Blood Lust and Love
Chapter 20

DarkBeauty357

One week had passed since Isaac's accident. He was still in a coma, but the doctors said he was healing rather quickly now. Peyton had not left Isaac's room for more than thirty minutes. Alec and Leah would always visit early in the morning, and Jade and Blaire would visit throughout the day. Charlie would stop by sometimes, but he was really busy with the training fields and affairs with his mate.

The number of presents, from the pack members, that Isaac received was still climbing. Whether it was a small card or a big present, it got to the point where Leah had to take a load of gifts home every morning.

Unexpectedly Seth had to leave to visit his father to deal with some complications, but he left Rose in charge of watching over Jade. Although Jade was safe in the pack, Seth still felt more comfortable with Rose looking over her. Alec allowed Rose to stay in the pack for the time that Seth was absent, but he didn't want the whole coven in his territory because that made some of the wolves uneasy. It also made the vampires uneasy being around werewolves. It was just an instinct that made both species uneasy with each other.

Now that Jade had Rose by her side, it gave them both a chance to get to know each other more like on a sister level bond. It was more-less like a prolonged sleepover and they both didn't mind that. Although, Jade still missed Seth and Seth dearly missed his mate. Alec had actually come to tolerate Seth a little better than before, but he did let Seth know that if he'd ever hurt a pack member than that would be the breaking point. Both Jade and Seth accepted this rule.

Occasionally, Leah and Christie would take turns in checking in on Grace. Over the course of a week, she seemed to be getting better. Leah even noticed that her appearance started to glow and she also gained a little weight, but Leah assumed she indulged in food for comfort. Which is a good thing for Grace, because she was always a little underweight.

With training, war preparations, and other daily pack related conflicts, Leah and Alec always had a full day ahead of them. At the end of the day they were always exhausted like the other pack members as well, but everyone was determined. Especially the older veterans that participated in the first war. Many veterans came out of retirement just to finish what they started. They were undoubtfully loyal to Alec and the pack, and they were eager to get their hands wet with blood again. Especially, after the damage that Crow has already caused.

Late in the evening, Alec waited in his study at home. He was waiting for Rem to contact him like they usually do.

It turned out that Rem's plan actually worked pretty well. When Rem first left the pack, It only took a couple of days for Rem to travel, in the direction that Kylie had come from, near Crow's territory. Crow did take the bait and "captured" Rem. When Rem was captured he wasn't on Crow's territory yet, so he wasn't able to map out anything. However, he did notice an abandoned stone building where Crow's men were taking in boxes that smelt like gunpowder. Rem thought that there had to be guns and explosives in that abandoned building. That was his last thought before he was shot with a tranquilizer dart. When Rem woke up in was in a small room with a bright light that hung from the ceiling. Blood stained the floors beneath him, and body parts littered the floor. Such things as teeth and fingers were scattered across the floor.

This was a torture room, but thankfully the torture hadn't started yet. Rem was in his human form as he sat up. He noticed the chains binding his legs and arms, preventing him from going far. It wasn't long into Crow stepped into the room with Rem.

"Don't bother mind linking your pack. I've already injected you with a drug that will block that ability amongst others. You're weaker now that your away from your master." Crow taunted.

Rem gritted his teeth and tried to lunge forward, but he fell down with exhaustion. It would take a while for the antidote that he was injected with, before he left on his mission, to kick in. Right now he was feeling the effects of the drugs that Crow injected him with.

Crow laughed menacing and crouched down to Rem's level. "Do you know what it was like to feel someone's heart beating in your hands? I do, well that is right before I ripped it out of the little boy's chest." Crow taunted.

Rem raged with anger and swiped his nails across Crow's face, cutting him. Crow's head was forced to the side after Rem's little attack, and Crow clenched his jaw with anger. Blood quickly rushed to the surface of Crow's face and he breathed out in anger.

Rem raised his hand that had Crow's blood dripping down his fingers nails, "Do you know what it's like to have a coward's blood dripping down your hands. I do."

