X • Ricky's POV • X

The fact that I wasn't dead by now lead me to believe there somehow was ventilation in this small compartment. I should have ran out of air a long time ago, but I was still breathing. Though it was scarce, it was still there. Fresh air was coming in from somewhere. Unfortunately there was no room for me to look around and figure it out.

Who would trap me in such a horrific way, just to keep me alive? The Shadows, obviously, but why? Why do they want me alive? At this point, even I way me dead. There's nothing left to live for when you believe your love is gone.

I don't feel that undying connection to Chris anymore. Is he truthfully dead? I never thought he could be killed... I could be wrong though. Please, God, don't give me this kind of survivors guilt. If he's dead but I somehow make it out of here alive, I'll never be able to live with myself. I'd go out Romeo and Juilete style, kill myself just to be with him.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Have faith. He must be alive, he must be. I'm just to weak to feel his love right now. Maybe he's weak too, and our connection was severed by that.

I tried my best to relax. My wings were getting stiff from being in this position. Where they went into my back was sore from being laid on so long. I usually sleep on my side or back at night to prevent this. I couldn't exactly move right now.

In the silence, I heard a distant rattling. It sounded like a door handle shaking. I guess at least I know I'm not underground. Who's coming for me though? What is? At this point, all I can do is hold my breath and pray.

Light suddenly beamed across my face. Just a bit, coming through the cracks of the coffin. Then, I was embraced my light as the coffin was opened. Fresh air instantly rushed into my lungs. I blinked rapidly to adjust to the new light, which my eyes now were foreign to after hours of darkness.

Sitting up, I looked around for my savior. My eyes landed on TJ, whom stood softly smiling with his hands resting on the edge of the coffin. I leaned over and hugged him around the neck.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." I muttered to him.

He laughed deeply, then replied, "C'mon. Let's get you out of here."

"What about the others?" I asked.

"Devin, Balz, and Angelo are taking care of that. They have their missions, I have mine. And mine is to get you out of here safely. We can't risk you falling into the hands of the Shadows." TJ explained. "You ready?"

"Yeah, but first, is Chris okay?"

"He's alive." He said.

That was code for, he's in bad shape but hey he's still breathing. At least he is alive.

X • Ryan's POV • X

They not only dragged me back to this dirty room, they also turned me into a human pinata. However candy does not come out of me! I suppose to thirsty vampires, blood could seem like candy. Our blood is made to taste bad though. It was an evolutionary thing to keep vampires from drinking from each other. Didn't really work, obviously.

I was cut up and beaten. There was no fight left in me. There wasn't even blood left in me at this point. Hope had been beaten even worse than I had. I was just barely holding onto life. Why did I even bother...

Even if Devin and Balz come for us, they won't be able to defeat the Shadows all on their own. We are out of options. Is the hope I hold onto now even going to count for something? It's not in my nature to give up, but I am seriously considering it.

The door creaked open. Oh fuck, not again. I'm not healing, so these beatings might actually kill me. I laid on the cold floor, with my blood draining down the tile. My eyes remained shut, as the light hurt my pounding head too much to keep them open. I felt so ungodly weak and in agony.

Someone set their arm on my shoulder, causing me to fearfully flinch. "Shh, it's okay." I heard a voice softly sooth me. I recognized the voice as Josh's. "It's just me. I'm here."

X • Devin's POV • X

It's amazing how well this technology has helped us. I'd never be able to sneak into a place like this just on my raw abilities. If we make it out of all this alive, Chris seriously needs to step back from the old ways and consider this shit. Speaking of, I was currently watching him be tortured brutally.

I was a little too casual in saying that, wasn't I? I've been both the torturer and the tortured. I've honestly become numb to the art. Don't get me wrong, it still pains be to see Chris hurt. It just doesn't make me want to puke. Angelo and I sat up in the rafters of the warehouse type of the room. This whole place was some type of compound.

We were waiting for the lights to give out. Angelo gave Balz twenty minutes. We've already burned five. He couldn't help but stare at Chris. I couldn't speak out loud, so I started talking to him telepathicly.

"Is this the first time you've seen him since... everything?" I asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "I missed him. He's still so handsome... strong... the man I love."

"Do you know about him and Ricky?"

"I'm an oracle, Devin. I know everything. Ricky was made for Chris. The guardians have told me as such. I always knew there was a missing link between Chris and I. However, I just couldn't ever figure out what it was, until Ricky fell into our lives. That's when I realized, I was never meant to be Chris' perfect match."

"Then who are you meant for?"

"Oracles are servants to the universe." Ange said. "We don't have a perfect love. What Chris and Ricky have though, that is true love."

"Do you think Chris will still love Ricky when he finds out your alive?" I questioned. "He still believes you to be his love."

"I know Chris. He's in denial that Ricky is, but he'll figure it out. It'll be one of the hardest things he ever has to do."

I sighed to myself. Once everyone knows Angelo is alive, a lot is going to change. I honestly don't know how Chris will react. The others will be happy, but Chris... He always gets mad or upset with everything. Even this, could make him flip. Only time will tell.

"Do me a favor, stay here when the lights go out." Angelo suddenly told me.

"What? Are you insane?" I responded.

"Possibly. Just do it, okay?"

"Fine but this is all on you if you die."

