Chapter 22

Cobie blinks himself awake. 

He had to blink a couple of times to get his vision cleared. He doesn't know what day it was or what month or heck, what year. They had been trying to pull out his eyes to no avail. Every time a blade is thrust into his eyes, it breaks. It doesn't matter what kind of knife or blade it was. It never got through. Instead, it broke into two like biscuits.

He feels the familiar iron digging into his skin and doesn't even bother sitting up. He knows he's back in the cage. He shivers a little when a gust of wind blows through the room. His clothes had turned worse, they were torn in places and were barely covering anything. He wonders how long he had till his time was up. Till the Alpha decides to kill him. 

He's snapped out of his thought when someone sneezed. His eyes widened and he turns to look behind him, in the direction of the sneeze. The lights weren't on, but the room was bathed in the soft glow of the moon light. It's in the poorly lit room that he sees someone shivering beside his cage. Cobie got onto his knees and crawled to the other end of the cage. As he got closer, he realised this person was elderly. He had a huge collar around his neck and said collar was attached to the wall by a chain. 

The elder didn't have clothes on, just a pair of boxers that were stained and brown in a lot of places. 

"A-" Cobie tries to speak but it came out hoarse. But it works because the man turns towards him. Cobie lets out a loud scream when the elderly man turns to fully face him. His heart almost fell right out of his chest and he wanted to just disappear. 

The elderly man had huge gashes around his throat, his torso and his legs. The wounds didn't look fresh and didn't look like they were healing. The man looked like he was so much pain and it made Cobie want to cry. He crawls closer and wrapped his shaky hands around the cage. He takes a deep breath, let it out and cleared his throat. Wincing a little at the slight pain he felt. Even his head hurt.

"You kay?" Cobie asked, his words not coming out fully but they were understandable. 

The elderly man lets out a whine and a sob.

"You're gonna be fine." Cobie gasped out. "We are going to be fine." 

The elderly man doesn't say anything and instead lets out a loud sob, tears running down his face. The urge to cry, something Cobie had been keeping to himself, was coming at him in full force. He ends up leaning his weight against the iron cage and letting the tears fall as they liked. 

"What's your name?" Cobie sniffed, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. It's been long since he had a normal interaction with another person, not a crazed Alpha. Though their situation as anything but normal, Cobie will take what he gets. 

The elderly man opens his mouth, his words coming out soft and barely there, like the light in the room. 

"Pa..."

Cobie wonders if his name was really Pa or if it was short for Pain or Payton or something. He shivered when he felt another gust of wind. He was freezing. And so was Pa. The elderly man didn't have anything to keep him warm like the torn clothes Cobie had on.

He was about to speak when the light was suddenly switched on. Standing near the door was one of the Cast-outs. The Goblin sneered at them and grabbed a bucket. He walked over to the sink and got some water. Cobie looked around the room, looking for a way to escape. Maybe there was a key or another door? He had been looking around that he doesn't notice when the Goblin switched off the tap, grabbed the bucket and stalked towards Pa. 

He gasped loudly when the Goblin poured the water over Pa.

"No!" Cobie screamed. 

The water poured onto the elderly man was cold and the elderly man was shivering on the floor, his teeth chattering so loud. The Goblin sneered at Cobie and stalked towards the white table at the centre of the room. 

"What did he do? He's cold! Cover him up!" 

The Goblin stalked back towards Pa. in his hands were two bracelets. He proceeds to put them on Pa before walking back to the table. The Goblin however, paused and looked right at Cobie.

"Try to save you." he said, pointing at Pa who was still shaking. "Alpha no like." 

He doesn't give Cobie enough time to let that piece of information sink it before he pressed a button. Everything was silent for a while before Pa let out an ear splitting scream. It was so loud and full of pain that Cobie found himself crying in response. The elderly man was shaking violently on the floor, smoke floating out of bracelet. He was being electrocuted. This elderly man who had tried to save him was being electrocuted.

Cobie doesn't really what happens next, he doesn't remember screaming, he doesn't remember begging the Goblin to stop. He doesn't remember how hard he had cred as he watched Pa after the Goblin had switched off the lights and walked away, a burnt smell that settled in the room like a dark cloud. He doesn't remember how hard he prayed that this was all a dream, how hard he had prayed that someone would wake him, someone would save him. 

--

Cobie jolts up from the bed. He pushed his face into his hands a tried to calm himself down. He raises his head and sighs. The memories were coming back, pushing through the thick walls Cobie had blocked them with. He wings his legs off the bed and looked around. He takes in the bed, the walls and the surroundings. 

