Chapter 2

2.

He locked me in a basement, and my life in hell truly began.

My heat flared up again, and the exhaustion from days of terror caused me to black out.

I was awakened by a squeaking sound, and as I groggily opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a massive gray rat with black eyes.

It was gnawing on my fingernails. I was completely naked, and several other rats were crawling over my body, leaving red scratches and open wounds.

I screamed, turning my head to see a cold, indifferent Killian.

He caught my gaze, his eyes full of mockery as he said: "Aren't these your own kind? What are you afraid of?"

I shook my head violently, tears blurring my vision.

"No, please don't..."

Killian walked over to me, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and made me bite down on it while he lit a cigarette.

He patted my cheek, signaling for me to ignite the flame.

I didn't know what he was doing, but I could only obey, using my teeth to flick the switch, sending a tongue of flame into the air.

Killian leaned in close, the scent of smoke mixing with his faint, cedar-like alpha pheromones, making my soul tremble.

But that tiny bit of pheromones only made my body crave more, leaving me in agonizing need.

In the next second, Killian pressed the lit cigarette hard into my cheek. It hurt so much that I instantly snapped awake, screaming in agony as my heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

"Your face is so pretty. Why wasn't it you who got taken that day?" Killian truly hated me.

If I had been the one to endure the humiliation, his brother would have been fine.

I wanted to say that it wasn't my fault, but my throat was raw, and my brain felt like it was encased in concrete.

The torture had left me with a high fever.

I felt like I was dying.

Suddenly, I felt a warm, soft touch on my lips. I opened my eyes and saw Killian's face looming over me.

Was he kissing me?

What was going on? Didn't he hate me?

The next second, I realized that Killian absolutely did hate me. He bit down like a wild animal, the sharp pain piercing my weakened nerves as the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Killian fed the medicine to my fever-ridden body; he hadn't tortured me enough yet, and he wouldn't let me die.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the psychological torture. Within days, staring at a ceiling where I couldn't see the sun, I was consumed by despair, and the urge to end it all began to grow.

"You might as well let me die," I said to Killian.

I expected him to scoff, but to my surprise, he became angry.

He lunged at me, gripping my throat. For the first time, I felt the sheer power gap between an alpha and an omega. It felt like he could snap my neck with the slightest bit of pressure.

But he didn't kill me. Just as the suffocation became unbearable, Killian let go.

"Why would you just die like that? I need you to taste the same hell that Caleb experienced."

He flipped me over, tore my clothes off, and bit into the back of my neck. My gland throbbed with a stinging numbness, almost as if he were trying to crush it.

Again and again, he vented his hatred on me until I passed out from the pain.