The Raven’s Alpha (Nature’s Embrace #1)

Chapter Eighteen

Darcy Mortlake

I slowly start to wake up, memories begin to seep back into my mind like a sluggish fog. I remember the sound of screeching tires, the crunch of metal, and Eddy's terrified scream. I recall the feeling of weightlessness as the truck careened out of control, and then the sickening thud as it crashed into the concrete median. I see Eddy's face in my mind, his eyes wide with fear as he tried to reach for me, his mouth opening in a silent scream. I felt the rush of adrenaline as we both tried to get out of the way, but it was too late. The world went dark, and everything went still. Now, as I struggle to regain consciousness, those fragmented memories come flooding back, each one etched into my mind like a scar.

Panic washes over me as I realise what's happened. A wave of intense fear floods over me when I try to move, only to discover my limbs won't really move. I manage to shift my head down enough to find that my hands and feet are bound together by a thick rope. The rough texture of the rope digs into my skin, making my heart race even faster as I struggle against the restraints. I try to lift my head again, but it's met with resistance, as if some unseen force is holding me down. My eyes dart wildly around, trying to take in my surroundings, but everything is a blur.

As I look around, I discover that I'm not at the scene of the crash, my alpha isn't here. The sounds of screeching tires and crunching metal are replaced with an eerie silence. I'm in a dark, damp space, the air thick with the smell of mould and decay. I try to shout for Eddy, but my voice is hoarse and barely audible. Panic sets in as I realise we must have been taken somewhere - but where? The darkness feels like a shroud, and I'm left with only my racing thoughts to keep me company.

I frantically scan the dimly lit room, my heart thrums in my chest like a jackhammer, threatening to shatter my ribcage. Beads of sweat burst forth on my forehead, mingling with the chill of the air, and my palms grow slick with a mixture of moisture and fear. The walls seem to be slowly closing in, their cold, unforgiving surfaces constricting around me like a vice, making every breath a colossal effort. Shadows writhe and twist across the walls like dark tentacles, combining into gruesome silhouettes that leer at me from every corner, their twisted forms seeming to move of their own accord. Each flicker of the faint light casts an eerie glow, imbuing the air with an otherworldly menace, and I'm trapped in a living hell. My voice is reduced to a mere whisper as I try to scream again, overwhelmed by the cacophony of terror that surrounds me.

Whispers and moans bring me back to consciousness, like a mournful breeze on a winter's night, seep into my ears, their faint whispers weaving a spell of dread that sends shivers coursing down my spine like icy tendrils.

I strain to summon my raven form, but my mind feels as dry and barren as a winter's tree, devoid of the familiar thrum of magic. I mentally grasp for him, as if trying to conjure a spark from a dying flame, but my thoughts are met with nothing but silence. The spot where my raven once resided in my mind is now a cold, dark void, leaving me feeling disoriented and lost.

Frosty air slashes at my skin like a thousand tiny knives, sending shivers coursing through my veins. As I tilt my head to gaze down, I'm met with a stark and mortifying sight: my body is as exposed as the night itself, every shred of clothing ripped away, leaving me vulnerable and humiliated. A wave of shame and embarrassment crashes over me, fuelled by the bitter realisation that my captors took pleasure in stripping me bare, leaving me defenceless and helpless.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes like acid, refusing to be contained. I grit my teeth, desperate to stifle the sobs that threaten to burst forth, but they come anyway, ragged and wrenching. Fear grips my chest like a vice as I worry that if I make a sound, my captor will return, eager to deliver the final blow.

The silken thread that bound Eddy and me together seems to have vanished, leaving a gaping hole in my chest. The ache is almost palpable, as if the very fibres of my being have been torn asunder. It's as if the connection hasn't been severed, but rather has simply evaporated, leaving me gasping for air like a fish out of water. The thought alone is enough to make my heart convulse with pain, as if it's being slowly ripped from my body.

I have to convince myself that my alpha is still alive, that he's out there, fighting to reach me. The thought of him is a lifeline, a thread of hope that keeps me tethered to reality. I repeat the mantra in my mind, a desperate litany: he's alive, he's coming, he's coming to rescue me.

I slowly awaken, my eyes groggily opening to an inky blackness that swallows me whole. Time loses all meaning as I'm left disoriented, my vision straining to adjust to the absence of light. My limbs remain trapped leaving me helpless and immobile.

The oppressive silence is a palpable entity, weighing heavily on my chest like a physical presence, amplifying the terror that churns in the depths of my stomach. The darkness seems to pulse with an eerie stillness, as if it's a living thing that's slowly squeezing the air from my lungs. Uncertainty is a ravenous beast that gnaws at my mind, its hunger growing with each passing moment, leaving me crippled by the fear of what's to come.

As a shifter, my body should have already mended the minor cuts, but a searing agony persists, a bitter reminder of my fragility. I again desperately scour my mind for the familiar solace of my raven's presence, only to be confronted with the same unsettling void that gnaws at my very soul.

Despite the seeming pointlessness of my efforts, I stretch out a desperate, wordless cry to my alpha, clutching at the fragile thread of hope that he might feel my anguish. The darkness closes in around me like a shroud, but I grasp at the faintest glimmer of his presence, hoping against hope that he might sense my distress and come to my aid.

