Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER 25

My eyes flutter open, and I find myself in a dimly lit room, the heavy scent of rouge wolf permeating the air like a suffocating fog, sending a shiver down my spine. The walls are made of rough-hewn stone, damp and cold to the touch, with patches of moss clinging to the crevices.

Confusion grips me as I struggle to piece together how I ended up here. I sit up from the cold, unforgiving floor and scan my surroundings. My eyes widen as I catch sight of Alice in the next cell over, her face swollen and tear-stained. Fear tightens its grip around my chest as realization dawns on me: we've been kidnapped by rogues. They must have used Alice as bait to lure me to the lake, making our capture easier.

The sinking feeling in my stomach deepens as I recall the dangers that come with being in the hands of rogues. It's not uncommon for them to use kidnapped pack members as bargaining chips, demanding ransom or making other demands that often lead to dire consequences if not met.

"Alice, are you okay?" I ask, concern evident in my voice as I approach the bars of my cell. She wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world, but her presence here isn't thrilling either.

"Save me, Hannah. Get me out of here, please," she pleads, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Don't worry. Let me think," I assure her, retreating into my own cell to search for anything that could aid in our escape. To my surprise, my fingers brush against a pin tucked away in the darkest corner of the cell.

With determination fueling my actions, I set to work on the lock, my hands trembling with nerves. Though I've never picked a lock before, I draw upon scenes from movies I've watched, willing the pin to cooperate. Finally, with a satisfying click, the lock yields to my efforts, filling me with a rush of relief.

"I'm coming, Alice," I declare, pushing open the door just as the sound of approaching footsteps reaches my ears. Panic sets in as I realize our window of opportunity is closing rapidly.

"Help me, Hannah," Alice implores, her desperation palpable.

My heart races as I weigh my options, torn between the instinct to flee and the desire to save her. In a split-second decision, I choose self-preservation, knowing that I can't help her if I'm captured too.

"Hannah, please don't leave," Alice cries out, but I've already made up my mind. With a heavy heart, I turn and sprint towards the exit, away from the approaching danger.

As I reach the threshold of freedom, a sudden impact sends me flying backward, my body colliding with the wall with bone-jarring force. I slump to the ground, the world spinning as darkness threatens to engulf me.

"That was easier than I thought," the voice says, sending a chill down my spine as it registers as oddly familiar.

My head pounds with pain, every movement sending waves of agony through my body. Through the ringing in my ears, I catch the sound of the bat being dragged along the floor, the ominous echo amplifying my fear. With a racing heart, I attempt to scramble to my feet, but my vision blurs, and my limbs refuse to cooperate. Panic sets in as I realize I'm defenseless against the looming threat.

In the blink of an eye, I'm shoved backward, my skull connecting with the unforgiving wall. Pain explodes behind my eyes as I struggle to focus, and as his face comes into view, recognition dawns on me. He's the same man who knocked me unconscious earlier, his presence now filling me with a sense of dread and despair.

"She said we should test if you would be dumb enough to escape when it's too easy, and I said you weren't that foolish. But I guess I was wrong," he sneers, his arm tightening around my neck like a vice, cutting off my air supply.

His words send a jolt of realization through me, making me acutely aware of my own naivety. I should have been more suspicious of the conveniently placed pin in the cell. But now, that oversight pales in comparison to the immediate threat to my life as I struggle to breathe under his crushing grip.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I just need you weak enough not to escape again," he explains, his fist connecting with my belly, leaving me gasping for air as he finally releases his hold. I collapse to the ground, clutching my aching abdomen, tears of pain stinging my eyes.

"This should do the trick," he declares before delivering a brutal kick to my face, causing stars to explode behind my closed eyelids and my nose to fracture with a sickening crunch. Blood pours down my face from my nose to my chest.

"Stop!" I scream, the taste of blood filling my mouth as I try to wipe away the sand that has found its way into my eyes. Each attempt only brings more pain, blurring my vision further, but I refuse to give up.

With every ounce of strength I can muster, I push myself up onto my hands and knees, the pain searing through my battered body. Despite my blurred vision and the overwhelming agony, I refuse to surrender to despair.

Groping blindly in front of me, I attempt to find my bearings, to locate any possible means of escape from this nightmare. But before I can even begin to form a plan, another vicious kick sends me sprawling back to the ground, my world consumed by agony as I writhe in pain, unable to suppress the guttural groans that escape my lips.

My stomach lurches as the man's heel suddenly presses into my belly, his snarl cutting through the air like a blade. "Stay the fuck down, bitch," he growls, grinding his heel deeper into my tender flesh.

I scream in agony, the pain radiating through every fiber of my being as I desperately flail my hands, trying to pry his foot off my stomach. But my efforts are in vain, as he only removes it to deliver a barrage of kicks, each blow sending searing pain coursing through my battered body.

He twists me from side to side on the unforgiving floor, the impact shattering bone and tearing flesh, leaving me a broken and bloody mess. Tears stream down my face as I endure the relentless assault, each kick driving me further into the abyss of agony.

I plead for mercy, my cries drowned out by the sound of my own suffering, but he shows no remorse, his onslaught continuing until every inch of my body bears the brutal mark of his violence. And as the floor slowly becomes stained with my blood, I resign myself to the cruel fate that awaits me, consumed by pain unlike anything I've ever known.

"That should do it," he declares, his voice laced with satisfaction as he grabs hold of my hair, dragging me across the hard floor.

The sound of metal creaking signals our return to my cell, and Alice's exclamation of my name echoes around me as the cell door bangs shut. I lie there, unable to see, with my eyes swollen shut from the merciless beating.

Panting heavily, silent tears streaming down my battered face, I can't help but feel a sense of despair washing over me. Alone in the darkness of my cell, I wonder if this is where my journey ends. Just when things were starting to look up, with me finally finding my mate, fate decides to throw a curveball by letting me get kidnapped by rogues. I can't shake the feeling that I must be the unluckiest person in the world.

A fleeting thought crosses my mind, wondering what Alex would do if he knew I was kidnapped. Suddenly, his scent fills the air, but I dismiss it as a trick of my mind, a desperate hallucination born from my longing for his rescue.

"You can only pick one?" a voice interjects into the room, sending a jolt of hope through me. Could it be? Is Alex truly here, ready to save me?

"You can't be serious," a voice akin to Alex responds, filling me with a surge of anticipation. I strain against the pain, attempting to sit up, but my body is too weak to respond. With sheer determination, I force my least injured eye open, desperate for a glimpse of him.

Finally, my eye flickers open, and I'm met with a sight that shatters my heart into a million pieces. There stands Alex, but his finger points not to my cell but to the one opposite mine. A surge of betrayal washes over me, the pain of his perceived abandonment hitting me like a physical blow.

"Bring her out," the man commands, and I watch in numb disbelief as the cell opposite mine swings open.

The pain of Alex's betrayal cuts deeper than anyphysical injury, and in that moment, my heart stops as darkness envelops me,the weight of my despair consuming me as I black out, overwhelmed by the depthsof my anguish.