Chapter 8

Chapter eight: freak of nature

Wow! Nicolas, are you seeing this?" Verena said, clapping in excitement. Blood stained her clothes and face, none of which was hers.

In front of her was a half conscious Karen, her clothes torn and bloody from the number of times the corded whip had torn into her skin.

"Yes, I am." Nicolas replied coolly, his eyes scanning Karen's form.

"She's like some sort of cockroach." Verena said in awe, her liquid gold eyes observing Karen. She turned to Nicolas and said: "I think she's about to die though, soon we'll have a dead cockroach on our hands."

"Oh dear," Nicolas said with a soft laugh. "I don't think alpha Kai would like that very much."

Verena giggled. "Oops."

Karen felt her entire body on fire. Her breaths came out short and hard. She raised her head up and stared at Verena and Nicolas.

Verena looked like an angel, but she was a cold hearted devil. Karen had lost track of time, she wasn't sure how long it had been since Verena had started her little 'session'

All Karen knew was that Verena had noticed her fast healing speed. And she took advantage of it instantly. She whipped, she burned, she cut, and she did all these with that dreamy smile on her face.

Karen felt on the verge of death itself. Blood was dripping down her body, pooling at her feet.

'That's a lot of blood.' She thought to herself, her vision going blurry. Unable to keep her head up anymore, it dropped to her neck lifelessly. Her arms ached and went stiff from being suspended to the ceiling for hours on end.

Karen felt a red hot pain spreading through her back. As if it wasn't even more possible, she felt blood drain from her face.

No.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

"T-that's.....e-enough." She croaked, her voice cracked from how long she had screamed.

The whip connected to her stomach. Her body twitched in response to the pain.

"It's enough when I say it is, slave." Verena said, fake cheer in her voice.

Karen chuckled. "Y-you will p-pay."

"Oh do shut up." Verena snapped. "What can you do? As weak as you are. The only thing you're good for us being a punching bag."

Verena cracked the whip and lashed it against Karen. A scream tore through her lips as the whip connected to her body, cutting a deep wound from her shoulder down to her hip bone. Blood trickled out of the wound and pooled at the ground.

Karen felt like she was going to die. Her back was aching and she was sure it wasn't Verena's whips.

She didn't want them to see it....no one must see it at all.

"Verena!" A deep commanding voice said from the doorway.

Karen raised her head weakly, her vision going black from the corners. In the doorway was Kai, and for some reason his eyes were burning with anger.

Verena turned to him. A smile lit up her face and she dropped the whip on the table along with the other bloodied weapons of torture.

"My alpha," She said with a bow. "Look at this, isn't it magnificent?"

"Is this a light session, Verena?" Kai spoke through clenched teeth. He looked at Karen's bloodied body, her eyes gazing at him hazily.

He felt pain shoot through his chest. Abraxas nudged him quietly, judging with a fierce look. Kai felt anger bloom in his heart towards Verena.

"Oh," Verena said with a giggle. "I got a little carried away. Besides, it was so satisfying! She's really--"

"Silence!" Kai roared in anger, making Verena flinch. It was the first time he had ever raised his voice on her. Kai turned to Nicolas. "Take her down immediately."

Nicolas smiled and nodded. "Yes, alpha." He said. He moved to Karen and unlocked the handcuffs that hung her to the ceiling.

"Don't touch me." Karen hissed weakly, trying to pull away from Nicolas.

"Just stay still dammit!" Kai said to her.

Karen glared at him, a sigh leaving her lips. She went still and left Nicolas carry her. She winced and cried out as her injuries brushed against the fabric of his clothes.

"Send for a healer immediately! And make sure she arrives." Kai gave the order to Nicolas.

"My alpha," Verena said, a nervous laugh escaping her red lips. "She's just a slave, she doesn't need the healer!"

"That's enough out of you Verena" Kai said in annoyance.

"My alpha! Why are you dong this for a mere slave?! Yes she may be your mate, but the daughter of that monster?!"

"She is my slave!" Kai announced, his eyes flashing a stormy silver. Verena took a step back, cowering from his intimidating presence. "She is Mine to do with as I please, is that clear?"

"You're only saying this because you've fucked her. " Verena said bitterly. "It's not like you'll make her Luna or whatever. She's just another meat bag to you."

