Chapter 10: Wretched
SERAPHINA
No one had visited my cell ever since Draven had left.
And I didn't know how long had gone by—maybe two days or one full day. Time seemed meaningless in this darkness.
My stomach grumbled, and I quickly held my tummy tight. My lips were dry and my throat parched. I had not been given anything to eat, not even water to drink.
I kept waiting to wake up. This had to be a nightmare, right? Princess Seraphina Lancaster didn't end up chained in dungeons. This didn't happen to people like me.
But the cold stone under my body and the ache in my bones said otherwise.
I had been taken as a slave, my father burnt to ashes in my presence, my pack destroyed, and thrown into a dungeon, stripped down naked in front of men who wouldn't dare stare at me or look into my face on a normal day.
I shook my head slowly, staring at the ceiling where the water still dripped and the puddle on the ground was increasing.
I walked towards it, dipping my head low to the ground as I sipped the water pool that had formed inside my cell, the liquid instantly quenching my thirst. A tear slipped from my eyes as I took in another large gulp, not caring if it was unhealthy or not.
I chose death over this type of life.
'From princess to slave.' My subconscious hit me and I quickly pulled away from the water, straightening back into my sitting position.
I wish he had just killed me, rather than making me into some helpless princess waiting for fate to decide for her in the hands of men. I decide fate with my own hands, not the other way around.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me, hard and heavy on the floor. Instantly, I pushed myself back, my hands wrapped around the edge of my dress tightly.
Flashes of his men laughing and the trace of their hardened cocks pressed through my subconscious, making my skin crawl.
The footsteps grew increasingly louder, each step making my heart pound against my ribs like a caged bird desperate for freedom.
Then I saw a figure standing five steps away from my cell, until their body moved into the light. Now standing in front of my cell.
The cell opened with a creak and a man walked in.
He was dressed in guard's clothing but he looked like no ordinary man. As a princess, I knew there were different ranks when it came to guards and this man—this tall man—screamed like the one that could torment you and no one would blink an eye.
He definitely worked directly with Draven, and he held something in his hands which I couldn't decipher what it was.
"Oh, you are still alive."
The man growled, standing there tall and large, towering over my form but I refused to blink. I refused to show him how weak I was even though I was already too broken.
"You don't speak."
His voice came out harshly, his eyes trailing down my body unashamed, but I remained silent. His eyes froze at the center of my chest before he flipped them back up to meet mine.
He slowly approached me, like a stalker who would cherish every moment he would have with his prey.
I pushed myself backwards, away from him, but there was not enough space left for me to run to except the cold walls, and he chuckled at my plight.
He slowly squatted, his eyes matching mine, but I didn't remove my gaze from him. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.
"You know, you smell like a rotten rat and you really need to have a good bath."
He replied, and I flinched back, knowing he was saying the truth. Days without proper bath, no bath inshort, had taken their toll.
His hands came to touch my hair slowly, brushing through the long locks and he chuckled—a sound that made my stomach turn.
"You know I always watched you from afar in your pack. The first time I had seen you in that court room, you watched me fucked a lord in his ass. Your father had forced me to fuck my fellow man, right where the sun doesn't shine, and you watched, for your birthday. To introduce you to the world, and other lords watched as I and the other slaves made the lords have a great night. And you sat there, in your white flowing hair which looked so pure, that I thought you were an angel. I'd watch your innocent eyes as they unraveled in sex and darkness. And now, look at you."
His hands roughly left my hair as they gripped my chin forcefully, making me almost wince, but I didn't give him any emotion of fear or pain. My eyes remained calm, calculated, matching his furious ones.
"You are going to be treated the same way. Every fucking second I will enjoy watching that sweet cunt of yours getting fucked by different lords, and not just lords—slaves who had been forced to do the worst for your father. It's too bad that you are the main victim paying the price."
He whispered, his voice sounding slow, gentle—the complete opposite contrast of the way his body vibrated while he spoke.
"And this dress, well, it will be the last thing you ever remember wearing as royalty."
He said, roughly pushing a cloth bundle before me.
"Eat. Someone was kind enough to offer you food and water before you pass out and give the pack a good welcome."
He finished, and laughed so loudly that it made my stomach twist in knots.
The moment I stopped hearing his retreating steps and the dungeon door closed after him, I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
I untied the cloth, my heart pounding so loud I was sure it could be heard throughout the dungeon. My eyes settled on dried bread and roasted nuts, with some red cherries and a jar of water.
My stomach grumbled at the sight of the food, but this wasn't the type of food I was used to. Hell, this type wasn't even served to the maids in my pack—they ate better. But the slaves, this was food meant for slaves.
I instantly took a cherry, eating them in big chunks like someone who hadn't seen food in their lives. Perhaps I hadn't—it had been maybe five days since I last tasted food, and my wolf strength had been keeping me alive.
In less than ten minutes, I was done with the food, leaving enough water to sustain me until whenever my fate was decided.
Three hours later, I knew it was almost evening, with the sun no longer peeking through the tiny holes in the wall. Suddenly, I heard the dungeon door open and large footsteps—more like stampedes—covered the dungeon room.
The sound echoed off the stone walls, each footfall a promise of whatever horrors awaited me.
"Not again," I whispered, my voice barely audible in the growing darkness.