They chained him back down again, the metal links digging into his skin.
“Yes, keep fighting, I like that,” Corbin crooned from behind him.
Maddox’s wolf whimpered then growled at their position on the table. There was no way to see where Corbin was coming from…no way to protect himself.
The dagger sliced through his skin, and he groaned, holding back the scream that threatened to break free. This cut burned more than the rest, the spell wrapping itself around his body, choking him.
“Finally, a sound out of you, North,” Corbin said, pleasure in his tone as he cut deeper slashes along Maddox’s back.
At the sound of North’s name, Maddox gritted his teeth and bore down. This was for his brother; he had to remember that.
Maddox closed his eyes and drew inward, letting the pain wash over him as sweat rolled down his back. Corbin cut and sliced while Maddox tried to ignore it.
There had to be a way out.
Finally, he heard Corbin say something else, and then Maddox felt arms around him again, moving him to his back. He tried to fight to free himself, but with the spell and the loss of blood, he was in too much agony to do much. His body felt weak and his limbs heavy, but he tried to get away, to no avail.
They chained him back down, this time tying his head to the table so he couldn’t move it. Corbin stood above him, this time with a new dagger in his hand.
“You’ve done remarkably well, despite how much I’d hoped for the latter. Before I kill you, though, I have a new toy I want to try. I’m going to use it later on my toy, but first I want to see if it works. You see, it’s a special one that seals the wounds automatically. I know that doesn’t make sense, but you’ll understand when you see the final result. It scores the skin and bones so they can’t heal correctly, so it will leave the worst scars possible. As much as I love pain, I love seeing the scars and memories more. Let’s see how this goes.”
Corbin pressed the tip of the blade under Maddox’s right eye, and Maddox froze.
Fuck.
“Yes, I think a scar on your face before I kill you will work out perfectly. There’s no way I’ll let you kill me later. Oh, I will say that this will hurt more than the other blade. At least that’s what my witch told me. We’ll see.”
Maddox braced himself as Corbin pressed deeper, slicing his skin, and he screamed. He’d been so strong before, but now, he couldn’t hold back. He screamed until his throat was raw and his voice cracked. Corbin didn’t stop. He just smiled and continued cutting. Maddox could feel fire arch along the cut, searing his skin as it went, scaring him for life.
However long that life would be.
Blood poured out of the wound before it healed, filling his eyes, nose, and mouth. He choked on it, trying to breathe, trying to live.
Maddox felt Corbin pull back, relief and fear filling him.
“I’m going to let you stay here like this until I feel like killing you, North Jamenson. Thank you for showing me what my new dagger can do. Ellie should enjoy it.”
Maddox didn’t know who Ellie was, but he was sure as hell sorry for her. He didn’t want anyone to go through what he’d just gone through…what he was still going through.
He couldn’t see with the blood blurring his vision, but he could still use his dulled senses to figure out what to do. He was alone in the room, but weakened beyond reality and chained to a table. He pulled at his chains, trying to get free, but it was no use.
Unless Corbin unchained him to kill him, Maddox would die in his brother’s place without his family knowing what had happened to him.
Adam had to be feeling something as the Enforcer since someone outside the Pack had done this, but without evidence, there might not be a trail.
He could only hope they’d find a way to find him before it was too late.
Maddox heard the door open, and he braced himself for what was to come.
This was it.
“Are you alive?” a small feminine voice asked, her voice a fear-filled whisper.
Was it a trick? Was she there to give him hope before Corbin killed him?
He didn’t say anything but felt a small hand on his chest.
“I can feel your heart,” she whispered. “I can get you unchained and maybe even across the border, but you’ll have to get home on your own. I don’t want Corbin to find out.” The last words broke her voice, as her fear became a tangible thing, heavy in the air.
Maddox couldn’t scent her, couldn’t see her. He only knew she was someone who was either lying or someone who could give him hope. She had to be a teenager or someone young enough not to pose a threat to his wolf.
The dagger’s magic seemed to have taken his wolf’s strength as well because his wolf didn’t even speak to him, didn’t even move to help him.
At this point, he didn’t have much choice. He had to trust the girl.
He gave a nod that sent pain down his back and face. He felt her small hands on the chains as she unlocked them. How she’d gotten the key, he didn’t know, but he’d get out of there no matter what.
Once he was free of his chains, he pulled himself up, the cuts ripping open again as they’d begun to heal. Bile rose in his throat as he fought the pain that threatened to overtake him. She put her small body against his, under his armpit, and they made their way out the door and down a hall.
His feet barely held him up, but he didn’t want to put too much pressure on her.
He couldn’t sense any other wolves around and was grateful for that, even though he wasn’t sure why he couldn’t. He still couldn’t see or smell the way he should, not with the spell working on him and the blood still filling his pores.
“This is as far as I can get you,” she said after they’d walked for twenty agonizing minutes. “We’re at the border. I know you can’t see, but keep going for another hundred feet or so, and you’ll find the road. I’m sorry.”
“Tell me your name,” he whispered, needing to know who had saved him.
