Zidane glared down at the body of the Latina woman. She was barely alive. He wanted to tear her to bits, but she was rather useful, and she had injected Scarlett with wolfsbane. He smiled coldly, placing his foot on her head. A small whimper left her lips and he pressed harder.
“Because of what you managed to do… I will let you live a little while longer,” he informed her. Using her as a stepping stool, he stepped over her, sending an eruption of pain through her under his weight.
The wolves who had meant to chase Scarlett and that wretched Alpha were cowering as they knelt before him in a line. Despite the blood splattered across his suit and the deep scratches that Scarlett had left him with, Zidane looked calm and composed, but all the men there knew that a calm Zidane was dangerous.
“None of you were able to stop two kids… two fucking kids…” he hissed, his voice poisonous as he approached the wolves. Cade knelt there too, despite his injuries.
“Alpha they had help -” The man did not live to finish his sentence as Zidane ripped his head from his body.
“I do not need incompetent wolves serving me!” He spat, moving on to the next one. His claws came out and he ripped the man's heart out. “I need wolves who are strong… and get the fucking job done!” As he spoke, he went along the line; gouging one man's eyes out, tearing the next one's intestines out, another one lost his arms and legs. Some died instantly others writhed in agony before death came.
Cade was the only one left after Zidane was done murdering eleven men. Several had been killed by Rafael's men and now another eleven were gone. Cade looked at the hall that now looked like an ocean of blood, the coppery smell in the air strong enough to overcome the smell of fear that had lingered previously. Things were only getting worse.
“Fools, all of them,” Zidane said, glaring at Cade. “Find out the name of the Alpha who helped them.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Cade bowed to him before he got up and staggered from the hall. Zidane turned back to the woman.
“Maya… get this place cleaned up,” he ordered the woman who was barely alive. “If it’s not done soon, you’ll be joining them.” She struggled to get up. Elijah had hurt her brutally and her bones would need time to heal.
“Y-yes, Alpha…” she rasped. He did not look back as he walked towards the stairs and headed upstairs to his office, leaving bloody footprints in his wake…
Entering his office, he sat on the chair not caring to turn the light on. Placing his feet on the table, he crossed them at the ankles. Taking out a cigarette, he lit it, only the glowing ember filled the otherwise pitch-black room. How had he not seen Scarlett’s abilities as a child,? The signs had been right in front of him…
(EXTREME PHYSICAL ABUSE AHEAD, IF THIS IS TRIGGERING FOR YOU PLEASE SKIP THE REMAINDER OF THIS CHAPTER)
FLASHBACK – 10 YEARS AGO – DESERT STORM PACK
Scarlett walked through the Alpha’s mansion as silently as possible. It was dark, night had fallen long ago, thunder and lightning flashed in the sky outside. She had no idea what time it was. Her heart pounded in fear. Her father was out on business and should not return for the next two nights, but she was still breaking the rules by being here. Indigo was just so hungry. They had not eaten for the last two nights because their papa said they deserved to be punished.
She would quickly sneak to the kitchen, get some bread, and then rush back to the attic. Their mama was in bed again - Papa had punished her for being disrespectful. Whenever she was punished, she would be in bed for many days, but Scarlett knew that already, she too was punished often. That was a secret she could not tell anyone. If she did, her papa promised he would do the same to Indigo and it was her job to protect her baby sister.
Unknown to the little eight-year-old, the Alpha she feared was sitting in the lounge in the dark, puffing on a cigarette, having returned from his trip early. He heard the small footsteps on the stairs. His eyes flashed, Oh how he hated being disobeyed. He knew who it would be before her little head of strawberry blond hair came into view. She didn’t even look towards the lounge, silently tiptoeing towards the kitchen. The worn-out cotton nightgown she wore was far too thin for this weather.
Zidane stood up as a cold smile made its way onto his otherwise emotionless face. He was rather bored, and he did not really want to play with a woman, This would be a lot more fun. He walked into the hallway and made his way to the kitchen where the little eight-year-old was tiptoeing to open the cupboard.
“Well, well, well… looks like there's a little rat on the loose,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. Scarlett froze, her heart thundered so loudly Zidane could hear it from where he stood and oh how it excited him.
She turned slowly, the smell of fear growing in the kitchen. Her long, waist-length hair fell around her shoulders, her usual pale skin looked ghostly as she saw the tall man that stood there leaning against the kitchen door.
“Papa…” she whispered past her quivering lip as her eyes stung with tears. “I’m sorry! I was hungry.” She dropped to her knees, bowing to her father, not daring to mention Indigo.
“Now now, we both know a sorry isn't good enough, wouldn’t you agree my little princess?” He asked, walking over to her. He crouched down, stroking her little head before his hands painfully twisted into her hair. “One sound, and I will make sure both your mother and sister suffer the same,” he hissed. She clamped her mouth shut, her tears flowing down her cheeks, not daring to utter a sound.
He wrenched her up by the hair and stood, not caring that he was dangling the child by her hair. She tried to grab his wrists to ease the pain as he took her out of the mansion and into the garage.
“Please, papa, not there.” She begged in fear.
“I said zip it!” He hissed, entering the garage. He led her past the cars, stopping at the door that was locked at the back. Scarlett knew what was coming. This was what he called her special punishment room. She cried softly, begging him to forgive her, promising that she would not do it again. He unlocked the door, his smile growing as he entered the soundproof roo. He threw the child across the floor, and let the door slam shut behind them. It locked automatically.
