Chapter 220 220
A splash of icy water struck her face.
Jacqueline jerked awake with a sharp gasp, her lungs dragging in air as her eyes flew open. Everything was blurry at first, her vision swimming as she blinked repeatedly, struggling to shake off the lingering fog in her mind.
It took a moment for the shock to fade.
Her entire body trembled violently from the cold. She instinctively scrambled backward until her back hit the wall, pressing herself against it as if she could disappear into the cracked surface.
Her chest rose and fell in frantic breaths as her wide eyes fixed on the man standing in front of her.
“Good morning, princess,” the man sneered.
Recognition struck her immediately.
He was the same man she had headbutted earlier.
“Call the Alpha,” he ordered, glancing toward the man standing beside him.
“Yes, Beta,” the other man replied.
Jacqueline’s gaze flickered toward him.
He was the same man who had injected her before the one who had only given her half the drug.
Beta.
The word sounded strange to her. Maybe it was a name… or perhaps some kind of title.
She didn’t know.
What surprised her more was the fact that she was still alive.
The man turned as if to leave, but Beta suddenly spoke again.
“Wait, Santiago. Ask Inés to come here too.”
“Yes.”
Santiago nodded and walked out.
Jacqueline watched him leave with desperate eyes.
Part of her wanted to beg him not to go not to leave her alone here with this man.
But her throat was painfully dry, and she didn’t have the strength to force even a single word out.
Her body trembled uncontrollably not only because of the freezing water soaking her clothes, but also because of the man looming over her.
There was nothing but hatred burning in his eyes.
He crouched down in front of her.
Jacqueline froze, holding her breath.
His hand shot out suddenly, gripping her jaw roughly and forcing her head to tilt to the side, exposing her neck.
“He hasn’t marked you,” he muttered darkly. “Are you not his mate?”
His fingers tightened painfully around her jaw, making her wince.
His words made no sense.
She struggled weakly to pull her face away from his brutal grip.
When she didn’t answer, irritation flickered across his face. His jaw ticked, and his hold became even harsher.
A cry of pain escaped her lips.
For a moment she truly believed he might crush the bone beneath his fingers.
He shoved her face away roughly, only to grab a fistful of her hair and jerk her head back so she was forced to look at him again.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Her skin burned where his grip had been.
Now that his fingers had touched her face, she understood why she had been unable to move her mouth properly.
The side of her face was swollen.
That scarred man had hit her harder than she realized.
“I asked you something,” the man snapped. “The Alpha Damien of the Ancient Blood Pack is he your mate?”
The name Damien echoed in her ears.
She understood nothing else he was saying.
Mate?
What did that even mean?
Damien… was her mate?
Her thoughts spun helplessly.
“I… I… d-don’t know…” she croaked, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
“You think I’m a fool?” he hissed.
She didn’t answer.
Her silence only made him angrier.
He raised his hand, clearly intending to strike her again.
Jacqueline squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain.
But it never came.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Santiago had returned.
He was standing beside them, gripping Beta’s wrist to stop the blow.
“Alpha is here,” Santiago said quietly.
The murderous glare Beta shot him made it obvious he wasn’t pleased about being interrupted.
With a rough shove, he released Jacqueline’s hair and stood up, stepping back a few paces.
Santiago looked at her briefly his expression unreadable before stepping back as well.
The door opened.
The so-called Alpha walked in.
The ugly scar running across his face was oddly comforting to her.
Whoever had given him that scar deserved gratitude.
Because this man clearly deserved it.
“Well, look who’s awake,” Henri said mockingly. “Our little bitchy captive.”
He chuckled at his own words.
Jacqueline’s stomach twisted with dread as she watched him approach her slowly like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.
He crouched in front of her.
Her heart dropped when his fingers brushed her knee.
The touch slid down slowly to her ankle.
She flinched away immediately.
A dark knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach as horrifying possibilities flooded her mind. Old, painful memories stirred at the edges of her thoughts.
“You’re not marked,” Henri muttered, his sharp gaze fixed on her neck.
He grabbed her jaw the same way Beta had done and tilted her face painfully to the side, exposing her throat.
Fear ripped from her lips when his other hand wrapped around her neck, his thumb pressing roughly against the skin there.
“Where the fuck is Inés?” Henri snapped impatiently.
“On her way,” Santiago answered quickly.
Henri returned his attention to Jacqueline.
This time his hand closed fully around her throat.
He squeezed just enough to send a deadly warning.
“Tell me,” he growled. “Is that fucker your mate?”
It was the same question again.
Anger suddenly surged through her fear.
“You’re a fucker!” she spat.
She regretted it instantly.
His hand lashed out, striking her hard across the face.
Her head snapped to the side.
He had hit the same cheek again.
Pain exploded across her face, leaving it numb.
“You don’t know even half of the things I could do to you,” Henri snarled viciously. “You pathetic little human.”
Grabbing her chin again, he forced her to look directly at him.
“If he isn’t your mate, then why were you with him?” Henri demanded coldly. “Why was he risking his life trying to save you?”
His lips curled with venom.
“You must be very important to him.”
Fresh tears slid down her cheeks.
Her mind flashed back to the horrifying moment they had dragged her away while Damien lay bleeding on the ground.
She wondered what he was doing now.
Was he alive?
Was he thinking about her?
Was he searching for her?
When she didn’t answer, Henri’s temper flared again.
“Is she fucking mute?” he snapped, glaring at his men as he squeezed her chin painfully.
A sob escaped her lips.
The door creaked open again.
Light footsteps echoed inside the room.
A young girl stepped into view.
Henri pointed toward Jacqueline.
“Witches can see hidden marks, right?” he said sharply. “Tell me if she’s marked.”
The girl’s eyes lowered toward Jacqueline’s stomach.
After a moment, she spoke.
“She’s not.”
Henri’s expression twisted with rage.
“Fuck it!” he snarled, shoving Jacqueline’s face away roughly.
“She’s not his mate!”