33

Katarina’s POV
The first sensation that returned to me was the sense of smell. The pungent odor of damp earth filled my nostrils, overpowering every other scent around me. It was a deep, earthy aroma mixed with something sharp and metallic, though it wasn’t the familiar, haunting scent of blood-an aroma that had been etched into my memory forever. This was different, more sinister somehow.
As my sense of touch returned, it brought with it an unwelcome wave of discomfort. My skin was slick with sweat, my entire body searing as if it had been submerged in molten fire. Even the slightest twitch-a mere wrinkle of my nose or the slightest shift of a finger-ignited an inferno of pain that roared through my veins, intensifying with every breath. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently begging for the merciful embrace of unconsciousness to take me back.
Time lost its meaning as I drifted in and out of awareness. Each time I awoke, the same nauseating smell of wet earth and metal greeted me, along with the fire that coursed through me, albeit slightly diminished. The agony that had once seemed endless slowly began to wane, replaced by a profound sense of exhaustion. How long had I been here? How much had I sweat? My clothes clung to me like a second skin, soaked and uncomfortable, and despite my sporadic slips into unconsciousness, I felt utterly drained.
Finally, the pain subsided to a dull throb, leaving me feeling delirious and disoriented. With a deep breath, I forced my heavy eyelids open, wincing against the harsh orange light that immediately assaulted my vision. A soft groan escaped my lips as I mustered the strength to sit up, every movement sluggish and torturous. It felt like an eternity before my eyes adjusted to the strange, flickering light. When they did, I saw that it was coming from an old-fashioned oil lantern, the flame within dancing wildly in its glass enclosure.
I flexed my stiff fingers, feeling the cool, damp soil beneath them, confirming that the source of the wet earth smell was indeed the ground I was sitting on. My gaze wandered, finally settling on the thick, rust-covered metal bars that surrounded me, confining me in a cage. The rust explained the metallic scent that lingered in the air, a grim reminder that this place had stood for far too long.
“Rose?” I whimpered, my voice weak and trembling with fear. “Can you hear me?”
“Wolfsbane.” Her voice was barely a whisper, distant and fragile. It hadn’t sounded this faint since the time I had attempted to take my life, and that thought only deepened my fear.
“Dominic…” Rose’s voice called out again, even fainter.
“Save your strength,” I urged her, panic rising in my chest. “I’ll try to reach him.”
“Dominic…” I called out, this time reaching out with my mind, desperate for a connection. “Dominic, please help.”
The silence that followed was absolute, even Rose’s voice fading away into nothingness. I curled into a ball, trembling with the cold realization that this might be the last place I would ever see. As the darkness crept back in, I clung to the memory of Dominic, his face replaying in my mind like a lifeline, over and over again.
My fitful sleep was shattered by the sound of footsteps, heavy and deliberate, crushing the earth beneath them. My body jerked upright, my heart pounding as my eyes scanned the dimly lit cell, searching for the source of the noise.
“Look at this little thing,” a slimy voice sneered from the shadows.
A man stepped into the light, his greasy, acne-ridden face twisting into a cruel smile. His lanky frame and lifeless brown hair gave him a sickly, unsettling appearance.
“Told you she was a looker, even for a disgusting mutt,” another voice rumbled, and a much larger man stepped into view, his bulk imposing in the dim light.
“Where am I?” I demanded, my voice raspy yet surprisingly strong, given my fear. I knew I couldn’t afford to show weakness; it would only make things worse.
The bigger man chuckled darkly. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
The gangly one smirked, revealing yellowed teeth. “You’ll find out soon enough, mutt. Until then, there’s no reason we can’t have some fun with you.”
“Boss said not to touch her,” the larger man grumbled, his tone laced with reluctance.
The gangly one rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to fuck the damn thing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a little taste.”
With a loud click, the gangly one unlocked my cell, the creaking of the metal bars reverberating through the underground prison. I pressed myself against the dirt wall, my mind racing, desperate for any opportunity to escape. The sight of him stepping into my cell, his thumb brushing across my bottom lip, made my stomach churn.
“Don’t bite now,” he warned, his voice dripping with malice as he began to undo his pants. The very thought of what he intended to do made bile rise in my throat.
One thing became crystal clear in my mind-I would never let another man touch me again, not after Dominic. I would die before I allowed anyone to take any form of satisfaction from my body. With a surge of adrenaline, I did the first thing that came to mind. My hand shot out, wrapping around his groin, and I squeezed with all the strength I could muster.
He howled in pain, and I couldn’t suppress the twisted smile that stretched across my chapped lips, the taste of blood filling my mouth as the split reopened.
“Stupid bitch!” he screamed, striking me across the face with a force that made me grunt in pain. I wanted to mock him, to show him that his punch hadn’t hurt as much as he’d hoped, but I bit my tongue, knowing it was wiser not to provoke him further.
A silent scream tore through me as he kicked me in the ribs, the pain radiating through my already weakened body.
“Alright, enough,” the larger man barked, pulling the gangly one out of the cell. “She’s feisty, though,” he added with a cruel laugh.
The gangly one left, leaving me alone with the larger man. I watched him warily as he shoved something into my cell with a metallic clang.
“Eat up,” he grunted. “You’ll need your strength for when the boss shows up.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me in the dimly lit cell.