“Now… what shall we play today?” He asked. Removing the cigarette from his lips, he walked towards her. She got to her knees and screamed when the burning cigarette stub was pressed against the back of her neck. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Zidane chuckled sadistically. “How fascinating...” He murmured. He loved to torture her because she healed incredibly fast, faster than even him. It was something he hated yet enjoyed, because she was the one target who would last longer than the rest. She quivered in fear when he picked up some screws.
“We should never ever steal, don’t you agree?” He whispered. Grabbing her by her hair, he dragged her to the heavy stained wood table, a table reserved especially for her. He yanked her onto it, not caring that she hit the table face first or that blood was coming out of her nose. “These hands of yours really should learn to not steal!” Taking the first 3-inch nail, he flicked it in his fingers before slamming it through her hand. She screamed in agony, but Zidane didn’t stop. Not until each finger was pierced with a screw. Scarlett sobbed in pain, her hands now impaled with 14 screws.
“Please, papa, I promise I won't steal again!” She cried.
“Did I say you could speak?” Zidane shouted, his eyes blazing in rage. Grabbing her by the hair again, he slammed her face-first into the table where her hands were screwed. Her blood stained the wooden table with a fresh coat of red.
“S-sorry…” she whimpered as he repeatedly slammed her face-first onto her hands. The nails pierced her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. She did her best to protect her eyes. The pain of each slam made her dizzy.
“You were made for this! Do you hear me? The only reason you were given to me was for my entertainment! I should have been given an heir! An Alpha!” Zidane shrieked. Scarlett said no more. She knew when he became like this there was nothing more to say. He would only stop when he’d had enough.
The pain was growing. He slammed her tiny body across the room, wrenching her hands with the screws off the table. The scream of agony that tore from her throat only fuelled him further, he picked up a hammer approaching her.
“You useless little bitch. I think I will tell your mother you're gone for a few weeks for training, don’t you agree?” He hissed, slamming the hammer down on her knees. The sickening sound of bones being crushed rang loud in their ears. She sobbed silently. Her entire body screamed in pain. Her heart hurt. The pain was dizzying. She couldn't breathe.
But he did not stop. Even when she huddled into a foetal position, repeatedly telling herself she was ok - that nothing was happening. Her eyes tightly shut, Zidane continued his screaming abuse.
“Let’s just see how much you can take! Maybe you are better off dead!” With each strike of the hammer – to her ankles, her elbows, even her hands, only pushing the nails deeper into her skin – he seemed to grow excited. He would never hit her head, wanting her to stay conscious whilst he tortured her.
Her body began to go numb. The pain was too much to comprehend. He would not stop, he never did because she would heal quickly. She wondered if the moon goddess hated her. Was she a bad child? Did she do something to deserve this?
Her tears had stopped and Zidane had grown bored of the hammer. He was breathing hard, his hair had fallen in front of his face, sweat coated his face. He hated how she seemed to handle it, hated that the determination never faded from her disgusting green eyes.
“You’re a fucking freak!” He spat. Looking around the room, a smile spread across his face when he grabbed a knife, one he kept coated with wolfsbane. At least this took her longer to heal from. He approached her, grabbed her wrist, and began carving long, deep gashes down her arms and legs. Slamming his fist across her head, sending black spots across her vision, he slashed her back several times before he threw the knife down. He could see her wounds already closing up. He would use something to keep her in pain for a while longer.
“You were hungry, weren’t you?” He asked, now dragging her around to face him, he began stroking her hair that was now more a deep red coated with her own blood. Her skin was littered with bruises, wounds, and blood. She was no longer recognisable. Her wide green eyes, filled with fear, did not even blink when he stroked her hair, it never meant anything good.
“Let me go get you food,” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Her lip quivered as he left the room quickly. Her body was in agony and she wished she would just die. Was hell as painful as this? She’d rather Selene let her go to hell for her sins. If only she told her what her sins were though, she would promise not to do them ever again. She heard the door opening and Zidane stood there, a cruel smile on his face.
“Look I got you some food, princess,” he said. She looked up. He had a pot in his hand, through the dim lighting and her blurry vision, she saw him open it. Had she been a good girl? That he wanted to give her food? “Say thank you,” he ordered as he glared at her, his eyes turning dark green once again.
“Th-thank you, Papa,” she whispered. A cold smile crossed his lips.
“Here.” He raised the jar and poured its content onto her. She screamed as the powdery substance hit her, the strong smell of chilli flakes hit her before the stinging agonising pain erupted from her wounds. The chilli embedded in them. She hadn't expected it and her eyes had been wide open.
She writhed and screamed in pain, scratching at her eyes and arms trying to rid herself of the pain. Zidane watched her, laughing psychotically.
“Sleep well, princess,” he said, icily, before turning and walking out the room, leaving the little eight-year-old crying and screaming as she convulsed in pain on the cold hard floor…
END OF FLASHBACK
Zidane glared at the darkness around him, How had he missed such an obvious clue? Her healing ability was not normal. If it were not for that witch who told him about his firstborn being special, that she was blessed by the moon goddess, he would not have even known she was still alive. Jessica had faked their death rather well… when he found her, he was going to tear her apart, too.