"You will pay dearly for those words ." Kai said with a hint of finality in his word. That instant two guards burst into the torture room. "Lock Verena in her room till I tell you otherwise." Kai said to them.

"No!" Verena cried out. "My alpha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say those thing! I---"

"Let's go Nicolas." Kai said coldly and turned away from the torture room.

"Yes, alpha." Nicolas said.

"Nicolas! Please! Help me talk to him!" Verena cried. The guards held her arms and started dragging her away. "My alpha! Please!"

Nicolas walked hastily to the closest room. He glanced at Kai every few moments, noting how restless his normally calm alpha was. Kai threw open the door and took Karen from Nicolas, placing her gently on the bed. The sheets quickly turned red, bleeding through the fabric and began to drip on the floor.

Nicolas stepped back, watching with curious eyes and an amused smile.

"Where is the healer?!" Kai shouted, pacing the floors and running his fingers through his long hair.

"She will be here soon," Nicolas said calmly. "Alpha please relax, I'm sure--"

"Relax?!" Kai exploded. "How can I relax when she is--" He pointed at Karen and trailed off. He turned and faced the door, his body vibrating with tense energy.

'Look at the consequences of your actions.' Abraxas said through their mind link.

'Im working to fix it! Dammit!'

Kai couldn't understand why he was so angry and worried at the same time. this was the daughter of his mortal enemy! And yet he was running around for her safety! He wanted to hurt her, badly. See her bleed and cry and plead. But he wanted it to come from him and him alone!

"My alpha!" A woman's voice called from the door.

"Finally! Attend to her immediately!" Kai barked at the healer.

The healer bowed and quickly rushed over to Karen's side. Kai nodded to Nicolas and they left the room. He noticed how Nicolas was looking at him. Kai turned to him, he noticed the blood stains on his clothes.

Karen's blood.

It made him uncomfortable that Nicolas had been there the entire time, watching as Verena tortured Karen till she bled dry. And yet he had the guts to judge him.

Perhaps he should punish Nicolas too.

But Kai knew that wouldn't have any effect. Nicolas had gone through the same torture as him. Any punishment he dished out will be nothing compared to what Zeke Winterblood did to the both of them.

"See to Verena," Kai said instead.

Nicolas looked at him, his green eyes dark with anger. "Is that all you want to say?"

"You don't get to question me." Kai said bluntly. "Do as I tell you."

Nicolas clicked his tongue and walked away without replying. It annoyed Kai but he wasn't in the mood to deal with Nicolas' snarkiness.

He paced the floors outside while the healer worked inside. He could hear the sound of chants, liquid being poured. The smell of herbs drifted out if the room with the door closed. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed like too much.

His wolf never stopped judging him.

"Alpha," The healer called from inside. "You may come in now."

Kai threw the door open and walked inside. Karen was seated in the bed, her legs folded under her. She was calmly sipping a tea that smelled earthy. The bloody bedsheets had been stripped off and put in a corner, her ruined slave outfit on top of it. The healer was packing up her things, talking to Karen in low tones. There were herbal teas on the small bedside desk.

Karen noticed him walking in and turned her head to his. Her eyes were dull and she looked very tired.

But she was okay. There was no mark on her body as far as he could see. She was clothed in a flimsy nightdress that left very little to the imagination.

Kai composed himself.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Alpha." The healer said and bowed.

"Thank you." Kai said simply and nodded at the woman. She turned and left, leaving the two of them alone.

Karen turned to the window, sipping her tea loudly.

"Are you feeling any better?" Kai asked, his voice low and rumbling.

"You're no different from her, or him" Karen replied calmly. "You should have let her continue. At least I won't have to deal with you now."

Kai felt anger spark in his belly. "I should have let you bleed to death?"

She sipped the tea. "Yes."

Kai lost it in that moment. He crossed the space between them faster than wind and grabbed her by the neck. The tea spilled on the bed, some of it on her skin.

Her eyes went wide and a gasp froze on her lips. He expected to see fear in her eyes but there was only daring.

"Is this the worst you can do?" She spat in anger, her eyes glaring at him.

Kai chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "Oh, but it can't be." He leaned into her ear and whispered; "what I'm going to do to you will make Verena's torture look like pleasure. "