Chapter 16

Rae

The hallway stretched out in front of me as I increased my steps, only to stop when I felt a slight pull on my left arm.

“Not so fast.” Kayla’s voice rang out behind me.

I couldn’t believe she followed me. Why wouldn’t she let me be?

I turned to meet Kayla’s eyes which were blazing with anger. Her presence immediately set me on edge.

“What do you want, Kayla?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel my pulse quicken.

She stepped closer. “What do I want? After all the damage you’ve done, you have the audacity to ask me that?”

“I haven’t done anything to you,” I said defensively, though I knew my words would do little to calm her rage.

“You ruined Damien’s life!” she spat. “You killed my best friend and ended the Alpha’s legacy.”

Her accusation hit me like a slap, but I didn’t let her see the effect it had on me. “I didn’t ruin Damien’s life, Kayla. The rogues killed him. I lost him too.”

Her expression twisted into something cruel. “If Damien hadn’t gone back for you, he’d still be alive. You’re the reason he’s dead stop trying to blame it on the rogues.”

I didn’t know what to say as I stared at her. There was some similarity in her words as they seemed to remind me of the way I spoke to Von.

The feeling of Kayla’s nails digging into my skin made me wince. “You don’t deserve to be back here, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure your time here is a living hell.”

She let go of me suddenly, her hand dropping when she noticed someone walking by. The brief act gave me the chance to step away, my chest heaving as I struggled to calm myself.

I turned and headed down the hallway with Kayla’s words echoing in my mind. As I arrived at a turning that led to the throne room, a maid approached me with a soft smile on her face.

“Miss Rae!” She called out. “A chamber has been prepared for you.”

“It’s with the other maids.” She added.

Her words took me by surprise, confusion flickering across my face. “With the maids?”

She nodded and walked ahead. As I trailed behind her, realization hit me—Von was still hiding the truth about his wife’s death. Of course, he wouldn’t want anyone to know I was here in any capacity other than as a servant.

What a tyrant!

The maid led me to the quarters, where the other staff were housed. The room was small and simple, with a tiny bed set at the center. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to collect my thoughts when another maid entered.

“The Alpha has requested your presence miss,” she said curtly.

I frowned. “Where is he?”

“Follow me.”

I stood and followed her through the winding hallways. It was the same route Damien had led on the day he wanted to introduce me to his father.

I sighed trying to shake off that thought. I placed my focus on the corridors which grew darker and quieter after a second turn. The familiar sounds of the mansion slowly faded behind us.

“Where are we going?” I asked, glancing around uneasily.

The maid didn’t respond. When I turned to look at her, she was gone.

Panic began to set in as I realized I was alone in an unfamiliar part of the mansion. Before I could figure out what to do, a shadow emerged from the corner.

It was Kayla.

She stepped into the light, and beside her were two buff men whose expressions were as cold as hers.

“What is this?” I demanded, backing away instinctively.

Kayla smirked, her eyes gleaming with an expression I couldn’t read. “Just giving you a proper welcome.”

She motioned to the men, and before I could react, they lunged forward, grabbing me by the arms.

“Let me go!” I shouted, struggling against their grip, but they were too strong.

Kayla stepped closer, with her lips placed close to my ears. “This is for Damien.”

They dragged me out of the mansion and shoved me into the back of a van. My heart pounded as darkness surrounded me.

I began to bang on the door.

“Let me out!” I yelled with my hands hitting the door at a fast pace.

I got no reply, but that didn’t stop me. I continued to bang on the door but eventually, I gave up, curling to a corner.

The drive felt like an eternity, the silence in the van broken only by the occasional cruel laugh from Kayla.

When the van finally stopped, they pulled me out and threw me onto the ground in a secluded area.

“Hit her,” Kayla said to the men, in an icy tone.

The first blow landed hard against my ribs, stealing the breath from my lungs. It didn’t stop there as the men hit me again.

Pain radiated through my body as they continued to hit me over and over again, their fists and boots colliding with my body.

Kayla’s voice rang out above the chaos.

“You deserve this. You should’ve died instead of him.”

Tears streamed down my face as I curled into myself, trying to protect what little I could. My body screamed in agony, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of crying out.

When they finally stopped, I could barely move. Every inch of me ached, and my vision blurred from the pain.

“Throw her on the roadside,” Kayla ordered.

The men grabbed me again and tossed me out of the van like garbage. I hit the ground hard, the impact sending fresh waves of pain through my battered body.

I lay there, too weak to stand, watching as the van drove away. The sound of the engine faded, leaving me in silence.

Summoning every ounce of strength I had, I tried to push myself up, but I couldn’t.

My arms were trembling beneath me while my vision swam, and I thought I might pass out when suddenly I heard the distant sound of an engine.

A car was coming.

The headlights grew brighter, the vehicle speeding toward me. I was too weak to move, panic setting in as I realized it wasn’t slowing down.

Just when I thought it would hit me, the car screeched to a halt, stopping a few feet from where I lay.

The driver’s door opened, and a figure stepped out, their silhouette outlined by the blinding headlights.

I couldn’t make out who it was, but as they moved closer, mixed emotions began to surface.

Would this person going to help me? Or was my nightmare far from over?