Control

Chapter 53

He knew she was gone before he opened his eyes. He cursed himself for falling asleep but making love to her last night had drained what little energy he had left. He pulled on his jeans and raced to open the door of the suite. He expected to see an unconscious guard outside but found the hallway empty.

He wandered the house aimlessly feeling lost and hollow. The other half of his soul was gone. ‘She ran from me.’ His temper flared the moment he thought it. “Sallah!” He ran through the house searching for her grandfather. He rounded a corner and found Janna waiting outside of a closed door. “Is Leon in there?”

She jumped at the low growl and turned to find a seething Dom standing right behind her. It disturbed her that he had gotten so close without her hearing him. She had been through the same training as her brother and did not think it possible. Then she remembered whom he was married to. “Yes. He…Sallah is trying to convince him to release Mikaela from the bond.”

“Convince him? I’ll fucking convince him!” He pushed by her and stormed into the room.

“Dominic! You should not be in here, son.”

His chest heaving and black eyes focused on Leon, he addressed the old man. “She’s gone, grandfather.”

Sallah moved slowly towards Dom recognizing the signs of rage that his grandchild exhibited on many occasions. “Then you most definitely should not be in here.”

“It’s your fault that I lost her.” He spoke to Leon with barely contained fury. “You betrayed me after I shared something beautiful with you and you lied to me. You fucked my wife!”

Leon glared at Dom and stood his ground. Sallah’s eyes darted between the 2 men bound to his granddaughter. “Dominic, you have to calm yourself. The distance between you and your mate is making you lose control of your inherited gift. I have seen this hundreds of times with Mikaela.”

“Where would she go?”

“I don’t know. She ran off before but I always let her come back on her own.” He moved in between Dom and Leon and drew his attention off his friend. “She is a stubborn child and does not like to be pushed.”

“Will she come back?”

“I wish I could tell you yes but the last thing she said to me was to break her bonds.”

“I refuse to release her. She is my wife and mate. I’d rather die.” He turned away and felt his anger rise further.

To make matters worse, Leon picked this moment to speak. “I’m not letting her go either.”

Dom spun around and advanced on Leon prepared to tear him limb from limb. Before he had the chance, Sallah hit some pressure points on the side Leon’s head and neck and he fell to the floor. “You do not have a choice in this matter, son. Unlike Dominic, your bond with my grandchild is not reciprocated and I have the ability to sever it without your approval.”

He turned to Dom and sighed heavily. “Yours however I cannot break.” He approached him and had a memory flash through his mind of Mikaela standing in front of him on the verge of breaking down. He could not help his grandchild because she was a born empath. He hoped he had better luck with her husband.

“Son, I know you don’t want to hear this but things are only going to get worse for you. Without her, you will not be able to control this.”

“What are you talking about? I am her control.”

“When you are together, yes, but she isn’t here to balance you. Eventually you will become overwhelmed and you do not have her experience in dealing with it. If you do not reunite with her soon, you might have to release her just to save your sanity.”

“No.” He turned to the door and threw over his shoulder. “I said I’d rather die.”

“When it starts to hit you, you will wish you had.” Dom left the room and Sallah’s heart ached for the young man who was desperately holding onto his love for his wife. He turned to Leon’s prone form and set about freeing him from his granddaughter’s enchantment.

Dom stalked the hallway trying to get a fix on his mate. He could tell that Sallah’s words were true. His emotions were running unchecked. He went from despair at the thought of never seeing her again to anger that she cheated on him and finally to outright fury that she ran away from him. He was so caught up in his conflicting feelings that he did not even notice the remaining members of his family talking in the hall just before his room.

“Dom, are you okay?”

He tensed when Brian touched his arm and Richard recognized the movement from his memories. “Stay away from him.”

“Richard?”

“Mia, he’s losing it. I’ve seen Micki do this several times.” He turned to the tormented man and spoke calmly. “Dom, what happened? Where is she?”

His eyes welled up with tears. “She’s gone.”

“So are Vince and Letty.”

He looked up at Anton. “She isn’t alone?” He shook his head no and Dom seemed somewhat comforted by that thought. “Then there is hope that she’ll come back before I go insane.”

“Dom?”

“Richard will explain it, Mia. He’s right though. You should all stay away from me. It isn’t safe.” He went to his room, shut the door, and curled up on the bed crying for his lost love. ‘Baby…come back to me. God, I need you.’

Mikaela tossed around in bed trying to fall asleep but her guilt-induced insomnia would not allow it. Her mate’s face was etched into her mind and she longed to be with him the way they were before her involvement with Leon.

‘Leon’. The moment he entered her thoughts, she felt his presence in her mind fade away. Sallah had broken his bond with her and a small sense of relief passed through her. It was a fleeting moment that was quickly replaced by the surging emotions that her husband was feeling.

A full day had gone by and no one was allowed to enter Dom’s room except Sallah. They could hear him cry and beg for Mikaela to return to him at times. Then there were the bouts of rage when he would destroy his room while he screamed in fury at her betrayal.

