Chapter 36
Nicole endured the daily t*****e inflicted upon her by Shane. They flogged her with silver whips, punched her, and hit her until she was bruised and bloody. With each passing day, she felt her wolf essence weakening. At first, she thought that it was the manhandling that she was getting that made her so weak, but it wasn't. Whenever she woke up, she saw syringes and vials around her. Curiously, she picked up one and sniffed it; it was Wolfsbane and Wolfsflechte.
They were forcing her to ingest Wolfsbane, a poisonous plant that weakened werewolves and gave them hallucinations and suicidal tendencies. While Wolfsflechte was a lot worse, it didn't have any effect on the humans, but it did horrible things to the wolf. Individually, both poisons could kill a werewolf if administered at the right dosage. Together, they were worse. However, she noticed that they were administering small dosages to her.
She could feel its effects taking a toll on her body, making her weaker each day. Despite the pain and suffering, she refused to give up hope. Her wolf, which was her greatest supporter, felt distant and was in greater turmoil.
She dreamt a lot. Each time, she was stumbling through the forest, trying to escape. And as she would stumble through the forest, weakened and in pain, she always felt a faint connection to her alpha, Liam. She would then reach out to him through their bond, hoping that he could sense her.
She suddenly would feel a surge of relief as she sensed his presence at the other end, but she also usually felt his fear and desperation, that he might not be able to get her. She feared for her survival and tried again and again as she ran through the forest. Unfortunately, Shane's new Luna always caught her and returned her to her cell. The dreams are repeated in the same format, each time. Sometimes, the extra twist was that she was being chased by monsters. She always woke up terrified and sweating. This time around, Nicole's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. As the fog lifted, she realized she had been moved to a different room. It was unfamiliar, with dingy walls and a small window that let in a sliver of light. She groaned as she tried to sit up, her muscles stiff and sore from the t*****e she had endured.
She took in a deep breath, and her nose picked up the scent of something strange. It was unfamiliar, and it made her feel uneasy. Her body was weak, and her mind was numb, but she knew she had to get out of there.
Nicole pushed herself out of bed, her legs feeling like they were made of jelly. She steadied herself against the wall, feeling the coolness of the stones against her fingers. She was grateful that the door wasn't locked, but she knew she had to be careful. She shuffled down the hallway, trying to keep quiet. She had tried so hard not to get caught, staying silent, tiptoeing around the pack house, and doing everything in her power to avoid Shane and his minions.
Every creak of the floorboards made her heart race. She could hear voices in the distance, and she turned the other way, trying to avoid detection. Nicole's heartbeat went harder in her chest as she stumbled out of the pack house.
The sun was blinding when she stepped outside, and it felt like needles piercing her skin. She pulled her torn shirt around her body, trying to cover as much skin as she could. Her head was pounding, and she felt sick to her stomach, but she pushed through the pain and continued.
As she made her way toward the cover of the forest, she heard voices in the distance and quickly changed direction, trying to stay out of sight.
She felt like she had been walking for hours when she finally made it to the forest. Nicole knew that she wasn't safe yet, but the cover of the trees provided some comfort. As she entered the trees, she felt a glimmer of hope. She might be able to escape. Her wolf, however, felt different. It was weaker and more submissive than before. It was so far away that she couldn't reach it. She collapsed against a tree, breathing heavily, trying to regain her strength.
Nicole hated herself for everything that was happening to her. She believed that her life was going to be better in Dark Moon and that she was never returning to Crimson. Yet, here she was, beaten and broken, back in Crimson and at the mercy of her torturers. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a twig snap. Her heart leapt into her throat as she turned to see a squirrel. Feeling uneasy, she stumbled deeper into the cover of the forest, trying to find a place to hide.
Just as she thought she was safe, Shane appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the ground. Nicole's heart raced as she looked up at him, fear gripping her.
"Look who we have here," he sneered. "You really think you can get away from me, little Wolf?"
Before she could react, he hopped on her, his fists connecting with her already bruised and battered body.
Nicole was in so much pain that she became derisive. She spat in his face, her anger and hatred boiling over. "You can't break me," she hissed.
Shane cackled, "You're nothing without me. You're mine, and you'll always be mine. You thought you could escape from me, Nicole? This is where you belong. Forever." He mocked as he continued to beat her. Nicole tried to fight back, but she was too weak from the t*****e and the drugs they had been injecting her with.
Shane laughed, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I wonder what he has been giving you. What has he told you? That you're strong? That you are better than a useless slave? You're nothing but a weak little bitch. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise now." Nicole gritted her teeth, trying to summon her strength. "I'll never submit to you," she growled.
Shane leaned down, his face inches from hers. "You will, one way or another," he said softly.
