Page 84 of Shades of Scars

It’s the mottled bruises all over every available inch of her skin. It’s the swollen cheek where I know she’s been struck by the back of his hand. It’s the weeping slices in her thighs and breasts made by his favorite blade.

I’m scrambling off the bed without another thought. Kate whimpers when I fall to my knees and crawl across the floor towards him. Her right eye is slightly puffy from where she must’ve been hit, but our eyes connect while she watches me approach. I don’t look at him as I come to a stop. The chain that has my ankle bound is long enough to reach him where he stands.

If only it were long enough for me to use to choke the life right out of him.

“That’s right,pet. I think it’s about time that you apologize for the mess you’ve caused me and for breaking the rules.” Harlan snaps his fingers, but my eyes don’t waver from Kate’s as I lower my face to his shiny loafered feet. I know exactly what he wants without him even having to voice the words.

However, before my lips can brush against the expensive Italian shoe, he brings it up and kicks me right in the underside of my jaw. My teeth crack together and blood bursts across my tongue where I accidentally bite the inside of my cheek. My body careens backwards, and I hit my head again against a too hard surface. Stars dance across my vision, and I can’t help the groan that slips free from me.

Kate’s muffled screams can be heard behind the gag in her mouth.

“Get her back on her knees, Jacob.” Revulsion is a hot tidal wave washing through me when my second worst nightmare wraps his clammy hands around my biceps and pulls me back up to deposit me back on my knees before the pack lead.

Harlan crouches down before me, something he never does, and grips my chin between his fingers in a bruising grip. My jaw flares with pain from where he’d struck me with his foot, and a little blood trickles out of the corner of my mouth. His lips peel back in a sneer as he looks over me.

“You just had to go and break the rules,pet. I was content to let you live out the rest of your days as long as you followed the fucking rules. Tell me. Were their knots worth it?”

I can’t help myself. I spit out a mouthful of blood right in his face. It sprays across his skin, in his eyes, and all over the front of his pristine white dress shirt. “Fuck you.” I manage to grit out right before the back of his knuckles slam against my cheek, cracking my head to the side so hard it makes my ears ring.

Kate screams again when Jacob’s fist twists in my hair to yank me to my feet. “Bring both of them to my class room. It’s about time I remind mypetjust who I really am.” Harlan snarls at the asshole holding me up by my scalp while he pulls out a cloth to wipe away the blood I’d spit in his face. That brings a savage smile to my lips. Part of me knows I shouldn’t be pushing him this way, but my rebellious nature can’t help it.

The little scrap of freedom he’d once offered me gave me a new outlook on life.

These alphas can go fuck themselves.

Levi steps into the room then to grab a hold of Kate under her arms and drag her to her feet. Together, the both of them do as Harlan ordered and cart us to Harlan’s infamous “classroom”. They deposit us inside, and I keep my eyes trained on Kate and not on the various macabre instruments adorning all four walls.

Her eyes are wild as she looks around at what awaits me. All the color has drained from her face, and when our eyes connect again, I see the understanding there. I hate that she has to be here for this. I hate that she’s going to have to witness all the horrors I’ve kept buried since meeting her.

Jacob offers me a twisted smile. “Harlan will be just a moment while he prepares, princess. You two sit tight.” He practically purrs before he and Levi leave, shutting the door behind them.

I wait a minute or two before I speak. It takes several swallows to get rid of the blood still pooling in my mouth from both strikes I’d taken from Harlan before I could do so. “Listen to me, Kate.” My words drew her attention from where she’d been staring extra hard at the metal table bolted to the floor just a few feet away.

Tears are streaming down her face. She looks so damn terrified. “Whatever you see, whatever he does to me, you cannot react anymore. He feeds off of it. He’s going to make you watch while he reminds me of my place, but you have to promise me you won’t make a sound. Can you do that for me?” I feel a lot calmer than I probably should, considering the situation.

Kate stares at me, that familiar horror flickering in the dark blue depths of her eyes. It takes her several heartbeats before she manages to nod, though she doesn’t look happy about it. I try to smile, but when she grimaces, it drops from my face. My teethare no doubt coated in blood. I can still taste it when I run my tongue along them.

I want to tell Kate that everything is going to be fine, but I won’t lie to her. I have no clue what Harlan plans to do with her. I have a hunch he’s going to try to catch a price for her, though I hope it doesn’t come to that. I also don’t want her to have to stay here, though.

“I’m going to do everything I can to get you out of this, Kate. I promise. Just keep being strong, okay?” Her lips tremble around the gag in her mouth, but she nods her understanding.

I sigh and relax back against the floor, my legs shifting until I can curl up into a ball with my knees to my chest. The chains rattle where Jacob has secured me to the bolt in the floor, but I barely even feel the cuff around my ankle. It’s as familiar to me as the scents in this room. It’s not the same exact room I’m used to, but the purpose is clear.

I just have to bide my time until I can figure out a way out of this.

This time, Harlan will not win.

55

Lark

Ibolt awake at the sound of a latch clicking on a door nearby, and I blink bleary eyes at Wren and Caito approaching Apollo’s bed. “How’s he doing?” Wren murmurs the question softly, though there isn’t anything that would wake our pack brother right now. He’s currently heavily sedated to allow his body to heal from the various surgeries he’s undergone the last two days.

“Doctor said he thinks he got the remaining fragments from the bullet on this last surgery. He says he wants to keep him under for a few more days to give him time to heal before waking him.” I know exactly why he’d suggested it. If Apollo awoke right now to discover Scarlett still missing, he’ll just injure himself more with his stress.

Caito settles in a seat on the other side of the bed from me and rests his face in the palms of his hands. I take a moment to look over my pack brothers. Wren is still wearing the clothes he’s been wearing since the day our omega was taken from us. Caito has at least showered and changed at least once since then.

Dark circles smudge the undersides of all of our eyes. None of us have gotten much rest. Wren has pulled every last string he has to bring Scarlett home to us. Caito’s connections with the Infinity Ring are also working diligently to track down the monster that stole her away and damn near got Apollo killed.Fraser and his pack have a vested interest in getting the location on both omegas, though no one has bothered to share that information with me.

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