Levi didn't remember much after he left the cafe, which was strange. He didn't remember getting to Elijah and Greyson, but he supposed he must have because he was in a bed. He didn't feel anyone beside him, but he felt a strange, cold weight around his ankles.

He opened his eyes and his heart sank. Unless it was some elaborate joke that Elijah and Greyson came up with, he was in deep shit.

The entire room was lit by a dim bulb in the middle of the ceiling, so Levi could see he was in a small room on a bed with his legs chained to the end of the bed.

He was surprised his arms weren't tied, but he then realized that there was no way he'd be able to take off the chains without a key. He pulled on them and listened to them clang against the bedposts, which only made him panic further.

What if it wasn't a stupid game that his soulmates came up with? If they did, Levi would definitely give them the cold shoulder for a few days because this was not funny or a game to him.

He was terrified.

"Greyson?" he called out, his voice echoing through the dim, musty room. "Elijah?"

No one answered, making Levi panic even more.

What if it wasn't them? That meant he was in a lot of trouble and had been taken by someone... and that his soulmates had no clue where he was.

"Guys, if this is a joke please stop," Levi called, trying not to cry or panic. "It's not funny."

Footsteps above him echoed through the roof, causing Levi to come to the conclusion that he was in a basement. He heard someone making their way down a set of squeaky stairs before the handle to the door of the room jiggled and opened.

Levi's heart dropped.

"I've been looking for you for years, Levi," the man said, sitting heavily on a chair in the center of the room. "Didn't think you'd escape, did you?"

"I did for four years," Levi muttered, trying to act strong though the sight of his foster father made him shudder and want to vomit from fear. "And I'd like to continue that streak, so you can let me go."

His foster father chuckled. "No, it's fun to watch you squirm," he said, eyeing Levi's trembling figure. "You shouldn't have run from me."

"Oh, you're so right! I should've laid down and stayed with my rapist! Why didn't I think of that?" Levi couldn't help the sarcastic remark, and winced, realizing that Elijah was definitely rubbing off on him.

A slap across the face was the only response he got, making Levi shut his eyes and take in a shaky breath.

"You should've known I'd find you sooner or later. Besides, you owe me for saving you and protecting you."

Levi shook his head. "If I knew that this is what you wanted I would've stayed on the streets!" he exclaimed, tugging at the chains on his feet.

His foster father wasn't pleased by that and climbed over Levi, shoving him into his back and pinning his hands above his head.

"I'm really going to enjoy this," he growled, closing his hand over Levi's throat.

•••

"Why won't he show up?!" Elijah shrieked, his skin completely green as his demonic form came out due to his anger. "We're summoning the asshole and he won't show up!"

Greyson glared at Elijah. "It's kind of hard when you're yelling at me!" he snapped back, relighting the candles that had gone out.

There was no way to get to Hell unless Alastor invited them and took them through his portal, so when he wasn't on Earth, they had to go through a summoning ritual to get him to notice them. It usually worked, but they'd been trying for nearly an hour and hadn't been successful because both men were distracted and worried.

"Don't be a dick, Greyson!" Elijah snarled, his clothes ripping off as he shifted into his demon, dark wings jutting out of his back and his skin completely changing shades. "You're not summoning him so I think I'm allowed to be upset!"

Greyson's own shift overcame him, and he began growing taller, his clothes ripping as his skin turned dark grey. He tackled Elijah and snarled at him.

"I'm trying as hard as I can!" Greyson growled. "It's hard to summon him if you keep distracting me!"

Elijah pushed Greyson off of himself, ready to fight back, when the door to the room slammed open and Paxton stood on the other side, eyes blown wide at the poor attempt to summon Alastor and the damage to their room from the yelling as well as the pair in their demon forms.

"Get out!" Elijah yelled, standing up and crossing his arms. "Can't you see we're busy summoning Alastor?!"

Paxton raised an eyebrow. "You two, out," he ordered, walking to their closet and tossing them clothes. "I don't need an explanation right now, but Alastor will be expecting one so compose yourselves. Now."

Greyson clapped his hands over Elijah's mouth before he could fight back and dragged him into the hallway to shift back into their standard forms to change, not caring they were naked in the hall.

"Get over yourself," Greyson growled as Elijah tried to bite his fingers for closing his hand over his mouth. "He's helping."

Elijah huffed, putting on his shirt and sweats. "The more time we waste the more danger he's in!" he said irritably, crossing his arms. "I know his fucking foster father has him!"

Greyson sighed. "I know, Elijah," he said, sitting down in the hallway. "But that's enough. Alastor can track the brand you put on his neck and he'll be able to get us to him in minutes."

Elijah slammed his fist into the wall. "I knew something was wrong," he said, anger fading into sadness in seconds. "I'm such an idiot! This is all my fault!"

"No," Greyson said, grabbing Elijah's hand and getting him to sit down in his lap. "Baby, this isn't your fault. If his step father did take him, that man had a determination and wouldn't have stopped after one failed attempt. We just have to make sure he can't ever touch Levi again."

Elijah let out a broken cry. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he sobbed, allowing himself to be vulnerable and fall into the strength of Greyson's arms. "I'm just tired of people breaking him and hurting him and feeling like I'm not good enough because I didn't protect him."

"He won't blame you," Greyson said. "You know him, E."

"But I feel so bad," Elijah cried. "He's probably so scared and thinks we abandoned him."

Greyson sighed, sharing Elijah's concern but knowing he had to be the voice of optimism so Elijah didn't fall into a fit when they needed to focus on saving Levi.

"He'll know we didn't when we go save him," Greyson said, kissing Elijah's cheek. "And then we'll bring him back here and keep him safe."

Elijah nodded, keeping his face buried in Greyson's shoulder. He tried to compose himself when the door to their room opened and Paxton invited them inside, Alastor sitting on the bed.

"Are you two going to give me an explanation?" Alastor asked, sitting on the bed and being joined by Oatmeal, who curled into his side. "I love visiting when I'm invited, but I don't appreciate being summoned in a cluttered room like this."

Elijah ignored the blunt rudeness and delved into the story of what had happened, all leading up to Levi's coworker telling them that he'd disappeared and showing them the cameras. He also handed Alastor a copy of the tape, which the demon tossed to the side.

"Did either of you brand him?" Alastor asked, and Elijah nodded. "And you give me permission to track him?"

"Yes!" Elijah exclaimed. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Just checking because you branded him, so by demon ruling, you claimed him and I choose to respect my demons by asking permission."

Alastor then shut his eyes and opened them seconds later, his eyes glowing. "I found him," he growled. "As you know, I can only go from Hell to other places. I can't make portals from places on Earth to other places on Earth."

"Yes, we know," Elijah said as Alastor made a portal to Hell so they could get to Levi from there. "Did you see Levi?"

Alastor didn't respond, guiding them through his portal to his throne room in Hell, opening another one seconds after to a dim room.

Greyson felt a growl rip through him and heard the same strangled sound come from Elijah. There was a bed in the corner of the room with Levi pinned onto it, crying and trying to escape with a man on top of him.

All they saw was red.