Axels POV
Ten minutes had gone by, yet Athena hadn't returned. Fear and worry swirled inside me; my thoughts went straight to Vanessa as she was also conveniently missing. Looking over to Hector I could see worry and pain written on his face telling me something was definitely wrong. Standing up I asked Hector to join me for a private word, I needed to know what was going on.
"Where's Athena, I haven't seen her in a while?" I knew something was wrong but needed it confirmed and Hector was the only one able to do that.
"I don't know but something isn't right. I can't... I can't feel her. I can't feel the bond. I know she's alive otherwise I would have felt her tether snap. She wouldn't just block herself like this not after everything she's been through" seeing him worried like this had my stomach doing back flips. All I wanted to do was comfort him, to show him he wasn't in this alone, but I couldn't. There was a time and a place for that and now wasn't it.
"We will find her Hector, I promise you. Go back to your room and see if she went there, I'm going to send a few pack trackers out to see if they can pick up her scent elsewhere in the territory"
"Thanks man, when we do find her, we need to talk" the look in his eyes was one of longing, those gorgeous green eyes no longer sparkled and look dull. Somehow, I knew that I was the key to giving them back their life.
"And we will I assure you. Now go find your mate" just as Hector left my office, I received a text from Vanessa. Opening it made my stomach drop, I felt physically sick. It was a picture of Athena her body covered in blood with what resembled whip lacerations on her back. My wolf snarled at the image as he peered through my eyes. He may not feel the bond to Athena anymore however he didn't want harm to befall her.
'If you want her to live then follow my instructions. Do not tell a single person of this or I will start removing pieces of her. Come to this address, you have twenty minutes.
Love Vanessa, your true Luna xoxo'
Fur began to sprout from my arms as I held back my rage, Thor trying to force me to shift just as disgusted by Vanessa as I. I wanted to tell Hector, goddess I should have but had Vanessa found out I dread to think what she would have done to her sister. To my surprise the address she had given me was only five minutes from pack territory. A house surrounded by bushes sat alone and away from the road, had I been coming here under different circumstances it could have looked pretty. For the moment though it was a place of nightmares.
Stepping out of the car I instantly picked up on both Vanessa and Athena's scents, blood thrown into the mix which I knew without a doubt belonged to Athena. Thor's emotions were in turmoil, he wanted to protect Vanessa and make her happy believing she was his mate, yet he couldn't sit back and let her do what she was doing. Especially when it was to someone as fragile and mentally unstable as Athena. Though come to think of it if Vanessa was willing to go to these extremes, then I couldn't help but wonder how mentally unstable she was. This extended well beyond the boundaries of sibling rivalry; this was a form of treason, one that would most certainly be punishable by death.
Walking up the steps I assessed her each window to the front of the house trying to plan an escape route if needed. The wooden steps creaked as I stood on them which alerted. Vanessa to my arrival as she opened the door a look of our innocence on her face as she smiled at me.
"Where is she" my tone was harsh which didn't faze Vanessa, that only meant she knew about the spell not having entirely worked.
"Basement, your welcome to go down there. Maybe then you will finally realise how weak she truly is. That bitch is not worthy of being a Luna"
"And you are? Spare me Vanessa, nothing you say matters. You are royally fucked up in the head if you think your actions are one of a Luna" I turned my back on Vanessa following the scent of blood to the basement.
The moment I opened the door the scent of mould, damp hit my nose making me scrunch it instinctively. Descending the wooden staircase the room was pitch black no windows lining the walls to offer any assistance. After a couple of minutes my eyesight adjusted enough for me to see a pull string dangling from the ceiling at the bottom of the steps. Pulling the sting turned on but a single lightbulb which sat in the middle of the ceiling, that one light bulb however was extremely bright causing my eyes to squint. A cement floor with mildew spiderwebbed across it sat below my feet. Casting my eyes across the room stopping when I found what I came for. Athena. Dangled like a puppet, hung naked from the ceiling silver chains burning into her skin as they restrain her. My blood boiled at the sight before me, this was the type of torture that was reserve for rogues or traitors not innocent people that had been subjected to jealousy. Dried blood coated her once flawless skin hiding any bruises she might have. I ran to her side cupping her face in mine only for her eyes to snap open. The look of relief on her face knowing I would somehow get her out of here, I'd save her from the fate her own sister had created for her.
"Get away from her Axel" Vanessa hissed at me as she emerged from the stairs.
"Let her down Vanessa. I'm taking her home. You have gone too far this time"
"Actually, I don't think I have, not yet anyway" without warning I felt my restrained by invisible binds knowing Vanessa was the one doing it I knew there were no point on fighting the hold she had on me.
Stepping towards a table that stood in front of Athena my heart pounded in my chest so hard and loud that I struggled to hear anything else. I was utterly helpless as I watched Vanessa pick up a scalloped edge knife only to stick it into Athena's abdomen before using it like a hacksaw. The blood drained from my face as blood poured from the wound that wouldn't heal whilst she was restrained.
"Vanessa stop! Why are you doing this?"
"Because Axel you need to see I am stronger than her. That I am Luna material, that I can accomplish absolutely anything I set my mind to. Family or not take what is mine and reap the consequences. Though there is one way in which I will allow her to live"
"Whatever it is I will do it, just please stop you're going to kill her"
"Mark me and she lives. I want her to see you take me as yours. Then and only then will she learn her place"
Vanessa was crazy there was no denying it, but what choice did I have? I couldn't sit here and watch as Athena the woman I had loved since I laid eyes on her die. It didn't matter what Vanessa said, Athena had grown in strength dramatically since the day of her sixteenth birthday when I found her. Over those two years she had transformed herself. Yes, she was extremely shy but there was no doubt she could overcome even that. She had the makings of a true Luna; she would be a force to be reckoned with. She just needed the chance to do it. A chance I could give her by marking Vanessa.
"I will do it" the words felt unnatural as I spoke them but what choice did I have? The bond could always be broken given the chance later on, but for now all in wanted to do was save Athena's life.