I curled into a ball, thankful that I was not chained down. It was cold and the thin gown I was wearing did little to warm my frail body. The chatter I had heard on my way down here was muted by the distance that separated our cells. I was in a different cell room on a different floor, the same arrangement my father had organized back when I was his prisoner.

I had become too accustomed to heat and now the cold affected me more than ever. I was not only shivering but my body also began wracking under the intensity of my coughs. I hadn't had water in days and being strangled only worsened my condition and my thirst. I ached all over and my feet were rubbed raw by the friction of them dragging against the ground. I tried my best to soothe my tender scalp by gently massaging my head before I brought my hand down and grazed my fingers over my neck and winced at the pain, picturing the angry scarlet that must be wrapping around my throat.

I almost wanted to laugh at how naive I was just a few moments ago. How foolish I was to think that the warmth could last. Levi's smiling face popped into my mind and my heart clenched at how empty I felt without him. I knew he was bound to abandon me but deep down I had hoped that he would be different. He had hid his disgust for me under a mask of lies and promises. He had abandoned me.

I felt tears begin to push their way to the surface but I clenched my eyes shut. There was no reason for me to be this hurt when I knew he would leave in the end. I dug my nails into my arms, wanting to focus on anything but the ache in my chest, the gaping hole that Levi's absence had left behind. 

I reached out to my wolf, but she seemed to retreat even further away from me. We were fragments of shattered porcelain and there was nothing I could do to repair it, to persuade her to come back, to make her love me.

I laid there trembling on the stained floor for what felt like hours before a sense of déjà vu hit me. I could faintly hear someone growling and it seemed to get louder and louder, footsteps pounding as they neared. My heart began drumming again and I pushed myself up and dragged my body into the farthest corner of the cell. I couldn't tell whether I was shaking because of the cold or because of my fear but I knew it was only a matter of time before Death would finally make his appearance.

The metal door of the entrance unlocked and an overwhelming wave of sunshine and coffee hit my nose. Standing in the doorway was none other than Levi and the moment our eyes locked, a sob I had so desperately tried to contain escaped from me. His eyes were a storm of emotions as he rushed over to my cell. He swiftly unlocked the cell door and reached out to grab me. I flinched away, tears streaming down my face but he persisted and tugged me into his lap, pushing my head into his chest.

A sense of relief rushed over me with every second I spent in his arms, knowing that he came for me, that he hadn't given up on me. His heat consumed me and I didn't want to let go. I was burning in need for his touch and I was scared that if he went away he would never come back. I clutched at his shirt, unable to breathe with how much I was crying.

"I'm sorry, Rain. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," he expressed, his lips pressed on the top of my head as he rocked me back and forth. "I had to lead our weekly pack run and I left my Delta in charge so he could take care of any problems should they arise."

Levi quieted as I sniffled before continuing, "I should've known better than to leave you on your own after everything you've been through. I promise I'm never leaving you alone again. You should've never had to come down here nevermind the fact that you were shoved in a fucking cell."

He was seething with anger but he was gentle as he cradled me. I could feel him running his hand over my hair, careful of all the knots. He continued comforting me before I began coughing and I clawed at my throat, unable to stop the torrent of wheezing that wracked my body. Levi seemed to sense my distress and picked me up before sprinting out of the building. I shivered at the breeze that brushed against us as he ran before he abruptly stopped.

He carefully put me down on a couch before walking away from me and I whimpered, not wanting him to leave me again. He was back by my side in only a few seconds, handing me a glass of water that I gulped down greedily. He lightly rubbed my back as I drank before leaving to get me another glass. Once I had reached my tenth glass, he went to get another but I shook my head to stop him from walking away.

Levi sat down next to me, leaving space between us and I missed his warmth but made no move to come closer. Now that my thirst was gone, I examined where we were and found that we were in the same house I had woken up in. I took in what I assumed was the living room and saw that it had the same gray walls as the bedroom from earlier. Sunlight shined through the windows and I was glad to see that it showed the garden. My eyes followed along the flight of a butterfly as it explored different flowers.

I hadn't noticed Levi's eyes on me until he growled, "Who did this to you?"

I snapped towards him. He was staring at my throat and I flinched at the intensity of his gaze. His face was cold and emotionless. There was no warmth in him as he gazed at me and the scar that marred his face only made me more anxious of what he was capable of. Still, he was frighteningly beautiful.

His obsidian orbs flickered up to mine and I gasped as an image of my father replaced Levi. He lifted his hand towards me and I shoved myself away from him. He stilled and a pained look took over his face.