Jacky’s POV
My sword felt heavier with every swing, but I refused to let up. Valerie moved like the wind, light on her feet, her blade clanging against mine with a rhythm that mocked my growing fatigue. She was good with her sword, better in combat.
“Come on, Jacky,” she teased, sidestepping my next swing with irritating ease. “You’re fighting like you’re already dead. Malia’s not going to give you this much breathing room.”
I grit my teeth, shoving forward with a wild thrust. She deflected me, spinning away again, her laugh sharp and maddening.
“Shut up, Valerie.” My arms burned, my breath came in short gasps, but I wouldn’t let her have the satisfaction of seeing me stop.
“Touchy, aren’t we?” she said, raising her sword lazily. “Maybe you should let your mystery man tire you out instead. You’d probably hit harder if you weren’t so pent up.”
My blade clashed hard against hers, the impact jolting through my arms. “For the last time, drop it!”
“Oh, I’ll drop it,” she said, grinning, “just as soon as you admit he rocked your world.” She darted in closer, landing a quick tap on my arm.
“You’re infuriating,” I growled, stepping back to reset my stance.
“And you’re avoiding the question.” Valerie winked, lowering her weapon and casually twirling it in one hand. “Come on, Jacky. It’s me. You can tell me anything.”
I stared at her, my chest heaving, and for a split second, I thought about throwing the sword at her head.
Before I could decide, a voice called out from the edge of the field. “Jacky!”
I turned, wiping the sweat from my brow. A messenger was jogging toward me, his expression tight with unease.
“What is it now?” I muttered under my breath.
“The Alpha has summoned you.”
Valerie whistled low, leaning on her sword like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Uh-oh. Someone’s in trouble.”
I shot her a glare before handing the sword off to the messenger. “Tell him I’m on my way.”
As I moved to leave, Valerie smirked. “Be sure to ask him how he likes his girls-submissive or sarcastic.”
“Maybe I’ll ask how he handles nosy idiots,” I shot back, rolling my eyes.
She laughed, waving me off. “Good luck!”
I made my way across the grounds, irritation simmering under my skin. Whatever this was about, it couldn’t be good. The castle loomed ahead, and as I stepped inside, the air grew colder, heavier, like the building itself was holding its breath.
The Alpha’s office was just down the hall, but when I pushed the door open, I stopped dead.
A woman stood there, her back to me, her posture regal and imposing. Her presence filled the room in a way that felt unnatural, like she was something more than just flesh and bone.
When she turned, her gaze pinned me in place.
“Well,” she said, her voice smooth but laced with disdain, “aren’t you going to bow?”
I blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she said, stepping closer. Her eyes glinted with something dangerous. “Bow.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “And who exactly are you supposed to be?”
The air shifted. It was subtle at first, like a whisper at the edge of my senses. Then it hit me-a wave of power so oppressive it drove me to my knees before I could even think to resist.
“What the hell-” My words caught in my throat as she approached, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
She crouched in front of me, gripping my chin with sharp nails that bit into my skin. Pain bloomed along my jaw, and when I looked up, her face was inches from mine.
“I’ve waited a hundred years to see this face,” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “To see you on your knees, begging me to end your miserable life.”
My heart thundered in my chest, panic clawing at the edges of my mind. “Who… who are you? What’s going on? Why can’t I move?”
Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “Oh, darling, you’ve forgotten, haven’t you?” She tilted her head, studying me like I was some pitiful creature she’d found in the dirt. “You’re a product of dark magic. A stain. And I’m here to remind you of exactly what you are.”
Her hand moved, and something glinted in the light-a needle, long and thin, wickedly sharp. I was scared. I was helpless here, I couldn;t protect myself. For the first time, I prayed that Roman would come to my rescue. I need him, now more than ever.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
She didn’t answer. The needle was inches away from my eye. I wanted to scream, run, but I couldn’t move.
“This won’t hurt,” she said, her tone light and mocking, as if we were sharing a private joke. Her smile widened, her eyes glinting with malice. “Much.”
“No, no, no…” The words slipped out in a broken whisper. My heart thundered against my ribs.
The first cold touch of metal against the corner of my eye sent my entire body into a state of shock. Every nerve screamed, every instinct roared to jerk away, to shield myself, but I was frozen, helpless.
