⚠ Very disturbing scene ahead ⚠

 *Luna*

As I lie flat on a metal slab in a treatment room, I feared for my life. I was strapped down and felt stuck to the table, sweat pouring down my body. Then I heard the doorknob twist, and the door opened with Dr. Kim strolling in like he wasn't doing anything wrong, completely at ease with absolutely no remorse for hurting me like this. His white trousers and white shirt even looked pressed and cleaned. 

He visited the dry cleaners; I see. But once I'm free, those clothes will be messed up.

With my hands wrapped around the loop of the restraints, trying to wiggle my fingers to unhook them, he spoke before I could get free. 

"Don't even think about it. You nor Camille are getting any better. I knew she'd be tough to crack, but you were the one who surprised me the most. There is no escaping." He barely passed me a glance as he walked around the slab, eying me. Then he pulled up his small seat and sat down. "Cami and the one she is tethered to—paired with—will be captured before long. So will yours. The both of you will talk, and you will understand that these sessions will continue until you both tell me what I want to know." 

A deep growl settled inside my throat as I laid here, feeling helpless.

He glanced at the monitors and then back to me and tsked in a quiet tone. "Luna, I had so much hope for you to utter his name, your companion. But you haven't. And I know it is a male you are matched with. Once we locate him, well, you get the picture." 

It took everything in me not to shoot a wad of spit his way. "You jerk! I hope you get what you deserve!" 

One dark eyebrow rose. "Yes, I hear that a lot, unfortunately. Does it seem like I care?"

I grind my teeth again, irritated by how much pain I'd endured over this. He was trying to make me say Amir's name, but I wouldn't do it. "You don't have to care, but kidnapping people who have a special gift is grounds for torture?"

Dr. Kim brushed his fingers down his pants and flipped one knee over the other. "Don't think of it as torture, Luna. This is different." He laid a hand over one of the tubes hooked up to me, adjusting it. "Hopefully that is less... uncomfortable." 

I snorted. "Lying here numb and helpless is uncomfortable." He tenses close to my face and gazed down. I did not understand how I ended up in here, or how he knew about the Tethered Species. That must be what this hospital was about. Collecting us and doing horrible things to us.

Dr. Kim laughed lightly, inching backward. "I was really hoping you would say the person's name by now. We need to find them and find out everything we can. I'm thinking it's a man, and probably with brown skin. Maybe in Morocco, or perhaps Russia? Moscow? You've yelled out those locations before while we shocked your brain." 

Anger was like poisonous acid in my blood as I stared up at the doctor, or whatever the hell he really was. I doubt he was a true doctor. His methods to get information were horrible.

It was the nurse who broke the silence between us; her soft voice was level as she stared down at me. "We just need a name."

Glaring up at her with a death stare from hell, I saw how her face was pale and her eyes were round but over done with eyeliner. They wanted Amir's name because they'll capture him and torture him the same way they do to me. 

Dr. Kim spoke up as he kept his eyes on mine. "Tell me, Luna, why are you insistent on keeping quiet about this? Do you really care for this person?" 

Why in the hell would I answer that question? I glanced up at the ceiling, but the nurse forced my chin to stare back at them. "What do you want to do with them?"

"Just answer the question, please." He cocked his head to the side and stared hard my way. "I'm waiting." 

My teeth were hurting with all the grinding I'd done. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"You and Cami, among others, are part of a rare species who can communicate exceptionally well, for starters." His gaze flickered over at the nurse and back at me. "Your race of people are... curious beings. I'd like to know more about what you can do." 

"Why?" I questioned.

He ignored me. "You're a Tethered Soul, Luna. You are paired with someone out there who will be hurt, again, when I shock your temples. It would be best if you just tell me what I want to know."

"You won't get anything out of me."

"Is that right? Because I know the Luna who hates these therapy sessions and hurting all the time. I know this must be miserable for you." He softly chuckled and looked down. "I know that some part of you wants to answer me, to put your mind at ease." 

"That would never put my mind at ease to put my partner in danger like that. I would never turn on them because we are linked, and this facility will go down once my companion sees what is happening to me!" 

"Oh, so the connection is still open. Thank you for that information." 

I looked sternly into his gaze and growled. He knew about our connection, and now he'll hurt me to hurt Amir. My brain couldn't comprehend this, and all I could think about was keeping this jerk talking. I couldn't go through another shock treatment. "I didn't tell you anything." I have to turn off our connection. But it wasn't as simple as turning off your car. Shutting him out was harder.

Dr. Kim looked insulted and not at all amused by my need to keep my information quiet. "You can't tell me that after enduring all the pain you've felt you will keep this information to yourself. I'm shocked at how hard it is for you to open up. For Cami, she blurted her partner's name. Darren, from New Zealand. And now I have one more to go. Luna Carlyle." 

A muscle along my temple throbbed harder. Cami and Darren. God knows what will happen to them. I bet he'd perform countless things to her to get to him, and I will not let this man hurt Amir. No one hurts Amir. "You think telling me that will make me talk?" His gaze stayed on mine, and I snickered. "Because guess what? I won't say my companion's name." 

A flare of impatience made him pop up from his seat and scoot lower down to my face. "What if I told you that Sarah may not be as safe as you may think?" 

