73. Calla

73. Calla
A loud, sickening roar erupted from Athos' cage, and I snapped my gaze back to him, my lips parting as I watched his beast emerge. Gone were his smooth skin and his dark blond hair. His handsome features. They gave way to beastly claws, black fur, and sharp fangs. Lupine ears. A full wolvish snout and glowing eyes.
I strangely didn't feel afraid of him. Not anymore, because all I could think about now was the way that his touch felt, and the sound of his gravelly voice uttering words of comfort in my ear.
I was also starting to feel a little too weakened. Tired. My arms hurt so much, after spending what felt like hours, in that same position. My wrists were bound together, tied to a rope that hung from the ceiling. I could barely feel my fingers anymore, and my skin felt raw. I was sure that I already had wounds underneath those binds.
I heard the clink of Athos' shackles, and I looked at his beast again, watching him snap them apart, as if they were made out of thin paper. He then proceeded to hurl his hulking body at the door to his cage, creating a true ruckus. He slammed his shoulder against it several times, making the metal clang audibly, the sounds bouncing off the bare walls.
My vision blurred for a moment. I blinked, and my head started to spin. That bang continued to sound in the background, until the metal finally gave, and I watched that barred door slam on the ground with a loud, deafening sound, causing me to jolt violently.
My breath quickened, staring at the magnificent beast as he emerged from the cage with powerful steps. He let out another terrifying roar and I shuddered, gripped by a pinch of fear mixed with excitement. Butterflies were dancing in my stomach, and I tugged futilely at that rope keeping me prisoner, as that instinct to run away poked at my mind.
He took another few steps that led him closer to me, and my legs trembled from underneath me as that tingling sensation inside my belly intensified. I couldn't help but remember his touch; how deliciously enticing that tongue on my skin felt.
He stopped right in front of me, and my head spun again, my vision blurring as I raised my chin to look up at him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, and I almost moaned at the contact, loving his soothing warmth. His familiar scent. His claw extended, and he cut that rope with a single flick of his finger, setting me free. I whimpered as pain flared in my shoulders, my body going slack in his embrace. I couldn't even stand. My knees felt way too soft for that, and I suspected that it had something to do with that pinch in my arm rather than Athos' closeness. I knew that the human server had done something to me, I'd felt that foreign fluid entering my body. I didn't know what it was, but judging by the way that Athos had reacted at the sight of it, I could tell that it was bad. Very bad.
He gathered me in between his arms, and I dangled limply from them as he walked. I could feel myself growing weaker, with every second that passed. He set me up in a secluded corner, and I met his glowing eyes again, noticing the worry that shone in them. Even in this form.
"Stay covered, my little one," he uttered softly with that growly voice of his.
"I will be back for you," he promised. And then he was pulling himself away from me, leaving me to sit there by myself as he turned around and left.
I mewled quietly, barely able to hold myself upright as that nauseating sensation increased. Those spells of dizziness. I kept growing weaker. And it was frightening. I could tell that my body was slowly giving in, losing the fight. I let out another mewl. I couldn't even cry, and I couldn't scream for Athos either. I could only sit there, helpless. Waiting.
I thought about that vile human, reminiscing about those words that he'd exchanged with Athos. He knew what Athos was, and what his blood did. That must've been why he'd requested to have it. However, I couldn't understand why he did this to me, why...
Wait. The mark. He must've seen Leonidas' mating mark, leading him to believe that I was a shifter too, and that I was Athos' mate.
"Looks like we'll need to check something real quick..." Those words suddenly echoed inside my mind, and I froze, remembering what Athos had told me about that poison called Nightshade.
"It's fatal for humans, and dangerous for us because it can force a shift within seconds..."
I whimpered weakly, and tears finally started to stream down my cheeks as realization dawned upon me. I was going to die. All alone, huddled in this little corner.
Screams resounded from somewhere outside, between rows of loud bangs. I felt my body sliding against that wall, seconds before my cheek hit the floor. I moaned. I couldn't even cry out in pain. I could barely feel my limbs now, and there was a chill that was slowly creeping up my skin. I shuddered, my breath growing shallow. I closed my eyes, releasing another set of tears.
Free me... That little something inside of me whispered all of a sudden. My brows twitched, feeling like I was in a dream.
Set me free and I will save us... It whispered again. I chose to focus on it. I didn't know why or how, but I felt like I could trust it, and that it was speaking the truth.
Let us be free, Callanthea... the voice grew louder. Stronger. I let it overtake me like it wanted to. I let it happen, giving in. Surrendering to its whim.
Raw, excruciating pain suddenly erupted from within, and my eyelids flew open, letting out a blood-curdling scream.