MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

55. SILAS: TORTURE

"Tell me where your pack is located."

I sucked in breath and slowly raised my head to look up at him. My mouth was dry and hunger gnawed at my stomach. There was no way to tell for how long I'd been hanging from the ceiling. Blood dripped down my back and pooled on the floor beneath me. Every time he picked up a torture device I had to remind myself why I was doing this.

"I told you," I breathed. "I don't know."

A fist to my stomach made a groan fell from my lips. Pain shot through me, making my knees weaken. I managed to keep standing but when he threw another punch a little higher up; my legs gave way beneath me. The chain pulled tight, making agony shoot up my arms.

"We've been at this for hour's doc," someone said.

"Last chance," the doctor said.

My eyes opened when he gripped my hair and tilted my head back. I blinked up at him until his face became a little clearer. "I left when I turned eighteen," I breathed. "They threw me out because I can't shift like them. I didn't belong."

"You've lived there for eighteen years. You know where they are."

"They m-moved."

A scream fell from my lips when he pressed the hot iron against my back. The smell of burning flesh made my stomach curl. Bile rose up my throat and I couldn't hold it back. The doctor stumbled backwards with an exclamation of disgust.

"Get me some fucking clean clothes!"

Relieve flooded me when they left the room. I'd have a few minutes to recover before they came back. I struggled to get my feet under me again but after a few minutes of struggling I managed to stand. My body swayed and darkness threatened to pull me under but I fought it. Whenever they left me alone it gave me time to think.

I'd already made a long list of all the reasons why I was wrong for Lara. Then her image would flash through my mind and I would remember why I didn't walk away from her the first time we met in the bar where she used to work. She gave me hope that even though I couldn't shift like my brother and parents, I still had a chance of happiness.

Ethan deserved happiness too and I fucked it up. I shouldn't have killed that boy. We should've reported it. Maybe if we had done it right things wouldn't have fallen apart. I realized now that it wasn't Avery who had torn us apart; we had started falling apart that night. I was going to make it right. Once we got out of here, I'm going to fix my mistakes.

I blinked rapidly as I fought the darkness from closing in on me, but in the end it won.

***

Cold water splashed my face, instantly snapping me awake. I spit it out before I focused on the man standing a few feet away. The cruel smile on his lips made unease fill me. It was clear by the look in his eyes that they had found a different way to torture answers out of me.

"Where's your pack located?"

"I don't know."

His smile widened and a sparkle entered his eyes. "We'll see if this gets you to talk."

He stepped aside to reveal a TV monitor that had been set up on a table across from me. The screen was blank when he switched it on but after he pressed a button, it quickly cleared. A whimper fell from my lips before I could stop it.

Lara hung from the ceiling, dressed in only her underwear. Her head hung and her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. Behind her stood a man in black with a mask covering his face and a leather whip in his hand. He was staring right up at the camera as if he was waiting for orders.

"I'll ask you again. Where is your pack located?"

I pursed my lips and stared at the screen. If I didn't tell him then he would hurt Lara but if I told him them my family would be killed. None of us had a chance. Families would be destroyed. Babies would die or be raised to be killers.

Tears filled my eyes as I watched Lara. I was torn between protecting Lara and my family. I couldn't save them all. I had to choose.

The man glanced away from the camera. He nodded and moved behind Lara. She stirred and slowly raised her head. The man raised his arm and swung the whip out. Her body arched and a scream fell from her lips.

I reached up and gripped the chains when he hit her again. Over and over again until blood started to trail down her body and pool around her feet. Until she couldn't scream any longer and silent tears dripped down her cheeks.

"Stop," I croaked. "Tell him to stop! He'll kill her."

"Tell me where they are!"

"Stop!" I roared when the man continued.

I jerked and tugged on the chains. Frustration and anger hit me hard. It continued to rise when the doctor started laughing. He was laughing at her pain. At me because I couldn't get free to stop him.

A roar fell from my lips when her legs gave way beneath her. My skin prickled and my gums started to tinkle. Pain shot through me when a bone snapped followed shortly by another. Satisfaction filled me when I saw the panic flash across his face a few seconds before the chain knocked him down.

I pulled until the other chain snapped free and then dropped to my knees. My back arched and another roar fell from my lips when more of my bones snapped. I stared in wonder as fur started to sprout along my arms and then the rest of my body. My jaw snapped and then lengthened.

"Open the door!" the doctor yelled, slamming against the door. "Let me out!"

There was not an ounce of bravery to be heard in his voice now. I fed on his fear. It spurt me on like Lara's screams only minutes ago. A low growl fell from my lips as I slowly advanced on the panicking doctor. His life was in my hands now and I was going to make sure that he suffered a slow painful death.

He whimpered and slammed harder against the door. It opened just as I lunged at him. His scream echoed around the walls. I dug my claws into him and ripped them out again. Pain shot through my side as one of the guards shot at me. With one last swipe at the doctor, I silently promised retribution before turning towards the guard.

"You're not going t-to make it out of h-here alive," he stuttered as he stumbled backwards. "T-the place is rigged to e-explode in case t-this ever happens."

I rolled my shoulders and slowly stalked him. My front body lowered to the ground, ready to attack but he said something that made me pause.

"I k-know where your m-mate is." He nodded. "I c-can take you to her. D-don't kill me."

A flash of sharp teeth had him running down the hall. I easily caught up with him. The smell of urine made me wince. He had pissed his pants. My eyes narrowed when he reached out and punched in a code. There was a faint peep before the door in front of him opened. He pushed it open wider and then moved back. I roared when a man appeared in the doorway and fired the gun at me. The dart shot out and missed me by inches. He rushed out of the room, quickly followed by another man who was hastily fastening his pants.

Son of a bitch!

I could smell Lara over their scents. The faint scent of her was there but the smell of her blood was stronger. It sent the beast in to rage and I allowed him to take control. They had hurt her and every single one of them would pay for what they had done.

Blood splattered the walls and pooled at the decapitated bodies. It seemed like when I managed to kill one of them, another would arrive. I only had a limited amount of time to get to Lara and then get us out of here, but I needed to take them out before I entered that room. I couldn't take the risk of being locked in there and having them kill us.

I stood there breathless after killing the last man who had arrived. My chest heaved and blood mixed with saliva dripped from my mouth onto the face of the dead man. I waited and waited but no more men arrived. It could be a trick, but I couldn't wait any longer.

Lara's life was slowly slipping from her—I could hear it by the faint beat of her heart. I shook out my fur and ran into the room. The sight of her made my legs weaken but I pushed forward. They had done more damage to her than the camera had shown.

I had to save her and there was only one way to do it.