Chapter 43

Lucianne.

The sight of him sent a wave of nausea through me. Memories of our past encounters, his manipulations, and his betrayals all came crashing back. The man who once pretended to love me, who had deceived me at every turn, was now standing before me as Reiner's master.

"Surprised?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery. "I told you we'd meet again."

My blood froze in my veins. "No..." I whispered, my eyes slowly going wide with horror. "You can't be here." His smile widened, obviously intrigued by my fear. "You can't really mean that. Are you saying that you don't even miss me?" he asked, feigning hurt. "You are breaking my heart, Rielle."

I squirmed against those who were holding me. He was too close; I could not take it. I tried to fall into the memories, not while he was here. Not while he was there smiling at me like that. It was almost unfathomable that I had loved that smile once, but now it only filled me with dread.

"You are as beautiful as the day I lost you," he said, his voice whimsical. He reached out and stroked my hair. I turned my head away sharply.

Then I raised my head. "Don't touch me," I intended to sound strong and defiant, but my words came out in a desperate whimper.

He laughed. He actually laughed. The sound sent a chill down my spine. I squirmed harder and harder, but the hold on me was relentless.

"You are scared of me?" he asked, feigning hurt. "What have I ever done to you?"

I looked up at him, incredulous.

He burst into harsh laughter again, a sound that grated on my ears. It was such a horrible sound that I wanted to rip my eardrums out.

Then he moved away, his eyes grazing my whole body. He suddenly looked disappointed. He turned to Reiner. "Are you sure you tried to kill her? She looks unharmed."

Reiner flashed Jameson a coy smile. "I thought we could have some fun with her first."

"But she does not look harmed. I expected that she would at least have no toenails or eyes."

My blood slowed to a crawl as my horror grew exponentially.

Reiner stroked his chin. "I didn't get to plucking her eyes yet, but I told you already that her wolf's ability is healing. She cannot be hurt for long," he explained.

For the first time, Jameson actually showed surprise, his mouth agape. "I thought that you were joking. The bitch actually found her wolf?"

Reiner nodded. "I expected that by now she would have lost her mind, but she is stronger than she looks."

Jameson turned to me, his eyes filled with venom. "You actually found it?" he asked.

I looked away; I could not look into the eyes of the monster.

He harshly took my chin and bile immediately rose in my throat.

"Answer me!" he barked.

I was trembling as I nodded.

His grip tightened on my chin, forcing me to look directly into his cold, piercing eyes. "How?" he demanded, his voice a low growl. "How did you do it, Rielle?"

I struggled to find my voice, the fear constricting my throat. "I... I don't know," I managed to whisper. "It just happened."

His eyes narrowed, searching mine for any sign of deceit. "Don't lie to me," he warned, his tone dangerous. "You always were a terrible liar."

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I fought them back. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. "I'm not lying," I insisted, my voice gaining a hint of strength. "I don't know how it happened. It just did."

Jameson's grip tightened even more, making me wince in pain. "Useless," he spat, finally releasing my chin. "You're always so useless."

I staggered back, nearly falling to the ground but managing to keep my balance. I could see the satisfaction in his eyes as he watched me struggle, feeding off my fear and pain.

Reiner stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "She's more than she seems," he said, addressing Jameson. "Her wolf is strong. We could use her."

Jameson seemed to consider this, his eyes never leaving mine. "Perhaps," he mused. "But she needs to be broken first. Completely."

Reiner's smile widened. "Leave that to me," he said. "I'll make sure she learns her place."

A cold shiver ran through me at his words. I knew what they were capable of, and I knew that they wouldn't stop until they had what they wanted. And I was not sure how much more that I could take.

With all the strength I could muster, I straightened my back and looked Jameson square in the eyes. "You can try to break me," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "But you will never win."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Jameson threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed off the walls. "We'll see about that, Rielle," he said, his eyes glittering with malice. "We'll see."

Reiner grabbed my arm, and just then the door was flung open. One of the men burst in, his face pale with urgency. "Alpha Raphael and Alpha Lucas' son are coming now," he announced, his voice trembling with the weight of the news.

Jameson’s smug demeanor shifted instantly to one of panic. His eyes darted around the room, calculating. “We need to change plans,” he snapped, his voice edged with desperation. “We can’t let them find her alive.”

Reiner’s grip tightened painfully on my arm, his earlier bravado replaced with a grim determination. “Agreed. We’ll finish her off now,” he said, pulling me closer.

Jameson reached into his coat and pulled out a blade, its sharp edge glinting menacingly in the dim light. He approached me slowly, his eyes filled with sick satisfaction. “I’ll do it myself,” he declared, the blade gleaming as he held it up. “I’ve waited too long for this.”

The sight of the blade sent a jolt of terror through me, my mind spiraling back to the last time he had used it on me. The memory of him slitting my wrists, the cold steel against my skin, the pain, and the darkness that followed – it all came crashing back with horrifying clarity.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. My vision blurred, and I felt the world closing in around me. The room seemed to spin, and I could hear my own pulse thundering in my ears. I was going into shock.

“No… please… no…” I whimpered, my voice barely audible as the overwhelming fear consumed me. I tried to pull away, but my body felt weak, unresponsive.

Jameson’s cruel smile widened as he saw the fear in my eyes, the blade inching closer. “Goodbye, Rielle,” he whispered, his voice filled with twisted delight.

The tip of the blade pressed against my skin, a sharp, cold kiss that promised pain. My vision blurred further, and the world around me dissolved into a swirling vortex of memories and terror. The room seemed to close in on me, the air growing thick and suffocating. I could hear my own heartbeat, a frantic drum in my ears, drowning out everything else.

My body began to shake violently, uncontrollably. The memories of the last time he had done this to me surged to the forefront of my mind, each one more vivid and horrifying than the last. The feel of the blade cutting into my flesh, the warmth of my own blood trickling down, the excruciating pain that seemed to go on forever. I could almost smell the metallic tang of blood, taste the bile rising in my throat.

“Stop,” I tried to scream, but the word came out as a choked sob. My body convulsed harder, every muscle tensing in a futile attempt to escape the impending agony.

Jameson’s eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure as he watched me unravel. He leaned in closer, the blade pressing just a little deeper, drawing a thin line of blood. “I’ve missed this, Rielle,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “I’ve missed seeing you like this.”

The pain was excruciating, but it was nothing compared to the terror that gripped me. I felt myself slipping away, my mind retreating into a dark corner to escape the unbearable reality. The world around me became distant, muffled, as if I were submerged in water.

Suddenly, everything went black. The pain, the fear, the room, all of it vanished, replaced by a void of nothingness. My body went limp, my mind shutting down to protect itself from the trauma. I could no longer see, hear, or feel anything. I was floating in a sea of darkness, lost and alone.

The pain stopped, the horror receded, and I was welcomed back into the comforting arms of death.