Chapter 16: chapter 16

Kieran awoke back in a very familiar room. The vaulted ceilings and expensive tapestries hanging off the windows was a clear indication that he was back in the royal palace--the room where he grew up in, his room. Everything was the same all the way to the very last detail. A heart monitor beeped distantly and his mind immediately went back to the battlefield. His heart began racing as he remembered seeing Katana fighting with Baldwin--images and flashes of Baldwin taunting Katana before he lost consciousness. His mate was fighting Baldwin in her wolf form. She was beautiful in her dark gray fur and fought amazingly but she revealed her identity.

The heart monitor increased in speed and he began ripping away the needle that was annoyingly poking into the vein of his arm. Bandages were wrapped around his body but he felt nothing other than just body aches. It was a clear indication that his body has almost completely healed.

“Xavier?” He coughed as his throat was parched from lack of water.

Clutching his chest, he stood up from his bed and made his way to the door. Opening he glanced out down the empty hallway. Stepping out of the bedroom, he closed it behind him and glanced again up and down the hallway.

“Xavier?” He said a little louder.

A door opened and his friend came out. When he looked up and saw Xavier his eyes immediately widened.

“You’re awake.” Xavier announced as he began walking quickly towards Kieran. When he arrived at his side he patted Kieran on the back before helping him stand up a little. Kieran was still a little dizzy from waking up.

“Where is Katana?” He asked instantly, not wasting another second.

Xavier’s face fell and he looked away from his friend. Kieran took a staggering step back. The things that happened while he was out, the amount of pain his uncle can bring onto his mate. Adrenaline rushed to his heart and he grabbed onto his friends shirt tightly in his fist.

“Where is she?” He snarled.

“Kieran, you need to rest-”

“Don’t fvcking give me that bullsh!t!” He shoved his friend hard before bringing his back close. His eyes black with unleashed fury.

“They took her.” He whispered defeatedly. “I tried to fight them off but I was commanded to stand down. I couldn’t move.”

Kieran’s heart froze with fear. Images of his mate being tortured or sentence to death scared him like nothing else. His body shook with fear and anger. How can he let this happen? Why did he not fight harder? He failed her. He couldn’t protect her.

“God damn it, Xavier. Tell me who the fvck took her!” He roared in a frenzied state at this moment. His wounds were opening up and blood leaked through his bandages. Veins around his throat stuck out as he shouted.

Another door opened and they both turned to see his uncle stepping out of his room. The man was much older than Kieran. Letting go of Xavier, Kieran took the last few steps to meet his uncle.

“Where did you put her?” He growled at his uncle.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Kieran. You, of all people should know that she disobeyed.” His uncle reprimanded him.

“To hell with the law! You will not touch a single hair on her. If I find-”

“If you find what?” His uncle interrupted him. “If you find that I hurt her you will kill me? Mind you, I am the Alpha King. You might be my nephew but I am more than happy to eliminate any sign of competition.”

Kieran’s heart was blazing with rage. His shoulders were moving at a rapid pace as he tried to control his wolf from clawing their only family member’s heart out. Kieran never liked his uncle but out of respect he had worked under him for years.

“Kieran.” Xavier warned and moved to grip Kieran’s arm. Kieran glanced down and knew what Xavier was doing.

He wanted to stop his friend from doing something irrational. Closing his eyes tightly, his lips thinned as he thought about the things his uncle is doing to his mate. He needed to know.

“Where is she?” He whispered.

“Why do you want to know? Did you come to develop an affection for the little criminal?” His uncle retorted.

“Thaddeus! I want to know where she is!” Kieran roared. “Give me at least that much for the years I have served you.”

Thaddeus seemed to calm down slightly and after a moment spoke up. “She is down in the dungeons. The farthest and coldest room. My executioners are whipping her back as we speak. The little criminal has a smart mouth. She deserves every bit of it. Maybe after this she will learn to keep her trap shut.”

Before Kieran could attack, Xavier yanked him away from his uncle. He could only see red. He wanted to kill but a small part of him, the rational part, told him he had to remain calm and think thoroughly. He needed to think in order to save their mate.

He allowed Xavier to drag him back to his room. Once the door closed behind him, Xavier told him exactly what happened while he was out.

**

As soon as they captured her, she woke up to finding that she was a cold dark room. The only door was heavily made to keep supernaturals within. She screamed and shouted for help but no one came.