He was coming apart quickly and there was nothing anyone could do for him. Except for his mate, no salvation could be found in any 2-legged being but in fact a crafty 4-legged animal brought him some peace.

Zeus let himself into the room of his master and jumped up on the bed. This was one of the moments when Dom was crying from his grief over his missing wife and the red dog whined sharing his pain. “Hey, boy. Do you miss your mama too?” Zeus licked his face and Dom hugged him around his neck.

A thought occurred to him and he sat up staring at the dog that always knew when his mistress needed him. “Can you go to your mama?” The big dog stood up, barked, and ran to the door. Dom watched as Zeus turned to him, wagged his tail and barked again. “Between the 2 of us, I think we can find her.”

He felt a small spark of hope, got up, and followed Zeus out the door. As they headed down the hall, they passed the others and Sallah asked in surprise. “Dominic, where are you going?”

Zeus barked at Apollo and Ares and they ran to follow their master. “To find my mate.” The others stood with their mouths hanging open and Sallah smiled as Dom exited the house with the dogs.

Vince walked into Mikaela’s room and was taken back by her appearance. She sat on the floor rocking back and forth. She clearly hadn’t slept in the 2 nights that they had been here and judging by her noticeable weight loss she hadn’t eaten anything as well.

He went to her side and stopped her movement with a hand on her shoulder. “Apparently giving you space wasn’t a good idea. Come on, darlin. I can’t let you waste away in here.” He picked her up in his arms and carried her down the corridors. She felt light as a feather and her eyes looked haunted. “Letty!”

She came running from the urgency in his voice and saw the reason why in his arms. “Oh God! We left her alone for too long. Shit!”

“Make her something to eat!” He ran to the front entrance with her pliant form resting against his chest. “Meet me outside!”

Letty rushed to the kitchen cursing herself for failing her friend while Vince set her down by the edge of the pond. “Mikaela! Come on, girl!” She was unresponsive and her eyes stared right through him. He shook her and panicked when she flopped around like a rag doll. “Damn it!” He picked her up and waded out into the water. “Mikaela, snap out of it!” She remained motionless floating in his arms.

Dom had been walking through the desert for a day with the dogs and was suddenly overcome by the complete loss of control that Sallah had mentioned. He dropped to his knees clutching his head and thought he was going to die. He screamed and curled up in the sand hoping for this torment to end.

The dogs surrounded his shaking body, howling at his obvious pain. Zeus barked at Apollo and Ares. An understanding passed between the animals and the 2 brindles guarded their vulnerable master while the red dog took off running to find his mistress.

Letty came out to the pond and yelled at Vince. “Bring her here! We have to get something in her stomach!” He carried her to the edge and Letty raised a sandwich to her lips. “Come on! Don’t you dare give up! You’re the strongest bitch I know!” She began to cry and shook her head. “You never give up.”

Vince was at a loss. The most powerful spirit he had ever met was dying in front of his eyes and it made him furious. “Fuck!” He took her further out into the water and occasionally submersed her for a second. “Mikaela, please don’t do this. Dom will never forgive me for losing you.” He whispered brokenly.

At the mention of his name, clarity entered her eyes and a pain wracked her body so hard that Vince lost his hold on her. She disappeared beneath the water. “Mikaela!” He dove under and resurfaced several times to get more air. Each time he came up empty handed.

“Vince! Where is she?”

“I can’t find her!” He moved through the water trying to find his missing friend. “Fuck! I can’t find her! Letty, help me before she drowns!”

Right when she was about to dive in, a barking dog distracted her. She turned her head to see Zeus running towards them. “It’s her dog!”

She heard movement rising to the surface and turned to see Mikaela rise up from the water. Her head tossed her wet hair back from her face and she drew in a deep breath before she screamed. “DOMINIC!!!”

She swam to the edge and ran out of the water. “Zeus! Take me to daddy!” He barked and turned to lead her. She ran after him with a renewed strength that took Letty and Vince by surprise.

They quickly shook it off and ran after her. When they were barely in hearing distance, Vince yelled out to her. “Mikaela! Where are you going?”

“To find my mate!” She was outrunning them and did not dare to wait for them to catch up. “Get the car and follow my tracks!” She disappeared over a dune and they turned back to get the Hummer.

About 20 minutes later, she saw him lying ahead with the dogs protecting his limp body. She ran to his side and grasped his shoulders. She hefted him up enough to cradle his head in her lap. “Mick…” He was delirious and didn’t believe his eyes when he saw her face. “Where…are…you? I…have to…find you.”

“I’m right here, my love.” She held his head to her chest and rocked him. “I’ve got you.” Tears rolled down her face and she kissed his head. “It’s going to be okay, Dominic. I’ll make it all go away.”

She moved his head back and looked into his tear-filled eyes. She initiated the connection and began to sort through the chaos in his mind. It took awhile to deal with all the emotions that he was at war with but she finally managed to beat them down. The more powerful ones she drew into herself to ease his suffering as quickly as possible.

His eyes focused on hers and he cried in relief. “You found me.”

“You weren’t that hard to find.”

“Yes I was.” He touched her face with trembling fingers. “It’s really you.” The air left his lungs in a rush when he realized she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. “I was so scared that I’d never see you again.”

