Chapter 3 Torture

My head spun with the slap I received. Before I could react, I found myself being dragged to the cells. James had no mercy; his pleasure was causing me pain, and I knew he wouldn't stop until he saw me on the brink of death. I felt it when he chained my hands to the ceiling in one of the cells. I knew that place well; it wasn't the first time he had taken me there, and while he didn't see me dead, I knew it wouldn't be the last.

"You filthy animal!" I heard James's voice behind me. I knew what was coming next, and my body curled up at the memory of the pain that would soon cut through me. James ripped my shirt, exposing my back. I heard the sound of the whip as he picked it up. I knew he would probably dip it in aconite; it was his way of making me suffer more. That way, I wouldn't be able to use what little healing power I had left.

"I wish you were dead!" he said as I felt the first lash cut through my back. I clenched my teeth not to scream; it was useless, he would beat me anyway. My skin burned because of the aconite, and I felt my body growing weaker as new lashes struck my back.

"If that damn woman weren't dead, I would kill her myself," James said, enraged. I could feel the fury radiating from him, making my body tremble. I had always thought James beat me because I resembled my mother, but now, hearing him speak this way, I wondered if I had been wrong all along.

As the minutes passed, I felt my body go numb, probably due to the blood loss. I hadn't fully recovered from the other wounds before he beat me again. I held back a sob as I thought about how miserable my life was. I was treated like a slave, living only to be the alpha's punching bag. I wondered if things were the same in other packs, but I didn't have that answer, and the way he beat me made me doubt I would ever find out. Slowly, my vision began to blur, and I collapsed into darkness. I liked the darkness because no one could reach me there. I would be safe and wouldn't feel pain. I simply let go, with nothing to hold onto.

I woke up feeling my entire body ache. My eyes were sensitive to the light when I opened them, and I wondered how long I had slept in that hanging position. My arms were numb, and my mind was confused. I felt my back burning and knew it was because of the wounds that hadn't healed. A noise alerted me to the arrival of someone, and my body tensed.

"Good morning, bitch," Paola said, entering my cell with a guard beside her. She nodded at him, and he dumped a bucket of water over me, but it wasn't ordinary water; it was salt water, and I couldn't hold back the scream of agony that erupted from my chest.

"I thought you needed some encouragement to wake up," she said, laughing, as tears streamed down my face. I just wanted it all to end. I couldn't stand going through their torture sessions anymore; my body couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't make that face, little sister," Paola said, looking at my face. "If you weren't such a slut, you wouldn't be going through this."

I clenched my teeth. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me beg, not anymore. If I had to die, I wouldn't allow her to make me beg.

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to beg for your life?" she asked, laughing. When I didn't respond, I saw her come toward me and grab my face roughly. "Beg, you filthy animal!"

No words came out of my mouth, and with pleasure, I saw Paola's eyes turn red with rage. She let go of me and went to the back of the cell, returning with a bamboo cane in her hands.

"Let's see if I won't make you beg," she said with a terrifying smile on her lips. I couldn't do anything, so I just let my mind wander to another place, a place where I wasn't beaten by my family, a place where I was loved. I felt the first blow on my legs. I clenched my teeth to endure the pain. More followed after the first, and with each new strike, I felt my legs grow numb, but in my mind, I was in a happy place where Paola's insults couldn't reach me. I don't remember how long it lasted, but I knew the exact moment I passed out, gratefully welcoming the darkness that had been my friend for so many years.

As soon as I woke up, I felt my mouth dry. I didn't know how long I had been down there, but I was sure I hadn't eaten anything during all those days. I could no longer stand; I just let my body hang from the chains. It felt as if my life was being drained from me. I could feel my end approaching, and to me, that was good. The thought almost made me smile. I would embrace my end with joy; I would give death a big hug if I saw her. She would be my salvation.

"Finally awake," I heard James's voice behind me. I was so weak that I hadn't heard him arrive, but that didn't matter anymore. Soon, I would be in another place, and he wouldn't reach me anymore. And with that thought, I did something I doubted myself capable of.

"James," I said, calling his attention. When he stopped in front of me, I smiled at him. "Go fuck yourself!"

His expression darkened, and the next thing I felt was his fist slamming into my face. It hurt like hell, but I didn't let it shake me. Looking into his face, I began to laugh, and it felt so good that I couldn't stop. I saw his eyes widen at my behavior, but I didn't care. If I was going to die, I would die laughing in his face.