Eleanor inhaled heavily, her presence electrocuting me, granting much-needed stamina. When she’d touched me before? Christ, my heart had almost given out. I’d never been superstitious, but touching her had been like touching an angel—willingly placing my life into her divine power, ready to transcend this shitty body and shitty situation.
I’d failed my animals.
I’d failed her.
Death could delete all of that in one instance.
“Are you okay, Sully?” Her gentle question poked my temper awake.
I loved her.
I fucking adored her, but she’d disobeyed me. She’d returned, despite the difficulty of finding my islands. And now, she was trapped because of me.
Drake would hurt her…because of me.
Everything she’d endured was because of me!
I groaned, my blind eyes throbbing in agony. “You don’t get to ask me that question, Jinx.”
“What?” She twisted to face me, the rope hissing against my cage. Every sound was louder, every sense straining to compensate for lack of sight. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means he’s blaming himself…as he should,” Dr Campbell answered on my behalf. “He’s finally earned a conscience where humans are concerned. You’ve taught him that it’s fine to have empathy for animals, but it’s hypocritical not to care for his own species.”
I bared my teeth in his general direction. “You’re saying I should let men like Drake live? Men like you? Men who betray—”
“I’m saying every animal—man or beast—has good and bad in them. It’s not up to you to play god.” A creak of the floor sounded as he stopped outside my cage. “Open the door. I need to evaluate my patient.”
“You’re going in there with him?” a mercenary asked.
“I am.” Dr Campbell aimed his next question at me. “You won’t hurt me, will you, Sinclair? After all, I’m here to keep you alive.”
My anger boiled.
He was the reason this had happened.
I owed him for the death of all the creatures who’d died on Serigala.
But…I also needed him.
I needed his help to protect Eleanor.
For now.
“I give you my word, I’ll behave.”
“Good. Release his binds,” Dr Campbell commanded. “And unlock the cage.”
The screech of the cage door opened. Two seconds later, hands touched my ankles, unthreading the rope until my legs were free.
Instinct ordered me to snatch and strangle, but I restrained. Jim was right; Eleanor was the biggest set of handcuffs I needed. Knowing that my actions increased or decreased her lifespan was enough for me to lie there perfectly still while a guard unlocked my right handcuff and then my left.
Sit up.
Sit up!
The urge to get off the wire bottom was unbearable. I jack-knifed up, groaning in misery and absolute relief.
My spine rolled. My legs bent. Pain swarmed.
I almost passed out, clinging to awareness with difficulty.
I’d never thought sitting would be so rewarding.
Vertigo found me, sloshing my insides as my head pounded. My leg passed painful and entered a realm of burning hellfire. I was hot-cold, hot-cold, jittery and shivery.
I was weak and beaten and so fucking fucked off that all my control had been stripped away.
“I’m coming inside, Sinclair.”
I nodded, backing up and creating space in the cramped prison for a visitor. Bumping into the wire behind me, Eleanor gasped right by my ear.
Fuck.
I couldn’t control it.
The need.
The paralyzing thirst to touch.
My hands fumbled against the bars, slipping through and finding her.
Holy shit.
The chemistry that’d overrode Euphoria and elixir—the spark of power that only grew stronger the deeper I fell—crackled in my bleeding fingertips.
She gasped, feeling it too. Our bodies in-sync. Our bond unbreakable despite how much I hated that she’d come back.
My head bowed as my fingers found her cheek.
Her breath caught as she kissed my thumb, her skin so soft, her hair still damp from the rain. “Goddammit, Eleanor.” Bringing her face toward me, I closed my useless eyes, focusing on the tingly proximity of her rather than my broken sight.
“I’m here,” she whispered, her breath feathering on my lips just as I found her mouth.
I kissed her.
I convulsed with sorrow and sadness as her familiar taste and comfort slipped through my bleeding body and into my heart. My skin prickled. My chest squeezed. My nose, even scrambled by bleach and stench, recognised her subtle delicious fragrance.
She smelled like my sea.
She smelled like me…an extension of my sex and soul.
A loud twang sounded, ripping us apart. “No kissing!” the mercenary snapped. “No touching.”
“Leave them be. They’re both dead tomorrow,” Dr Campbell muttered, his body brushing against my legs as he set down his medical bag, the leather creaking in my ears.
It hurt me worse than any torture Drake had done, but I released Eleanor and sat back in my cage. I fought the curse of her, the jinx she’d put on me. If I’d known this would be our ending, I would’ve denied my need for her.
I would’ve set her free the second she appeared.
“Sully…”
“Don’t.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, doing my best to shove away my debilitating pain and stay awake. Sitting up stole the rest of my energy. Nausea climbed up my gullet. I hated the blackness of my world—the unknown threats lurking right outside. “How many men are in here with us?” I asked the doctor.