Chapter 101

Anthony's consciousness surged back abruptly as a torrent of ice-cold water splashed across his face. He gasped, sputtering, his skin prickling with cold and fear. The sharp chill cut through his foggy mind, forcing him to realize his predicament. Heavy chains clamped tightly around his wrists, biting into the skin. He struggled to move, but the restraints held fast, clinking against each other with each desperate tug.

The room was barren and unforgiving. Pale, damp walls pressed in from all sides, the air thick with a musty, pungent smell that made Anthony wrinkle his nose. There were no windows, and only the dim light from a single, flickering bulb overhead cast wavering shadows around the empty space. The only other person present was a man standing silently before him, holding a battered metal bucket—no doubt the source of Anthony's rude awakening. The man with the bucket wore a hooded jacket, obscuring his face. Anthony could just make out the glint of hard eyes beneath the shadow of the hood. The man said nothing, watching Anthony with an expressionless stare. Anthony’s heart pounded in his chest, every beat echoing off the silent walls. He tried to recall how he had ended up here, but his memory was a jumble of fragments—flashes of light, a struggle, voices shouting, then darkness.

Anthony’s thoughts raced. “Where is Lucas?” he wondered, panic creeping into his mind. Lucas was supposed to be with him—his friend, his backup, his beta. Had something happened to Lucas too? Or had Anthony been singled out? The questions whirled in his mind, each one more unsettling than the last. How did he get here in the first place? The last thing he remembered was leaving the club with Lucas, their laughter echoing down the alley. After that—nothing.

The man finally spoke, his voice deep and cold. “Now that you’re awake, we can begin.” The words sent a chill through Anthony’s spine, colder than the water that drenched his face. He was alone, chained, and utterly at the mercy of this stranger in the damp, windowless room. Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, Anthony resolved to find answers. He needed to know what had happened to Lucas, how he’d come to be a prisoner—and most importantly, how he could escape. As the man set the bucket aside and approached, Anthony steeled himself. He would not let fear consume him. No matter how dire the situation, he knew he had to stay alert, search for clues, and wait for the right moment to act. The mystery of his capture and Lucas’s whereabouts had only just begun.

Panic intensified as Anthony tried, with mounting desperation, to reach out through the mind-link—first to his beta, then to his mate. Both attempts ended in utter silence, as if his connection to them had been severed or blocked entirely. All he could clearly recall now was the taste of the drink the flight attendant had handed him just before everything went dark. That memory sent a new wave of dread through him; had it been drugged?

Before Anthony could muster another retort, a new voice sliced through the gloom, laden with mocking familiarity. “Hello, son—I mean Lord Frances’s son. I see you’ve finally met your actual mother, Queen Vanessa, and your lovely mate Katherine’s mother, Grace, who has moved on to mate with a vampire.” The speaker’s tone dripped with contempt as he stepped into the light, his gaze cold and calculating. “I did everything to keep the vampires and werewolves under my control. The moment you brought your mate to the pack house, I knew she’d stick her nose where it didn’t belong. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you never see her again. Now, where is my granddaughter?”

Anthony glared at the man, gathering every ounce of defiance he had left. "I will never tell you anything. I will never tell her about her evil grandfather who ruins everyone's lives with lies and treason. Now you ran from the law," he snarled, his voice trembling with a mixture of rage and resolve, refusing to allow the man the satisfaction of seeing him break.

Anthony’s jaw clenched, refusing to show the fear that threatened to overtake him. He searched the man's shadowed face, trying to piece together the web of betrayals hidden in his words. “You think I’d believe anything coming from you?” Anthony spat, voice hoarse but defiant. “You underestimate what binds me to Katherine. No witch, no curse—nothing you or Maria plot can sever what’s real.”

The man’s lips curled in a bitter half-smile. “We shall see how much your love endures, boy. Curses have consequences, and you’re about to learn just how deep they run.” He circled Anthony slowly, every step echoing ominously across the damp stone floor. “You broke the rules. Now, you and your precious mate will bear the cost.”

Anthony was punched in the stomach by Samuel, and he lost his breath. Anthony coughs, and Samuel grabs his hair, forcing eye contact.

"I will make you suffer until you bleed."

After Samuel let go of Anthony's hair, a table came into the room, and Samuel uncovered the weapons. Samuel put on protective gloves for his hands as he grabs a whip that was a coat with sliver. After the other man ripped off Anthony's shirt and tossed it, Samuel walked up to Anthony, picked up the whip, and began to whip him. Anthony feels a burning sensation as the whip's opening cuts into his chest. Weak with pain, Anthony screamed, and fell to his knees as Samuel paused, a cruel smile on his face, before resuming the torture.

Kathy P.O.V

The car pulled up to the palace, headlights briefly illuminating the grandeur of the entrance. Robert quickly walked around the vehicle, opening the door so the ladies could step out. They moved briskly inside, determined to put all their notes together and piece together the recent chaos in hopes of finding answers.

Kathy walked up the grand staircase, the weight of worry pressing on her shoulders. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her chest, stopping her mid-step. She clutched at her stairs, gasping softly as fear flickered in her eyes—somewhere, she knew something terrible was happening to Anthony. Sarah looks over her shoulder to see Kathy standing there.

“My lady, what wrong?” asked Sarah

“I don’t know, I just felt this pain in my chest. I think something happen to Anthony, it’s like I am feeling his pain,”

“That no way because only werewolf or lycan feel their mate pain,”

“Well, it’s seemed that I am feeling it right now,”

“Let get you inside,”

Sarah gently guided Kathy inside, her arm steadying Katherine’s trembling form as a palace guard respectfully opened the massive doors for their entrance. The trio made their way swiftly up the ornate staircase, heading for Lord Frances’s office, with Robert trailing behind to ensure their safety and privacy. As they approached, Queen Vanessa opened the office door, her expression softening when she saw them. Inside, Lord Frances sat at his desk, deep in thought, his gaze distant until he noticed Vanessa, Sarah and Kathy enter. Robert closed the door behind them, shutting out the bustle of the palace hallway. The ladies settled into the plush chairs, and Sarah poured Kathy a glass of water, offering it with concern before breaking the tense silence to speak.