ blood wasn’t detrimental, but to a mortal…

Even diluted, the wolves told me in detail how it would slowly kill me. First, I’d start feeling sick. Normal chills, headache and such, which I started experiencing rather quickly once they’d started the deadly drip. The fever. The heart racing. And then the abdominal pain, which led to some embarrassing things came later. It was all rather humiliating. But that was the point of all of this, right?

I was a sweating, terrible mess.

They told me, before leaving me to my fate, I would last at least twenty four hours. If I was lucky, thirty-two.

I stared up into the darkness. My body limp with exhaustion and pain, slumped at such an awkward angle, most of my limbs were numb. My hands were tied and secured behind the back of the chair, my ankles chained to the legs.

Tears wet my cheeks, heartbroken I’d still failed my children. My captors, right as they locked me back in this hellish container, told me they’d been successful in killing my children. That Jadea had been too late.

I’d never felt such debilitating pain. It was worse than what the demons’ blood was doing to me. It was killing me slowly, knowing they died after everything they went through and survived. It tore me apart knowing they had only known terror and pain in their final moments.

Had they called out to me? Begged me to come save them? Had they passed quickly? Or had they died slowly, in agony?

I leaned to the side as I heaved up the acid in my stomach, hating the way my mind was playing out the different, sickening scenarios of their deaths. My heart breaking even more at every possibility which played vividly in my mind’s eye. The physical pain I felt for their loss was unbearable.

Honestly, I wasn’t afraid of death. Not after knowing their fates. Life wasn’t worth living without them in it. They saved me when I faced my darkest hour. They had been my sole reason for existence. They were my happiness.

But now…

The emotions clogged my throat and I sobbed. Breaking down. My heart shattering into a million and one pieces knowing I would never again hold them close in my arms.

And then there was Jadea.

I wish I would have gotten up the courage to reach out to her sooner, to let her know how I felt. Even if it hadn’t ever gone anywhere, even if she moved on, at least there wouldn’t have been any unresolved emotions between us.

And maybe, if I would have reached out sooner, this wouldn’t have happened…

As much as I tried, I couldn’t make myself regret getting involved with her. Even knowing how terribly it was ending. My only regret was being so insecure in the first place. For pushing her away and forcing her to ultimately make the decision to break off our relationship until I was ready.

My sigh was heavy in the space of the very hot and muggy container. I was just about to give into the peaceful arms of sleep when I heard a loud clang coming from the entrance, as if the chain they’d used to lock the container was broken.

Who could it be?

My captors said they were going to leave me here to my fate. They hadn’t intended on sticking around. If it was them, I had to wonder what changed their minds? Had Jadea done something that made them need me alive longer?

Or was this some cruel mind trick my body was playing in my final moments?

My captors did tell mention when I was close to the end, I would start hallucinating. Was this a cruel illusion? Especially when I saw a familiar face looming over mine.