Alpha Nocturne's Contracted Mate

Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell

Chapter 172 She Would Never Be Free

“Get out and seal the doors. No one leaves this chamber until I am finished, am I clear?” He growled as

Ely scurried backward like a frightened mouse and fled through the doorway, the heavy doors swinging

closed with an ear-splitting bang.

Before Ada could steal a frightened glance at her mother, the male’s boots appeared in front of her

limited line of vision again and she felt a slight breeze ripple across her. It was obvious that he had now

grabbed Narcissa roughly by the throat and lifted her into the air beside her, as the only thing visible

from her position were the tips of her mother’s boots dangling above the ground.

Title of the document

“Now, Narcissa. It seems you have forgotten the great honor that was bestowed upon you all those

years ago.” the male chastised in a bored tone over the sounds of Narcissa struggling for breath.

His footsteps receded a little and Ada raised her head slightly. It was such a small movement but it

allowed her to follow the progress of her mother’s feet across the expansive room as the male strolled

leisurely along holding her aloft in the air by her neck.

“I have such an exquisite array of punishments lined up for you my dear. You’re going to have so much

fun. But, you know how easily I get bored dishing these… ‘necessities’… out myself… so I brought

some friends…”

A whimper escaped from Narcissa’s lips as she gasped for air and looked upon the impassive face of

her master, Lord Eromaug. No pride shone in those empty pools anymore as he looked at her, only

thinly veiled disdain.

“How foolish of you to give my precious gift away so easily, Narcissa… and to such a… weakling.” he

tutted in irritation as he stopped just outside of the roiling clouds of shadow and pulled her closer to

him, so that their faces were almost touching.

“You have brought my coven into disrepute, failed in your assigned tasks, and failed to take

responsibility for all of the failings that lay with you. As much as I will enjoy reaping the payment from

you, I must admit that even I am a little disappointed. You had such promise.” He sighed, his nostrils

flaring angrily momentarily before he settled his face back into one devoid of emotion.

He watched Narcissa gasp for air a moment longer, almost as if he were savoring the sight and

committing it to memory before a grin spread across his face and he abruptly continued towards the

ominous sounds concealed within the darkness.

Narcissa could heart hem, his favored daemons, scuttling about in the darkness and she knew exactly

what he had planned for her.

She had foolishly lost his magick when Lord Brarthroroz tore it from her during her interrogation. It was

one of the worst crimes that she could have committed and now, she would pay the price that he, and

his daemons, demanded from her body and her soul.

Ada watched, trembling with a terrifying mix of anticipation and fear as her mother disappeared into the

darkness, their figures appearing as if they had been swallowed as the writhing cloud closed over them

and left no trace of their passage.

It was only seconds later that the screams began and Ada knew without a doubt that her mother would

never be the same again.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes seemed to turn into hours. Ada had completely lost track of

the time as she remained frozen in position, trembling violently as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

Narcissa’s bone-chilling screams had seemed to go on forever at first, but when they finally died down

and the echoes of the screams subsided, the heavy silence was punctuated by stomach-churning

sounds of flesh squelching and guttural grunts.

The cycle of screams and silence seemed to repeat almost endlessly. Her best guess was that

Narcissa had passed out at some point which accounted for the silence, and then when she awakened,

the hair-raising screams began again.

As much as Ada wanted to cover her ears and block out the sounds of terror, she couldn’t. She wasn’t

certain, but beyond the curtain of murky darkness, she could feel the sinister gaze that focused intently

on her as she hunched over in position.

She could just be paranoid in her assumptions at this point, but she didn’t dare risk it. That beautiful

man was clearly capable of true horrors beyond her imagination, and she wouldn’t put her unborn

child’s life at risk. Long after Ada’s trembling had subsided and her tears had dried up, the figure of the

beautiful male had appeared through the darkness, striding nonchalantly towards her with something

clutched in his hand at his side. Whatever it was, the object trailed along the floor behind him, leaving a

glistening streak of unknown color behind it along the roughly hewn dark stone surface of the cavern.

He came to a stop in front of her and Ada unthinkingly raised her head to stare up at him blankly as he

lightly tossed the object on the ground in front of her.

“You coped far better than I thought you would.” Lord Eromaug smirked, “I presumed you would run to

the door and attempt to claw your way out like a frightened little rabbit.”

Ada blinked slowly at him and said nothing.

This was nothing but a game to him. Whatever she chose to do would most likely be the wrong answer

anyway.

She attempted to lower her head and avert her eyes, but she suddenly felt her chin pinched between

his fingers as he forced her to meet his gaze.

“This is a lesson for you as well Ada.” Lord Eromaug said softly, almost lovingly as he held her gaze

confidently. “Your mother was fully aware of the punishments she would receive in the event of her

failure, and yet she returned anyway. This same fate will await you if you are disobedient in anyway, do

you understand?”

Ada nodded dumbly before he let go of her head roughly and her gaze fell to the mangled, bloody

mess laid motionless in front of her.

She was vaguely aware of Lord Eromaug summoning Ely and his laughter echoing in the chamber as

she stared blankly at the mess in front of her.

When the realization hit that this was what remained of her mother, Ada laughed. A manic sound that

echoed around the chamber and continued even as Ely led her away.

There was no saving herself or her child.

She would never be free.