Chapter 143 A Body to Use

Chapter 143 A Body to Use
A Body to Use

Dylan’s POV

The bright light hit my face the moment I opened my eyes. It was so harsh it felt like someone had driven a knife straight through my skull. I squeezed my eyes shut again, but it didn’t help. My head throbbed with every heartbeat.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open and blinked until the blurry shapes around me came into view.

Several men stood over me. Ethan was among them, calmly giving orders as if he were running an ordinary meeting instead of standing in a damp cave that smelled of blood and rust. The chains hanging from the walls clinked softly whenever someone moved, and the sound sent a chill through me.

One of the men stepped closer with a syringe already in his hand.

The moment I saw the needle, panic shot through me. I pulled back on instinct, but the chains snapped tight around my wrists, biting painfully into my skin. There was nowhere to run. No way to fight. All I could do was grit my teeth as the needle slid into my arm.

I watched helplessly as my blood flowed through the thin tube, filling one container after another. With every tube they filled, I felt weaker. My body grew colder, and even lifting my head became harder.

“What do you need this for?” I asked.

The words barely came out. My throat was so dry it felt like sandpaper, and my voice cracked before I could finish the question.

Ethan looked at me for a second, then laughed. It wasn’t a loud laugh. It was worse. It was the kind that made it clear he found my fear amusing.

“To test it on other vampires,” he said casually. “Before the ritual, of course. We need to know exactly what your blood can do before we use it the way we intend.”

A wave of anger burned through me.

I wanted to throw myself at him. I wanted to tear those chains out of the wall and wipe that smile off his face. Instead, all I managed was another weak pull against the metal. The chains didn’t even budge. My arms felt heavy, almost numb, and black spots began creeping into the corners of my vision.

By the time they finally stopped, I could barely keep my eyes open. My head hung forward, and the room swayed so badly it felt like the ground had disappeared beneath me.

Ethan was still talking, but his voice sounded far away now, fading into a dull echo. I couldn’t make out his words anymore.

Then everything went black.

I had no idea how much time had passed before I felt something freezing slam into my face.

I gasped and coughed as icy water ran into my mouth and nose. My whole body jerked, and I struggled to catch my breath while water dripped down my neck and soaked my clothes.

“Get him something to eat,” Ethan ordered one of the men nearby.

His voice was calm, almost bored.

“He needs his strength back before the next round.”

I coughed hard, struggling to catch my breath as cold water dripped from my chin onto my shirt. Every muscle in my body ached. I sagged against the chains, too weak to even sit up properly.

One of the men walked over and shoved a plate of food toward me.

The smell should have made me hungry, but it didn’t. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at it. All I could think about was the blood they’d already drained from my body. Tube after tube. I kept wondering how much more they planned to take before they were satisfied, and whether there would be anything left of me when they were finally done.

“Please,” I whispered. Hearing how weak and broken I sounded made my chest tighten. “Please… just stop. I can’t do this again.”

The cave fell quiet for a moment, and in that silence, a painful thought settled deep inside me.

Liam wasn’t coming.

Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe something had happened to him. Maybe he didn’t even know where I was. I had no answers anymore, and somehow that hurt almost as much as the chains digging into my wrists.

For days, I’d held onto the hope that he’d burst through those doors and pull me out of this nightmare. But with every passing hour, that hope felt smaller. Harder to believe.

The sound of footsteps pulled me back to the present.

Ethan walked over and crouched in front of me. The moment our eyes met, a slow smile spread across his face. Then he laughed.

The men around him joined in, their laughter echoing through the cave until it felt like it was closing in on me from every direction.

“Look at you,” Ethan said, shaking his head with a grin. “Where’s all that fire you had before? You fought so hard when we brought you here. Now you’re sitting there begging.”

His words stung, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing it. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to think.

There had to be a way out.

Even if it was the smallest chance, I had to try.

“Take some of it,” I said quietly. My voice trembled, but I forced the words out anyway. “Take whatever blood you need… then let me go. You don’t need all of me.”

Ethan didn’t answer right away.

He simply stared at me, tilting his head as though he was actually thinking about my offer. For one foolish second, hope flickered inside me.

Then he smiled.

“Why would I settle for some,” he said softly, “when I can have it all?”

His words hit me like a punch to the chest and the tiny piece of hope I’d been holding onto shattered in an instant. I lowered my head, unable to hide the disappointment that washed over me.

Ethan rose to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes as though this conversation had meant nothing to him. He glanced at the men standing nearby before turning toward the tunnel.

“Make sure he eats,” he said. “We need him strong enough for the next round.”

Without another glance in my direction, he walked away.

His footsteps slowly faded into the distance, leaving me alone with the men who stayed behind, and the terrifying knowledge that this nightmare was far from over.

I stared at the plate in front of me. My stomach twisted painfully with hunger, reminding me how long it had been since I’d eaten, but the thought of putting anything those people had given me into my mouth made me feel sick.

I just sat there, staring at the food.

Part of me wanted to push it away. I didn’t want to accept anything from them. It felt like giving in.

But my body had already made the choice for me.

I was exhausted. They had taken so much blood that even breathing felt like hard work. My hands shook as I reached for the food, and I hated myself for it. Slowly, I forced myself to take a bite. Then another.

Every mouthful was difficult to swallow. The food had no taste. It was dry and heavy in my mouth, but I kept eating because I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have the strength to survive whatever they planned to do next.

As I ate, the men standing nearby began talking among themselves. Their voices were low, casual, as though they had completely forgotten I was only a few feet away.

“Not long now,” one of them said with a grin. “The ritual day is almost here.”

Another man chuckled.

“I can’t wait,” he replied, his eyes drifting toward me. The smile on his face made my stomach tighten. “I just want a taste of that blood before everything starts.”

He licked his lips before adding, “Maybe even his flesh once they’re done with him. If he’s no longer useful, it would be a waste to throw the rest away.”

His words hit me like a bucket of ice water.

My hand stopped halfway to my mouth. I couldn’t move.

The piece of food slipped from my fingers and landed on the ground, but I barely noticed. My stomach churned violently, and whatever little appetite I’d managed to force out of myself disappeared in an instant.

I stared at them in horror, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.

To them, I wasn’t a person.

I wasn’t even a prisoner anymore.

I was nothing more than meat waiting to be carved apart, a body they planned to use until there was nothing left of it.