Healing The Alpha Collection

by Jessica Ryan

  "I've felt you," he said solemnly. "I've felt you for ten years. All the fear, all the pain—it's all been right there in the back of my mind."

  "Then it hasn't been for nothing," she said. "You've always known I was out there."

  "I have," he said. "But I didn't know the details. This is all horrible, Leena."

  "I know, but now we have a chance to right this wrong."

  "How?"

  "By destroying Abaddon and my body. The demons can't stay on Earth without a mortal vessel. They play by certain rules."

  "I know all about their rules," Aster said. "I've been studying them for ten years. When their vessel is destroyed, they're forced to return to hell for a century before they're allowed to return to Earth."

  "Then you have to destroy their vessels," Leena said. "If you do it, Aster, then you rid the world of the evil."

  "No!" he screamed, jumping up and swinging his fist at the air. "I can't do that! I won't lose you again, Leena! I won't sacrifice you again!"

  "It's the only way, babe," she said. "I told you the day I left that this was bigger than me and you. It still is."

  "There has to be another way," he begged. "You have to find a way. You have to try and take control of your body."

  "I can't do that, Aster," she said. "I'm a prisoner."

  "You've never been able to speak to me before," he said. "Now you can because we're close. You're growing stronger now that you're close to me. You have to fight it, baby. It's the only way we're ever going to win this fight."

  "Aster, I…" she began to trail off, and her voice began to fade. "They're coming for you, Aster. She's waking up."

  Aster looked around. What kind of place were they keeping him in? There were no walls, no lights. He looked around quickly, trying to find the door that they would come through, but nothing was coming to him. He was alone against the demons in their world.

  Suddenly he felt like a newborn being ripped from the womb. His world was changing, twisting, falling apart in front of him. A bright light shone down, nearly blinding him. He looked around; he was lying on a bed in the jailhouse. He sat up, wiping the sleep away from his eyes.

  He had been unconscious the entire time he was talking to Leena. Somehow she'd managed to enter his consciousness and speak to him while his brain tried to repair the damage from Abaddon's nasty blow to the back of his head.

  "You were able to reach out to my mind, beautiful," he whispered as he grabbed the edge of the bed for support. "You can fight it. Please, baby, just fight it."

  "Look who's awake," a sinister voice said.

  Aster looked up to see Abaddon and Leena standing in front of him, arm in arm. Beside them were two armed guards, each wearing the riot gear the Bucklin Sheriff's department kept on hand.

  "Get him up and shackle him, boys," Leena's body commanded. "He's going to be an example for the rest."

  Aster couldn't even make eye contact with her. It was up to Leena to fight.

  Chapter 13

  After riding away with Abaddon, Leena had been taken back to a hideout the gang had just off the highway outside of Bucklin. It was an old, run-down motel that had long since been abandoned, making it the perfect hideout for the biker gang.

  Leena promised herself she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't beg and she wouldn't fight. These animals would get no satisfaction from her. Of course inside her mind she was scared to death about the prospect of the future. Would Abaddon rape her? Beat her? Decide she wasn't what he wanted and just flat out murder her?

  He occupied the biggest motel room, which was the old owner's office and bedroom. They drove straight to the motel from Aster's house and he immediately led her into the room, then pushed her down on the bed and leered at her.

  She rolled over and pushed her hair out of her face, giving him the most hateful look she could muster. Tears were starting to form, but she pulled them back and refused to allow any of the satisfaction she knew the psycho wanted. He leaned over the bed, his face just inches from hers as his eyes met hers. She remained strong and refused to look away; whatever he was going to do, he was going to have to do it while he was looking into her soul.

  Surprisingly, he just laughed. "You think I actually want you?"

  "What?" she asked, confusion setting in.

  "Sure, you're hot, that much is true. But I don't want you. I don't fucking want you at all."

  "Then why did you take me?" she asked. "Why did you kill so many people just to have me?"

  "It's not what I want," he said, turning away from her and walking across the room with his arms out to his sides. Finally he stopped at a metal briefcase that was sitting on the dresser. He turned back to her with a manic gleam in his eye before opening the briefcase and drawing out an ornate dagger. Leena had to admit it was a beautiful weapon. The blade was a little bit over a foot long and appeared to be made of some sort of black metal. The handle shone brightly, appearing to be made of onyx. As Leena stared at it, she realized there was something inside of the metal, something moving. As she stared further the object began to become clearer. It was some sort of twisted face. Flames began to burst inside the dagger, like it was a mirror to hell. Finally Abaddon spoke again. "It's what she wants."

  "Who is she?" Leena responded weakly.

  "My mate, of course," he said. "She's ready to join me in this mortal coil and I'm ready to have her here."

  "What do I have to do with that?" Leena was beginning to wish they wanted to use her sexually then toss her to the side.

  "You're special, Leena," he said, swinging the dagger like he was cutting someone to ribbons. "You've been chosen to become a vessel for my mate. I had nothing to do with it. She picked you herself."

  "Please, no," Leena said, 'unable to hold the tears back anymore. The dam that was her resolve was cracking from the tidal wave of fear that was beating against it.