He was in Erik's room.

And according to the clock on the bedside table, it was Ten AM. Judging by how brightly lit the sky was, it wasn't ten at night but ten in the morning. He had slept for so long. He tries to stand up but ends up falling back onto the bed just as the door was pushed open. 

Erik runs up to the bed and kneels beside Cobie.  "Are you alright?" he asks, his eyes running over Cobie's body, his nose poised a little high in the air as he searched and sniffed for any signs of injuries.

"Just a little nightmare." 

Erik frowned and placed a hand over his heart. "That was just a little? My heart was going crazy."

"Can we discuss this later? Perhaps after a cup of tea?" 

"Sure. We can go now if you want or would you like to freshen up first?" Erik asks as he helps Cobie stand up, taking note of Cobie's shaky legs.

"I'd like to freshen up first. Do you have clothes I can borrow? I didn't pack much the last time I went home and someone won't let me go back and get some." Cobie asked, raising a brow at Erik who doesn't even look remorseful. 

"I'll set them on the bed while you shower." 

"Thank you." Cobie replies. He receives a nod from Erik. 

Cobie scurries into the bathroom and locked the door shut, he makes his way towards the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were brown with specks of red in them. He was confused and scared. Knowing what would make him feel better, he pulls off his clothes. They were the same shirt and jeans he had worn yesterday. He stepped into the shower and switched it on. Immediately the water touches his skin, he relaxes. He pushed his hand through his hair and raised his head in the direction of the spray. 

"To us, water is home. That's why it's comforting."

"Yes, Mama. It almost feels like I'm hugging you."

Cobie shakes the voice out of his head. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to remember. He rubs his hands over his face and sighed. It's hard to run away from guilt and fear when it has made a home in your mind. The last thing he wants to do today was cry. So he is just going to shower, brush, get dressed and mingle with wolves and whatnots. 

It took a while but twenty minutes later, clad in one of Erik's ridiculously oversized sweater and a pair of sweatpants, Cobie made his way down for breakfast. His hair was still wet, he didn't have the strength to blow dry it, that's what the sun is there for. People were moving around the house, some walking up to the last floor, some going through the doors, some heading towards the sun room and the library. The house was so busy. The kitchen was empty and so was the dining room. He looks through the cupboards and grabs the box of tea bags. He takes a bright yellow mug and dunks the tea bag into it. He checks if there was water in the kettle and grins when he finds there is.

He was waiting for the water to boil when he hears someone clear their throat behind him. He turns around and his eyes widened in surprise when he sees Toby standing there. The only new thing about his employee was the hair. His hair was shaved low at the sides and the top styled in short twists.

"Good morning." 

Cobie couldn't help the scoff that he let out. "Good morning?"

"Isn't it? I spent the night lining the borders of Astir with my blood and now the skies are bluer than ever." Toby says as he drops his empty mug onto the table. 

Cobie frowned. "What?" 

"You haven't looked outside yet?" Toby asked and Cobie shook his head. He walked past his employee and made his way to the nearest window. He looks outside and his breath is caught in his throat. Toby was right, the skies were a bright shade of blue, they almost looked electric. He feels someone stand beside him and he didn't need to look to know it was Toby.

"That's because of you?" 

"Yeah, it would fade by noon." Toby replied. "It looks like a normal sky outside Astir, even those driving by won't see anything different. It's only us, the Astirians in here who can see it.  it's a security measure that had to be taken." 

"Like a dome?" Cobie asked, looking away from the sky to face Toby.

"Something like that. It's more like a thin veil so we'll know if something ... out of place, steps into Astir." 

"You mean something evil?" Cobie asked and Toby nods. "So like an alarm?"

"Better than that." 

"What do you mean?" Cobie asked, his head tilted a bit to the side. 

"I'm not at liberty to say." Toby said. He then mimicked zipping his mouth and throwing the key away. Cobie couldn't help the little bout of laughter that he let out. He shakes his head fondly at his employee before looking back out the window. His nightmare shoved to the back of his mind.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Toby asked, leaning out the window sill just like Cobie was doing.

"For saving me, for bringing me back." 

"I had to. You are very important to a lot of people." 

It didn't take a genius to know what Toby was referring to. "The prophecy?" 

"The prophecy." Toby agreed, nodding as he replied. "One of colour."

"It's too early for the prophecy thing this morning." Cobie says as he leans off the window. 