Nicole's heart raced as Shane's hands closed around her throat. She gasped for air, her vision got blurry. She knew she had to find a way to escape, but she felt so weak. The pain was too much and she could feel herself slipping away.
As she started to lose consciousness, Shane leaned in closer, his breath hot against her ear. "You'll never escape from my clutches, Nicole. I'll always find you, no matter where you go."
And with those words, darkness overtook her once again.
*****
Nicole's torment was unending. They had used every possible way to break her wolf's strength until they finally succeeded. Her spirit was broken, and her wolf went dormant.
Shane was ecstatic at the sight of Nicole's defeated state. He mocked her with his Luna, taunting her with the fact that she was powerless against him. "You're nothing, Nicole. Your wolf is weak and you're no match for me," he sneered. Nicole's body shook as she lay on the cold, hard ground. She was exhausted, physically and mentally. Her mind was a blur and she couldn't process anything properly. She felt as if she were in a daze.
Shane and his Luna left her there, alone in the dark, damp cell. Nicole's mind drifted off and she fell into a restless sleep.
Nicole remained imprisoned in the cell. The only time she saw anyone was when they came to t*****e her. The rest of the time, she was left alone with her thoughts.
As the days went by, Nicole became weaker and weaker. She was malnourished and her body was covered in bruises and scars because she stopped healing. She was barely recognizable.
"You know, Nicole," Shane taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "I never wanted to do this to you. You could have been mine, and we could have ruled together."
Nicole looked at him, her eyes lifeless. She had no energy left to fight him or his taunts. "What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I want you to suffer, Nicole. I want you to feel the pain that I felt when you rejected me. You will stay here until you die and no one will come to your rescue. You're nothing, just a weak, pathetic Omega," Shane spat.
Nicole closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She had given up all hope of ever escaping. He was lying; he was the one who sold her off. His betrayal still hurt her because she believed that he was her mate. She was losing hope, feeling that she would die here, alone and forgotten.
Shane seemed to read her mind because he grinned and whispered, "Not yet, you're not dying yet. Not until I've had you one last time."
Nicole recoiled at his words.
"I've missed you, you know. After you left, no one could satisfy my appetite. So it's only right that I get you now. You are mine. I wonder what Liam would think when you died. To be fair, he wouldn't care, no one would."
He grabbed her and lifted her trembling body.
"Please," she begged, her lips trembling.
"I love it when you beg," he groaned, his eyes fluttering in pleasure.
Nicole wanted to scream but couldn't. There was no energy left in her. Yet, she would die before she allowed Shane to touch her again. She tried to muster up the strength, but nothing helped because he desecrated her right there and was filled with pleasure. Nicole wanted to die. She chose death, each time he returned. Her body began to listen. It was slowly shutting down. She was barely conscious and her breathing was shallow. She knew that the end was near.
As she lay there, waiting for death to claim her, she heard a voice. It was faint at first, but it grew louder and louder until she recognized it.
It was Liam's voice.
"Nicole, where are you? Can you hear me?"
Nicole's eyes opened and she tried to speak, but her voice failed her. Liam's voice grew louder still and she could hear the urgency in his tone.
"Nicole, please answer me. I need you to hang on. I'm coming for you," Liam said.
Nicole's heart swelled with hope. Liam was coming for her. And for the first time in days, she felt a flicker of life within her. Then she remembered what Shane had done to her. No. It was better she ended it. She didn't want to be rescued, she didn't deserve it. It wasn't as if Liam was any better than Shane. They were cut from the same cloth; beasts, monstrous and heartless Alphas.
Liam's faint voice came to her,
"Hey, Nicole. Come to me... I've got you."
It was confusing because she was awake...
"Come on. Please open your eyes. Please wake up." He begged.
Nicole opened an eye but she couldn't see him. She managed to turn her head but he wasn't close by. So why was he begging her to wake up?
"Get her here!" She heard Maya's firm voice.
"What's wrong with her?" She heard Liam growl.
"She's in an induced sleep. She's been unconscious all this time. Asleep for weeks. We need to give her nutrients. Her body is shutting down, it's exhausted and dying! Get the doctor,"
"Liam, let go. You cannot follow them there. The doctor will look at her," She heard James' voice.
Wait what? But she was awake and in Crimson.
Nicole was confused. She was in a dungeon in Crimson.
"Where did you find her?" James asked,
"We have traitors in the Dark Moon. She never left the pack grounds. I found her tied up and unconscious in some abandoned houses."
"They injected her with enough wolfsbane and wolf lichen (Wolfsflechte) to kill 10 warriors. But the mixture caused another effect on her. She should have died but for some reason, she didn't..." someone said... Nicole began to feel sleepy and soon she slept off. With one thought
It was a dream?