h4Chapter 53: Chapter 53/h4

    I pressed myself against the cold stone wall, heart hammering so violently I thought it might give me away. The dungeon door creaked as it opened, and I barely managed to slip behind it, ttening my body into the narrow gap between the thick wood and the damp wall. My breath caught in my throat as Alpha Psycho’s heavy footsteps echoed inside, followed by the shuffle of two warriors at his side.

    The metallic stench of blood and mildew filled my nose, making my stomach twist. I dared not move. If he saw me here if he even sensed me there would be no mercy. My body shook, my fingernails digging into the stone as though I could anchor myself there, invisible and silent.

    The girl’s weak whimper carried through the air. I peeked through a small crack. She was still chained against the far wall, her body barely recognizable under the bruises, cuts, and dried blood. Part of her hair had been shaved off, leaving jagged patches on her scalp, and her swollen face looked like a mask of suffering. My chest tightened. I wanted to scream, to cry, to do something but all I could do was watch in horror.

    Alpha Psycho’s voice cut through the silence like a de.

    "Well, well," he sneered, stalking toward her, his boots thudding against the stone floor. "Look at you. Still breathing. Still pathetic."

    He stopped right in front of her, crouching slightly so his piercing eyes met her broken gaze. Then he pped her hard. The sound cracked in the dungeon, loud and merciless. My knees buckled, and I had to bite down on my hand to keep from crying out.

    "How dare you," he growled, pping her again. "How dare you think you could be my mate? You? A filthy little weakling?" Another p. Her head snapped to the side, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

    Heughed then, low and cruel, and stood up tall. "Your father thought he was clever, didn’t he? Sending people to me. Trying to bargain with me." His voice rose, echoing off the stone walls. "But I killed them. Every single one of them. Just like I killed the rest of your pathetic pack."

    The girl whimpered, trembling against the chains. My stomach turned to ice.

    The Psycho’s face twisted with amusement. "And you know what, little mate-wannabe? I’m not going to kill you just yet. No. You’re going to suffer. You’re going to beg me for death, and only then will I grant it."

    He turned to his warriors, a twisted grin spreading across his lips. "Strip her."

    My breath hitched so sharply I thought the sound would betray me. My vision blurred as fear shot through me like lightning. I wanted to cover my ears, to close my eyes, to block out what was about to happen. But I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot, frozen in a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. The warriors moved forward, their faces expressionless as they obeyed. The girl’s weak protests filled the air broken sobs, desperate pleas but they ignored her. Her voice cracked as she screamed for help that would nevere.

    "Please," she begged. "Please don’t—"

    Another p silenced her. Alpha Psycho chuckled, his eyes gleaming with sick satisfaction as he watched hismand carried out.

    I pressed my forehead against the stone, trying to steady my breathing, but every sound cut through me: the clinking of chains, the tearing of fabric, the girl’s muffled cries. My entire body shook. I wanted to run, to flee this nightmare, but my legs wouldn’t move. My mind screamed at me to do something, anything but what could I do against him? Against them?

    Alpha Psycho leaned close to her, his voice a venomous whisper. "You thought being my mate would save you? That it would give you some special ce by my side? No. You’re nothing. You’re filth. And before I kill you, I’ll make sure you understand just how worthless you really are."

    The girl sobbed, her voice raw. "Why... why are you doing this?"

    Hisughter chilled me to the bone. "Because I can."

    The dungeon seemed to grow smaller, darker, the air suffocating. My pulse thundered in my ears. Every cruel word he spoke, every sound of pain that escaped her lips, carved into me. I felt sick, dizzy, as though the walls themselves were closing in. Then he turned his head slightly, sniffing the air. My heart stopped. His eyes narrowed, and for a terrifying moment, I thought he had caught my scent. My entire body went rigid, sweat dripping down my spine. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t even blink. But after a long pause, he smirked and looked back at the girl.

    "You’ll stay down here until I decide otherwise," he said, stepping back. "Let her rot."

    He gestured to his men. "Leave her chained. Let her think about what happens next."

    The warriors obeyed, stepping away. The girl sagged against the wall, her body trembling, her eyes empty with despair.

    Alpha Zach gave onest cruel smile before turning toward the door. His boots struck the floor like thunder, each step bringing him closer to me. I pressed harder into the wall, biting my lip until I tasted blood, praying, begging silently that he wouldn’t notice me.

    The door groaned as it swung open. For a heartbeat, I was certain he would see me. My chest seized, panic flooding every vein.

    But he walked past, his warriors following. The door mmed shut, the sound echoing through the dungeon like a death knell and Silence fell. I slid down the wall, trembling so violently I thought my bones might shatter. My breath came in ragged gasps, and tears spilled down my cheeks. I pressed my hands to my mouth to muffle the sob that tore its way out of me. The girl let out a broken moan, and my heart clenched. I forced myself to move, to crawl out from behind the door. My legs felt like lead, but I dragged myself forward, inch by inch, until I reached her. Her eyes flickered open at the sound of my movement. They were swollen, bruised, but when she saw me, they widened with something fragile hope.

    "P-please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Help me..."

    I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "I... I can’t," I choked out. "I can’t let him know I’m here. He’ll kill me too."

