Chapter 224: Grace
I awoke groggily to a door slamming down the hall, but I was still so tired. I didn’t bother opening my eyes or even trying to look to see who was coming. I didn’t care. With any luck, it would be dinner, and we’d get a little extra strength before we committed out escape heist. As long as they didn’t know about it anyways and weren’t going to try and poison us more.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack. I knew that sound. How did I know that sound? I urged my brain to work, but all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. I was so out of it, and that never boded well for around here.
“Grace?” Kinsley asked in astonishment.
I lifted my head at the sound of her voice, but it felt heavy. I could barely see her. My eyes didn’t seem to want to open all the way.
“What the hell happened to you?” Kinsley growled, the bars in front of me rattled with her weight.
“She isn’t well, obviously.” Caleb answered, his voice gravelly with worry.
“She’s burning up.” Kinsley exclaimed with something that sounded like worry in her voice as her hand touched my forehead. “Here, drink.”
A hand forced my jaw open, and water was poured down my throat causing me to sputter.
“Someone get my husband, now.” Kinsley barked, but I didn’t understand. Didn’t she want me dead? Wasn’t that the whole point of everything she had done lately?
More footsteps came rushing, but Caleb’s steady presence didn’t change.
“What’s going on?” Adrian’s gruff voice demanded.
“She’s dying.” Kinsley responded with anger in her voice.
“I thought we hadn’t beaten her today.” Adrian answered.
“You’ve beaten her enough for it to be lasting damage.” Caleb retorted angrily.
I was grateful for his cover. He knew it was mostly because I had pushed myself to the brink earlier. I had no idea how much time had passed since then, but it couldn’t have been that long. My head was still swimming. But then again, I had never done what I did before. I had never had access to my power like that, and now I had power. Well, actually, with how I was feeling, I wasn’t sure I did, but it didn’t matter. If they got out, it would be worth it.
“We need her alive.” Adrian growled. “Get her to the infirmary.”
The guards grabbed at me, and I didn’t fight it. The only thing that mattered was that the plan was going to still happen. I screamed it in my head, begging Leon and Caleb to do it without me. I knew I didn’t have a mindlink, but maybe the Moon Goddess would have mercy on me and share my words, my wants. My desires. They couldn’t bail on the plan just because I was gone. They had to go. They couldn’t deviate. We were only going to get one chance at this. Failure was not an option.
I laid limply in the guard’s arms. My brain was already shutting off again. And the darkness was pulling me under, not taking no for an answer, despite me not having any way to protect myself from wherever I was going...
The next time my eyes opened, I awoke to an incessant beeping and a small sterile white room. I attempted to move, my body back in my control, but I was strapped down to the bed. My arms, legs, waist and even my head was secure. Shoot. This was not good.
I tested the restraints, but they didn’t budge, and this position on my back was terribly uncomfortable.
“Ah, you’re awake, and looking much like yourself again.” Adrian’s voice called out, chilling me to the bone as he came into my line of sight and silenced one of the machines.
I didn’t say anything. I was good at this game. I would only get myself in trouble if I talked, and this seemed like trouble enough.
“The doctor stated that your Lycan must still be able to help you because you were actually pretty healed. Not a single broken bone in that pretty little body of yours, but I know I broke some bones yesterday. Severely dehydrated. Under nourished. Exhausted. But healed. And you shouldn’t have access to your Lycan now, should you, Gracie?”
I hated the way he said my name. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. Only Rhys and the Alpha King Pack could call me Gracie... No. He didn’t get that right. Not after everything he had done to me.
“Don’t worry little Lycan. I have a witch on her way to rectify that little situation. But I do admit, there is a bonus to you being able to heal that quickly. It means I can break you over and over, and over again, and there’s not a thing you can do about it.” He taunted.
“Why?” I rasped. “Why bother keeping me alive?”
He looked surprised that I asked, but he quickly schooled his features back into his normal mask.
“Because unfortunately, we still need you. You have a big role in plan, Grace. Don’t you want to find out what it is?”
“No.” I whispered, but it was a lie. I did want to know. I had to know, so that I could prepare for whatever hell they were going to put me through.
“I know you, Gracie,” He hissed. “You do want to know. But this is bigger than us. It always has been. But soon, you will be wearing my mark on your neck, and you will stand beside me. We will be the rightful leaders of the Supernatural world. Everyone will bend to our will, cater to our every need. Follow our every word without question. We will rule this world with an iron fist, and no one will be the wiser!”
My heart clenched at his words. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want his mark. I didn’t want to betray Rhys. But he leaned down and kissed my lips, and there was nothing I could do about it. My future was set, and all I could do was cry.