The Love Risk [boyxboy]

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen (Storm)

Cold.

That was the only thing that described how I felt. Not just physically, but mentally. I felt cold inside and outside. To the core of my soul. I sat on the bed, keeping watch and fighting off the chills that kept coursing up my spine. I spared a glance behind me at Alexander, who had finally fallen asleep an hour or so ago.

Despite the fact that I had fed him as much blood as we had, he was already looking pale and weak. I could feel the beginnings of it settle in my bones, making them feel heavy. I didn't even want to move anymore, just sit there and hope that no one came for us.

We were both starving. Our stomachs kept chiming a chorus of growls, like angry dogs. My fangs throbbed in my gums so much that I had begun to get a headache because of it. It didn't help that it was so cold in the basement at night, especially.

The sound of footsteps overhead filled my ears, joining Alexander's steady heart beat and soft breathing. Voices speaking in Italian and English, the joyful music earning laughter from the Zephyra members. I wasn't as surprised as Alexander to see that the clan had become larger, including other halfbloods and their children.

The fact that there were children here disgusted me, but I kept it to myself. I wasn't about to provoke them now after what they'd done to Alexander.

My stomach churned in disgust as I remembered how ruined his back was. Bloody and blistered, completely torn apart from what I guessed to be sunlight and a whip. The skin had been peeled from his bones and it was any wonder he healed so quickly. I took a deep breath and lifted my face to the ceiling.

But that was done and over with. Now I had something else on my mind.

My father was out there somewhere.

And I could only hope that he had Mark and Luca with him. It made my heart clench tightly in my chest as I took a deep breath. I didn't know if my father knew who was behind all of this or not, but Alexander was right.

It wasn't Newell this time.

But one thing was for sure and that was that Newell had escaped and was most likely somewhere in Rome. If anything, he could be here as well. What if he was where Kristophe was? Would they torment him for something like this? Or maybe they were releasing him?

I had no idea.

The playing field had just gotten larger and it didn't help that they were calling upon the help of the oneiroi and oni to do so. My people weren't prepared to deal with an army of oni, especially. It sounded like the oneiroi were being forced, unlike the oni. And that Xed man. He wasn't either things. At least, that's not the vibe I got off him. There was something else about him.

And whatever it was, it had to take someone extremely powerful to control him, oneiroi, and oni.

Hell, even Zephyra.

The rebellion had gotten bigger and stronger, I realized with a grimace. And thought I had full confidence in my father's abilities, part of me wondered if any of us would make it out of this alive. It made me sick to my stomach, so I gave up on thinking too hard and fell beside Alexander in bed. I pulled the blankets over us and scooted so close to Alex that his body was pressed up against mine, his arms drawn up to his chest as he mumbled something incoherent in his sleep.

He was shivering every so often, so I put my arms around him and sighed, resting my chin on his head as I stared at the wall behind him.

Alexander was doubting my father. He didn't say it, but I could see it on his face. It was only because he was scared, I reminded myself. Alexander didn't know what to think anymore and after their last session of tearing at his back, it didn't surprise me. I wanted to assure him that my father would come, but for some reason, the words caught in my throat. I couldn't say them.