  "Please, yes," Abaddon said. "Do you know what you're about to experience? Eternal life and unlimited power! Who wouldn't want such a thing?"

  "Are you a demon?" she asked.

  "The rumors you've heard are more than likely true," Abaddon said, winking at her. The wink made her skin crawl and her stomach lurch.

  "Was Abaddon your human name?" she asked. She didn't know why the questions were flowing from her, but they wouldn't stop.

  "No, of course not," he said. "Abaddon is a name of strength in the demon world. I inspire fear and loathing throughout hell."

  "Why did you take this guy's body? What makes him special? What makes me special?"

  "It's been so long since 'I took this body," he said, curling and uncurling his fist while drunkenly staring at it like the secret to his power was contained right there. "All I can tell you is that I'm attracted to shifters. Why would anyone possess a human when you could take such a strong, virile body to be your own? Other demons have it all wrong. A shifter's life is where true power lies."

  "Why me?" she pleaded. "I just want to go home."

  "Oh, that'll never happen again, Leena," he said, his expression turning stoic and solemn. "You will host my mate for as long as we choose to remain on this abandoned rock you call Earth. Maybe one day your supposed lord and savior will grow bored with his other projects and return to save all his pathetic creations, but until that day you and this world belong to us."

  Leena closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her cheeks. It was all a bad dream; it had to be a bad dream.

  "We have more influence than you can ever know, Leena," he said. '"You don't know how many of the most powerful men in the world have been at our disposal. Not just evil men, men that you thought were good. We don't discriminate; if they bring us power, then we take them."

  "No," she said, shaking her head. "None of this is true. You're not real."

  Abaddon burst out into riotous laughter, grabbing his stomach and throwing his head into the air as his joyful chorus escaped him. "You're a werewolf, honey. That excuse might work for a
human, but you know the world isn't what it seems. You know there's more to it than this."

  Abaddon looked at her with disgust as she looked up at him one more time. "It's a good thing my mate will have complete dominion over your mind. I don't think I can stomach the inane prattle you're spewing day in and day out. Pathetic."

  That was the last thing Abaddon said to her for the rest of the day and night. She was a prisoner in his room, only able to watch television and wait for the moment when he told her she would become one with his mate. He hadn't given his mate's name to her and she was afraid to ask.

  Finally, one week after she had been taken from Bucklin, the plan was set in motion. The world was completely dark to Leena. She could feel her hands bound behind her back and she could barely walk, but that didn't matter to her captors as they dragged her across the dirt and rocks. She knew she was outside, but she had no idea where.

  They loaded her into some sort of vehicle, one that definitely wasn't a motorcycle, and drove her for several hours before finally halting. She heard shouting as they opened the car door and roughly pulled her out to begin the horrific journey they had planned for her.

  "Brothers and sisters," she heard Abaddon say. "You know why we are gathered here."

  "Hail Abaddon!" a chorus of rough-sounding voices screamed. "Hail Empusa!"

  Leena could only assume Empusa was the name of the demon she was about to become very acquainted with. She could feel her knees almost knocking together, her entire body shaking as Abaddon continued to drone on about destiny and hell's right to conquer.

  She could hear what sounded like hundreds of people all around her, all chanting and moving as the unholy ritual unfolded. Without care for her body or her well-being she was roughly slammed onto a piece of hard stone. She tried to coil up and grab at her stomach as she gasped for air, but strong hands pulled her arms and legs apart, stretching her out like one large X. Coarse rope dug into her skin as they tied her down.

  Warm blood began to run down her wrists and ankles where the rope had cut her skin open, but still they continued their chant. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry out to somebody to help her, but all she could do was pray. Silently she begged God to save her, to rescue her from the evil that was being done to her. If God heard her, he didn't give any sign, because the next words she heard were terrifying.

  "When I plunge this dagger into her heart it will infuse Empusa into her soul!"

  A cheer erupted from the crowd as Abaddon finished his sentence. She was trapped with nowhere to go. She sucked in a deep breath and braced herself for the inevitable, but there was nothing that could prepare her for what happened next.

  She screamed in agony as the cold steel pierced her skin and plunged into her still-beating heart. She immediately felt blood beginning to pool in her throat, stifling her scream, but the worst was still to come. The blood in her veins felt like it was being replaced with fire—her entire body burned as her screams died in her throat.

  The intensity of the fire was too much; it was going to kill her. Then she felt it—the violation of her mind. It started like a dark tendril poking at her brain, but then it began to completely envelop her senses, shutting off the world. She expected to hear voices, to hear Empusa proclaiming dominion, but none of that came. Instead, she experienced silence. The silence was so intense she tried to scream, but no sound escaped her lips.

  Had she passed out and been taken somewhere else? The world was so dark, and she couldn't see or feel a thing. Leena began to become keenly aware that she couldn't feel any of her extremities, she couldn't even wiggle a toe. She tried to shift, but nothing happened.