“I can’t. Go, please, before they find out.”
He moved away, taking painful steps the way she’d told him. He heard her running the other way, presumably back to her safe spot in the den. At least he hoped so.
He’d made his way to the road when he heard the scream, a young girl’s excruciating scream of terror as she screamed for whoever was hurting her to stop.
Oh, hell, it was her.
Her screams cut off abruptly, and Maddox bent over to throw up.
He’d killed her.
She’d helped him, and his own helplessness had killed his savior.
There was no way he could go back and try to help her…it was too late.
She’d died saving him, and he’d never forget that.
Just as he’d never forget Corbin’s promises. North would always be in danger as long as Corbin was alive. There had to be a way to protect his family. He touched the newly formed scar on his face.
There would be no chance of mistaking one twin for another now.
That meant Corbin might try again, but not if Maddox had anything to say about it. Maddox and North would always have to look over their shoulders for danger.
Maddox vowed to protect his brother at all cost, even hiding who’d done this to him. If he told his family, they’d start a war, and he couldn’t risk his family.
No, this would be his secret.
His burden.
Anything for his family.
Anything for North.
Anything for the girl who’d saved his life and lost hers in the process.
He wouldn’t let her die in vain.
He’d have to make sure he was worth something. He would have to make sure he was worth that girl’s sacrifice. He couldn’t be the man he was before; that man was long gone.
He was the Omega.
He’d protect them all.
Chapter 6
Present Day
Maddox pressed his hand to his cheek, letting his fingers trace the scar that had been a par
t of his life for so long that he almost didn’t remember what it was like to not have it.
Almost.
He blinked away the memories of his screams and the girl who had died for him. Countless times he’d almost asked Ellie who she’d been, if Ellie had known the girl who had saved him, but he’d stopped himself in time. He hadn’t wanted to face the memories or the curious looks.
He was pretty sure Ellie didn’t know he’d been in the Central’s den as their prisoner, and he didn’t want to change that. No one except his enemies knew how he’d received his scar, and he wouldn’t change that. He couldn’t burden his family.
Corbin had learned that he’d gotten the wrong twin. Tales of the scarred Omega had reached out far beyond the borders of the Redwood Pack and the legend of how he’d received such a horrific injury grew in falsehoods with each passing year. By the time Corbin had learned it was, in fact, Maddox, not North, who had almost died, too much time had passed to do anything about it. Corbin had been lying in wait for North, and Maddox wouldn’t let anything happen to his twin.
He’d do anything for his twin…even if North had the one thing Maddox so desperately wanted yet could never have.
Maddox had done his best to stop his family from hovering over him. They’d all wanted to know what happened, but he hadn’t told them. As Alpha, his father had even ordered him to tell, and Maddox had disobeyed. The pain to his wolf and fighting the bond between him and his father had been almost as agonizing as the cut, but he had to keep it a secret.
He hadn’t wanted his family to be in danger.
His mother had scolded his father for using the magic against him, and his family hadn’t asked since, as if they’d finally known he wouldn’t say anything—couldn’t say anything.
He’d been right though.
He wasn’t the same man he’d been before his scar.
The bond between him and his Pack seemed to have been turned on full blast since then, and his powers had increased to the point of pain. Instead of a steady increase over time, where he’d have been able to gradually learn to handle it, instead, he’d had to deal with it all at once.
And people wondered why he’d rather be alone most days.
“Maddox?” Ellie asked from his side, pulling him out of his thoughts.
They’d moved to a new location after North had come back letting them know he hadn’t found any other wolves or Caym around. By then, Ellie had walked away to keep guard. She hadn’t even let him stand by her side as she said she’d rather him heal.
His wolf had liked that she’d wanted to take care of him while he’d have rather run and dealt with other things.
Anything other than the feelings that were spreading through him.
She was North’s.
Not his.
He needed to get that through his thick skull.
“Maddox?” Ellie asked again and ran a hand down his arm.
He pulled back as if she’d burned him, not liking the way he craved her touch, her scent and everything about her.
It had been hell to stay away from his mate when they’d been within the den. Now, it was pure torture.
“What?” he snapped then closed his eyes. He needed to stop yelling at her for every single thing, but he couldn’t help it. She had him on edge and wouldn’t leave his side. She should be by North, not sitting by him so he could scent that sweet wolf that his wolf wanted so much.
“You’re lost in thought, and we’re not in the best place to do that,” she said, her voice low but filled with annoyance.
Good. She should be annoyed with him. At least she was learning to fight back; although, he didn’t see her do it with anyone else. Figured he’d be the one she could feel safe yelling at.
“You’re right,” he said after tearing his gaze from hers. “I can smell the rain coming, and we still have a long hike to that cabin.”
Maddox moved to get up, and Ellie put her hand on his side, helping him. He froze at the movement, almost toppling them over. He righted himself and winced as the cut on his shoulder pulled.
“Are you okay?” Ellie asked, concern in her gaze as she ran a hand up his side to the bandage.
