♡ chapter 16 - Rose ♡

            Panic flooded me like an ocean on a freezing day, chilling me through the bone as my eyes snapped open. Hurriedly, they took in my surroundings but the darkness invaded my vision, making it very difficult to make out specifically what I was looking at. But I knew I was sitting, and I knew leather restraints bounded around my ankles and wrists, and I also knew this chair was hurting my ass.

            An eerie silence swallowed the dark room I was captivated in, sending my heart into anxious backflips as I tried to process what happened. All I remember is Harry confessing his love for me, my bracelet being ripped off, Harry’s heavenly lips against mine, and then being dragged away. From then on out, it’s practically a foggy memory I’ll never remember clearly.

            The horrifying echo of shoes clacking against the tile soon intervened with the silence, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin. My breath hitched in my throat, my eyes growing huge as I glanced nervously around the darkness, trying to depict which direction the person was walking in.

            “W-who’s there?” I asked shakily, my voice coming out in a hoarse whisper and I thanked God that this wasn’t a cliché scenario where a gag was in my mouth.

            Laughter.

            Deep rumbles sounding as if they were coming from within the chest, growing closer along with my urge to scream. My chest heaved rapidly, my eyes flitting around the space multiple times over and over, desperately trying to see behind me but to no avail due to the restraints locking me in place. If hearts made noise, you would be able to hear it pounding in my chest throughout the entire room. I was petrified.

            Cool air brushes against my skin as icy fingers sweep my hair off my shoulder, causing me to shudder with the sudden action. I bit my bottom lip furiously, encouraging myself not to cry knowing it only makes you appear weaker. It easily gives your predator the chance to laugh, the chance to make you vulnerable. And although I’m a very emotional person, I was surprised at how calm (not really) I was managing to stay.

            Or act, at least.

            “You were quite a difficult one to catch, my dear.” The voice was sickeningly familiar, although I’ve only heard it minimum times, I knew it well enough. The foul stench clinging to his voice caused my nose to involuntarily scrunch up.

            Marcus was now well in the room.

            “You should’ve seen how quickly my son was running to try and save you,” he whispered near my ear, tremors paralyzing my entire being.

            “What do you want?” I muttered through clenched teeth, the only way possible to hold back the fear dwelling inside of me.

            Marcus walked to where he stood in front of me, a smirk tugging his lips upwards as he trailed a finger from my temple, all the way to my collarbone, leaving a disgusting trail of hatred behind him. “Why, I think it’s quite obvious what I want, princess.”

            “Don’t call me that,” I snapped, surprised at this new confidence I was able to muster.

            Harry would be proud.

            Marcus’ jaw clenched as he leaned forward, resting his hands on the arms of the chair as his face became merely inches from mine. “Do you remember that spectacular power you were able to release back in the clearing?” he murmured through gritted teeth, eyeing me conspicuously.

            My heart hammered in my chest as the remembrance of wind striking the ground came back to me, right as my palms had made contact. Each body that had flew backwards, either into trees or out of sight. But one detail stuck out the most; I had saved Harry’s life. I had been repaying him for all the times he’d been there for me, whether we were fighting or not. For some peculiar reason, he never let anything harmful near.

            Because he’s in love with you.

            Before I could ponder on the thought too deeply, Marcus’ blunt tone brought me back to reality. “I want you to join me, Rose. You and me, we could take over the world. You see, I’ve known of this power inside you for quite some time now. In fact, I knew your mother.”

            My eyes nearly bulged out the sockets, a lump of tears swelling in my throat. “Y-you did?” I whimpered out pathetically, the thought of my mother making me weak in the heart, a throbbing pain beginning to sting my head.

            Marcus smirked. “I sure did,” he said as he began pacing in front of me. “What a beautiful women that was. You remind me very much of her. So fragile, easy to persuade. That’s what makes a person weak, mind you.”

            I narrowed my eyes at him. “I do remember slinging your ass into a tree—maybe unintentionally—and I don’t think that gives you the right to call me weak.”

            Marcus’ smile twisted with amusement as he stared down at me. “You’re very powerful, Rose. Not only with this irritating personality, but with this new magic swirling within you. Please, do demonstrate something else.”

            My eyebrows pinched together. “First of all, I’m tied to a chair. Second of all, I don’t even know how I did it in the first place.”

            “Such a fool,” Marcus muttered as he shook his head in disbelief. He raked a hand through his hair resembling what Harry often does in a nervous state, and I noticed just how similar the two really were, but also so very different. Marcus leaned towards me once more. “You were frightened for someone’s life, Rose. Your power came with fear, and for that you were able to find it.”

            Thinking back to the moment, the familiar fear churns in the pit of my stomach as I remember seeing Harry nearly on the verge of his last breath. The way his head had twisted backwards, as if trying to open his lungs a bit more as Marcus shoved his forearm viciously into his son’s throat. Hatred was full in Harry’s bright emeralds, something often seen in him but never that strong. I remembered how truly helpless he looked, and I knew I wasn’t about to be the reason of his death when he’s done so much to keep me from mine.

            “What do you want so I can just leave?” I asked, getting straight to the point as my eyebrows furrowed together, my lips pressed into a tight line.

            Marcus let out a dry laugh, shaking his head in amusement rather than disbelief this time. “You’re so naïve, Rose. Has Harry ever told you that? The fact he’s fallen in love with such a pathetic girl in such a short time period baffles me and disappoints me all the same.” Marcus narrowed his now angry eyes at me, his jaw clenching. “And because he’s stupid enough to love you infuriates me.”

