Bella tossed and turned in the cold, dark cage, her body sore and bruised, her mind a tangled mess of confusion and despair. The pain was constant, but the worst part was the suffocating loneliness. She could feel herself slipping, her resolve weakening with each passing hour. Yet in the depths of the darkness, when she closed her eyes, she heard his voice.
Kael.
“Hold on, Bella,” his voice whispered through the fog of her pain, soft and familiar. It was the one thing that still made her feel connected to the world outside. “I’m coming for you. Just hold on a little longer. Please. I won’t leave you.”
Bella’s breath caught in her throat as she dreamed of Kael. In her dream, his arms wrapped around her, his strong presence providing comfort and warmth, a stark contrast to the cold that surrounded her now. He held her tightly, as if he could shield her from all the torment she had endured. His scent, his touch, it was all so real. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he was still out there, fighting for her.
But then, as quickly as the dream had come, it shattered, leaving her cold and alone once more. She woke with a gasp, her heart racing in her chest. The dim light filtering through the bars of the cage did nothing to ease her discomfort. She could still feel the remnants of Kael’s presence lingering in her mind, but it wasn’t enough. Not anymore. Not when she was so far from him.
The sound of mocking laughter broke her from her thoughts. Bella lifted her head, her eyes narrowed with defiance as the guards circled around her. They were used to seeing her broken by now, but today, they seemed even more cruel than usual.
“Aw, look,” one of the guards sneered, “the little rogue is crying in her sleep. Did you dream of your precious Kael?”
Bella didn’t respond, her fists clenched at her sides. She refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her weak, even though the tears threatened to fall. They would never know how much pain she was in, how much she longed to be free.
The guards exchanged smug looks, clearly enjoying the fact that they could break her so easily. One of them stepped closer, leaning down to look her in the eye with a malicious grin.
“You know, it’s hard to believe that someone like you ever had a mate,” he taunted, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re nothing but a worthless rogue. No one cares about you here.”
His words stung, but Bella refused to let them show. She turned her face away, unwilling to meet his gaze, but that only seemed to fuel his anger.
“You think you can ignore me?” he growled, his voice rising. “You think you can just sit there and pretend I’m not here?”
Before she could react, he reached down and grabbed her arm, yanking her roughly to her feet. Bella gasped in pain, her head spinning as she struggled to keep her balance. But the guard wasn’t done. He pulled her toward the bars of the cage, his grip tightening on her arm.
With a sickening sneer, he reached out and touched her face, his fingers trailing down her cheek in a way that made Bella’s skin crawl. She recoiled, trying to pull away, but he only tightened his hold.
“Don’t touch me!” Bella hissed, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger.
The guard chuckled darkly, completely undeterred. “You’re in no position to make demands, little rogue.”
In an instant, his hand was on her shoulder, forcing her against the bars of the cage. Bella fought to free herself, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. But the guard was stronger than she was, and she was trapped.
Her heart raced as panic began to rise within her. She couldn’t let this happen. She wouldn’t.
With all the strength she could muster, Bella lunged forward, sinking her teeth into the guard’s hand. He shouted in pain, pulling back sharply, but Bella’s teeth remained firmly embedded in his skin. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and she could feel the guard’s grip loosening as he yanked his hand away.
But her moment of victory was short-lived.
The guard’s fury exploded, his face turning red with rage. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground with surprising strength. Bella choked, gasping for air, her vision blurring as her body was slammed against the cold metal bars of the cage.
“Bitch,” the guard snarled, his voice low and threatening. “You’ll regret that.”
With a brutal shove, he threw her back to the ground, causing her to crash painfully onto her side. Bella groaned, the pain radiating through her body as she struggled to breathe. She tried to push herself up, but her arms and legs felt like lead. She couldn’t move.
As the guard stepped back, he wiped the blood from his hand, his eyes filled with malice. “Let’s see how much fight you have left tomorrow,” he whispered, his voice low and threatening.
Bella couldn’t answer. She lay there, her body shaking from the assault, her heart pounding in her chest. She had fought back, but it hadn’t been enough. It was never enough.
Her only hope now was Kael. She had to believe that he would come for her, no matter how hopeless it seemed. She had to keep holding on, even when every part of her wanted to give in.