Mated To My Bullies

Chapter 14: "Return to Hell"

Maya's POV

The stone walls of the Blackwood castle dungeon were exactly as cold and unforgiving as I remembered from the stories whispered by pack members. I'd never expected to experience them firsthand.

The cell they'd locked me in was clean, I had to give them that. A small bed, a toilet, even a tiny window that let in slivers of sunlight during the day. But it was still a cage.

"For your own protection," Stephen had said when they'd brought me here three days ago. His voice had been careful, clinical, like he was discussing pack business instead of imprisoning his supposed mate. "Until we can figure out what's happening to you."

What's happening to me. As if the slow death creeping through my veins was some mysterious illness instead of the direct result of their choices, their actions, their inability to see past their own needs.

I coughed, tasting blood again. The episodes were getting worse. Whatever Marcus had done to me was unraveling, and I could feel my body fighting a losing battle against the enhanced chemicals in my system. Part of me wondered if that's what they were really waiting for – for the problem to solve itself.

The sound of heels on stone announced my daily visitor before I saw her. Seraphina Nightshade appeared at my cell door like a vision from a fairy tale, all flowing red hair and emerald silk dress that probably cost more than my father had ever seen in his lifetime. She was everything I would never be – elegant, powerful, born to rule.

"Good morning, little wolf," she said, her voice honey-sweet with an undertone of poison. "How are you feeling today?"

I didn't bother to get up from where I sat on the narrow bed. "Like I'm dying. Thanks for asking."

"Such a pity." She examined her perfect manicurals through the bars. "Though I suppose it's for the best. The boys are already starting to see reason now that they're not constantly breathing in your... enhanced pheromones."

The words stung because they might be true. I hadn't seen any of the brothers since they'd locked me up. No visits, no messages, nothing. Just Seraphina's daily appearances to remind me how thoroughly I'd been replaced.

"Are they?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Oh yes." Seraphina's smile widened. "Stephen's wolf is slowly healing now that he's not constantly agitated by your presence. Karl is focusing on pack business again instead of your drama. Nathan has stopped his obsessive research into whatever Marcus did to you. And Elijah..." She paused dramatically. "Well, Elijah always was the most sensible of the four. He's already acknowledged that I'm a better match for them."

Each word was a carefully placed dagger, designed to wound. And it was working. The mate bond, artificial or not, still pulsed with pain at the thought of them moving on without me. Still made my chest ache with the need to be near them.

"How nice for you," I managed.

"It really is." Seraphina leaned against the bars, close enough that I could smell her perfume – roses and power. "In fact, we're having a pack dinner tonight. A proper introduction for me to the Blackwood allies and subordinates. The boys thought it would be good for pack morale to see them with a suitable mate."

I closed my eyes, not wanting her to see how much that hurt.

"Of course," she continued conversationally, "we'll need serving staff for such an important event. And the boys thought it would be... educational... for you to see how a real alpha female conducts herself."

My eyes snapped open. "No."

"Oh yes." Her smile turned predatory. "Don't worry, little wolf. You won't be the only servant. But you will be serving me personally. Making sure my glass stays full, my plate never empties, my every need is met. It'll be good practice for you, learning your proper place in this pack's hierarchy."

The humiliation of it hit me like a physical blow. They wanted me to serve her. To stand there and watch while she played the perfect mate, the ideal alpha female, everything they actually wanted. To be visible but invisible, present but powerless.

"I won't do it."

"You will." Seraphina's voice went cold. "Because if you don't, the boys have made it clear that your... accommodations... will become far less comfortable. There are darker cells in this castle, Maya. Ones without windows. Without heat. Without the small kindnesses they've shown you so far."

I wanted to refuse. Wanted to tell her exactly what she could do with her pack dinner and her perfect alpha female performance. But I was already dying, and the thought of spending my remaining time in complete darkness and cold was too much to bear.

"Fine."

"Wonderful." Seraphina clapped her hands together like a delighted child. "The guards will bring you suitable clothing later. Nothing too nice, of course. We wouldn't want anyone to mistake you for a guest."

She started to turn away, then paused. "Oh, and Maya? Do try not to bleed on the food. It's terribly unsanitary."

The next few hours passed in a haze of dread and preparation. The guards brought me a simple black dress, servant's clothing, clearly marked to show my status. It was clean but plain, designed to make me invisible while still being presentable enough for a formal dinner.

As the sun set, they came to escort me upstairs. I hadn't been in the main parts of the castle since they'd brought me here, and the opulence struck me anew. Rich tapestries, gleaming marble floors, crystal chandeliers that sparkled like captur

ed starlight. This was the world Seraphina belonged to, the world she'd been born into.