            “Maybe if you acted like a father, he’d find a place in his heart to love you.”

            Slap.

            It took me multiple moments to realize that he had physically slapped me across my face, the stinging in my cheek growing immensely as I brought my now watery gaze back to meet his. He had no mercy, for which only increased my fear towards him.

            “Do not ever speak to me in such a foolish way,” he spoke through his teeth, his eyes raging mad as he glared back and forth between mine. He truly looked insane in that moment as he dragged both hands through his hair, tugging at the roots. Yet another one of Harry’s habits he must have acquired from his deranged father.

            Marcus leaned back down to me, looking more irate than ever. “You listen to me, you little bitch. You’re fully under my control now, and with one slip up, I have the power to send such a bolt of electricity through you to startle you to death. So you’ll listen to me, and you’ll do as I say so you don’t have to face the consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

            Confused, I managed to nod.

            “Good.” Marcus stood, straightening his button-down. “Now, I’ve placed a tracking device in the side of your neck, along with an emotional buzzer informing me of what you’re feeling and what you say. You say the wrong thing, you die.”

            My eyes widened, my lips parting in fear. “You put a tracking device in me? Are you fucking insane?”

            “Enough,” he snapped coolly, his eyes darting to mine. “Obedience is the first rule of life, Rose.”

            I snorted, but didn’t respond.

            It was clear he hadn’t a clue what the word obedience meant, considering he’s fought against the Council more times than a human can count. Although his son is the same way, I refused to believe Harry was anything like his father. Though he didn’t resemble Jessie, either, he was more genuine than he gave himself credit for.

            “As I was saying before you rudely interrupted,” Marcus murmured as he paced once more, “you work for me now. If I demand your presence in a destined area, you’ll be there. If I command you to report to me, you’ll come. If I inform you to kill, you’ll do exactly that. And if you don’t, I have my own ways to either make you, or to put you through so much torment you’ll have to agree. Understood?”

            I didn’t reply.

            Marcus gripped my chin roughly, his crazed eyes blazing into mine. “I said,” he grumbled deeply, sending chills throughout my body, “understood?”

            I sheepishly nod.

            “Very well.” He tossed my chin away, standing to his full height once more. “I expect to see you working to your full potential, Rose. Now, let me give you the starting rules you’ll need to know.”

♡ Harry ♡

            Words weren’t enough to describe the conflicting emotions currently coursing my veins. Anger. Hurt. Worry. Fear. Panic. All of them except for anger have never even been in my vocabulary before, but after all I spilled to Rose this afternoon, I haven’t been thinking straight. My mind has been a clouded blur, only fearing for her safety while she was snatched away from me by that bastard who was supposedly my father.

            When she was first ripped from my arms, I had ran so fast I couldn’t even process the fact that my legs were moving. I didn’t care about the many branches I tripped over, or the leaves that had violently slapped against my face. I was on a mission to retrieve the only girl to ever make me feel such stupid yet intense emotions. The only person to ever make me feel anything at all.

            And I had failed that mission.

            I failed myself.

            But most of all, I had failed Rose.

            I can still feel the lingering taste of her lips on mine, the way her petite arms hand clasped around my neck, the warmth of her body radiating onto me. It had felt beyond amazing to finally hold her the way I’ve wanted to for so long now, but someone had to ruin the fucking moment, didn’t they? Can’t a guy ever get a fucking break?

            Guess the fuck not since nothing ever goes right in my fucked up life.

            So now, like the pathetic bastard I’ve become, I’m sitting on the couch with my head in my hands, tugging my hair anxiously. I had insisted to keep running until I came across them, but Max had told me it was an idiotic plan destined for disaster. And while he was the only one who had heard the commotion outside, he was the only advice-giver I had. But of course now, all of the boys know and they’re all giving me that fucking look of pity I can’t stand.

            “Take a fucking picture, it’ll last longer.”

            Attempting to mask the bitterness in my tone was a failure, but the boys didn’t seem too offended. They’re used to me being a dick, and they most certainly aren’t like Rose where they’ll talk back. I’m proud to say the boys know their boundary on when to shut up, but Rose is this fearless, adorable little lion that I can’t get enough of. So as much as she pisses me off to no end, I still can’t help but to be shamelessly in love with her. God, I’m so fucking pathetic I could scream.

            “Mate, I’m sure she’s—“

            “Don’t even fucking start with me, Liam.” I raised my head to shoot a stern glare his way, my eyebrows creased together. “I don’t want to hear things that may or may not be true, and I sure as hell don’t want to jinx it.”

            Liam puffed out air from his cheeks, but he seemed to understand as he plopped down onto the lounge chair opposite me. All the boys were in the room, gazing at me, gazing at the door, or just gazing anywhere. Rose’s absence has brought a bigger pain of silence than I ever thought possible, the cabin far too dull to be enjoyable. Nothing seems right without her stunning smile lighting the town.

            Glancing at the clock on the stove, my heart clenched.

            She’s been gone eleven hours and you’re acting like a baby whose mother left him for years.

  But just as this thought runs through my mind, the front door swings open, instantly causing me to shoot to my feet. But rage coursed my veins as a beat up—and rather bloody—Rose stumbled into the room, collapsing on the floor. 

-

-

A/N: Thank you for all the birthday wishes (: xx

*VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE.* ;)