"What?" I mumbled.

My baby. What has he done to my family?

He didn't look away, not even blink. His eyes stayed locked on mine as his hand tightened my restraint. "Your daughter, Luna. What if I told you she, Liberty, and Mr. Rahul is being monitored? Would you say your companion's name then? Or do you continue keeping that a secret?" 

There was a light knock at the door, and the nurse cracked it opened to speak to whoever it was on the other side. Then she walked to the doctor and whispered something into his ear. He stepped away from my body and opened the door wider. My heart sped up as I saw the tall, dark, and attractive figure before me. 

Amir.

Amir was here. He was standing near the edge where my feet were. He came to rescue me. Taking one step closer to me, he stared into my eyes and shook his head as he knew what was happening. Dr. Kim came back to the table and looked me over. Then he smiled brighter, like someone did something naughty to him. Let me out, so I can kick your ass already.

"Luna, this is a scientist who came a long way who is also curious about what we're conducting in this facility. This is Mr. Khan." A few men in military uniforms stepped into the doorway and lined up against the wall. The doctor then stood beside Amir, and I kept my eyes on his. Neither of us could talk privately, because we can't get caught. Then Dr. Kim does something I didn't expect him to do.

He brought up his taser to Amir's neck and shocked him, causing my partner to fall face down onto the ground.

He knew.

Somehow he knew Amir was my mate. We were part of the species this place is gathering up to experiment on us.

My heart—dammit—my heart felt the pain inside my chest as he shocked Amir's skin again. If I could yank my ass up, I'd shock his ass to another state because he had my whole world at his feet.

"Stop! Please!" I swallowed hard, but the realization hit me like a freight train. "Don't hurt him!"

Dr. Kim stared into my eyes and smiled. "He came here on his own. I have him right where I need him, so why would I stop now?"

"I'll tell you whatever you need to know."

"And I will too... don't hurt us," Amir gasped out, his hands pushing himself up. "Anything... you... need to... know. Just let her go."

"Amir," I called out, tears falling slowly out of my eyes.

Dr. Kim's hand raised up, and the military men rushed to Amir's body, pulling him up. "I will get the answers I need?"

"I hate you!" I screamed out and felt agony as Dr. Kim shocked Amir on his back, causing me to shake rapidly all over my bed.

I jerked myself up and pant, realizing that was all a dream. It was a nightmare. An absolute nightmare. Amir was safe. I was safe. My chest was beating hard and fast, pounding in its chambers. Then I felt a hand rub my back, and I turned my neck around quickly.

"Amir?"

"Luna... baby... you're okay. It was just a dream," he said, soothing my spine, comforting me.

"But it felt so real," I replied, almost whispering.

"It wasn't. They don't know about us."

Huh? Did we just share the same nightmare? Did our connection reach that far?

"Did you see what I dreamed about?"

He quietly snickered, the tip of his lips turning up into a small grin. "Not exactly. I'm at work now and lying on my couch. I had to take a break for a bit. Then I felt you sweating and almost like you were being smothered. I couldn't breathe. And then when I connected to you, I wrapped my arms around you tightly and somehow I could feel what was going on in your dream. You felt my body being shocked and in pain. I felt that."

"But how did you know the reason we were being tased?"

"You uttered the name of our species in your sleep. Then you started thrashing around and feeling frightened."

"It was very surreal. It was almost like they knew about us, and they tortured us for that reason."

He leaned forward and kissed my bare shoulder. "I doubt they have any clue who we are. I think they believe that when they see a patient speaking to the air, then that person has an imaginary friend, so the staff keeps them in this place. They have proof of you and Cami doing that. Be careful outside this room."

"I knew we should've been more careful when we spoke to you and Faisal."

"It's alright. It was only a fear. You only dreamed about your worst fear—being found out."

"Why are you acting so cool about this?" I asked, and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"I'm not-I just-I understand how you feel. I hate the thought of you having nightmares. That's all. I want to be here to comfort you. You're my moon, my shining star. Your pain is my pain."

"Wow. I'm just shaking over it," I murmured, feeling slightly better by his hand running up and down my back. I wrapped myself into his arms and snuggled against his chest. "We need to get out of here. Cami and I. And Sarah's birthday is close."

"The first of July, right?" I nodded and almost started tearing up. I wanted to see my baby girl for her birthday. "Faisal, Darren, Sue, Cassie, and I are trying to accomplish that."

A loud knock pounded on the doorframes outside in the hallway, startling me.

"IT'S MORNING LADIES!" the nurse yelled outside in the hall. "TAYLOR, CARLYLE, MONTGOMERY. DR. KIM'S OFFICE IN FIVE MINUTES."

I turned back to Amir and kissed his lips. "Stay with me. I can't go in there alone."

"Of course. I'll do anything for you."

 I held him for ten more seconds until my door swung open, and Cami stood beside our guards along with Lily Montgomery, another victim of this place. I threw on my sweatshirt and stepped into the sandals Cami lent me the other day, then walked down to the hallway toward Dr. Kim's office, dreading what's to come.

At least Cami and I had Amir here to keep an eye on us. Just by looking at him helped calm my nerves.

***

  Of course, you all know where the name Lily is derived from. That is the author's first name. Thanks for reading you guys!