Pain. It wasn’t just pain-it was a living, breathing thing that clawed through my skills. The needle pressed deeper, and a scream tore from my throat, echoing in the small room.
Tears spilled freely, blurring my vision, but there was no relief in the distortion. I felt everything-the slick, wet glide of the needle breaking past the outer layer, the unnatural pressure as it burrowed into the fragile tissue beneath. It felt like shards of molten glass were slicing through me, fire spreading from my eye to the very back of my skull.
“Stop! Please!” I gasped, my voice splintering with the sheer force of the agony. My body trembled against the invisible chains holding me still, every muscle straining in vain.
Her hum was soft, almost serene, a sharp contrast to the chaos shredding through me. “You’ve forgotten who you are, darling. Let me help you remember.”
She twisted the needle slightly, the movement deliberate, sadistic. My scream broke into a sob, the sound guttural and broken. The sensation was unbearable, a cruel symphony of pain that seemed to sing through every nerve. It wasn’t just physical-it was invasive, stripping me bare, digging into parts of me I didn’t even know could feel.
The needle pushed deeper, and I felt a sharp, unnatural jolt as it grazed something solid-bone, maybe. The sensation made bile rise in my throat, my stomach churning violently. Every instinct screamed to flinch, to shut my eyes, to fight her off, but I was locked in place, a prisoner in my own body.
The cold metal slid further, slow and deliberate, and I could feel it-oh, God, I could feel it-scraping against the inside of my skull.
“Such a shame,” she murmured, her voice dripping with false pity. “You were meant for so much more than this pitiful existence. But dark magic can only take you so far, can’t it?”
I didn’t have the strength to respond. My jaw ached from gritting my teeth, my body shuddering against the torment. Every second stretched endlessly, the pain growing sharper, more unbearable with every fraction of an inch the needle moved.
And still, she didn’t stop.
“I wonder…” Her voice dipped, almost curious. “How much of you is real? And how much is the magic holding you together?”
I couldn’t process her words, couldn’t think beyond the raw, primal need for the pain to end. My vision was splintering, the world around me dissolving into flashes of red and black. My other eye burned with tears, the salt stinging the scratches her claws had left.
Somewhere, deep inside the haze of agony, I heard her laugh softly.
“Look at you,” she whispered, her voice venomous. “On your knees, exactly where you belong.”
My breath hitched as she adjusted the angle of the needle, a subtle movement that sent another fresh wave of agony tearing through me. My chest heaved, desperate sobs wracking my frame.
“Please… stop…” The words were a whisper, barely audible, but it was all I could manage.
She leaned in closer, her lips near my ear. “Begging already? How disappointing.”
The needle shifted again, and this time, it felt like it was piercing straight into the back of my head. My screams tore through the air, hoarse and ragged, filling the room with the sound of my suffering.
Suddenly, the door slammed open with a force that rattled the walls.
“What the hell is going on here?” The roar was unmistakable-Alpha Roman.
The room seemed to tremble with the weight of his fury. Through the haze of my pain, I heard his footsteps, quick and purposeful, followed by the sharp sound of his mother’s laughter.
“Roman,” she said, her tone unbothered, “you’re interrupting a lesson.”
“This is not a lesson!” Roman snarled. His presence was a storm, fierce and unrelenting, filling the space with a power that clashed against hers.
I felt the shift immediately-the invisible force holding me down weakened, the weight on my chest lifting just enough for me to collapse forward. My cheek hit the cold floor, the needle still embedded in my eye, a cruel reminder of her malice.
Roman’s hands were on me in an instant, his grip steady and firm as he lifted me upright. His scent filled my senses, grounding me in the chaos.
“Get out!” he roared at his mother, his voice vibrating with barely restrained rage.
“You’ll regret this,” she said, her tone icy. But I heard the shuffle of her footsteps as she retreated, the weight of her power leaving the room.
Roman’s hands cupped my face, his touch gentle despite the fury radiating from him. “Jacky,” he murmured, his voice low and urgent, “stay with me. Help is on the way.”
I blinked up at him, my body trembling violently. The pain was still unbearable, the needle a cruel, constant presence.
“You’re evil,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You and your whole damn family.”
His face blurred, the edges of my vision going dark. The last thing I heard was his voice, soft and desperate, as the darkness swallowed me whole.