Bloodbound to the Beastly King

Adina's hand slammed against the door frantically. "Let me see them!" She screamed.

They had just thrown her back into the room after Carter stopped the barbaric thing that was happening.

"Let me out! I must see them!" She screamed, banging hard against the door as if she could tear it off.

"You promised me! You can't go back on your words! I must see them!" She screamed. At first, she had lost all sense of fighting, thinking she was in this hellhole alone. But after seeing Mason and Kora, her fighting spirit came back tenfold.

Adina paused, her chest heaving heavily as she heard footsteps right outside the door. She took a step back, knowing it was about to be opened.

Lo and behold, the door was opened. The woman she first saw stood before her, clearly irritated. "You're demanding, little sage," she drawled.

Adina stepped up. "Carter promised. I agreed to everything he laid out for me. The curse. The powers. Everything. But I ask that I see my friends," she demanded.

The woman stared at her, unblinking. If it were in another situation, Adina would be unnerved. She would be scared. The aura the woman oozed was a dark one. Still, Adina wasn't shaken. No. She had just come from the most terrifying moment of her life. She could deal with a witch.

Alma's face was eerily calm. "Your constant noise makes me want to pluck your eyes out," she began, and Adina tensed. "…But you did agree to our plan, and thus, I'll give you what you are so desperate for." She tilted her head sideways. "Very well. You'll see them."

Adina's breath staggered, relief coating her eyes.

The woman turned to the door, snapping her fingers.

Two beasts lumbered forward, their twisted bodies reeking of rot. One grabbed her arm, claws digging in, and the other shoved her from behind. Adina didn't fight them; she couldn't risk it. Her heart pounded with every step, dread filling her bones.

Mason. She was so worried about Mason. When she had seen him hanging from that place in chains, blood dripping down his head.

She squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears. She couldn't cry now. She had to make sure they were both okay.

The beasts dragged her into another chamber. The stench hit first, reeking of blood and a heavy amount of urine.

Adina gasped when she saw them locked inside a cell or a cage, as there was no difference between the two. One of the beasts removed the gated barrier and pushed her into the place. Adina stumbled forward, lips trembling as tears filled her eyes instantly.

Behind her, the gate was put back in place, sealing them inside.

Mason was slumped against the wall, chains digging into his wrists, his chest rising only in shallow, weak breaths. His face was swollen, blood crusting at the corner of his mouth. He was still unconscious.

Kora, barely holding herself upright, lifted her head. The moment her eyes met Adina's, tears broke free. "Adina…" her voice cracked, she forced herself up, and in a second, she was in her arms, their chains groaning as they clung to each other desperately.

"I'm sorry," Adina choked, gripping her friend like she'd disappear if she let go. "I'm so sorry, Kora. I'm so sorry." She cried out, her heart clenching with so much hurt. "I dragged you into this mess. I- I did this to you. I'm so sorry for everything. For what happened—"

"Don't," Kora shook her head, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't apologize. None of this was your fault. None! It's all his fault. I know he must've done something to you that day. I know it. You're not at fault. You didn't drag me here. I came with you."

"What?" Adina croaked out.

Kora nodded, wiping her cheeks. "I held onto you. It got so dark all of a sudden. I- you were vanishing. I held your leg tight. I wanted— I wanted to hold you back. I had to help you. I couldn't keep leaving you behind. First, with the rebels. Then at the town square. I- I came with you."

Adina hugged her tighter, somehow hearing this from Kora made her feel a little less shitty. "Thank you. Thank you," she whispered.

She pulled back slightly, brushing away the blood streaks on Kora's face with trembling fingers. "Mason…" she whispered, eyes darting to him.

Kora's face crumpled, and her lips wobbled. "He—he won't wake up. I've tried everything I could. He got into a fight with them, and they—they took him out. When they brought him back, he looked like this. Adina, I think something's really wrong with him."

Adina crawled over on her knees, her heart dropping when she saw him up close. His breathing was shallow, each breath weaker than the last. She shook her head, refusing to accept it.

"No," she rasped, gripping the chains that bound him. "No, Mason, please. You can't—"

"Adina," Kora sobbed behind her.

Mason has been nothing but kind to her. He's done everything to make her feel welcomed in the palace. He was like a little brother she never had. So how? How could something this cruel happen to a man like him? Mason was a wolf, a gamma at that. If his wolf couldn't heal him, then something was horribly wrong.

She turned back, screaming toward the gate, "He needs help! Now! If you want me to go along with your plan, if you want me alive for this… then keep him alive too! Get him treatment!"

There was no response. Just stark cold silence.

"Save his life!" Adina screamed manically. She jumped to her feet, rushing toward the gate while Kora cradled Mason's head, crying silently.

Adina banged hard against the gates. "Save his life! You hear me! You wanted my help. You want me alive to bring that psycho back to life. You want his powers inside me. Then help him! Save him!" She yelled at the top of her voice, banging her fists hard against the gates.

Again, the witch showed up, looking irritated and bored at the same time. "Gods, you are so demanding," she spat out, eyes narrowed at Adina's back.

"Did anyone tell you that friend of yours brought this upon himself? He wanted to be a hero so bad," she looked Adina in the eye. "Well, that's what happens to heroes."

"I don't care what he did or said! If you want me to help you fulfill your lifelong goal, you have to save him," she spat out, determination filling her eyes.

Alana stared at her for some seconds longer then smirked. "You seem to think you have the upper hand here, sage."

"I know for a fact I'm the last sage alive. You need a sage, don't you? Well, you have to make do with me. And again, I'm saying. I won't take a step if my friend isn't saved."

"You little—" Alma gritted out then paused, taking a deep breath. She wasn't a hard-headed person like Lord Carter, but something about the sage made her angry. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself. Perhaps it was the powers she possessed. Powers that Alma's first collar couldn't even contain. She had to go make a stronger one, and even at that, it could be easily broken, if only Adina knew it.

Alma's jaw clenched hard. "Fine." She flicked her wrist, and two beasts stomped in, unshackling Mason and hauling his limp body up like he weighed nothing at all.

Kora scrambled forward, her hands gripping the bars, panicking. "Wait! Where are you taking him?"

"Somewhere he'll get what he needs," Alma replied calmly. "You wanted him alive, didn't you?" Her gaze flickered to Adina.

"Yes! But let me go with him!" Adina snapped, trying to shove herself out the gate. "Please, I can't just—"

Alma was in front of her in a second, her hand shot out, her nails curling just under Adina's chin, forcing her still. Her smile widened, and her voice dropped to a hiss.

"No. You will stay here, little sage. You need rest. Because when your friend recovers…" She leaned closer, her eyes glowing with something sinister. "…we begin the journey."

Adina froze. "Journey?" she whispered.

Alma tilted her head, she cackled loudly. "Oh, sweet girl, you really don't know what you've agreed to, do you?"