"You fucking dog." Crow snarled and then he smirked as he walked over to a metal table with blood-stained tools. The wheels, of the metal cart, squeaked as Crow brought it closer to Rem. Crow whistled as a plan was already formulating in his mind.

Rem watched him and tried to stay awake. His vision was starting to become blurred due to the drugs running in his veins. Hopefully, for Rem, the antidote would start working soon.

Crow crouched down holding a pair of pliers in his hand. "You are basically a human right now. With your wolf suppressed, you have no strength, no speed, no fast healing, and no mind linking abilities. Isn't it funny?" Crow said as he moved the pliers near Rem's fingernails. "And no one to hear you scream," Crow said as he slowly peeled Rem's fingernails off.

Crow looked at Rem, unsatisfied as nothing came out his mouth.

It was Rem's turn to smirk, "Is that really the best you got?"

Crow knew that Rem wouldn't be affected by that method of torture like the other low ranking wolves, "My dear friend. We are just getting started." Crow walked over to his table again and picked up one of his favorite weapons.

It was a mace with spiked balls, a wooden pole with a chain that led to two spike balls at the end of it. It was a weapon that you could swing at your enemy and it would cause a lot of damage.

Crow eyed the bloodstains on the spiked balls. "This was one of my favorite weapons. It's only ever been used on Alec. Those are his bloodstains and now yours will be on it too." He stepped closer to Rem. "You know, Alec was my favorite wolf by far to torture. Alice was fun to play with but not as much as Alec."

Crow threw his arm back and then cracked the spiked balls down Rem's back. Rem gritted his teeth and bit his tongue to prevent his groans of pain. That would only give Crow pleasure to hear him. "The truth is that I'm going to kill everyone in Alec's pack. I'll torture everyone you love including your mate if you even have one because you're pathetic. Everyone you know will be dead except for Jade." Crow repeated beating him with the mace for thirty minutes before he got bored. He left Rem alone in the room for the rest of the night.

Rem ended up passing out from exhaustion because even his days of running here were gaining on him. When Rem woke up from his two-hour nap, his abilities were back and he rejoiced. The antidote he was injected with before he left had worked, and that was the only way his plan would work as well, or else it was all for nothing.

Rem's strength, speed, senses, and mind linking had returned to him within the two short hours he was unconscious. Rem sighed and relief and tears of joy rolled down his face. "Finally." Rem whispered to himself because he was truly gambling with everything here.

He immediately caught off Grace and the others from sensing him, and he only allowed Alec in. "We did it. It worked." Rem mind linked Alec for the first time.

That was the first night of Rem's torment. Rem went through many sessions of torture from Crow as the days dragged on, and extra when Crow needed to blow off steam. The only thing that made it worth it was that Crow's meeting room was just outside of the room Rem was in. With Rem's hearing that returned, he was able to hear everything that Crow talked about with his men and he reported it all to Alec in the evening. That was a huge advantage for Alec and the pack.

Alec became more worried as he impatiently tapped his feet on the floor in his office. He wanted Rem to be safe above all in this crucial plan and this was the longest Rem has gone without reaching out. It worried Alec but at least he still felt his presence so that meant he wasn't dead, but something was wrong. Alec could feel it in his bones.

It was getting dark now and Alec was still left in his office pacing around like a lunatic.

"Alec..." Rem's thoughts floated in Alec's mind and he sighed in relief.

"Rem. Are you alright?"

"Never been better." Rem told Alec but he knew it was a lie. "Listen. I just found out that Crow is planning on sending a group of gunmen with bombs and explosives on a suicide mission to your pack five days from now to try and lower our numbers. You need to destroy their artillery room immediately or innocent people will die." Rem told Alec. Wolves didn't usually rely on weapons for war but they all knew Crow would.

"We'll head out tonight. Where's the location?" Alec replied mentally.

"Head in the same direction I did and it should be a stone building. You'll be able to smell it. It's not on Crow's territory so it should only be guarded by two men. Be vigilant and careful."

"Always am."

Alec held a meeting afterward with ten of the strongest pack members and explained to them their mission. Then they all rested for the night and left early in the morning.

~🖤~