Chapter 176: Who are you
Lifting her gaze she saw that her wrists were still bound together by the chains.
All of this was real..she was still here.
Wincing while a grimace spread across her face, the faint sound of the chains clinking from the links rubbing together met her ears.
Her stomach throbbed with a dull pain, her hip sustaining a far worse injury, knowing the bone was slowly healing from within, but she could still feel the deep bruising lingering behind.
"I have to admit you have such a strong healing ability. I\'m impressed."
Meredith lifted her eyes to the corner of the room and saw a shadow sitting there.
Seeing that she had woken up, he stood up and strode towards her.
Meredith shook with fear. Only God knew the kind of torture he had put her through. She had lost track of time but she could guess she had been here for three days now.
How come they hadn\'t found her yet?! She wondered who the traitor was. He was probably covering any tracks that could lead them to find her.
"I have done everything to break you but it doesn\'t seem to be working, maybe I should use a little dark magic?"
Meredith glared at him. "How- how do you know how to perform magic? I thought you were a werewolf."
Rakkon laughed, "Like I said sweetheart, I have lots of puppets. I never said I\'m going to be the one to perform the magic."
The door opened and a woman wearing a black cloak entered. Meredith couldn\'t see the woman\'s face.
"Find her weakness for me so that I may exploit it.." Rakkon ordered the woman.
She squatted in front of Meredith and pulled a crystal pendant.
She swayed it in front of Meredith chanting some weird words. Meredith felt her skin begin to prickle in pain. It felt like her bones were vibrating in her body. A tear drop from her eyes as a pain-filled whimper left her lips.
The chanting increased as her pain became worse.
Her whimpers morphed into groans of pain and finally screams. Her body writhed as excruciating pain washed over her. It felt like a thousand needles were prickling at her flesh with heated tips, pulling her bones from within.
Rakkon walked towards her
…Please..., .," she whispered. She didn\'t know what she was begging for. She just wanted this nightmare to end.
He used his thumb to wipe away the tears that fell down her face. Meredith felt his hand under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his.
"Shsss….don\'t ruin your pretty face."
He leaned into her, his lips next to her ear as he spoke.
"Embrace this pain. It will be your closest comfort for the next hour."
*********
Meredith was tired, she just wanted to sleep. Just as she was drifting off she heard a voice calling her.
"Angel…hey wake up. You\'re going to be late for work. "
Meredith groaned, forcing her eyes open, she saw the familiar face of Atlas. He was sitting beside her on the bed with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey beautiful…wakey wakey."
Meredith jolted awake, hearing that familiar voice and seeing that face made a sob rack through her body as tears fell from her eyes.
She hugged him breathing in the comforting smell with her face buried in his chest.
Atlas chuckled and held her close, kissing the top of her head as he whispered
"It\'s alright, I\'m here. Did you have a bad dream?"
Atlas asked concern etched in his voice.
Tears blinded her eyes, crying into his shirt
"Yes…I thought I wouldn\'t see you again. I was so scared Atlas ...."
"Shss…..it\'s okay Meredith…. It was just a dream, everything is going to be okay,"
Atlas pulled away from her slightly, her teary eyes gazing up to look deeply into his blue ones. How she missed his captivating and alluring stare, a calmness laying behind those eyes of his.
"The kids are waiting for you to have breakfast with them. Let\'s go."
Meredith frowned, "Kids?" When did she have kids?
"Yes, kids. Our beautiful twins. Hurry up."
Still in a daze, Meredith followed Atlas out of the room. She realized they were in his house on earth. They weren\'t in Aarkans. Weird.
"Mommy…."
"Mommy…"
The excited voice of two children, a boy and a girl, brought her out of her stupor.
Meredith stared at them. They looked exactly like her and Atlas. The girl was like a photocopy of her while the boy looked like Atlas.
"Daddy is mommy okay?" The girl asked Atlas.
Atlas picked her up and pressed a kiss on her forehead.
"Mommy is just tired. Let\'s eat."
The boy hugged her legs and smiled at her. Meredith couldn\'t help but smile back at him.
Taking his hand, they sat down at the dining table.
Atlas served each one of them and began to share pregnancy stories with Meredith.
Meredith and the kids laughed at the funny stories, but suddenly Meredith groaned in pain.
Atlas\' eyes widened with fear, "What\'s wrong?"
"Why am I still in so much pain?" :She rubbed her arms gingerly, her back searing as she tried to ease the pain in her sore limbs.
Her eyelids fluttered shut, only to reopen when the pain flooded her body again, crying,
"Atlas…..make it stop please….it hurts so much.."
"I\'m sorry, but I can\'t help you with that," Atlas\' words cut through her, opening her eyelids quickly and looking up.
He loomed over her, having once sat beside her only a few minutes prior.
He crouched down in front of her, taking her face into his hands and whispering,
"I can make the pain go away, you just have to submit to me. Let me take control."
Meredith could hardly breathe properly, wincing and crying out suddenly as she mumbled something even she couldn\'t comprehend under her breath.
"Meredith…Oh my God….let me know if you can hear me. Please!" A voice sounded in her head.
Meredith frowned, "Who…who are you?"