DARIUS POV "I have bad news, Master," Rocky said as he entered the office, and Darius quickly stood up. "What do you mean by bad news?" His wolf growled as he asked the inquiry, and the dreadful feeling he'd had in the previous several days returned. Goosebumps emerged on his skin, and he wanted to scratch his entire body but stopped himself. Before taking any action, he needed to hear what Rocky had to say. In the back of his mind, Darius had a clue as to what this might be about, but he suppressed the thought immediately. No! No! Whatever news Rocky had for him was unconnected to Brielle. She was fine. She was still in the motel, and... "Okay, since you said I should go on…" Rocky cleared his throat and announced, "Brielle is nowhere to be found." Darius remained still. He felt like ice had been poured over him, and his bones and muscles stiffened. Shivers spread across his skin, and the hair on his arms stood up. "Master, you are not saying anything," Rocky spoke after a wh
BRIELLE'S POV "Arghhhhhhh…" Brielle shouted as the hot, scorching iron reached the bottom of her feet. Her entire body shook fiercely as the unbearable pain spread throughout her body. She screamed again, louder than before. Her entire body convulsed in misery and heat, and she thought it was going to melt off her bones. Her whole body ached, from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, including her chest, lungs, and eyeballs. Everything hurt. It had been two days, if she could count correctly since the great torment began. Draken seemed to have grown enraged by her statements and, therefore, revealed his true colors. Most times, she was starved, and occasionally, she was fed slimy food. However, the scarcely there diet was not the worst thing that could happen to her. Instead, it was the increased torture spree. She had been sprayed with ice-cold water and severely whipped by the guards. He had also scaled her skin with a hot iron so she was red and peeling. Although
BRIELLE'S POV "Eat!" Draken yelled, shoving the stale maggot-filled meat into her mouth. "No!" Brielle hummed, her mouth securely shut, refusing the foul food. Even though her stomach hurt so much, she would sooner die than consume the trash. "Fucking eat!" He roared again, his eyes glowering with rage, but she still refused. How could she eat live maggots and risk herself even more? She couldn't afford it at all. He was better off torturing her than forcing her to take that poison. As if reading her mind, he spat viciously on her face. "If you don't eat this, I'll have to burn your skin with the scalding iron." It's right over there, as you can see.” He pointed to a wooden table in the corner of the room. Brielle shuddered, tears streaming down her cheeks at the unspeakable pain she would experience if he used the metal iron on her. She could almost hear her screams echoing around the cell, each nerve ending on fire as the flames licked her skin and burnt her alive. Still, she
DARIUS POVDarius had his head buried on his office desk, half asleep and deep in meditation when a thundering knock on his door jolted him awake. "Come in." He grunted and looked up from his desk. The doorknob twisted open, and a guard entered, bowing his head dutifully. "Master…" He greeted, and Darius responded with a wave of his hands. He inquired immediately. "What brought you to my office? Is there any news?" "There is." The guard moved closer to the desk and slipped an envelope towards him. He said, "The postman arrived earlier with this envelope for you. He stated it's urgent, and the sender wants you to view it immediately." "Huh?" Darius frowned. He rarely received letters unless they were business-related, and even then, they were delivered via mail. So, who had sent him an envelope? He couldn't even remember the last time he received one. "Well, I think you should see for yourself." The guard spoke again, and Darius hummed.He extended his hand, took up the brown pack
DARIUS POV "Take a look at that," Darius exclaimed aggressively, flinging the envelope at Rocky as soon as he entered the room. A surprised-looking Rocky bent down and picked up the envelope, his gaze skimming through.Darius did not say anything while the guard read the letter, but he did stop pacing and stood still to gauge Rocky's reaction. "What the hell is this?" Rocky inquired, his eyes darting up to meet Darius's terrifying look. "It’s self-explanatory. Draken Havix has requested to see me. He is torturing Brielle. He also sent me photos." Darius rasped out, his voice oddly calm, although he was anything but. He was like a raging volcano, ready to erupt and spew. His wrath was like lava rushing through his veins, threatening to consume him. "What pictures?" Rocky asked, and Darius' attention shifted briefly to the images on the floor beneath him. Bending down carefully, he packed the cards before almost whispering, "The pictures are so degrading and gory. I would not wan
DARIUS POV As Darius wore the robe over his head, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by what was to come. He was preparing for the journey to Draken Havix's castle, as he had been invited, and Rocky and several of his guards would accompany him. Darius saw a lie when he saw one, despite telling himself that he was doing it out of sympathy and because he couldn't stomach the thought of Brielle going through any more torment. He couldn't dispute the truth. He still loved her. And that was the primary reason he was doing this. Brielle was still wholly connected to him, and he would save the lady he cared about and treasured above all else in the world. More so, following the letter yesterday, he decided to look into Brielle's background, and what he learned was shocking and too unbelievable to be real, but it was. Earlier, he’d thought Brielle was a pampered child who didn't want to leave her father for him, but what he discovered yesterday was the complete opposite. H