He pulled back, afraid of her touch. She needed to stop doing that. They’d gone so long not talking and touching, and yet when he’d pulled her behind him to protect her from his own Pack, it had opened a floodgate. He needed to close it immediately.
It would only hurt the both of them—and North—the longer he let it continue.
Maddox pulled away from her touch, ignoring the hurt in her eyes. It was for the best.
“It’s fine. I’m healing.” He moved past, careful not to brush against her. “Thanks for helping,” he added, unable to be the complete ass he needed to be.
“Where exactly is this cabin?” she asked as her steps fell in synch with his.
“Not too far, but we need to get there before the storm. I’m not in the mood to deal with that on top of the tension in the air.”
“Tension? You mean the Centrals, or what’s going on with the three of us?”
He looked over at her sharply and tripped over a root.
“Fuck,” he said as he found his footing again. “Just go away, Ellie.” Please, for both our sakes. “I already told you we aren’t going to be mates, so just leave. I’ll get you to the cabin and make sure the Centrals won’t hurt you. Only because you’re Pack,” he lied, hating himself. His wolf clawed at him, growling, but he ignored it.
She blanched, but she shook her head. “Not good enough, Maddox. Not good enough by far.”
She walked away from him, her back straight and her shoulders stiff.
God, he was an ass.
No, he was worse. He’d hurt the one person he could love, yet he’d had to. He needed her to stay away so she could be happy. She didn’t deserve what he’d bring to her through their bond.
It was too much.
“I always knew you could be hard if you had to be, but I never knew you’d be so cruel.”
Maddox didn’t look toward North, knowing the disappointment on his twin’s face would be too much to handle.
“She’ll be fine,” Maddox said, willing it to happen.
“You’re an idiot, a fucking idiot.”
“You don’t understand, North. Plus, I thought you’d be happy with this whole development.”
If North didn’t form a bond with Ellie…well, Maddox didn’t know what he’d do. The thought of them actually mating, though, made him sick to his stomach.
The fates surely hated him. Omegas weren’t supposed to mate. They were supposed to die alone and in pain and not able to burden others with their so-called gifts.
That’s the way it had always been, and he wasn’t about to change that.
Lightning arched across the sky, and Maddox held back a shiver. The gods seemed to have opened a faucet, and the clouds burst, rain pelting them in heavy sheets, causing their coats to drench and everything else to stick to their skin.
“We need to get to shelter!” Maddox yelled over the wind and rain as he ran to Ellie’s side. She didn’t know the way, only the general direction, so he needed to be the one who led.
“Maddox, wait up,” North shouted as he jogged toward them. “What the hell did you mean back there?”
Maddox looked at his brother as if he’d lost his mind. Really? Like this was the best time to talk about this shit?
“We need to get to the cabin or at least somewhere where we don’t get drenched more than we are,” Maddox said over the wind as he picked up his pace, Ellie by his side.
“No, we’re going to get this out in the open now,” North argued even as he kept up his stride.
“You’re kidding, right?” Maddox shook his head, trying to get the rain out of his eyes. “We need to get out of here.”
“What did you mean that I should be happy that you’re treating Ellie like shit?” North asked, his eyes glowing gold as his voice shook with what could only be anger.
“Finally, some sense. Let’s get going.” He sped up, practically running through the forest as the rain pelted him.
He didn’t want to have this conversation ever—even if his father had decreed it. They’d have their words, and then North would leave with Ellie, finally able to be her protector and mate. Maddox would stay behind and watch it happen. He’d watched the rest of his brothers mate one by one, having to deal with every single ounce of happiness, angst, and pain that went with falling in love, and he was so fucking happy he wouldn’t have to feel it with North and Ellie.
He’d never have to feel their happiness, their joy, their elation…none of it.
Oh, he’d have to sit back and watch it and pretend everything was okay even when he wanted to jump off a cliff, but he’d deal with it.
He always had in the past, and he wouldn’t stop now.
He ignored North’s and Ellie’s shouts from behind him, though he knew they were running, trying to keep up.
“Maddox, stop running away from us,” North bellowed. “Dad told us to deal with this, and yeah, the rain sucks, but we can’t keep going on like we are.”
Maddox stopped, his chest heaving, not from the exertion, but from his own desire not to do this. He couldn’t tell Ellie what he felt, and he damn well couldn’t tell North.
It wasn’t as if he’d done such a remarkable job hiding it recently anyway.
He didn’t turn because he couldn’t stomach looking at them. They’d be perfect for each other. Ellie deserved the unblemished twin, the one who could help her heal with his grace and ability to aid those in need.
Maddox couldn’t help her…he wasn’t worthy enough.
Why else would the fates block her emotions from him?
“Maddox,” Ellie said, her voice low but loud enough to be heard over the storm.
God, he wanted to hear her say his name in the heat of passion when he’d lay her down and fill her so she’d be his. He wanted to make sure she forgot everything that had ever happened to her at the hands of her brother and the demon that was a blight on this plane.
He wanted to be the one who held her when she broke and helped her heal the fractures that never seemed to heal with words alone.
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack) Page 6