    Her sob tore through me like a de. I wanted to free her. I wanted to undo the chains, to carry her out of this hell. But the keys were gone, and my strength was nothingpared to his cruelty. All I could do was sit there, helpless, watching her broken body tremble. The dungeon swallowed us in its silence, broken only by her shallow breaths and my quiet sobs. Fear clung to me like a second skin, cold and suffocating. I knew Alpha Psycho would return. And next time, maybe he wouldn’t leave without finding me. And yet, even knowing that, I couldn’t leave her. Not yet. Not when she was still alive. I don’t know how long I sat there in the suffocating silence after Alpha Psycho left. My body wouldn’t stop shaking, my mind reying every p, every cruel word, every sound of the girl’s pain until it felt like they were carved into my skull.

    I wanted to run. I wanted to leave this dungeon and pretend I hadn’t seen any of it. But every time I tried to push myself up, my gaze fell on her slumped against the wall, her chest rising shallowly, her eyes half-closed in exhaustion. She was alive, barely, and leaving her here felt like stabbing her myself. The silence didn’tst.

    The heavy creak of the dungeon door split the air again. My heart leapt into my throat, and I scrambled back behind the shadows. Two figures slipped inside not Alpha Psycho this time, but the same two warriors who had obeyed his sickmands earlier. Their expressions were nk, almost bored, as though this was routine for them. But what they carried in their hands made my blood run cold. A length of chain, its links glowing faintly with a sickly green sheen. Even from here, the acrid scent stung my nose. Wolfsbane. I covered my mouth to stop the scream building in my throat. My entire body went cold, my vision dimming at the edges. I knew what wolfsbane did to wolves, how it burned, how it ate through flesh like fire. My own skin tingled as if I could already feel it. The girl lifted her head weakly when she heard them approach. Her swollen eyes widened when she saw the chain, and a broken whimper escaped her.

    "No," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Please... please don’t—"

    The first warrior didn’t answer. He swung the chain back and brought it down across her body with a sickening crack. Her scream pierced the dungeon, high and raw, echoing off the stone until it felt like the walls themselves were wailing with her. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, sharp and unbearable. My stomach heaved violently, and I had to mp my teeth together to keep from retching. Again, the chain cracked. Again, her body jerked, her voice shattering into hoarse cries. The wolfsbane seared her skin, leaving ckened marks where it struck. Her blood mixed with the poison, dripping down her arms and legs in crimson trails. My head spun. My knees gave out, and I copsed against the wall. Spots danced in my vision, and for a terrifying moment, I thought I would faint. My heart pounded so hard I couldn’t hear anything but its frantic rhythm. I pressed my forehead against the stone, the cold biting into my skin, trying desperately to ground myself. But I couldn’t block out the sound of her agony. The second warrior took the chain, his eyes narrowing slightly with cruel satisfaction as he struck her across the stomach. The force of the blow knocked the breath from her lungs, leaving her choking, her body curling inward as far as the chains would allow. I couldn’t breathe. My own chest ached as if I had been struck. My mind screamed at me to look away, to shut my eyes, but I couldn’t. I was trapped forced to witness everysh, every sob, every broken plea.

    "Please," she begged again, her voice barely more than a rasp. "Please stop... I’ll do anything..."

    Her words only seemed to encourage them. The chain whistled through the air again, striking her shoulder this time, tearing open skin already bruised and battered. The glow of wolfsbane shimmered against her blood, and she screamed so loudly I thought my eardrums would burst. My hands shook uncontrobly. I pressed them against my ears, trying to muffle the sound, but it still cut through, sharp and merciless. My vision blurred with tears. I thought of the times Alpha Psycho had hurt me. The way he grabbed me, squeezed me until I couldn’t breathe. The way his words sliced into me, cruel and mocking. But this this was worse. This was beyond anything I had ever imagined he could do. And deep down, a horrifying thought took root.

    What if this was just a rehearsal? What if one day, it was me chained to that wall, staring down the same glowing chain? The thought made me shiver violently, my stomach twisting until I thought I would vomit. The warriors didn’t stop. They struck her again and again, methodically, almost rhythmically. Eachsh left her weaker, her voice fading into broken sobs, until she could no longer scream at all. Only shallow gasps escaped her lips, her body convulsing against the restraints.

    "Enough," one of them finally muttered, his voice t. He tossed the chain aside, its tter echoing ominously. The faint green glow dimmed as ity on the floor, like a serpent resting after feeding.

    The girl slumped forward, barely conscious, her body covered in raw, oozing wounds. Her head lolled to the side, her eyes zed.

    The warriors didn’t spare her another nce. They turned and walked out, their boots clicking against the stone. The door mmed shut, leaving me alone with the silence and the stench of blood and burning flesh.

    For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe. My mind screamed at me to run, to escape this nightmare, but my legs felt like they belonged to someone else heavy, useless. Finally, I crawled forward, inch by inch, until I reached her again. Her skin was hot to the touch, feverish, and she flinched weakly when my fingers brushed her arm.

    "Shh," I whispered, though my own voice trembled. "It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here."

    But I knew it wasn’t okay. Nothing about this was okay.

    She forced her swollen eyes open, just enough to look at me. "Please," she breathed. "Don’t... let him... kill me..."

    Her words sliced into me. My throat closed, my chest tightening until I thought I might suffocate.

    "I’ll try," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "I’ll try. I promise."

    But deep down, I knew promises meant nothing in this ce.