Hey,
I'm back with another installment of my series A Love Story. Imagine being a prison of war for years, and one day you're free. You have to learn grow and become a part of society again. In this story, Kiana comes home and finds acceptance.
For now, I hope you enjoy reading about Kiana and Quentin. All the characters in this story are above the age of consent.
Enjoy
IR2R
PROLOGUE
Kiana White knew the nightmare would never end. She was a prisoner of war. She should have died a long time ago, but they kept her alive for some reason. She was one of three females captured, The first night in captivity was brutal.. Their captors beat them mercilessly. They would not break. Even when they executed the men, she and Eboni stayed strong.
The men thought something was wrong with her and her comrades. Their goal was to impregnate them thereby ensuring their loyalty. If these men knew anything it was that women would do whatever it took to protect their young. Kiana thanked her leaders for their insight. Before they were sent into combat, each female was chemically sterilized. The sterilization only lasted seven to eight years. Kiana was afraid; she was twenty three when she was captured, now at twenty nine her medication was wearing off. She bled last month their captors cheered. If the women bled that meant they could conceive. She would rather die than have a child with one of these sick bastards.
Each night she closed her eyes and prayed for death. She no longer prayed to be rescued; that was pointless. No one was listening. She would die in this desolate place; she would never see her beloved sister again. As she lay awake, she heard shouts. The men rushed out leaving her and the other women unguarded. Then she heard a firefight. Then silence. Before long the door was kicked in and she heard sounds of British soldiers telling them they were safe now. They would go home.
The soldiers rushed in. There were at least five of them, big burly men in full battle fatigue. The women cowered. For almost six years these she had been at the mercy of these captors. These men had no respect for human life or even an pounce of humanity within them. Isla became numb, she no longer felt. She, along with two other women, was the only survivors from their teams. The other two learned not to resist anymore as well. They too, stopped crying. Now they just waited.
"Brute, we have them. We're bringing them out." A tall blonde said gathering the first female victim he reached. He looked at the woman, and was furious. These bastards would pay. Not wasting a moment, they move to get them out. He took a moment and wrapped her in a blanket, as his comrades did the same with the other woman. Kiana was not kept in the room with these women, She had angered her captors and was placed in the hole beneath the floor.
One of the women, a survivor from London, called out and pointed to a loose space in the floor. The other girl joined her; she was also a British soldier. Officer Quentin Hunter, a Marine, heard them and went to investigate. He didn't see her. He didn't see any other survivors. He had to report that all of the American soldiers did perish. Quentin had a secret. He was not human, but lycan. As he approached the depression in the floor, his wolf went wild.
Our mate, she's down there. She is hurt. We must get to her.
His animal declared. The urgency felt by his wolf spurred hum into action.
Ripping the floor apart, he saw her. Balled in a fetal position, she reeked. Her hair matted, body bruised and unwashed; she was so thin. It did not matter to Quentin, he lifted her from her shallow grave and carried her to safety. "Kiana, you are safe now. I swore to my friends that I would find you and now I swear to you that no one will ever hurt you again." Quentin whispered. His wolf still agitated over the abuse she had suffered. He was not letting go, even when he released her to the medics, he held her hand. Within an hour, the women were airlifted out. Quentin had to stay and help clean up the area. However, his mind was in the dark-haired girl he just rescued.
As they were rushed to safety, Kiana listened to the women with her cry. She did not cry. She had no tears left. She thought of the soldier that carried her out. He was strong, so safe, soothing. She did not know him, yet deep inside, she believed him. Weakly, closed her eyes and sighed. Over six years ago, they were captured. She watched her comrades be murdered, yet they let her live. She was ready to go home.
Six months later
Kiana had gained some weight. She never talked about her ordeal. She was essentially mute. She only talked to the two women that were with her. At first the doctor tried talking with them in individual sessions, and one day he had a small group with all three women. Kiana talked. She did not say much, but she talked. He smiled and encouraged her to keep talk. It would help her heal. He said. Kiana didn't need to remember what she went through; she relived the nightmare every night.