"I'm protected by the cosmic entities of the universe. I think I'll be safe." He said optimistically.

Just then, the lights went down. There were a few gasps. I heard people already trying to break out of their cages, now that they can't get electrocuted for it.

"What the Hell?" Beau shouted. "Axel! What the fuck just happened?!"

"I don't know." The Shadow replied. "I'm trying to fix-"

"Axel! Axel? Axel?!" Beau somewhat panicked.

It was honestly kind of amazing to see, or rather hear, him act so frantic. He normally keeps a cool head. Apparently not when his plans are falling apart! The emergency lights when up, but by this time, Angelo had already rejoined me. He was quite the spider monkey when he wanted to be.

As the lights came back, all the henchmen were passed out on the ground. The cages had been opened, letting all the vampires, demons, and werewolves free. Chris had been unchained from the wall he was being tortured against, but he was passed out from the overwhelming pain.

"Teleport down there. Give him all three shots; the natural enhancer, the serum, and the adrenaline shot." Angelo told me.

"Are you serious?" I asked, in disbelief that he thought that would be okay to do to anyone's body. Even Chris...

"Just do it."

I sighed to myself, then pulled all three out from my waistband. I completely prepped them here on the rafters, so I could get in and get out. Beau was still trying to get his bearings. He tried to run for one of the doors on the end of the walkway, but he was suddenly stopped by Balz blocking the way. Beau turned the other way, and TJ teleported on that side. Trapped like a rat. This was a perfect opportunity.

I teleported myself directly over Chris body. From the cloak over me, no one could see my face. I quickly looked up and winked at Kyle. She smiled devilishly back at me. Then I looked at Beau up on the walkway, who was watching me scarcely. I just laughed evilly, swiftly plunging all three needles into Chris' back at once.

He yelled out. That woke him up. I made sure all three injections went all the way into his blood system. Then, I stepped far back, and let the medical potions do their work.

Chris slowly stood up. As he did, all the slashes on his body were healing rapidly. He even had a glow to him. Chris pushed his hair out of his face as he looked up, his eyes glowing red.

"My friend, even a Devil like you should be scared now." TJ laughed to Beau. "Perhaps, I should inform Chris how you held Ricky captive in a coffin, gasping for air. Chris doesn't take kindly to people hurting his boyfriend." He chuckled.

"No, I do not." Chris responded. "Nor do I enjoy you torturing my family. Beau, I suggest you at least try to run."

"I am not a coward like you, Cerulli." He scoffed. "I am also not an idiot." Beau smiled, and as he did, his image flicked.

Are you fucking kidding me? A fake? Where the Hell is the real one then? Still out there, obviously. I want to kill the fucker even more now for being such a little shit. Someone so evil should not be so hot either. That's just all kinds of wrong.

"You were stupid enough not to realize when what you were looking for, was right in front of your fucking hollow eyes." I bitterly stated.

"You've always been the fool." Angelo's voice echoed sharply through the room. He jumped down from the rafters, landing exactly next to the clone of Beau. It's unfortunate it isn't the real thing. "And, my friend, don't you dare say you are not a coward. Only a coward would dare send his unstable clone to do his work."

"I knew you weren't dead." He sharply replied. "Don't you worry, Angelo. I will make sure your death will come from only my hands. And, it will come soon."

Beau quickly pulled his pistol, shooting out the supports of the metal walkway. He teleported out, leaving the others to fall with the bridge. In the flash of and instant, I teleported up there and grabbed Balz and Ryan. TJ slid down the bridge as one side fell first. He grabbed Angelo and teleported them to solid ground as well.

Looking around, all the henchmen that surrounded us unconscious were teleported out by an unseen force. This left just the coven, guards, mates, and nurses. Along with, the walking dead and silence.

Angelo sighed and slowly pulled back his hood. Everyone stared in disbelief, and Chris... there was pain in his eyes. "Chris..." Ange started softly. "I... I'm sorry."

A moment passed. At a low tone, Chris responded slowly, "How could you do this?"

"I had to protect you. I had to protect the coven. I mean, once Beau found out I was alive, look what happened." He replied.

Chris looked down at the ground, then glanced back up. "I... I want to hold you and hung you right now, but Ange, you have no idea what has become of me these last five years. Only you could manage to break me so... so hard."

Angelo took a heavy swallow. "I'd rather have you broken than dead. I'm sorry for loving you to this point of sacrifice."

"I... I can't do this right now." He muttered. Chris teleported out of the room, leaving the silence behind.

"Well," Brent broke the quiet. "He might be mood as fuck, but Ange, the rest of us are happy to have you back." He said, giving him a hug.

"I'm happy to be back. I've missed you all so much."

"We've missed you too." I smiled.

"Hey!" TJ scoffed. "What the fuck am I? Chopped liver?"

Everyone laughed, breaking the heavy tension. I walked over to Kylie and kissed her, keeping my arm around her even after our lips parted.

"So, I guess since Chris went off, that means you're in charge, Ange." Ryan said. "What would you like us to do?"

"Wolves, you four gut the whole place. There's got to be some useful things left here that we can use. The rest of you, head back to the mansion and start rebuilding."

"And you?" TJ asked.

Angelo sighed. "I'm going to go find Chris."