BRIELLE'S POV "Ahhhhh…" Brielle's screams rang through the cell as she felt the whip on her back. It was a new morning, and just like every other day, she’d woken up to another round of torture. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she could no longer hold back her wails and cries of pain."No more. No more... please… I will do anything you ask of me. Please stop it!" She begged the guards, who appeared to enjoy her agonizing cry."Please, please…" She said it again, hoping they would have mercy on her, but as usual, her pleas fell on deaf ears. They merely laughed at her and escalated the intensity of the torment, whipping her back like an animal, bathing her flesh with ice-cold water, and repeating the process.Brielle gave up begging. She knew she would never win against the guards. They were harsh and ruthless, just like their master.She remained still, allowing herself to feel the anguish until it subsided. And it did come to a stop. She soon collapsed on the floor in a heap a
DARIUS’S POV "Don't come up. I want to be alone," Darius spoke to Rocky, who responded with a nod and moved away. They had just returned to the mansion, and all Darius wanted to do was drown himself in several bottles of wine - the very ones he had sworn off. Throughout the ride home, his thoughts had been preoccupied with everything he’d heard back at Draken's estate. Brielle's screams lingered in his head, and he couldn't stop thinking about them as he climbed up the stairs and walked straight to his room. He'd wanted to see her, even if briefly, and assure her that he'd return to save her, but Draken had denied him the chance. He had until tomorrow to accomplish anything, though. But he was already dreading the day even before it arrived. Earlier, Darius had told Rocky about the conversation with his uncle, and the burly guard chastised him for taking things too personally. He had been so angry and irrational and erupted when he should have remained calm. He could have been
BRIELLE'S POVHer heart fluttered like a flower picked from a peaceful garden. Brielle searched for words to convey how she felt as Darius hoisted her up the floor. Euphoria. Joy. Thrill. Delight. Excitement. Surprise. Yes. These words clearly defined the situation, but there was more going on. Something deeper. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she didn't know what word to use, but it wasn't happiness. It was more than that. "My love. Mine, all mine..." Darius repeated in her ears as he twirled her around. After a few minutes, he dropped her back onto her feet.Brielle remained still for a moment, attempting to regain her breath. Her mind buzzed with so many different thoughts, and she felt dizzy and possibly lightheaded from all the dancing, but that didn't stop her from stretching her toes and kissing Darius on the cheek."How are you feeling?" Darius asked, and she replied. “I feel on top of the world. Or maybe I'm already flying through it; I have no idea
A MONTH LATERDARIUS' POVThe banquet went better than Darius had anticipated.He had hoped for a low-key and personal ceremony in which he could deliver the glad news to his people and seal the everlasting union with his partner, but the event planners had other ideas. They'd gone over and aboard, and he surprisingly approved. Every area of the castle was artistically ornamented with gold and scarlet decorations. Everything was stunning, from the beautiful wall tapestries to the intricate floral arrangements, and the crystal chandelier glowed like a light in the hall's center. It was ethereal. Just like the woman for whom this entire charade was intended. Darius smiled as he continued to glance around. His gaze swept through the guests in the room, mingling, drinking, and speaking in groups. He also watched the servants rushing around carrying platters, refilling drinks, and doing almost anything to keep the party going. Finally, his wandering attention was interrupted by the mo
BRIELLE’S POVThere wasn’t a force more powerful in the universe than love. At least, that was what Brielle was thinking as she watched Darius dress in front of the mirror.Her lips watered as he flexed his muscles to remove the white shirt that hugged his body's curves.They had both healed, and all that remained were the scars. Though as memories converged in her head, she nearly let out a whimper. She’d gone through a lot, and damn! Anytime she remembered the whippings, electric shocks, cold water dousing, and even days she went without food, tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't easy to forget what had happened, but with Darius, it was becoming easier than she had expected. He was at her side throughout the recovery process, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. "Like what you see?" Darius smirked, interrupting Brielle's thoughts.He was looking at her through the mirror, and when their eyes met, her cheeks flushed. She looked away."Umm." She murmured and said n
