CHAPTER 160 — PAIN & TORTURE

BRIELLE.

"Arghhhhhhh…" Brielle shouted as the hot, scorching iron reached the bottom of her feet.

Her entire body shook fiercely as the unbearable pain spread throughout her body. She screamed again, louder than before.

Her entire body convulsed in misery and heat, and she thought it was going to melt off her bones. Her whole body ached, from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, including her chest, lungs, and eyeballs. Everything hurt.

It had been two days, if she could count correctly since the great torment began.

Draken seemed to have grown enraged by her statements and, therefore, revealed his true colors.

Most times, she was starved, and occasionally, she was fed slimy food. However, the scarcely there diet was not the worst thing that could happen to her. Instead, it was the increased torture spree.

She had been sprayed with ice-cold water and severely whipped by the guards.

He had also scaled her skin with a hot iron so she was red and peeling.

Although her weak wolf was helping her recover slightly faster, the markings and welts remained on her body. And the wounds never healed properly.

She'd given up waiting for Darius since she knew he wouldn't come to save her. All she needed was the final boom or slit that would terminate her life, and then she might be able to find peace. In the Afterlife. If it even existed.

She was already tired of this world, and she wanted to die if it would bring her even a sliver of serenity.

Aside from the torturing, Draken and some of his guards, whom he selected, sexually harassed her.

Draken clearly enjoyed inflicting pain on her, but he still added his sadistic needs to the torture process, and sometimes, while she was screaming for her life, she would feel his hands slipping through her ripped cotton clothes. Then he would tweak her nipples so hard that her yell became even louder. It was terrible.

"Arrange her. We need to take some pictures." His hoarse voice brought Brielle from her wandering thoughts.

She was limp, but still, when she felt the guards' hands on her, she tried to beat them off or do anything at all, but she couldn’t. She was so feeble that she let them carry her as if she were a dead human.

It wouldn't be surprising if she couldn't walk anymore, given how she'd scarcely stood for the past three days and how firmly her feet and wrists were shackled.

The chains even dug into her skin, causing further bruises and welts. And when she tried to move her hands, the chain made it nearly impossible.

They placed her in a sitting position, forcing her aching legs open. She soon began to hear the camera shutter click as Draken snapped some horrible photos of her.

"Yes! Yes!" He whispered, clearly pleased with the photos he had shot. And after he was finished, he stood up from his chair, moved up to her, and rubbed her cheeks, saying, "These images will be beneficial to me.“

Brielle spat at him when he finished talking, and his hands clenching. He smacked her so hard she nearly fell.

"Bitch!” He cursed. “Hold her still." He commanded again as he snapped the final photo of her damaged and wounded face.

"That's a good girl. Drag her to the middle of the cell."

As the guards did just that, Draken followed the movement and once again stopped in front of her.

“Hand me that…” He ordered, and before Brielle could blink twice, she saw a guard hand him a hefty ball.

Brielle's eyes widened in dread as she realized what he would do.

"No…" She yelled, but Draken had already swung the massive ball in his hands and smashed it into her face. Her entire body collapsed to the ground, and her vision became fuzzy.

Brielle saw stars. She saw blackness. Above importantly, she noticed the blood pooling close by.

She was unable to move her arms and legs. She couldn't even yell. And Draken kept hitting her repeatedly till her eyes closed.

***

DARIUS.

Darius could not sleep.

Not because of the nightmares but because every time he closed his eyes, they would open involuntarily. His lids felt heavy, and they refused to close by themselves.

He was also running behind schedule and agitated. Something he couldn't understand, but perhaps he could. He just kept denying it.

Standing up, he moved to his balcony, opened the enormous window, and stepped out to grip the railings.

Darius cursed as the chilly window breeze whipped past him, doing little to calm him or alleviate his anxiety.

It was during times like this that he desperately needed a drink. Even though he’d sworn off alcohol, he needed it so badly now.

Minutes passed, and his eyes closed as he fought off the alcoholic urge. Darius soon opened his eyes, but he still didn't feel like going back to bed. But then he didn't want to stand on the balcony doing nothing.

Sighing, he dragged his feet back into his room and sank on the bed. With his hands raking through his hair, he stood up and proceeded to the toilet.

He had taken two baths this evening and scrubbed his face more than five times, but he still hadn't found the hoped-for satisfaction.

Darius turned on the sink, took the bar soap from the corner, and cleaned his face thoroughly several times. When he finished, he grabbed a towel and wiped his face until dry.

He returned to his bed, this time lying down, and as he began to arrange the blankets over his body, he felt an aching pain shoot down his spine out of nowhere.

"Arghhhh…" He half-yelled, his hands moving to his back. He tried to rub the agony away, but it worsened.

At the same time, his wolf roared, and Darius snarled internally. He already understood what this meant. Brielle was in pain!

He could feel it, and this was due to their joint link. Also, the pain must be severe for him to feel it still.

Is this why he had been so restless? Because she was in pain? Now, he was starting to worry.

He should have just rejected her. He should have cut her off from him right before she departed. Then he wouldn't have to feel any agony or remorse, but he didn’t, and now he would face the repercussions.

The pain started to subside, and Darius rose from the bed. He began walking to the wine cellar, throwing away the blankets he had wrapped around himself. Fuck being sober. He would drink that alcohol.

Also, now that he had abstained from it for so long, his appetite had grown exponentially.

He was halfway to the wine cellar when he felt another stinging ache shoot through his back, and this time, Darius staggered, nearly falling flat on his back.

This time, the pain was more intense than before, and his eyes turned red. Darius did not stop walking. He headed to the wine cellar to get a drink when another wave of misery hit him. This time, the pain was in his gut, and he could not take it any longer.

He collapsed to the floor with a crash and clutched his stomach firmly.

'You need to look for her, man. You must know where she is and what is happening to her. Forget your pride and ego, and do what is best for both of you. She is suffering, and it is not a good thing.’ Darius couldn't help but agree with what his subconscious said.

Despite Rocky's claim that the motel where she had last stayed had been burned down, Darius was confident she was still alive.

Alive! Damn it, but he felt delighted when that realization dawned on him. However, he was concerned that she was in danger.

Whoever had touched her! Whoever touched his woman would face his wrath! Darius swore to himself, even though the words sounded ridiculous to his ears.

He had kicked her out of his fortress. He dared to brand her a liar without listening to her speak, and now that she was gone and most likely being held captive, he had dubbed her his lady.

What a shameful display. Simultaneously, the discomfort subsided, and he felt nothing in any affected places.

He touched his shoulders, waist, and stomach, but the lingering discomfort was gone, and he let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Damn it!" He cursed loudly and tightened his hands.

He wanted to see for himself that Brielle was fine. He wanted to make sure she was alright and not hurt. He needed answers.

"I need to look for her. I need to find her right now. If she dies..." He mumbled as tears formed in his eyes. "If I lose her again like I lost Eve… I'll…" Darius trailed off, at a loss for words. He couldn't bring himself to complete the phrase. Not now. Not ever.

The ache from before returned. Darius swore with a moan and a tight grip on his skull. As if the pain wasn't awful enough, he also started feeling dizzy. It seemed like it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to keep his eyes open, and he barely caught himself as he slipped and fell to the ground.

And that was the end of it. His knees buckled, his entire body went limp, and everything became blank.

His eyes were filled with darkness, yet one thought kept coming back to him.

Find her. Find her. Find her.

He had failed Eve before, but he would not fail Brielle.