Page 40 of A Hal for my Heart

The latch slammed closed above my head, taking all the light with it. I let out a shaky sigh and started moving around in the dark, trying to feel my way forward. “Sin?” I called out. Part of me wanted to find him, while another part prayed he wasn’t here, but somewhere else, safe and healthy. I knew by now that I truly shouldn’t have come, but it was too late to regret it. As I crawled forward, my fingers only connected with barrels and glass jars, and it appeared I was in a food storage.

“Sin!” I called again, but I was only greeted by silence.

Curling in on myself, I tried to block out the cold and the darkness. I focused on my breathing, trying to get it to settle. I lost track of time, and I must’ve dozed, because I awoke with a start and banged my head against the ceiling when a door slammed open upstairs.

“Where is he? You were supposed to meet me outside!” A voice so familiar to me whisper-shouted.

“I threw him in the cellar!” the alpha barked, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

My father stopped whispering as well, barking back curses before yelling, “Have you lost your mind?! I told you not to touch him!”

The alpha raised his voice. “I ain’t your lapdog, Omega. If you didn’t want your son manhandled, then perhaps you shouldn’t have had him abducted in the first place.”

Abducted? Renewed bile rose in my throat as nausea threatened to spin me out of control. My own father had planned this? I shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet, I’d still believed that some part of him loved me, loved Sin. Why would he orchestrate this? What was he trying to achieve?

“Whatever,” Father hissed. “We need him for the bartering, so you’d better keep your hands to yourself!”

“Fine,” the alpha groaned.

“Did you hear that?” Father whispered, and although I’d heard nothing, something seemed to have startled them both. There was a sizzling sound, followed by the smell of smoke. They must’ve put out the fire to bathe the cottage in complete darkness. There was the distinct sound of rushed footsteps, then a door closing softly behind them.

I was truly alone now. I imagined Hal’s brown eyes flooded with worry. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about how upset my alpha must’ve been once he found me missing.

My body folded in on itself as I tried to calm my breathing. A tear escaped my eyes unbidden, and I prayed everything would be alright. That Sin, wherever he was, would be safe, and that my beloved alpha would come for me and carry me from the darkness and out into the light.

Chapter Eighteen

Hal

The moment I realized Briar was gone, my world collapsed. While Briar was in the bathroom, I tried to make sense of what had just happened in the dining hall. Although I hadn’t voiced it when Seb had read the letter, I think I knew who was behind all this. It had to be Briar’s father. Who else would have any interest in having Briar come alone to release Sin? It had to be him, the once so powerful but now banished Clive. There was no way I was letting Briar venture out into the unknown alone. I wasn’t letting him go now that I’d just found him, my mate, my love.

Since leaving the dining hall, I’d had this strange foreboding that wouldn’t go away. Like a darkness crouching in on me, threatening to swallow up my world. Like a sudden chill I couldn’t shake. Something dreadful was going to happen, I just knew it. So when I realized Briar had been in the bathroom for way too long, the feeling intensified and transformed into a physical pain, almost like I’d lost something, or a limb had been torn from my body.

The bathroom door was locked, and there was no sound to be heard from the other side, only a hollow quiet. I knocked on the door, but of course, no one opened it. In the end, I kicked it in. As I’d dreaded, I found the bathroom empty and the small window open, the freezing night air invading the room.

Briar. My sweet, brave omega. For a second, my heart stopped, only to be catapulted into action as if I’d been struck by lightning. My entire body was on alert. My omega was in danger. I had to find him, and I needed my best friend’s help.

I ran down the hallway, then started pounding frantically on the door to Seb and Gus’ chambers. Within seconds, Gus threw the door open.

“Hal! What is it?”

I stumbled inside the room, clasping his shoulder, afraid my legs would give way beneath me. “It’s Bri-ar,” I stuttered, my lungs struggling for their next breath of air. “He’s gone!” I collapsed into Gus’ arms and he half-carried me to a chair next to the fireplace. Seb must’ve heard the ruckus because he came rushing from the adjoining room, which was the twins’ bedroom.

“Hal! What on earth—” his voice faltered as he took in my slumped form. “Gus?” Seb came to his husband’s side, reaching for his hand, then something flashed in his eyes, his hand flying to his mouth. “Oh gods, he went after all. That silly omega. I told him not to.” Seb’s voice softened, and he squeezed my shoulder. “It’ll be alright, Hal, I promise. Briar can’t have gone far. We’ll find him.” He turned to Gus, his voice imploring, “Gather a group of alphas, my love. My best men only. We shall head out immediately.”

“But… we…” My voice failed me as immense sadness overtook my body. I felt lost without my omega. Briar wasn’t just the man I loved; no, he was my heart, my soul, my everything. He was my reason for existing, my purpose.

“It will be alright, Hal.” Seb’s voice came out strong and unwavering. “We will find him, and he will be alright. If the guards we sent ahead haven’t already run into him, we will.”

“I… I think Briar’s father is behind this,” I mumbled, clutching my chest. It felt like an invisible cord connecting me to Briar had been severed, and I was now bleeding internally. Did my poor Briar feel it, too? Was he frightened? Briar was strong, but I gathered he must be, out there alone in the dark.

“Clive?” Seb gasped. “But…”

“Who else would have any interest in doing this?” I muttered, renewed anger flaring inside.

Seb shook his head. “If it’s him, then there are no limits to the lengths he’ll go to regain power. Clive thrives on power, and he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. We must go right aw—”

“Stop! In the name of his Majesty King Sebastian, I implore you to stop!” Chaos erupted outside the royal chambers, a myriad of rushed voices and shuffling. “Let us inside! We have urgent matters to discuss with the king!” There was more shuffling. “One of his royal advisors is in grave danger, and I demand to talk to the king now!” A desperate voice tore through the disturbance.