It wasn’t until late into the evening when she was visited by the Alpha King himself, that she discovered that she will be tortured into submission. After, he will decide her fate. She refused to let go. She refused to let go of her pride and independence. She spat and fought the guards. It went on for a few days until the Alpha King ordered whip lashing. She was to receive a hundred whip lashes three times daily.

Her old wounds have not healed yet before fresh new ones marred her skin. After two days, she stopped crying. She stopped feeling.

At first, she wondered why Kieran hasn’t come to save her but Xavier visited her and told her that Kieran was still completely unconscious. He hasn’t woken up. Xavier promised he will come back as soon as he finds a way to and he did as he promised. At night when all the guards were gone, he snuck in with a salve to apply to her open wounds. She cried in his arms, like a little baby.

Katana lost count of the days after day four. It was mid-day when her door opened again. The familiar executioner that gave her whip lashes walked in. He looked hesitant and she knew he couldn’t find it himself to do it any longer. His whip lashes were a lot less painful and hard.

When the Alpha King noticed this, he ordered another executioner to replace him.

Katana refused to scream. She clamped her mouth shut and each time the whip licked her back, she fisted her hand a little tighter and bit on her lip a little more to the point where it bled. She allowed her mind to flicker back to the days where she was with her father.

“You will release her!” Kieran’s voice roared outside her door. Her eyes immediately opened.

“I will do no such thing, mind your place, Kieran.” The voice was hard and she recognized it as the Alpha King.

“Kieran?” She whispered weakly.

The air went silent and a moment later she heard more arguments.

“Let me see her.”

“No.”

“Let me see her or I swear to goddess above you will not see the end of me.” Her mate snarled. A small weak smile crawled on her face. He is always so demanding.

A moment later the door opened and Kieran walked in. She turned her head slightly to the entrance. Her hands were tied to a rail and her back was exposed. She was kneeling down on the ground facing the wall.

Kieran’s eyes filled with tears the moment he saw her but he blinked it away quickly.

“Leave.” He snarled at the executioner. His eyes black with rage. The Alpha King stood behind Kieran and nodded for the executioner to leave. Soon they were alone and Kieran immediately went to her side.

He cupped her cheeks as fresh tears ran down his cheeks. “My sweet warrior.”

She cried then. Her body shook so hard she couldn’t control it. He brought her face to his chest as he wept along with her. She was strong in front of everybody but in front of Kieran, she felt like a baby. She savored in his comfort and cried till she couldn’t see anything in front of her.

“I’m so sorry.” He murmured over and over.

“I’m okay.” She whispered back.

“You are not okay. They hurt you.” He pulled back and looked at the damage to her back. His eyes turning black with rage and his body shook slightly upon seeing how many lashes she received on her back.

“Do you hate me?” She asked weakly.

His eyebrows wrinkled in confusion before he understood and his eyes softened. “I can never hate you. You are mine, Katana. You will always be mine.”

She sobbed even harder now. He had repeated what he had said before the war. Her heart ached in her chest and she wanted to so badly wrap her arms around him.

“They are going to kill me.” She said through her tears and sniffled. She blinked a couple of times and he wiped away the tears from her cheek. She looked up at him.

“They are going to kill me, Kieran but it is okay. I did what I knew was right. I stand by it and if I had chance I will do it all over again. I will never let my father go to this when I am much stronger than him.” She admitted. Her wolf raised her head proudly in her mind.

Kieran gave her a sad smile. “I know, love.”

She sniffled and he moved to kiss her lips. It was the pain relief she needed. She kissed him back just as fierce as he did. Their time apart did not dim their bond. It only strengthened it. Katana kissed him like it was the last time she will ever see him again. Her heart inside of her chest like someone has ripped it out and evilly carved it to cause her pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she savored the taste of him.

When he pulled back, she looked at him sadly. It was a look that Kieran couldn’t bear to look at. He knew right then right there he had to do something.

“I’m going to save you. I’m going to get you out of here one way or another.” He promised.

She smiled weakly at him already feeling exhausted from all the emotions and whipping she received. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her chastely on the lips.

“I will come back for you but I need you to be strong for me.” He whispered. “Please be strong for me and know that I will come back for you.”

And with that she watched as Kieran kissed her again one last time before getting up and leaving. She didn’t know if she will ever see him again but she was happy for now and if he asked her to remain strong, strong she will remain for him until her last breath.