*** My breathing was laboured as I came to. Forcing my eyes open I meet a grease stained floor and see that my feet are dangling. I can't lift my head but as I flex my hands I can feel the rope digging into my wrists. "Good morning gorgeous." George's voice breaks through my thoughts and I flick my eyes up enough to see his mud covered sneakers. His hand cups my chin and forces my face up. "The drugs are just starting to take effect but you should be able to hold your head up soon." He watches me for a little while before I pull back from his hold and keep my head up without his assistance. He smirks and leans forward, with the drugs still making their way through my system I only just have enough time to twist my head out of the way so his lips land on my cheek instead of my own. "What do you want?" I felt like I should've been scared but there was an adrenaline rush fuelling me. George smiles and grabs my chin again, holding me still as he moves closer into me again. "You know full well what I want, gorgeous." His eyes flick down to my lips as he slowly sticks his tongue out and licks his dry lips. Tyring to twist out of his tight hold I grunt, feeling a bruise form already. "If you really want the throne you would've killed me by now. Killing me makes him weak and the perfect time to attack." My voice is rough from both George's constricting hold and the lack of use. "No, no, no." he whispers, crudely releasing my face. "Killing you now would be the worst time. You and Ryder just got married and from what I know, you just turned eighteen. You would've gone through your first heat meaning that there was a very high chance of you creating an heir for the country." When his hand comes down to press against my stomach, I try to move back away from his touch and the rope burns into my wrists. "From what I can smell, you aren't pregnant and if I kill you, Ryder will be more pissed and looking for revenge then grieving for his precious mate." "If you're not going to kill me then, what are you going to do?" I'm still trying to pull back from his hands that are running over my stomach. I didn't care for the pain and blood that was staring to move my down my arms now. George sighed, his hands sliding to grab my hips. "By now Travis has told him that I've taken you and he's bought his best fighters to take me out." His eyes look on mine as he continues. "The castle will be left, mostly defenceless, and my men will be attacking." My chest shakes as I fall slack in his arms, because if a squirm in his hold now, I'll be rubbing myself against him. "You can't do that." I whisper. "Oh gorgeous, Ryder is already on his way here and my people are attacking the castle soon." His arm hooks around my waist and pulls me into him more. "I wanted to be there but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some alone time with you." His voice is sickly seductive as he cups my cheek again. I was worrying now as I realised that I was in a situation I couldn't get out of. His touch was repulsive and as I thought of what he may do I felt my eyes start to sting with tears. "Don't touch me." I manage to get out with a strong voice. When his hand moves down my neck and to the hemline I notice that Ryder's jumper was gone. George ripped through the material of the long sleeved shirt straight down the middle, revealing the skin coloured bra I had on beneath. My arms desperately pulled at the rope despite the pain I felt from hanging for so long. Then I felt it. He'd extended his claws and dug them across my lower back, cutting deep into my skin. A scream escapes my mouth though I try to keep it contained. When he pulls his claws back from the wound my chest tightens as I try to take in a breath. No words come out as he slides his hand around to my stomach, his sharp claws ghosting over the skin. Shaking my head at him, I silently beg him not to hurt me again. "Don't worry. When I take the throne, I'm going to need someone to give me an heir. My mate's gone and any wolf you bear will be strong. I won't hurt you here but there are some other places I know will get a rise out of the 'perfect' king." "Ryder's the only one who can get me pregnant." Even though Riley's word had confused me, I understood that my body was made in a way to keep the royal blood line pure. Only he could ever get me pregnant and I was the only one who could give him a pup. "Hmm, there's a way to work around that when he's dead, gorgeous." He smiled and met my eyes as he began his torture again. George smirked every time I screamed. He was enjoying the pain he was causing me. I wanted to shut my eyes and see myself somewhere other than here. I wanted to see myself back on the island, just laying in the comfort of the large bed, watching a movie, a cool sea breeze blowing through the doors while wrapped up in Ryder's arms. He wasn't allowing that every time he dug into my skin, he forced my eyes open, forced me to look at what he was doing to my body. The drugs that he had given me had broken my connection to Ryder. I couldn't feel him and I couldn't contact him. Without that connection I wasn't healing fast. The pain continued to radiate through my body as blood seeped down my legs from the cuts that ran around my thighs and down my arms that showed more muscle than skin now. He'd even tore at the skin of my back but he had stuck to his words of avoiding my stomach and even my chest that was still covered in my blood. After nearly an hour of torture he finally retreats back. I didn't know how I was still conscious. I'd lost a lot of blood but every time I felt myself fading into darkness, he would slap me to get me to wake up. I'd stopped screaming and feeling pain after twenty minutes. It was a saviour mostly to not have to experience that any longer after that happened. "I've just been informed that your mate's close gorgeous. So I've got to be on my way. We'll see each other soon though." Forcing my eyes open I watch him advance on me again, my blood already soaking his clothes. I only just had enough strength to turn away from him as he tried to kiss me again. He wouldn't have to try hard to get what he wants, but he settles for my cheek before he disappears. "Ryder," I whisper to myself, trying to convince myself that he was going to be here soon and I'd be safe.