Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate novel Chapter 183

Chapter 183 – Bastien Meets his Cellmates

LV1

Bastien

It‘s dark when I wake – the pitch black of a windowless cell, the air cold and damp. I know I‘m underground without being told, and even before I remember the events that led me to this place, I know something is horribly wrong.

Slowly the details filter back into my mind, and before I can even process my turbulent feelings Axel bursts out of me. I circle the cell, smelling every corner of the space and trying to gain my bearings. It‘s a cramped space lined with bars of pure silver, boasting nothing whatsoever to support human life. There are no objects present – no furniture, not a bucket for waste or vessel for water, nothing.

I can see other cells through the dim light, and the shadows of other shifters lurking in the peripheries. I‘ve never been in a cage like this, but it makes my wolf feel as feral as a rabid dog. I don‘t know how Selene survived living in such conditions for a week, let alone eight years. Of course it doesn‘t help that I know she‘s in horrible danger right now.

The desire to kill Blaise if a bloodlust unlike anything l ve ever known. I‘m so overwhelmed with violent energy that I can‘t help but charge back and forth before the bars, snarling viciously. I don‘t know what to do – I‘ve got to find a way out of here. Every second that I‘m trapped in this dis

mal cell is going to cost Selene dearly.

As unfair as I know it is, I‘m also beyond angry with my mate. I know in her shoes I would have done exactly the same thing. In fact, I already did when I agreed to marry Arabella to protect her. Still, I would rather die a thousand deaths than lose her and the baby, or make them suffer this way. I know Selene was worried about Blaise discovering Lila, but Drake and I had emergency plans in place in case the worst happened. She could have run and gone on with out me.

Axel howls with pain just imagining where Selene is in this moment, and what she‘s already been forced to survive in my honor. How much time has even passed since the events at the church? Horrible, unwelcome picture flood my mind, of Blaise torturing and abusing my mate, and her allowing him in order to protect me. It isn‘t right. I have to help her.

My entire body is shaking with wrath, a seething craze of outrage and despair. Just as I feel I might spontaneously combust, an irritated voice floats through the darkness to wards me. “Would you shut up! You‘re not going to get out of here by ranting and raving that way.”

“Give him a break, Grayson. You were like this too at first.” The second voice is rugged, mature and sounds very tired. “They all are.”

“That doesn‘t make it any less unbearable.” The first man gripes. “It‘s giving me a headache and it‘s not as if it will do any damned good.”

“Who are you?” | call out in answer, “Where are we?”

“I‘m James,” the second voice sighs, “And your cheer leader here is Grayson. We‘re in Blaise‘s dungeon – though if it helps to know he must think you‘re something special. This is the high security wing – he only puts the most dan gerous prisoners down here.”

“It doesn‘t help.” I hiss, “The only thing that will help is getting out of here.”

“Well that‘s not going to happen.” The first voice snipes. “Take it from me, it‘s better to just accept it now rather than holding onto false hope.”

“I can‘t give up.” | snap. “I have people counting on me.”

“You hear that James?” Grayson scoffs, “This one thinks he‘s the only man ever to have people he cares about.”

“Give the pup a break Grayson,” James advises patient

1. ly.

“How long have you two been here?” | ask, feeling my heart sink amidst their cynicism. I may be determined, but I

also know the first rule of planning any operation is map ping out the lay of the land, and no one knows the chal lenges better than the people on the ground – or in this case, in the ground. If they feel it‘s impossible, they proba bly have a damned good reason for thinking that.

“25 years for me.” James announces bleakly. “And Grayson –”

“10 years.” Grayson interrupts the other man, “and trust me, we‘ve tried everything possible to escape during our combined decades here. If there was a way, we would have found it.”

“We‘d be dead if we had.” Grayson answers, “Blaise only keeps you around as long as you‘re useful and as miserable as living out the rest of our lives in cages is, I‘d far rather defy him and suffer than submit. He‘s taken everything from me, I‘ll never give him what he wants.

“What is it, what is it he wants to know from you two?” || ask, truly curious now.

co–conspirators. In truth, my days are probably limited. We‘ ve been completely cut off from the outside world so I‘m as out of touch with the movement as anyone. Part of me thinks he just keeps up the torture to punish me for daring to defy him.”