Chapter 8 Captured By the Unknown.
Aria
“Hello?” My voice broke out, echoing outward. I was in a large room.
I wriggled, looking down even though blindfolded. I was tied to the chair, I realized, wrists throbbing from the lack of blood flow.
I couldn't see. My hands were tied. I was gagged too, so there wasn't any talking to be done.
I was here. In some random large room with no possibility of leaving. Soon enough my captors would get here, and more or less bring my doom right to me.
Why was I here? What the fuck was going on?
I thought of Nana, still sitting on the sofa, possibly asleep. She had probably slept waiting for me, and probably hadn't taken her meds either. I had to remind her to do that, too.
At that thought, steps echoed around the room, my heart skipping a beat immediately.
My captor.
My fingernails dug into my palms as wriggled as silently as I possibly could. This wasn’t going to work. The knot was too tight.
The footsteps neared.
Shit. I tried my legs too, wriggling them as much as I could without making much noise.
“Struggling is of no use.” The voice came loud and fear-infusing.
I struggled to pin the voice down. Any enemies. Exes. Jess.
Jess was my only ex. But this voice also was absolutely not Jess.
So who was this then?
The steps neared more and more, fear crippling me. A scent consumed me, a seat between oud and pine.
I knew this perfume. I definitely knew this person, whoever they were. There was too much familiarity surrounding him in my mind.
A hand cupped my face. It stroked the side of my face, taking an up-down motion and ending with a hair tucked behind my ear.
My breath hitched. My heart beat in skips, mind spiralling.
That touch felt familiar. The warmth. It felt close, endearing. Like he wanted to do much more than just cup my cheek. Like he wanted to save me, to make me his.
It was a stupid thought, yes. A dumb feeling. I just couldn't shake it off, however, no matter how hard I tried.
“You look lovely tied up.” That unfamiliar voice came through, this time next to my right ear.
I struggled to breathe now, panic coursing through me. Snip. Click.
I knew that sound anywhere. I had one myself, but of course, the one time I forgot it, I was attacked.
A pen knife.
The only way that wasn't a pen knife, was that I'd become hard of hearing.
His breath was hot and bothered on my face. Soon enough, the metal hit skin, a small cut left behind.
I couldn't help the moan that escaped me. The pain poured out of that sound, loud and high. The sound hit the cloth, signalling my panic with a greatly stunted sound.
Blood crept out of the cut, dancing slowly down my face before stopping abruptly at my gag cloth.
Talk about being royally fucked.
“Please. I beg you. What do you want?” My voice came out muffled sounds. “I'll give it to you, I promise. Don't hurt me, I beg you.” All I was hearing were Mmhs.
Images of Nana resurfaced in my mind. I couldn't possibly hear here, all alone. Who would take care of her? Remind her to take her meds? Go with her to Saturday night bingo?
I couldn't die. I didn't dare.
A thrumming filled my chest. Fast, consistent. A voice spoke within me, cold and encouraging.
Let me out.
My wolf. Another reason to transform, to show this human what's what, whoever they were. Teach them a lesson or two.
I breathed. I couldn't do it. Inexperience was damning, and I was rusty enough from not transforming. I also couldn't risk anyone else in the room seeing me. Unless I planned to kill all of them. I didn't want to do that.
But there was something else. Curiosity.
Let me out.
The pressure went up a notch, pushing against my ribs. A low hum played within me, heart beating against it. My muscles were taut with tension, leaving me only a small way from letting it win.
I didn't want to, though.
I didn't want to hurt this person, tear them apart, without first knowing why I was even here. Plus what if I transformed and I ended destroying the only clothes I had on? How then would I get out before they were able to recapture me?
I didn't know what time it was. Didn't know if it was safe.
So I didn't transform.
I felt metal hit my skin again. This time just underneath my lip. This wasn't as light as the first one. It was pressured, harder. It had cut deep.
I felt my skin give way, blood pooling at the cut with immediacy. Fuck, it hurt.
My fingernails dug into my palms harder than I'd ever done before. I squirmed, tears finally pooling at my eyes beneath the blindfold.
“You like it, don't you?” He started, in a sickeningly mocking voice. “You want me to cut you. You want me to do it again. Say it.”
His breath was hot on my ear, my ears ringing. The pain was coursing through my face muscles and I was trying to stay sane, and now this?
I struggled through my gag, my words only coming out as muffled sounds. How did he want me to say it?
“Oh, you're still gagged? Of course not. Join in the fun. I want to hear you plead.” He reached for the cloth, untying it and pulling out the cloth hindering my sound. My breaths were quick and hot, struggling to keep up.
The cloth piled out of my mouth, finally giving room for me to breathe. I needed air. All of it. I pulled deep breaths, holding them and letting them out again.
“Say it.” The voice nauseated me. The smile
spoke volumes through the instructions.
“Fuck no.”
“Feisty. I like it.”
The blade met my skin again.