“Me too, baby, but I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.” She checked him over to make sure he had no other injuries other than his stomach wounds. She found none and his stitches held.

“Mick, stop.” He grabbed her hands to still their exploration of his body. “If you keep that up I’m going to get hard.” She gave him a short laugh and blushed. “Thank god, I can still make you blush.”

“Are you alright, baby?”

He nodded his head and closed his eyes. “I am now that you’re here.” He looked at her with tears in his eyes and her heart broke to see the pain in them. “I came for you. I wouldn’t let you go even when they said I’d go mad without you.”

Her tears rolled down her face as she looked lovingly in his eyes. “Yes you did and you found me too.” She caressed his cheek and her eyes turned sad. “I have caused you so much pain.” She lowered her gaze and choked out the rest of her words. “I saw it all in your mind. I’m so sorry.”

He lifted her face and returned her gaze. “You can only hurt the ones you love this badly. I hated you for what you did. At some point I think I wanted to beat the hell out of you for running away.”

She lowered her eyes in shame and nodded her head. “I…I know.”

“Mick, look at me.” She raised her eyes and he touched her face. “I never stopped loving you. Not for a second. I know what its like to be you now. I understand how everything around you compels you to react and I know why you run.” He smiled up at her proudly. “I can’t believe you survived this everyday of your life.”

“I was waiting for you.”

“I’m here, baby, and I’m never letting you go. I forgive you for what you did.” She let out a shaky breath and blinked tears from her eyes. “But I will knock the shit out of you if you ever leave me again.”

“I’ll take whatever punishment you wish to give me.” He could see she was dead serious. “You are my mate. I belong to you and I deserve to punished for my infidelity and for disobeying you.”

“Baby, I said I forgive you.” He finally saw past his relief and noticed her haggard appearance. She had dark circles under her eyes and he could tell she lost some weight. “Mick, you look like hell.”

“A small price to pay for what I did to you.” The Hummer pulled up and she looked over her shoulder at Vince and Letty climbing out of the vehicle. “Your ride is here.”

“My ride? No way I’m letting you out of my sight now that I found you again.”

“Dominic…I absorbed a lot of your pain and anger earlier to free you from its grip. I need to release it.” The dogs growled viciously at the approaching couple in defense of their masters. “Nyet!” She looked in her husband’s fear-filled eyes and smiled. “I’ll be right behind you. I promise and I will not let you down again.”

“Okay.” She helped him to his feet and he slid his hand behind her neck. “Don’t be long.” He pulled her into a deep kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She and Vince helped him into the back seat and Zeus jumped in with him. “Take care of daddy.” She glanced at Vince. “Get him home, clean him up, and put him in my bed.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be along shortly. I promise.” He reluctantly got in the car and Dom watched her fall to her knees as they drove away. She sat in the sand and meditated while the 2 brindles stood guard. When she thought she had his demons carefully tucked away, she opened her eyes and unsteadily got to her feet.

She walked up to the house about an hour later and passed Vince and Letty in a daze as she headed for the pond. She stripped off her sweat-drenched dress and dove into the water. Ares and Apollo jumped in to cool off too after being in the desert for over a day. She played with the dogs like nothing had happened over the past 2 days. She was renewed with life and love.

When she felt a hundred times better, she got out of the water and strolled past the 2 other residents of her home. “Is he okay?”

“He’s resting.” Vince replied with concern. “Are you?”

“I’m fine. If it isn’t too much trouble, can you make us something to eat? I know he needs to eat and I guess I should too.”

“It isn’t a problem. I’ll bring it to your room when it’s ready.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him and he saw her spirit. She ran down the corridor and made her way to her mate. She entered the room quietly and saw him sitting up in bed with his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful. She crawled into bed and snuggled into his side.

His arm instinctively wrapped around her pulling her closer to his body. “Mick?”

“It’s me, my love.” She whispered not wanting to pull him fully awake.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He opened his eyes and rolled over to face her.

“I’m fine.” She caressed his cheek and he laid his head on her chest. She ran her hand over his smooth scalp and he practically purred at her touch. He rubbed his cheek against her breasts and settled his head between them. “Need a pillow?”

“I’ve got two. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming this.”

She smiled and chuckled softly. “You’re not dreaming and make sure you don’t suffocate yourself in there.”

His laugh rumbled through her. “I couldn’t think of a better way to die.” He released a breath and it blew across her nipple. He smiled when he saw it harden. “God, you are so fucking beautiful and you’re all mine.” His hand moved to her hardened peak and lightly ran over it.

She inhaled sharply from his touch. “Dominic…you need to rest, my love. There will be plenty of time for that when you feel better.”

His fingers continued to play with the sensitive tip and he sighed like a deprived child. “Okay but when I wake up you better be here.”

“I will be.” She held his head to her and her other hand rubbed his back until he drifted off. “Sleep, baby. I’m not going anywhere without you.” His fingers stilled their movement but held her nipple when he dozed off entirely. She smiled, kissed his head, and followed him into a much-needed slumber.