Chapter 1

I woke slowly with my head pounding, feeling very disoriented. It was pitch black in my room as I opened my eyes. I reached over to turn my bedroom lamp on, but felt nothing. Where was my lamp?

And then it all came back flooding to me. Liam kidnapped. Claire and the pack missing. The imprint.

I abruptly sat up. Now where was I?

My sudden movements only accentuated the painful throbbing, like someone hitting my chest with a hammer.

“Hello?” I said quietly, feeling around with my hands.

“Anyone there?” I said much louder, starting to feel panicked.

I climbed off the cot I was laying on, dropping to my knees.

“Is someone there?” I said again, my voice raising to a near scream.

I crawled around on my knees, holding my hands in front of me like a blind person. I continued to reach out my hands, finding nothing but cold hard wall.

The darkness was taunting me as sobs threatened to escape. I crawled back over to the cot and curled up into a tight ball.

I tried as hard as I could to stay calm, but the panic was beginning to overwhelm me. I closed my eyes and began to hold my breath.

Smother it out, I chanted in my head, Smother it out.

The room felt like it was spinning, leaving me groggy. Unable to keep my eyes open, I drifted back to sleep.

The second time I woke up was less confusing than the first.

I hoped my eyes would have adjust to the darkness by now, but it was no use. There was not even the smallest sliver of light to help.

I lay on the cot for a while, trying to piece all of this together. First the “Imprint” thing, then Liam, and then there was that shadow man who brought me here.

Are these all related? I'd assume so...

“Please,” I said trying one more time to see if anyone was with me, but there was no answer.

I cautiously sat up, relieved my head felt at least a little better. My limbs might want to fall off my body now, but at least my head was still intact.

I slowly swung my legs over the edge of the cot and stand up.

All the blood rushed from my head and I sat back down before I passed out. Once I felt better, I stood up again.

Reaching out my hands, I took a cautious step forward, encountering a wall of rough bricks. I trailed my hands along the crevices, trying to get a feel of the room and its dimensions. It felt like it was about the size of the bathroom at the house, minus all the features.

There was only one door which seems to be bolted from the outside. The only fixture in the room was the cot I had awakened on.

I sat back down on the cot trying to control my senses. I had lost all sense of time and couldn't tell if it was day or night.

I focused, trying to use my heart as a gauge. It was a strong ache, but bearable. I knew that meant I've been away from Nathan for one or two days. Because I had already spent one day away from him on the search, I had to guess this was about halfway through day two.

Nothing made sense. Where was everyone, including myself? It's not a coincidence all this was happening all at the same time.

My head began to ache again, so I lay back down to deal with the pain. The endless darkness made it difficult not to feel tired, especially when there was no difference between my eyes being open or shut.

My eyes flew open in a second.

Nathan!

His movements next me were strong and angry. He was pacing the floor so fast and furiously, I thought he would be able to burn a hole in the ground.

Hope soared through me and I looked to my right, only to find a wall in his place.

The imprint effects, or something like that. I don't quite know yet.

My body yearned to be able to break down the wall separating us from each other.

Did he know I was over here? If I shout out some thoughts now, will he be able to hear them?

Nathan! I shouted in my head.

I waited for his movement to stop or slow down, or some sort of indication he heard me.

Nothing.

Nathan! I'm over here! I tried again, desperate this time, but there was no sign that he heard me.

Taking a deep breath, I sat myself down on the cot and focused on my breathing.

In. Out. In. Out.

Now my mind was cleared, I tried one last time. My felt my mind l**k with his as I poured all my energy into communicating with him.

Nathan. It's me.

The movement on the other side of the wall ceased and I knew he heard me this time. I continued. I'm in the room to your left. I need to ask you questions, but I don't know how you can answer.

I felt him move over to the wall I was at. If he was talking, I wasn't able to hear what he said, the solid concrete spacing us from each other.

What do we do?

He stood still right at the wall seperating us.

What are you doing?

I knew he heard me again, but he didn't bother stopping or thinking about what he actually was doing.

'Bang!' The wall shook at the foot of the cot.

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