The sudden creak of footsteps above me sends a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins, catapulting me into a state of hyper-vigilance. My senses are on high alert, as if the very fibres of my being are attuned to the subtlest vibrations of sound and movement. A primal instinct screams at me to remain motionless, to blend into the shadows and conceal my fear, but conflicting emotions rage within me like a tempest, I'm torn between the desperate need to escape detection and the reckless yearning to defy my instincts and resist.

An ominous realisation settles over me as I come to terms with the harsh truth – whoever has taken me will be much stronger than me, I will not be able to fight back. The absence of my raven serves as a cruel reminder of my vulnerability, a stark realisation of my dire predicament.

Time seems to distort as the metallic click of a door unlocking echoes through the air, heralding the arrival of an unfamiliar figure. A looming presence stands before me, the rotten stench that clings to him and the essence of power betrays his status as an alpha, a chilling realisation that sends a shiver down my spine.

“You’re awake,” his voice cuts through the oppressive silence, sending a shiver down my spine as he crouches before me. “We administered a potent dose of belladonna. I must say, I didn't expect you to awaken so soon. You're a resilient one, aren't you?"

The confusion must be clear on my face, so he continues, “The belladonna plant, a perennial plant that contains toxic alkaloids. When ingested it will cause hallucinogenic effects.”

When he draws nearer, his features begin to twist and writhe like a living thing, his eyes sinking into dark voids that seem to suck in the light around them. His mouth opens wide, revealing a chasm of teeth and gums that seem to pulse with a life of their own. I blink, and when I open my eyes again, his face has smoothed out, his features relaxing into a mask of bland normalcy.

A maniacal cackle reverberates through the air as his flesh appears to dissolve, his tendons snapping like twigs as his bones burst forth from his skin like skeletal fingers, while a crimson tide of blood erupts from his lips in a macabre display of agony, as if his very essence is being ripped asunder.

Frozen in mortal terror, I try to shriek, but my vocal cords are seized by some unseen force, rendering my voice a mere whisper of sound, as I struggle to draw breath into my constricting chest.

The boundaries between reality and hallucination blur, tormenting me with visions of agony and despair that threaten to consume my sanity.

The same grotesque tableau replays like a gruesome refrain. I succumb to the void, and when I stumble back into consciousness, the man is always there, his presence as constant as my own despair. Sometimes he sits beside me, his gaze fixed on the wall as if trying to will himself into unconsciousness, his face a mask of stoic suffering. Other times, his body contorts in agony, his cries echoing through my mind like a living nightmare.

I'm trapped in a perpetual cycle of agony, with no escape from the maddening repetition. The moments I'm awake are a blur of terror, as I'm forced to witness the man's gruesome suffering. My heart races with every beat, threatening to burst from my chest as I'm tormented by the thought of never being free from this living hell. I'm consumed by the fear that my heart will finally give out, and I'll succumb to the darkness, never to awaken again.

I crack open my eyes, I'm met with a gruesome sight, my mate's lifeless body lies before me, his face a grotesque mask of blood and bruises, his mouth frozen in a permanent scream. Desperation claws at my heart like a ravenous beast, as I reach out to him with a futile cry, only to have my pleas echo off the cold, unforgiving walls.

But when I blink, the illusion shatters once more, revealing a new atrocity. My mate now lies on the opposite side of the room, his once-strong body now a pulpy mess of broken bones and torn flesh. A crimson tide spreads from his shattered form, pooling on the floor like a viscous stain that seems to writhe and twist towards me like a living thing. I try to scramble away from the lethal liquid, but my limbs feel heavy and unresponsive, as if weighed down by the crushing despair that threatens to consume me whole.

I shriek a desperate cry, my eyes snapping open to reveal Eddy's face looming inches from mine, his eyes wide with fear, but his skin unmarred by the brutality I'd witnessed mere moments before. The stench of death and blood still clings to him, yet there's no sign of injury on him. No gashes, no bruises, no hint of the violence I'd expected. The contrast is jarring, like a cruel joke played on my ravaged mind.

"Eddy, what's going on?" I wail, my voice cracking with desperation as I cling to the only familiar presence in this twisted nightmare.

He leans in, his lips brushing against my temple, but instead of warmth, I feel a chill run down my spine. His touch is like a cold whisper, as if his mouth has passed through me without making contact. I shiver at the sensation, my mind reeling from the impossibility of it.

When he pulls away, his voice is a low, husky whisper, sending shivers across my skin. "Don't worry, omega mine," he says, his words a gentle reassurance that only makes my heart ache more. "I'm coming for you, okay?" His eyes burn with a fierce intensity, promising to rescue me from this desolate place. "Be strong for me," he adds, his voice cracking with emotion.

I blink away the haze, my eyes snap open to an empty room. The air is heavy with the scent of my mate's absence, and I'm left feeling bereft and disoriented. The silence is oppressive, punctuated only by the distant hum of machinery and the creaking of old wood. I'm alone, truly alone, for the first time in what feels like an eternity.