Chapter 44
1549words
I woke up in a poorly lit room, feeling groggy and disoriented, and struggled to sit up on the cold hard floor. There was a window that told me it was still dark outside, and in the far back of my mind, I worried that my family would be worried at the fact that I wasn't home yet. But that only reaffirmed the fact that all wasn't well.
“What the hell?” I said weakly. It was as though every bone in my body had been stepped on mercilessly, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. It was a very helpless feeling to be honest. And I hated feeling this way.
"Finally, the princess has awoken." I turned in the direction of the voice, and the footsteps drawing closer, and fought for presence of mind,
"Who the hell are you?" I said, glad that my voice sounded stronger than I envisioned it would be.
"Only your worst nightmare." and even before he stepped into the light, I knew it was him.
"Sebastian," I said, and felt my blood curdled,
He smiled a sadistic smile from where he stood, and shook his head, "I told you, did I not? I told you that it wasn't over.
"I must have missed it while your father was giving you a good whooping and forcing you to apologize. " I watched the smile on his face contort into a deep frown.
"That's just one of the many reasons that you're here. That and that stupid smart mouth of yours," he said angrily and I thought he looked deranged, with his hair all messed up and his eyes looking like a man who had barely gotten any amount of sleep.
"It's late, and I should be home by now. I guess that my loved ones are worried, and are going to come find me. you're going to be sorry you took me hostage."
"Maybe," he said, shrugging and taking steps closer. " But by then, I'd be gone, and to be honest, so will I."
He didn't walk toward me like I expected he would but to a table filled with bottles of alcohol and packs filled with what I suspected were hard drugs.
I struggled to rise because I knew I could take him on, whether he stuffed himself with toxins or not, but my weakness was too strong so It was too hard trying to make my legs work.
"don't try getting up. I injected you with wolfsbane, and it's going to take a while for it to wear off. Until then, I think you and I will be able to have some fun."
I watched him gulp down an entire glass of alcohol, that he diluted with hard drugs and wasn't sure who I worried for more. Myself, who was his numb hostage, or him who was obviously poisoning his organs with all those toxins. Sure, wolves healed fast, but a certain level of hard drug intake was bad for anyone.
"I can tell by the way you look at me that you've never tried this. Do you want to try this?" he asked, his voice slurred, and I wondered if that was his first glass.
"no," I said, shaking my head. It was the best. Best, if I remained in conversation with him until the effects of the wolfsbane began to wear off. Only, I wasn't sure how long that would take.
"your loss!" he exclaimed, happily, and began to take off his shirt, "you'll never know this level of happiness," he said with a wild smile on his face,
"or this level of insanity," I murmured and he looked at me dead in the eyes, before he drew closer, bending till we were eye level, and ran a finger down my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. I might have slapped his hand away if the weakness I felt wasn't possessing my hand.
"I did tell you about this smart mouth of yours," he said, and I feared his alcoholic breath was going to be the end of me.
"You can talk to me without being this close," I said defiantly, and he chuckled,
"you know what? I like it, I like this little mouth of yours, I wonder the sounds it would make though, if I did things to you." hearing him say those words, I felt my first lick of fear.
He must have seen it because he chuckled and stood upright,
"Don't worry sugar, I'll handle you well," he said and started to unbuckle his belt,
"If I were you, I'd keep those pants on.” I looked up in sudden relief to see Paris standing behind Sebastian, his hand around his need, "Sugar."
"Paris." I sighed and felt tears sting the corner of my eyes, “but what are you doing here?”
"hang in there, Em," he said, looking at me for only a fraction, before returning his attention back to Sebastian, who looked pale and scared,
"what the hell did you think you were going to do to her?" he asked angrily,
"nothing. I wasn't going to do anything. Talking, we were just talking."
"I hate the way you talk." he said and tossed him to the ground as though he was a rag doll, "but just this once, I'm going to leave you for the public to devour," he said and opened up his phone, and Sebastian's voice and his activities, since I woke up, began to play.
He groaned and grunted, "What the hell do you plan on doing with that?"
"you'll see," he said, and stuffed his phone in his pocket before coming to me,
"Are you good?" can you stand?" he asked gently and I shook my head,
"wolfsbane," I said weakly and he nodded in understanding.
He crouched to my level and put his hand around my waist and beneath my thigh, before effortlessly lifting me off the ground.
"let's get you home," he said, and I found myself fighting tears,
"What about him?" I asked gesturing to Sebastian,
"Cops are outside. They'll handle him."
"Okay," I said as Paris carried me out. Behind us, Sebastian was still grunting and groaning in pain. Partly from the throw, but partly I was sure, from all those toxins he filled himself with. The guy was a total mess, and I was just grateful to be out of his reach.
"Paris?" I said when he stepped out into the cool night air,
"Yes, Em?"
"Thank you for saving me."
I called William to pick me up from Paris. Paris had offered to let me spend a night, but I had to decline because being in his house dug up too many ghosts, and I had enough to deal with to last me the night.
"you're sure you can't stay?" Paris asked as I stood out the door, holding on to William.
Paris had brewed me an antidote for the wolfsbane I had been drugged with, but I still needed help standing on my two feet,
"I'm sure. My family is probably worried." it occurred to me that Paris didn't know what family I was talking about. If it occurred to him too, he didn't say. He simply nodded, and looked up at William coolly,
"I put the video about the bloke out on the internet. While there will be some backlash on the son of a gun, she's also in the video. Make sure she doesn't get any attention she doesn't need."
"I can take care of myself." I said, trying to remind them I was still there, " and Paris turned to me,
"I know you can. I'm just asking someone else to help do that," he said logically. Too logically that I couldn't refute him, only stare in gratitude for all he'd done for me that night. Because one minute I had been drugged with wolfsbane, and then the next, Paris was there, saving my life. And I didn't see that one coming, to be very honest.
"get her home safe then," he said grudgingly, after a stretch of silence.
"will do," William said and held on closer as we turned to leave.
I didn't turn around to catch one more look at Paris, but I did feel his eyes on us until we were out of his view.
PARIS'S POV
Kate had yet to return home since I left the house and returned with Ember. So I called her to ask about her whereabouts if she lied, I was only going to confirm it with the private investigator,
"I'm dealing with the whole ordeal with my cousin. He kidnapped Ember?"
"So you're at the station?"
"I am. Paris, did you know about this?"
There was a pause before I finally answered, " I did."
"There must be a misunderstanding. I'm trying to figure it all out. All I know is that I can't leave this place without helping my cousin, you understand, right?"
"I do," I said blandly,
"I don't know what Ember is about, but I'm not about to let her drag my cousin to the mud for the second time."
"You forget one thing, Kate. That beloved cousin of yours was the one who decided to play in the mud." I said and hung up.