"It's ten thrity-five AM. How is that too early?" Toby asked as he followed Cobie who was making his way back to the kitchen. Where hopefully his hot water was ready. He finds Gabriel pouring said hot water into his yellow mug.

"Hey! That's mine!" Cobie yelled as he ran into the kitchen.

"Yeah! I know!" Gabriel screamed back as he drops the kettle back onto it's stand. Cobie couldn't help the smile that spread on his lips.

"Good morning." Cobie said, reaching out to grab the cup of tea. Toby hands him the milk and sugar, just like he did when they were at the clinic. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I was thinking... since Erik's settling an argument upstairs, we could go shopping." Gabriel said as he takes his seat. The three of them sat at the small dining in the kitchen. "You can come too." he adds, smiling at Toby. The Omega was leaning forward, his head resting on his palm. Cobie watched in amusement as Gabriel smiles at Toby who had the decency to look flattered. 

Michel wasn't going to like this. 

"I'd love to but I've got to take a little nap. I was up almost the entire night."

"That's too bad." Gabriel pouts. "What about dinner?"

Toby looked at Cobie, his eyes screaming for help but the Vet just shrugged his shoulder, he wasn't going to get involved in this. He didn't know the story between Gabriel and Michel and he sure as hell wasn't going to start analysing whatever was going on right then. 

"Dinner would be great." Toby replied with a grin. He stands up before Gabriel could speak. "I'll pick you up at eight." 

"I'll be waiting." Gabriel blushed. 

Toby practically ran out of the kitchen. He stared at Gabriel and shakes his head at the wolf. 

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Cobie said, standing up from his chair. "When are we going?"

"How about right now?"

"What do you think I should wear for my date with Toby this evening?" Gabriel asked as they walked into another store. 

"I don't know." Cobie replied, his eyes roaming around the clothes and shoes in the store. He has half the mind to ask Gabriel what exactly he was doing by going on a date with Toby.

"I can't keep waiting for him forever, you know." Gabriel says as he pulls a shirt of the rack. It was a white shirt with a rainbow collar and rainbow breast pocket. It doesn't take a genius to know who the Omega was talking about.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Gabriel looked away from the shirt and glared at Cobie. "I know you know."

"Fine." Cobie says dramatically. "How long have you been waiting for Michel?"

"Since I was twelve. He's still the same as he was when he was a kid, the only difference now is that he's much taller and his voice got deeper and sexy."

"Yeah, I did not need to know that." 

Gabriel acts that he doesn't hear what Cobie had said and just continues. "We've kissed only once and that was when I was sixteen." Gabriel says with a sigh as he picks another shirt. "He had held me so tight and kissed me so softly that I thought it was a dream."

"What if it had been a dream?"

"Nah it wasn't. Erik had practically pulled him off me. My brother looked like he had been seconds away from punching him right in the eyes." Gabriel says and Cobie couldn't help but roll his eyes. Sounds like something Erik would do. Speaking of Erik, there was a shirt that was caught Cobie eyes. It looked like something Erik would like. He makes his way towards it and raises it so Gabriel could see it.

It was a plain black shirt with the words Hulk Smash on it. 

Gabriel laughed when he saw the shirt. Cobie pays for the shirt and they walk out of the store. They made their way to the smoothie stand at the centre of the mall. Gabriel ordered something complicated with the word Kale in it while Cobie just asked for a mango smoothie. 

"So you're just going to give up on him?" Cobie asked after a few minutes of silence between them.

"I don't know what to do."

"All I can tell you is this. It's not a good idea to play with or use someone like you are about to do with Toby. I know that sometimes the best way to forget about someone is finding someone else but you have to think this through. Do you want to give up on Michel? Do you truly like Toby? Ask yourself questions like this so you don't end up hurting a lot of people."

"I just want something simple. I just want what you and Erik have." 

This startles Cobie. "What do we have?"

They were briefly interrupted and handed their smoothies. This time Gabriel pays for them. 

"You both are mates. The first ones in 200 years and you click. You are opposites yet you are also alike, stubborn and courageous with nasty tempers." 

"Hey!"

Gabriel goes on. "You calm him down and he gets you to stay still. You both talk, you both are almost on the same page. He can read you just by looking at you, he compliments you, he has your back, he's ready to fuck up someone's face if they so much as breathe or look at you wrong. He genuinely likes you and the mate bond between the two of you amplifies that. I just want that. In the past, you had to wait till your eighteen to find your mates, you'd just look and there they were."

