Melinda's POV
“Aaaaaargh!” His scream tore from his throat, raw and hoarse. His body trembled, muscles straining as he hung, chained with arms outstretched like a broken-winged bird.
I stood close to him, watching his face twist in pain each time the electric whip struck.
My blood boiled.
He was utterly trapped, and he knew it.
I watched his shallow breaths, the flicker of defiance still burning in his eyes, though it would fade soon enough.
“For the last time,” I said, my voice low and steady, a warning laced in every word, “Who sent you?”
He looked up at me, his gaze unfocused and hazy with pain. “No one,” he rasped, barely managing to get the words out.
His defiance stirred a dark anger in me. “Then you don’t deserve to live.” My words were sharp and cold, but he didn’t flinch. Instead, he choked out a bitter laugh.
“No amount of pain will make me talk,” he whispered, narrowing his eyes.
A shiver crept up my spine. This was no ordinary thief. There was a hardness in his gaze, a familiarity with suffering. But that didn’t matter.
"Then I'll get it out of you," I said sharply. I turned to Morris, the head guard, who was standing by the door. "Take him to the lion's den."
The man’s bravado vanished as his eyes widened in fear. He was silent for a moment before he began to tremble, his voice breaking as he spoke.
“No… please… don’t.” His voice cracked, the desperation breaking through his once-steely resolve.
I paused, watching as the guards unhooked his wrists from the chains and dragged him towards the door.
He stumbled and struggled, his feet scraping against the stone floor, each step a testament to his fear.
I let out a slow, measured breath, letting the tension build around us.
I wanted him to feel every second ticking by, each one bringing him closer to his end.
“Please… don’t throw me in there!” he pleaded, voice barely a whisper. “I’ll talk… I’ll tell you everything.”
A small smile tugged at my lips, but I hid it. I turned, meeting his fearful gaze.
The defiance was gone, replaced by terror. And something more—vulnerability, a pleading look.
“Speak,” I commanded, keeping my expression calm even as anticipation stirred within me.
“It was… Melissa…” he breathed, voice breaking. He dropped his gaze to the floor, as if saying her name was a betrayal in itself. “Enchantress Melissa… she sent me.”
A chill shot through me. The name echoed like a bell. Melissa. My sister.
Once my closest ally, bound by blood. And now? She had betrayed me.
She’d risked this man’s life to spy on me, or worse. The realization settled over me like a dark cloud, bitter and heavy.
I clenched my teeth, willing myself to stay composed, to keep my expression neutral, though a torrent of emotions surged within.
Melissa. She had once been the calm to my fire, the sister I had saved, who had been my support through war and famine.
But now? She was my enemy.
I took a deep breath, swallowing the bitter twist of betrayal tightening in my gut.
I would not show weakness.
The man watched me closely, studying my reaction, hoping perhaps for some hint of hesitation or mercy.
But mercy was a luxury, and family ties had long since become chains in my world.
“So,” I murmured, keeping my voice icy and calculating, “even my own blood would betray me for ambition.”
The man looked down, unable to meet my gaze any longer.
“Take him away,” I ordered. "He’s given us all we need." Morris and the guards lifted him, his shoulders sagging, his pride shattered.
He didn’t resist this time, didn’t struggle as they dragged him from the room, leaving a trail of blood and desperation on the cold stone floor.
Alone, I clenched my fists, thoughts swirling like dark clouds. I had always known this day might come.
That family ties meant nothing to those driven by power, and that loyalty was just a word.
“What! Melissa, Maria’s mother…”
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Part B
Maria’s POV
I kept my head down, my face hidden by my hair, trying to stay invisible. In this place, every movement had a purpose—to attract attention or avoid it, to sell yourself or shield yourself. I didn’t want anyone looking my way, but here, getting what you wanted was never a guarantee.
I was here, trapped in a role I’d never chosen—a body for sale, a product. I wasn’t Maria anymore. Just flesh, just a commodity.
I wove through the crowd of dancers and customers, nerves on edge as I brushed past strangers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carol.
She was grinding against a man, her eyes sharp and amused as she shot a glare my way, though I’d done nothing to her. Her grin was all teeth, flashing like a threat. Trouble seemed to radiate from her.
“Watch it!” she hissed, whipping her head towards me.
I knew better than to react. Swallowing hard, I kept my eyes forward, walking away from her taunts and the laughter of her friends.
Carol had a way of turning a look into a weapon, making others feel small with one condescending glance.
It worked on most of the girls, but not on me. I’d been here two days—long enough to know who to avoid but not long enough to feel lost in this dark, suffocating world.
The dressing room reeked of cheap perfume and stale powder. I found my locker and pulled out my costume, steadying my hands as I changed.
Just another night. Another night in this nightmare. As I adjusted my clothes, I heard them—Carol and her crew whispering in the corner, just loud enough for me to hear.
They wanted me to listen. They wanted to unsettle me.
“Did you hear? Alpha Noleen is coming tomorrow,” one of Carol’s friends whispered.
Her voice carried a mix of excitement and dread, as if she were telling a ghost story.
“Alpha Noleen?” Carol’s eyes went wide. “The Alpha Noleen?”
“That’s what they’re saying. He’s coming to pick a mate. Rumor is, it’ll be one of us.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling my pulse race. Alpha Noleen—the most ruthless werewolf in the kingdom.
The thought of him coming here, choosing one of us… choosing me—it made my stomach twist. A chill ran down my spine.
As they continued their gossip, I barely listened. I knew Noleen’s reputation. Cruel. Merciless. The stuff of nightmares.
If he even glanced at me, he’d know who I was—Maria Kindeyheston, daughter of the wolves’ most notorious enemy.
My mother, the infamous Moon Luna, had fought to destroy the werewolves. She died in that cause, leaving me alone in a world full of her enemies.
And now, one of them might choose me as his next… possession. My stomach churned.
I slammed my locker shut, the sound echoing in the room, and Carol’s friends glanced at me with mocking smiles. “Aww, scared?” Carol taunted in a syrupy voice.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m sure he’ll look at you and pick someone else.”
“Yeah,” one of her friends laughed. “Maybe if you beg, you’ll get to stay here.”
Their laughter was sharp and grating.
I forced myself to look at them, holding back the anger boiling inside.
If they knew what I was capable of, what my mother had taught me—no, I couldn’t show it. Not here. Not in front of them.
Alpha Noleen—the ruthless wolf king who’d love nothing more than to claim the daughter of his greatest enemy.
Ignoring their taunts, I pushed past them, my heart racing as I headed towards the exit.
Just as I reached for the door, it swung open, and one of the club’s assistants stepped inside.
Her face was flushed, eyes wide.
“Girls! He’s here!” she gasped, her voice a mix of awe and fear.
Carol and her friends let out excited, anxious gasps, adjusting their makeup and outfits to look as appealing as possible.
Carol’s face lit up in disbelief. “What? He’s here—now?”
For a moment, time froze. Alpha Noleen was here. Not tomorrow. Now.
Panic surged through me, icy and electric.
Now? Today? My hands went cold as the blood drained from my face.
If he saw me, if he recognized me