Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
264. Olivia - Escape I

Mose's body starts to change, big black wings emerging from his back, his nails and canines elongating, his eyes turning red right before his facial features change.

Is his demon taking over?

Is it safe without a bond?

The few things I know about Dukes and Lords is from when I was at the Celestial Heaven. The other pornais and I would sometimes talk about the things we heard during the Dukes' meetings. Some of the women were from Lords' families and I remember one of them saying that it wasn't safe for demons to take control if they had no bonded.

Mose keeps changing, resembling more of a demon than a human, with sharp features and red eyes like blood.

Shit.

Mose's soul is in danger because I failed to bond with him. What if my unwillingness to be bonded with any of them is why it never happened with Mose and Jasper? I did bond with Ansel, and while I don't regret it, not anymore, because it made me not feel so lonely while in here, I still wonder how it happened because I never wanted to be with him. Not like that, at least. There is much I don't know, and bonds are one of those topics, but what I *do* know is that some bonds are forever while others can be easily broken.

My bond with *him* is one of those things that lasts forever. What ties us together is that no matter how many times I was forced to fuck men and women alike or he was sleeping around, it never broke? Maybe I'll find out one day, but before that, I need to get out of this facility.

Azael watches everything that is happening with an amused expression. It shouldn't surprise me since he is the mastermind behind many attacks and deaths against the Lords and humans that have nothing to do with demons or angels, but he could at least try and hide his stupid grin behind a poker face.

Mose drives his hand into **257's** chest that's with him in the fighting cage with such force his fist comes out through the back. **257's** beating heart is trapped between Mose's fingers. Silence falls around the room.

Mose pulls out his hand from **257's** torso-who falls to the ground dead and slowly turns around. His fist is in the air, blood dripping from between his fingers, and he opens it. The heart beats one last time before stopping. His red eyes find me, and in an inhuman voice, he says, "Yours," before letting the heart fall to the ground.

I've seen a lot of gruesome things in my life, but I was never gifted a heart. It's kind of...gross...sweet. Definitely **not** sweet, because who in their right mind would like to be gifted a heart? Me. As long as it's put in a box with a ribbon and it belongs to my brother or father, I won't say no to such a gift.

"And people think romance is dead, but our Lord here just gave his woman a heart. It's not his, but details are not important. A heart is a heart," **429** laughs.

Looking at the experiments in front of the matching cage, another word comes out of Mose's mouth. "Next."

Knowing that I was wrong about Mose being weak, I say to Azael, "New drugs or the same you use on other Lords?" I don't give names, but I know he understands who I'm talking about. He doesn't say anything as he watches the cage's metal door open and several experiments enter. They attack Mose at the same time, but something about the way they are fighting seems off. Are they holding back? "Regardless of the answer, Mose is stronger than I thought. He will survive this."

"He might," Azael agrees, "but his mind will be lost forever." A satisfied grin appears on his face. "Just as I wanted."

Pain spreads inside my chest. What if Mose is lost forever?

I can't let that happen. There must be something I can do to help him.

Mose kills two more experiments, and Azael gets closer to the cage. Experiments step in front of me, their loud cheers drowning any sound around me.

Taking advantage of Azael's distraction, **429** says to me, "Sorry about early. **919** sent me and I needed to create a distraction so I could talk to you." Finally, things are about to happen, but what if it's too late for Mose? I lean closer to **429**. "He'll take care of the guards while we blow this place up." More experiments enter the fighting cage. "We'll sneak out of here the first chance we get."

"Not without Mose," I make it clear.

**429** gives me a pity look. I hate it when people do that. It makes me feel like I'm a victim of some horrible abuse, and I'm more than that. I got out. I survived all the horrors I was forced to live. **429** keeps talking, and I understand why his pity look. "It's too late for him. I know the drugs the Bitch used on him. The moment he let his demon take over, he lost the battle with darkness. There's nothing you can do about it." There's nothing you can do about it.

"If he goes rogue on me, I'll kick his ass," I mutter more for me than for **429**. "Who's the Bitch?" I heard this name before. "And **how** do you know what drugs she used on Mose?"