  Before she knew it the pain of the fire seemed like a distant memory and the silence was beginning to fade too. She was just lying on the table with the bag over her head. The ropes felt like they had been cut or burned away. Slowly her body began to rise from the table. Leena wasn't giving it any commands; she wasn't driving at all. The bag flew off her head, ripped away by her own hand, and her eyes landed on a sea of bikers, humans and other shifters all standing in this clearing in the forest chanting her name.

  That was it; Empusa had taken possession of her body. From now on Leena knew she was just along for the horrible ride.

  Chapter 14

  Aster briefly considered fighting as the two armed guards moved in to bind his arms and legs together with heavy steel shackles. However, he took one look at his former love and his old nemesis and realized it would be a suicidal fight. They knew where his family and friends were and he couldn't foolishly throw his life away for a bit of revenge.

  That's what you taught me so long ago, babe, he thought. I'm important and I have to be smart. You're important too and I hope you figure a way out of this.

  The demon who was possessing Leena was a particularly annoying one who knew exactly how to get under Aster's skin. As they lifted him from the bed she poked her ass out, rubbing it ever so slightly against Abaddon's crotch. When she noticed his eyes land on her action she giggled and turned towards Abaddon, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his lips.

  Aster tried to look away, but the guards forced him to stay facing forward as they bound his arms and legs. She was really laying it on thick: her tongue and Abaddon's tongue had left their mouths and were busy slapping one another like two swords involved in a duel.

  It was disgusting to Aster and also infuriating. He knew Leena had no control over what was happening, but it still pissed him off that he had to watch as her body was put through hell. How many times had she been forced to watch as the demons used their bodies to consummate their unholy bond?

  He could feel himself beginning to lose control as the two armed guards continued to try to fit the shackles on him. His veins looked like snakes crawling just underneath his skin as every muscle in his body tensed. His neck looked like a mess of thick, heavy rope and his body felt more like stone than flesh and blood.

  "I can't budge his arm," one of the guards said helplessly.

  "Motherfucker," the other said, yanking to no avail on his other arm.

  He refused to move, refused to let them shackle him. He wasn't going to fight back, but he wasn't going to cooperate, either. If these two buffoons wanted to imprison Aster, they were going to have to earn it.

  "Sir," one of them protested, looking back helplessly to Abaddon. The demon continued to ignore them. The side of his body was turned to Aster as he and Leena's body continued to taunt him with their public display of affection, but their eyes were cut towards him. They were mocking him and trying to wound his pride, a sin usually unforgivable in the face of a strong alpha.

  Leena and Abaddon's tongues continued their tango as they mocked him and the guards fought and pulled with all of their might. Leena bit down on Abaddon's bottom lip, pulling it forward and clamping down as she growled and teased.

  "Enough of this shit," the other guard said as he drew a baton from his belt. Aster still didn't budge as the guard brought it down across his back with all the power he could muster. The other took his partner's cue and drew his baton. Together they both began to beat Aster mercilessly. He tried to stay strong, tried to stand and ignore the hard plastic clubs beating him, leaving cuts and bruises all over, but finally his body gave out.

  He collapsed into a heap on the ground as one guard delivered a steel-toed boot to the gut, driving all the air out of Aster's body. He rested his face against the cold concrete of the cell floor as they stood over him, sneering in triumph.

  "Not so tough are you now, big guy?" the guard that first drew his baton said.

  "They're all the same size when they're lying on the ground like a bitch," the second guard said.

  "Enough," Abaddon said.

  Aster couldn't see him, couldn't see if he had finally unhanded the body of Aster's only love. The mocking might have continued for all he knew, but for now he just wanted to rest his face on the floor and stare at the cinderblock that made
up the cell's back wall.

  He could feel warm blood pooling under his face. One of the shots to the head had broken his skin, causing his head to gush with the warm stickiness of his life force. As the blood continued to flow, a thought occurred to Aster. A thought that made him smile and almost laugh out loud, but he held his emotions in check and continued to lie on the floor like a wounded animal.

  As the guards reached down and lifted him to his feet he stuck his hand in the pool of blood, getting enough on it to saturate his skin. The guards continued to sneer at him and giggle about their victory as they clamped the heavy shackles onto his wrists. There was a chain leading from his wrists to his ankles where they clamped two more heavy steel pieces.

  "Now walk," one of them ordered, shoving him hard in the back with his baton.

  Aster put his head down and began to walk, keeping his bloody hand in a fist as he went along. They had him in the jail, in solitary confinement. As he was shuffled out of the small corridor that held his single cell, he was led past the two doors that led to the Dawn and Guard hallways that were lined with cells. He looked up as he passed the large holding cell where they brought drunk humans who needed to sleep off a night of debauchery. His eyes grew wide and he felt his heart race as he looked into the cell.

  They'd gathered up most of his friends and forced them into this cell so they could watch the dead wolf walking. All of them ran to the bars, not a one daring to open his or her mouth as the two demons looked at them. They were all there: Rowan, Thorn, Beorn, Hawk, Rain, Eva and a short, red-headed human Aster did not recognize.

  "Brother," Rowan finally said, defying the glare of the demons. "You're hurt badly."

  "Don't worry about me," Aster said, giving Rowan a knowing smile. "I'm going to be just fine."