The Blackfang Alphas and Slaves

Chapter 13

LIRA

The stone walls of the dungeon were slick with slime, and I could feel the dampness seeping into my skin as I hung from the heavy iron chains bolted into the ceiling.

My clothes were nothing but tattered rags now, and my hair hung in a matted, filthy mess over my face, blinding me while I swayed in the dark. My vision was blurry, and everything didn't feel good, but the sound of rodents scurrying across the wet floor kept me from slipping into total unconsciousness. It brought back a memory I had buried a long time ago, a memory of being a child in a cage, and I hated that I was back here again. Water dripped from a c***k in the ceiling, hitting the open wounds on my face and shoulders, and every drop felt like a needle digging into my flesh.

It had been five days since Rhodes handed down my sentence. Five days of pain that I didn't think I could survive, but I was still breathing. In the middle of my daze, the heavy iron door at the end of the hall groaned open, and the sound of clicking heels echoed against the stone. My body perked up on instinct, and I strained against the chains, my muscles screaming in protest. I didn't need to see her to know who it was.

My wolf snarled deep in my chest, a low, guttural sound that vibrated through my bruised ribs, as the scent of lavender and expensive soap filled the air. Ilara was here.

She stepped into the light of the torch, looking pristine and perfect in a silk gown that probably cost more than a slave’s life. She looked at me, her eyes scanning my broken body, and I could see the frustration boiling just beneath her surface. She was incensed that I hadn't maybe died yet, and she didn't bother hiding it.

Over the last few days, Rhodes’ official punishment hadn't been enough for her. She had bribed the guards to let extra men into my cell, men who used their fists and their boots to try and crush the defiance out of me, but I was still staring back at her through the gaps in my hair.

"You really are a stubborn b***h, aren't you?" Ilara asked, her voice high and cold. She started pacing in front of me, her heels clicking like a countdown.

"Look at you. You’re a mess. You’re disgusting. And yet you still hold your head up like you’re something more than a common slave."

I didn't answer her. I just breathed, the air whistling through my swollen nose.

"Do you find it laughable?" she continued, her voice rising as she began to cackle. "Did you actually believe Alpha Rhodes loved you? Did you think that just because you birthed his heir, you were suddenly one of us? You were a mistake, Lira. A distraction. You were always going to end up back in the dirt where you belong."

She turned to the guard standing by the door and held out her hand. He didn't hesitate, reaching into his belt and handing her a heavy leather whip. She ran her fingers along the length of it, a manic glint appearing in her eyes, and then she swung.

The first strike caught me across the ribs, tearing through the thin fabric of my tunic and opening a fresh line of fire on my skin. I gritted my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a scream.

Ilara poured all her anger into the next dozen strikes, whipping me until her own breath was coming in short gasps. She screamed about her lost status, about the threat my son posed to her future, and about how much she hated the way Rhodes used to look at me.

When she realized I wasn't going to beg for mercy, she let out a frustrated growl and dropped the whip into the puddle at my feet.

I forced my head up, my neck muscles trembling with the effort. I looked her straight in the eye, watching the way her face twisted with rage, and then I gathered the bloody spit in my mouth and hurled it right into her face. The glob of red hit her cheek and slid down toward her mouth.

Ilara froze. For a second, the dungeon was completely silent. Then she let out a screech and lunged forward, swinging her hand in a wide arc. Her palm slammed into my jaw with so much force I heard a sickening pop, and my head snapped to the side. The world spun for a moment, and I felt the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth again as my jaw hung at a weird angle.

She didn't back away. She grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back, leaning down until her lips were right against my ear.

"Enjoy your silence while it lasts," she whispered, her voice trembling with a sick kind of joy. "Rhodes was in my bed last night. He was very intimate, very vocal about how much he regrets ever touching you. And he finally agreed, Lira. He agreed that my child will be the one to lead this pack. Your son is nothing now. He’s just a bastard born to a dead woman."

She let go of my hair, making my head thud back against the cold stone wall, and she started laughing.

It was a loud, manic sound that bounced off the ceiling and made my skin crawl. She turned and walked out of the cell without looking back, her silk dress trailing through the filth on the floor. I heard the heavy iron gates slide shut and the lock click into place, leaving me in the absolute silence of the dark once again.