Cobie moves his shopping bag to his right hand along with his smoothie. He then wraps his free hand around Gabriel's shoulder in a tight hug. Well, as tight as a one-handed hug could be. He pulls back after a few seconds.

"Your heart knows what it wants, Gabriel. You just need to listen to it and everything will become clear. You will find someone. I believe you've even found him already." Cobie said with a soft smile. Gabriel pulls him in for another hug, this one as tight as the last. Together, they made their way out of the mall. The drive back home was quiet, the only sound in the car was that music playing through the speakers.

Jumpsuit by Twentyone Pilots was playing through the speaker. Just like Toby had said, the blue tint in the sky had faded. Cobie looked away from the window to Gabriel but the other man looked deep in thought. He did have things to think about and things to decide. Cobie on the other hand couldn't help but smile as he remembered what Gabriel had said about him and Erik being perfect for each other. Erik Tomlinson was the first person Cobie had ever felt safe with, the first person he has ever truly felt comfortable with, the first person he has ever fallen for. 

Cobie was anything but a virgin. He has been touched and fucked by a couple of people but none of them compared to what Cobie feels whenever he kisses Erik. And that's just kissing. Imagine if they go all the way? Was his heart going to explode from the pleasure?

Cobie's cheeks flushed red and his eyes turn purple with desire. He licks his lips as he tries not to fantasize about Erik and his mouth or Erik and his dick. He slapped his cheeks with both hands lightly and takes several deep breathes to calm down. He can't get aroused in the car with Gabriel, the wolf would smell it. 

They get home in record time. Cobie's imagine at the forefront of his mind. He grabs is shopping bag and made his way into the house when Gabriel says he would see him later. Cobie goes up the stairs, waved hi to the various pack members he met along the way until he got to Erik's office. He takes another deep breath and let it out before knocking. He pushed the door open when Erik says come in.

His mate was seated behind his huge mahogany table, papers scattered across said table and his laptop was switched on. He smiles brightly as Cobie stepped into the room and shuts the door.

"Precious..."

"Hey, Pluto." Cobie said as he walks into the office. He sets the bag on the table. "I was out shopping with Gabriel and I got you something." 

Erik's eyes widened at that. He leans forward and grabbed the shopping bag. He pulls out the shirt excitedly, the smile on his face turns to a scowl when he reads what was written on the shirt.

"Don't you like it?" Cobie asks as he circles the desk. 

Erik dumps the shirt onto the shopping bag and shakes his head. Cobie chuckles at that. In the blink of an eye, he moves away from the table and straddles Erik's lap, his knees digging into the soft material of the chair. Erik doesn't hesitate. He places his hands on Cobie's thighs and pushed them up slowly until he was cupping Cobie's ass.

"This is a lovely surprise." Erik says, tightening his grip a little.

Cobie blushed. He bit his bottom lip as he slid both hands up Erik's chest and wound it around his neck.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby." 

It takes less than a second for Erik to lean forward and kiss Cobie. He claimed the Vet's lips like he owned them. His lips were warm as they touched Cobie's. It starts out slow and sweet but a few seconds later, Erik pulls Cobie closer and kissed him harder. He licks into Cobie's mouth, licking, tasting and sucking. They pull apart a few minutes later for air, one of Cobie's hand in Erik's hair and the other on the Alpha's shoulder.

He lets out a surprised yelp when the Alpha stands up and places him onto the desk. The papers were pushed aside and so was the laptop. Cobie slid up the table and Erik crawled after him. He leans against his elbow as he watched Erik with hooded eyes. Fuck. His mate was unbelievably sexy. His body shook as Erik crawled between his legs, his two hands on either side of Cobie's head, bracketing him in.

"You look so breathtaking like this. You'd look even more gorgeous without your clothes on." Erik growls, his eyes staring right into Cobie's. "I bet you'd looked even more gorgeous with your lips wrapped around my cock." The Alpha groans, leaning down to nip at Cobie's neck. Cobie's head lolled to the side as he moaned. "I can't wait for the day we finally have sex. For the day I get to see and feel my dick sink into you." Erik's lips trailed up Cobie's neck to his lips. Cobie's heart was going crazy, there was fire in his veins and he wants more. He pushed his hand under Erik's shirt and slid his fingers up Erik's abs, loving the way Erik's body shook under his soft touch.

When they pull apart for air, there was thin line of spit connecting Cobie's lips to Erik's. Their chest were rising and falling rapidly. Cobie watched as Erik stared at him, his swollen lips, tussled hair and dark eyes and tried to pin point when exactly he had fallen in love with Erik.