One day, as she sat with the other women that were held with her, her doctor called her. She reported to him and he explained that two gentlemen wanted to meet her.
Kiana frowned.
Who could want to see her. She had one relative and that was her sister. As far as Mia was concerned, she was dead.
When she first came home, the military planned to contact Mia. She asked them not too. She would not be a burden on her sister. Two men walked in, both tall handsome, one with hair as black as night and the other bald and covered in tats. Kiana smiled, she had seen those markings before. The man that carried her out had them. He promised that she was safe. He had a giant snake on his neck.
Andrew and Terrence looked at Kiana. She was beautiful, despite the scar across her cheek. She was a survivor and they understood now where Mia got her strength from.
Andrew started to speak when she faced Snake. "The snakes, what do they mean?" she asked.
Snake took a deep breath. "Years ago, I was trapped in a desert. We came under fire and had to dive to safety. The ditch we dived in was occupied by two huge rattles. We had no choice but to kill them. The snakes were in their home and we invaded it, as a reminder, my friend Quentin and I got a rattler tattoo. It's my mark."
"Quentin, He was the one that..." Kiana looked away.
Andrew sat and cleared his throat. "Kiana, we want to tell Mia that your are..." She stood and began to pace.
"No, no, I'm no good. I won't be a burden on her. She can't know. As far as Mia is concerned, I'm dead. Let me stay buried." She whispered.
Snake's heart broke for the beautiful woman that cried silently before him. He had never been taken captive, but he knew it was not easy on any of the women. He actually talked with Quentin right after they were rescued. His friend was furious. The conditions he described should have killed them.
Andrew spoke, "Kiana, aren't you curious? Don't you want to know if she is OK?"
"Is she? How do you know her? Where is my sister?" she asked.
"She is fine. She's happily married to a great guy that would welcome you home with open arms. She has an entire extended family looking out for her, and Kiana, if you let us we'll take care of you too." Andrew explained.
Kiana closed her eyes. She remembered the first night of her capture. The men beat her, disfigured her. They told her she would never be free again. She was ugly, and they mark on her face was a reminder of that. "American sluts needed to be punished." They ranted. She would never forget the screams if her fellow comrades as the men tortured them.
After the first few beatings, she lost track of time. Each day, a member of her seven person team died. She shared a space on the floor with Eboni Davis. The men cut her also. She was American and deserved to die as well. Eboni was a black woman from a small town in Mississippi. They were two of three women that were on the team. Jane died during the attack; she was lucky. Eboni was just a girl, barely nineteen. She just wanted an education. Her parents were so proud of her and she planned to go back home after this deployment. Sadly, she'd never see home again.
One night, Eboni refused to cry as one of the men forced her. Kiana, her comrade, was being raped next to her. Eboni tried to fight. The man was brutal as he grabbed her neck and choked her. She lost consciousness.
Kiana saw her friend leave this world. She fought her rapist to try and save Eboni, but the man was too strong. After Eboni died, they left her body on the floor for weeks as a reminder to Kiana of her fate. Then one day, unable to bear the stench of rotting flesh any longer the men dragged her corpse out. Kina never knew what they did with her body. Something died inside of Kiana and she decided they would not break her. She was strong and they could not make her beg. Every night for the years they held her, she recalled Eboni's request. She asked Kiana if she managed to get out to let her family know that she loved them.
Kiana should have died next, but the leader decided to let her live. For years, they used her to force the other females to comply.
Andrew stopped speaking. This girl was hurt and she needed help. She needed her family whether she thought so or not. "Kiana, please let us tell Mia you are alive. Let her come see you. She needs to know and you need to see her." Andrew explained.
Kiana looked away. "I'm ugly. I don't want her to see me like this. Look at me, I am hor..." A strong male voice interrupted.
"You are beautiful, and you are strong. You survived, Kiana, and that is what's most important. I will not stand here and let you put yourself down like this." Quentin spoke as he entered the room.
Kiana gasped, He was here. Every night she relived his whispered promise to her. She didn't think she'd ever see this man again, and he was here.
"Quentin, man what are you doing here?" Snake asked greeting his friend.
