HIS NEMESIS, HER SALVATION

CHAPTER FIVE: CHAINS AND STRANGERS

AYDAE POV

Anyone who has lived the kind of f****d up life I have lived, like being bound in chains for most of it, knows that there's no rule that really matters except survival. ‘You've got to do what you've got to do to survive’, that's all that matters. Saving Stanley on the battlefield five years ago was my choice but falling in love with him despite the difference in ranks was fate. When he said he was in love with me and would want me to be his, all I saw was an opportunity. The opportunity to finally be free, free of those f*****g chains.

‘I won't fall in love with him’, that's what I told myself, but I did; I fell so hard that it led to his death.

But…where am I now? Am I dead?

It's so bright and…peaceful.

Beep! Beep!

My eyes slowly flutter open. I blink several times before I finally open them. f**k! My head pounds like it crashed onto a wall. It's so damn bright. Where am I? I raise my right hand to block the light—

My breath hitches as I discover my right hand is cuffed to the bed rail with a long chain. Where the hell am I?

‘I f*****g hate chains,’ I grunt. My left hand is free. I detach the small wires with sticky pads from my chest and rip out the thin IV line taped to my wrist and roll off the bed noiselessly to my left hand side.

“f**k!” I hiss with pain. I scan the room quickly to find anything I can use to pry the cuffs open.

Yes, this will do. I find a paperclip beside a patient file, probably mine, on the table a little far from me. The doctor or nurse who left it here will soon be coming back for it. I have to hurry. I stretch my hand and my finger grabs it, but it falls on the floor.

Shit! I bend again and stretch, finally getting it this time. I straighten the paperclip with my teeth and try pushing the tip of the clip into the lock of the cuff but my hand trembles as dizziness comes over me; I suddenly feel light-headed and my vision blurs but I steady myself with the bed rail.

What the f**k did they inject me with? I blink severally and lightly shake my head and my vision clears. I resume picking the lock.

A low and intentional throat-clearing sound from behind me sends chills down my spine.

I gasp, and spin around immediately pointing the paperclip with my shaky hands to the two figures in the room; one stands by the door with his arms buried deep in his pocket, while the other figure sits confidently on the chair with one leg crossed over the other. His back is relaxed on the chair; one arm rests casually on the arm rest while the other lay loosely across his lap.

“Wow! She's feisty isn't she?” The one by the door asks with a smirk on his face.

Damn it! it must be the drugs. I didn't even hear them walk in. How long have they been here?

The one on the chair says nothing, he shows zero emotions, just a cold, dark stare. He stares at me too intensely as though he sees my soul or something. I find myself almost drowning in his shade of ocean-colored eyes. They look so much like Stanley's. I shake my head again as my head gets lighter, again. These drugs are really messing with my head pretty bad.

“Who are you? And what do you want from me?” I point the paperclip to the one seated on the chair.

The other one growls at me and approaches me quickly, his irises shift to a yellow shade and his hands are out of his pocket with his claws drawn. He's protecting the one sitting down. Seems like that's his leader, boss or something.

“I swear to whoever the f**k we swear to, I will kill you if you come any f*****g closer. You don't want to mess with me!” I raise my voice at him and take a fighting stance with the paperclip pointed at him now, but he doesn't stop. I stumble backwards slowly, trying hard to stop my body from trembling. f**k! he's huge.

He pauses and glances at the one on the chair before nodding his head and returning back to his post. I grip the rails of the bed tighter as I feel the drowsiness return.

What actually happened? How did I get here? Who the f**k are these guys? And what happened to Bero and Allen?

The one seated shifts on his seat. Is he adjusting? NO! He rises, slowly and deliberately. My heart races but I mask how I feel with a frown. He's so f*****g tall! Like a literal mountain with legs. He strides towards me and collects the paperclip from me. I just pause staring at him. Everything inside of me tells me: “do not try to make a wrong move as it could be your last.”

“For someone who's killed an Alpha, you don't look dangerous,” his voice is rich and deep.

“Two, just to be clear. I can assure you, mountain. I can be a lot more dangerous with the right weapons on a not-a-full moon night,” I bluff but he just scoffs.

“You sustained severe injuries and you haven't healed completely yet. Lie down and rest up.”

“I'm pretty okay standing. I need answers first. Where am…”

“That wasn't a request,” his voice isn't loud, but it was deep enough to let me know he's serious.

Just then, the door slides open and a woman in a labcoat and a stethoscope around her neck who I presume is the doctor enters.

“You are here, my Prince.”

My prince? He's royalty? The doctor bows then looks at me. She inhales and exhales deeply before walking towards me with a smile on her face.

“You were right to suggest cuffing her to the bed rails. She's almost made a mess of her recovery. Lie down, dear,” she guides me and I obey sheepishly.

The kind doctor injects me and my drowsiness triples.

“What about the two companions I came with?” I weakly ask the doctor and glance at the mountain-looking dude, but no response comes from either of them.

“Don't worry, dear. You will see him when you awaken. Rest up a little," she says softly.

Him? I drift to sleep.