I had no idea how long I had been trapped in this hellish place, but my stomach growled with hunger at the sight of the food. My body ached as I crawled over to the metal tray, my fingers trembling as I reached for it. The sight of the mushy white rice and the dry, unappetizing chicken made me grimace, but I knew I had to eat. My stomach growled in protest as I forced myself to take small bites, careful not to eat too quickly and make myself sick.
As I ate, I realized just how long I must have been here-long enough for my body to crave food this desperately. My stomach bulged uncomfortably with the intake of food, and I knew I had been deprived for days, if not longer. Exhausted, I let my mind drift, trying to cling to the faint hope that someone would find me, that Dominic would save me. Eventually, I fell into a restless sleep, my body curled up on the cold, hard floor.
When I awoke, the pain in my body had dulled, though it still lingered, a constant reminder of my ordeal. But my mind felt clearer, sharper. The food and water had helped, even if only a little. I wasn’t out of danger yet, but at least I was no longer on the brink of death.
“Where the hell are we?” Rose’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind, bringing tears to my eyes. I had missed her so much, even in the short time she had been silent.
“Rose, you’re back,” I gasped, relief washing over me. As macabre as it sounded, I didn’t want to face this nightmare alone.
“The food and water helped,” Rose replied, her voice still weak but clearer than before.
“We need Dominic,” I whimpered, desperation creeping into my voice. “He has to find us.”
“It’s going to take everything we’ve got, but we can reach out to him,” Rose said, her tone resolute. “After we marked him, the bond became unbreakable.”
Her words comforted me more than anything else had since I’d been captured. I nodded to myself, determined to try. “I’ll do it. Will you help me?” I knew this would drain us both, that Rose would likely go silent again afterward, but it was our only hope.
Closing my eyes, I focused on Dominic, on the bond we shared. I thought about how I had come to accept our connection, how I had eventually fallen madly in love with him. I let those feelings guide me, reaching out with every ounce of strength I had left.
A tugging sensation pulled at my gut, and an image began to form in my mind. It was Dominic’s office, but something was terribly wrong. The room was in shambles, everything smashed and broken. His computer lay on the floor, the screen shattered, and my heart clenched at the thought of what might have happened to him.
“Dominic?” I called out frantically, “Dominic, where are you?”
For what felt like an eternity, there was nothing but the suffocating silence of the void. But then, just as hope began to slip through my fingers, a voice broke through the darkness-a voice that sent a jolt of relief and longing surging through my veins.
“Katarina? Damn it, where the hell are you?” Dominic’s voice was rough, edged with panic, but hearing it was like breathing again after nearly drowning. I couldn’t hold back the tears that stung my eyes, blurring the vision I tried so hard to maintain.
“I don’t know exactly,” I choked out, my voice trembling but determined. “Some men took me. I’m underground, in a cell of some sort. You have to find me, Dominic! Please!”
I could feel the urgency in his voice as he fired back, “Have you seen anyone? Anything that can help me find you?” His fear mirrored my own, a palpable tension linking us despite the distance.
I closed my eyes and let the image of the two men who had taken me surge to the forefront of my mind, knowing Dominic could see them through our connection. “They’re human, Dominic. They injected me with wolfsbane. You need to talk to Gabriel. These aren’t just any men.”
“I’ll find you, Katarina,” Dominic vowed, his voice tinged with desperation but solid with promise. “I swear I’ll find you.”
But even as his words echoed in my mind, I could feel our link beginning to waver, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I was pulled back into the oppressive grip of unconsciousness.
When I next awoke, it was to the sound of angry voices, shouting somewhere in the distance. My body jerked upright, every muscle tense as my eyes darted around the confines of the cell. The shouts grew louder, closer, and for a brief moment, hope flickered within me. Maybe it was Dominic, maybe he had found me already.
But I knew his voice-this wasn’t him. The hope crumbled as the big man who had tormented me earlier stepped into the dim light, his face a mask of grim determination.
“Boss is ready to see you now,” he grunted, his voice devoid of any emotion as he swung open the cell door.
I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, refusing to let out the whimper of fear that bubbled up inside me. His grip was bruising as he hauled me to my feet, dragging me out of the cell. Before I could take in my surroundings, a black bag was shoved over my head, plunging me into darkness once more. I stumbled, nearly falling, but the man yanked me forward without a care for my faltering steps.
“Don’t even think about running,” he growled. “You’re too weak, and you won’t get far.”
The bag was suddenly ripped from my head, and I blinked rapidly, my eyes straining to adjust to the harsh light that now assaulted them. My gaze darted around greedily, taking in the underground chamber I was now in. The walls were nothing but packed dirt, and the floor was covered in old, cracked tiles. Harsh, bright lights hung from the ceiling, casting a sterile, unforgiving glare on everything below.
A shiver ran down my spine as I sensed someone approaching from behind. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, a primal warning that danger was near. And then, a voice-a voice I recognized, but one I hadn’t heard in what felt like an eternity-spoke from the shadows.
“It’s been a long time, Katarina,” the voice said, smooth and confident, with a hint of something sinister lurking beneath the surface.
My heart plummeted as recognition dawned on me, my eyes widening in disbelief. No, it couldn’t be…