Chapter 5 Cody Pov

I try to lie on the bed but it’s too soft. I’m used to my threadbare mattress that lies on the floor. I try to adjust my position but it’s no use. I can’t sleep like this. I sit back upright, exhaling slowly. I fidget with my hands, glancing towards the doorway but as yet, there is no sign of my mate. I frown. She said that she would come back but it’s been a while. I wonder what on earth she is doing and what was so important that she had to leave? I miss her, which is strange because I’ve only known her for a short time, but she seems kind-hearted and protective. I want to be able to protect her too…my thoughts trailed off as sudden realization dawns on me. The room. It was locked and almost impossible to break into, but the door had been designed with shifters in mind, not Lycans. What if she had found the room? The torture room? The room that Luna Christina had used for her own personal pleasure as she hurt me, over and over again. The worst thing in that room was the box. I shuddered. The box was magical, and designed to look innocent should anybody get into the room without Luna Christina being aware. Most people would take a look at it and then move on, which was what was intended but my mate was different. She was stubborn. Not to mention, couldn’t lycans sense magic? I began to stiffen as a possibility occurred to me. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to get in that box, would she? I mean if she sense the magic then common sense would tell her not to…unless, unless she wanted to see what the true purpose of the box was. She’s stubborn enough to do it! Shit. I wanted to yell out a warning but of course nothing came from my mouth. Instead, I leaped to my feet. That box was the worst kind of torture of all. It showed you everything that you feared, over and over again, traumatising you and making you almost a zombie by the time you were let out. I never wanted to get in that box again, let alone get close to it, but if my mate had put herself inside, there was no telling what she was going through. I began to run, my feet pounding. I knew the way to the torture room off by heart. I had been in so many times I had lost count. I was embarrassed that my mate would know what I had been trying so hard to keep away from her, but she was my main priority right now. Saving her. I made it. The Lycans looked stunned as I ran past them, my fingers scrabbling at the lid of the box. When somebody tried to stop me, I glared at them so furiously they took a step back in alarm. I opened it and saw my mate lying there, tears trickling down her face as she stared up at me, as though she didn’t recognize me. How long had she been in there for? Even only a few minutes was enough to break the strongest person. She let out a sob, and then launched herself at me, causing my arms to automatically wrap around her. I staggered backwards, holding her tight as she continued ot weep into my shoulder, causing her men to look astounded as their Lycan Queen lost her composure. What had she seen in there to break her so quickly? “Cody,” she sobbed. “Oh my god, Cody,” she wept. I patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. She let go but there were still tears streaming down her eyes. Another guard stepped closer to the box, and she whirled around in a panic. “Don’t go in there,” she shouted, almost hysterically. The guard stopped dead in his tracks and glanced at her questioningly. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as I stood there, not sure what to do now. I had saved her but not nearly quickly enough. She looked as though she had aged ten years. She coughed and then explained to the wide-eyed men. “As soon as you close that lid it shows you what you are most afraid of again and again. You feel it. It’s as though you are inside the image” she choked out. Immediately the men backed away. Nobody wanted to be confronted with their biggest fears. My mate ran a hand through her hair, and I noticed it was shaking. Without thinking about it, I took her hand in mine, clasping it tightly. She relaxed slightly, even as she gripped me tightly, as though fearful to let go. She was eyeing the box with the utmost revulsion on her face. “That thing must be destroyed. It’s filled with magic and it’s only going to continue harming people. Find a witch,” she turned to one of her men “and make it a priority” she whispered, her voice hauntingly fearful. The guard nodded and began to back out of the room. I wondered absently if she had witches on staff as well. I was glad she was destroying the box. It was the one thing that continued to haunt me and the primary reason I no longer had my voice. I hated it. I wanted to see it destroyed into a million little pieces. My mate shook all over. “My queen, are you alright?” a guard asked with concern. She shivered. “I’m fine but I never want to step foot in that box again. I want it guarded until it’s destroyed, am I clear?” she asked tightly. The men nodded in agreement. “Keep searching. I want to make sure this is the only surprise I’m greeted with before I confront Luna Christina” she said unexpectedly and then narrowed her eyes, “have we found Beta Ronald yet?” A shake of heads. “No Highness. We’ve searched the surrounding woods but as yet have not come across him. It’s almost as though he’s disappeared into thin air.” “Given the magic of that box it’s not unlikely,” she cursed, “keep looking. I want him found. He’s just as dangerous as the luna. There’s no telling what he’ll do if he manages to escape. I can’t have him on the loose and escaping justice. There’s too much at stake.” She sighed and then turned to me, before gently tugging me out of the room, as though sensing my distress as I tried not to look at the various implements sitting there, the smell of the dried blood on them. “Thank you for saving me” she told me softly, pausing to look into my eyes, “I know how much that cost you.” If she only knew, I thought as we walked further away and down the corridor, but even if I had a voice, I would not be able to bring myself to tell her what I had seen in that box or what brought about my nightmares night after night.