DARIUS POV Darius walked carefully down the corridor with his guards in tow. He’d woke up a few hours earlier, and all he could think about was seeing Brielle. The dream from the day before continued to torment him, keeping him half-awake all night. Now, all he wanted was to see and hug her tightly. Then he’d apologize for how he had neglected her—the anguish he'd caused her by not being present when she needed him most. And maybe she'd forgive him. But would she? The inexplicable torture she went through in Draken Havix's hands, as well as his irresponsible choice to send her out into the wild, was nothing short of horrific. It was unforgivable, and Brielle deserved much better. She deserved more than to be with a man like that. He was a coward and an idiot who couldn’t even admit that she had transformed him from who he used to be to a better person. But then, he was also a selfish fool, so he wouldn’t let her go. Not in this lifetime or the next. Regardless of these thought
SOME DAYS LATERBRIELLE'S POV Her eyelids fluttered slowly, and Brielle groaned softly as a dull pain throbbed through her temples. It took a few more attempts before she could open them properly, and eventually, they slid wide enough for her to see where she was.Brielle had to squint a little until her eyes adjusted to the light, which was in stark contrast to what she was used to - dim lighting, quiet, and empty space. 'Where was she?' She frowned and pondered, 'How did she get here?'.She tried to push herself up into a sitting position but froze when a sharp pain shot through her skull again."Damn it." She muttered quietly, lifting a hand to her forehead, only to discover that it was attached to something, and she could not move it. "Fuck! Where am I?" She cursed aloud and, with her eyes roaming, began taking inventory of the room. And that's when she noticed it. The familiar curtains dangling from the windows. The dark red couches facing one another, and gold-plated side ta
BRIELLE'S POVBrielle's eyes opened and shut as she slipped into and out of consciousness.Her entire body hurt; her head ached, and her chest was on fire. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything, and her eyesight was fuzzy.She could only hear noises, low whispering voices that appeared to come from all directions simultaneously. She could also feel soft wisps of cool breeze on her skin, confirming that she was outside.She wasn't in that terrible cell anymore, being tortured by those evil men.But if she wasn't present, where was she? She remembered sprinting through the palace hallways, looking for a way out, but then...She slowly began to recollect what happened after that. Her memories were returning slowly. Brielle had planned to flee once the guards left, with the cell door open and the key having fallen out of their pocket by accident. She remembered scanning left and right to ensure she didn't knock into anyone. It seemed strange how empty the hallways were.She
DARIUS POVDarius fought with all of his strength. He hit and punched, channeling his inner strength until Draken was a bloody mess.Earlier, when Draken had transformed into a wolf and leaped at him, Darius had been prepared for it. His fangs and claws had sharpened, and he’d transformed into his lycanthrope wolf form. He rarely shifted, but when he did, he wasted no time. As a Lycan, he would always be faster than his opponent and better equipped to catch his prey. So when the man attacked, Darius didn't even think about what he could do. His beast form had switched to autopilot, and its instincts took over. He'd scarcely noticed anything when he attacked. He only felt the pain of the punches and strikes, which weren't too severe because he wasn't on the receiving end of them. Draken, on the other hand, was severely beaten. His hairy face was matted with blood, and there were several large gashes all over his body. At this point, he wasn't even fighting back, just squirming and
BRIELLE'S POV"What is happening?" Brielle overheard the question, as many guards entered the cell with troubled expressions."There is a very big problem." One of them spoke, and despite her weakness, Brielle managed to stretch her ears enough to hear what they were saying. "Which is? Can someone fucking talk to me?" Another guard inquired, and the whip in his hand tumbled to the floor. It fell with a resounding thud, and the sound echoed off the cell walls.The air seemed to cool even more. The room was silent for a long time until one of the guards spoke up again. "Master Draken and Lord Darius are…"Brielle's heart sank when she heard Darius's name."Goodness gracious please, let nothing happen to him…" The words came out of her mouth unexpectedly, almost in prayer, and a stray tear streamed down her left cheek. The guards resumed discussing, but this time in quiet tones, as if frightened Brielle would hear them. It irritated her, and she wanted to yell. She wanted to question t
BRIELLE'S POV "Please…" Brielle begged and screamed at the top of her lungs, but the guards did not stop. The more she pleaded, the more the torture increased, and they continued to whip her body with their batons.But she understood why this was happening. Darius was here again. He'd arrived yesterday, and while she hadn't seen him, the rate at which her torture had risen was clear evidence of this. Her agonizing yells were intended to convey a message to Darius. Draken was using it as a tactic to demonstrate that he still had the upper hand and leverage. Brielle's heart wrenched painfully as she thought of the wicked older man who held her captive. A shiver ran down Brielle's spine as she remembered their talk from last night.He'd informed her that Darius still loved her, and despite her misery, she couldn't deny that his words had given her hope. Even when he made insulting jokes about her and Darius's deaths, a small part of her brain ignored the unpleasant words and focused