Rescued or Not?

Avelina

Infront of me, stood....My father's murderers.

Matteo Augustus stood before me, tearing apart the rogue's body in two with his bare hands and extended claws. Blood splattered across his face, yet he remained unfazed by the gruesome scene.

Another growl pierced the air, emanating from a second rogue approaching from behind. But before it could reach us, a chilling laugh echoed through the chamber, a familiar one.

It was Dante Romano, who seized the rogue by its neck, his claws tearing it apart with brutal efficiency. The creature lay in two severed halves, its spilled organs staining the filthy floor.

I watched in horror and disbelief.

Why were these two murderers here to save me?

Before I could piece together any semblance of a plan, a primal scream erupted from the depths of my throat. Another rogue approached us. But before I could even register the anomaly, Matteo sprang into action. He lunged at the rogue, seizing it by the throat and hoisting it aloft with unnerving ease. In one swift motion, he brought it crashing down upon the unforgiving ground, rending it asunder with savage claws until it lay in tattered pieces. And still unsatisfied, he ripped its head from its mangled torso with a gruesome finality.

The sight fucking disgusted me. Such brutality, so callously inflicted. It served as a haunting reminder of the how they... killed my father.

"Well, Dollface, doesn't seem like we're the sharpest tools in the shed, huh?" Dante's voice cut through the chaos, tinged with a sickening amusement as he locked eyes with me. "Breaking out of a max-security cell without a clue of what lurks beyond? Bold move, I'll give you that."

I stood frozen, transfixed by the macabre spectacle of Matteo's savagery, his blood-smeared visage twisted into a malevolent grin.

They were monsters, through and through.

Summoning what little resolve I had left, I made to bolt past Dante, to find any means of escape. I had to escape. But his grip was like iron, halting me in my tracks as he pinned me against the crumbling wall. Pain cut through where my back met the rough surface, a muffled groan escaping my lips.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" His voice dripped with disdain, fingers digging into my arms as he pressed closer, his scent overwhelming my senses. Fear gripped me in its icy embrace, paralyzing me, "Have a death wish or what?"

"Let me go, you... you fucking monster!" I spat, struggling against his hold, but he only pressed harder, his body an unyielding barrier as it pressed against me, his colonge wafted into my nostrills.

"I could let you go," he mused, lips hovering dangerously close to mine, his nose burshing against mine, "But the monsters here certainly won't. Although it'd be a very pleasant sight to watch the rogues tear you apart, and devour you limb by limb but then again if you die we'd have another problem to deal with at home so keeping you alive seems less of a problem for now." His words sent a shiver down my spine, a primal instinct screaming at me to flee. The closeness with these monsters, terrified me....to my core.

"Why bother saving me then? It's not like you fucking want to," I retorted, voice trembling, lips quivering.

Dante remained silent, his eyes flickering briefly to my lips, his eyes darkening. Suddenly, Matteo's voice cut through the tension, accompanied by the telltale flick of a lighter and the acrid scent of cigarette smoke.

My gaze snapped to him, finding him reclined against a crumbling pillar, the ember of his cigarette casting eerie shadows across his blood-stained features. "Because, sweetheart, you're an inconvenience we can't afford to dispose of just yet. Blame it on filial duty or some twisted sense of obligation. We may be monsters, but even we don't dare disobey Mother."

Mother?

So their mother wanted to keep me alive? My grandmother....

"Does... does she know that you two... that you fucking killed my dad?" My voice quivered, the words heavy. It would only deepen the wound, give me another reason to mourn the man who poured his heart into everyone but couldn't even earn his own mother's love...

"What do you think?" Matteo's grin twisted into something sinister, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Take a guess."

"A mother wouldn't allow her son to be killed. You two must have—" I started, the words catching in my throat.

"She knows," Dante cut in, his voice like ice, a cruel smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "She knows we took care of your precious hero, all with her blessing. So, Avelina..." My name rolled off his tongue with a sickening smoothness, making my skin crawl. "Tell me, what kind of man forces his own mother to end him? What do you think your father was like?"

My chest tightened, breaths coming in ragged gasps as tears welled in my eyes. That fucking woman, his own mother, knew these monsters were responsible for his death. My father... he didn't even have the luxury of a mother's love. Instead, he had monsters for family.

"Monsters..." I spat, tears streaming down my cheeks. "You're all fucking monsters! My dad was innocent—never harmed a soul in his life. He dedicated himself to his people. All he knew was love, and you—"

"Come on, Princess, you're fucking living in a bubble," Matteo interrupted, a mocking chuckle escaping his lips. "God only knows what lies he filled your head with. You're clueless to the truth."

"And she seems quite content to stay there," Dante added, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Thinks Ezekiel was some innocent old man. He certainly crafted quite the image for you so that—"

"Shut the fuck up you bastards!" I shoved Dante away, my fury boiling over. "Don't you dare try to manipulate me! He was my father, he fucking raised me—I know exactly what kind of man he was. Not you, who probably didn't even spend a year with him!"

"Oh, we spent more than enough time with him," Dante sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "We knew him long before you were even a thought, Dollface. So watch your tongue, alright?"

"Watch my tongue?" I scoffed, the anger surging within me. Claws, long dormant, out of the blue pierced through my skin, "Try to control me now." With a swift motion, I struck Dante across the face, my claws drawing blood. Then, without hesitation, I darted past him, the sharp tips of my claws grazing Matteo's chest. Both brothers hissed in surprise, the shock evident in their eyes. I wasn't supposed to be able to shift, not even a fraction, except for them. After all, it was their den.

"I'm not one to go down without a fight, you sick bastards," I spat, venom lacing every word, before lunging at Matteo. But before I could make contact, he seized me by the waist, slamming me forcefully against the unforgiving wall. Ignoring the pain shooting through my body, I unleashed my claws, raking them across the side of his face, drawing crimson lines. But before I could press the attack, he shoved me toward Dante, who moved with alarming swiftness.

A handkerchief was suddenly pressed against my mouth, cutting off my protests as darkness crept into the edges of my vision. "Deal with it! I've had fucking enough," Matteo hissed, the words barely registering as my consciousness began to slip away.

Through the haze, I felt Matteo's fingers brush over the wounds I'd inflicted, the healing already underway. But then came Dante's chilling chuckle.

"Thank me for bringing the sedative along. Knew she'd be a feisty one."

And with that, the world dissolved into oblivion.