Chapter 265: Episode 265.

Two weeks later:

Torak sat against the cold stone wall, with his head lowered. The silver liquid had since already begun doing its work.

His breathing was heavier now.

Every breath seemed to drag against something inside his chest.

His wolf was still there. He could feel it, but it was distant, and muted. Almost unreachable.

The strength that had always lived beneath his skin had disappeared. His body no longer felt like the body he had been born with.

For the first time in his life, Torak understood what it meant to be completely vulnerable.

He flexed his fingers, and they trembled. He stared at them for several seconds. Then he closed them into fists.

The door at the end of the dungeon opened.

Torak’s jaw tightened. The footsteps stopped directly in front of him.

“Look at me.” Alpha Blackfen commanded.

Torak remained still.

Blackfen waited. “You still have that arrogance.” He remarked when he got no response from Torak.

Torak slowly lifted his eyes.

Blackfen stood several feet away, with his hands folded behind his back.

His expression was calm.

Torak stared at him. “You dragged me into your home.” His voice was rough. “And then you poisoned me.”

Blackfen’s mouth twitched. “Careful.”

Torak gave a humorless smile. “You’ve already done your worst.”

Blackfen’s eyes narrowed. He stepped closer. “I haven’t.”

Torak’s smile disappeared.

Blackfen stopped directly before him. “I warned you.”

Torak said nothing.

“I warned you to look within your means.” Blackfen’s voice remained quiet. “You didn’t.”

He crouched slightly so they were almost eye level. “You went as far as dancing with her at an open ball.”

Torak’s eyes hardened.

Blackfen smiled. “Do you remember?”

Of course he remembered.

Adele’s hand in his. The music. The way she had looked at him. The moment everything else in the hall had disappeared.

That was during Aire’s coronation.

Torak said nothing.

“You stood before half the territory.” Blackfen continued. “You touched my daughter.” His voice became colder. “You looked at her as though she belonged beside you.”

Torak’s jaw clenched. “She chose to stand beside me.” He said quietly, but firmer.

Blackfen’s expression changed slightly. “That is precisely your problem. You think this is about what you want.”

Torak slowly pushed himself upright. His muscles protested immediately, but he ignored it.

Blackfen watched him. “You are a Beta.”

Torak remained silent.

“You serve the Wolf King and my daughter is an Alpha’s daughter.”

Torak’s eyes remained on him.

Blackfen’s voice hardened. “She is not yours.”

Torak’s fingers curled. “She isn’t something to own.”

The dungeon became silent.

Blackfen stared at him, then he nodded slowly. “Very noble.”

He turned away.

Torak watched him walk toward a wooden table positioned against the wall. Something metallic rested upon it.

Torak’s eyes followed.

It was a heavy metallic hammer.

His stomach tightened.

Blackfen picked it up. He weighed it casually in his hand. “You know what I find interesting about men like you?”

Torak said nothing.

“You think silence makes you strong.” Blackfen turned. “It doesn’t.” He walked back. “Sometimes silence simply means you’re afraid.”

Torak looked at the hammer, then back at him. “You want me to be afraid?” He asked almost casually.

Blackfen smiled. He raised the hammer slightly. “I want you to understand.”

Torak’s expression became unreadable.

Blackfen stepped closer. “Understanding lasts longer than fear.”

Torak didn’t move. Alpha Blackfen walked in, and spread Torak already chained hand flat on the floor.

The hammer came down.

Pain exploded through his hand.

Torak’s entire body jerked. A sharp grunt escaped him before he could stop it. His teeth clenched immediately.

Blood appeared between his fingers.

For several seconds, he couldn’t breathe.

The pain was unlike anything he had known. There was no wolf rushing forward to dull it. No supernatural healing, and no instinctive recovery.

Nothing.

Just pain. Human pain.

Torak lowered his head. His breathing became uneven.

Blackfen watched him.

Torak slowly raised his eyes. “Bastard…”

The word came through clenched teeth.

Blackfen smiled. “Better.”

Torak spat blood onto the stone. “I thought…” He took a breath. “…you wanted to make me understand.”

Blackfen’s smile disappeared.

Torak’s eyes remained fixed on him. “All you’ve done is prove you’re a coward.”

Blackfen’s jaw tightened.

The hammer struck again.

Torak’s shoulder slammed against the wall.

A groan escaped him this time. He drasgged the chains, but nothing happened. He closed his eyes. And his breathing shook.

Blackfen waited. “Say her name.” He mocked.

Torak opened his eyes.

“Say Adele’s name.”

Torak stared at him. He said nothing.

Blackfen’s expression was cruel. “Go on.”

Torak remained silent.

“I want to hear you say it.”

Torak remained silent.

Blackfen’s grip tightened around the hammer. “She needs protection from you.”

Torak stared at him. “You are the one hurting her.” He continued despite the pain. “Not me.”

“You walked into my house, with the full idea of being improper with her.”

“You invited me.”

Blackfen’s face darkened.

Torak leaned his head against the wall.

“You can beat me until I can’t stand.” His voice was weaker now. “But you’re not going to change what happened.”

Torak smiled. “She chose me.”

The hammer tightened in Blackfen’s hand.

Torak saw it.

He knew another blow was coming. He braced himself, and it came.

Torak grunted. His head fell forward. His injured hand hung uselessly beside him. Blood dripped slowly onto the floor.

He breathed through his teeth.

Torak lifted his head.

His face had gone pale. Sweat had gathered along his forehead, but his eyes were still clear.

Blackfen looked genuinely furious. He grabbed Torak by the collar and dragged him upright.

Blackfen shoved him back against the wall. “This is your punishment.”

Torak stared at him, looking clueless. “For what?”

“For humiliating me.”

Torak frowned. “You humiliated yourself.” He said. “You’re the one treating heress like a daughter.”

Blackfen’s eyes flashed. “You danced with my daughter. Do you know how humiliating thay was for me?”

Torak’s breathing slowed. “She was happy.” He said softly. Torak’s eyes didn’t leave his. “That’s what you can’t stand.”

Blackfen’s nostrils flared.

“You saw her happy.” Torak’s voice was barely above a whisper. “And you hated it.”

Blackfen struck him again.

Torak’s head snapped sideways.

Blood touched his lower lip. He breathed through the pain. Then slowly looked back.

Torak’s eyes were burning now with fury. Alpha Blackfen was using his wolf strength on with with full force.

“You can hurt me.” He whispered. “You can keep me here.” His voice trembled. “You can take away my wolf.”

A breath.

“You can make me bleed.”

Another breath.

“But you cannot make her stop choosing.”

Blackfen’s expression became unreadable.

Torak leaned his head back against the wall.

“And that…” His eyes closed briefly. “…is what scares you.”

Blackfen stared at him. Then he turned away, and walked toward the door.

Torak watched him leave.

The door opened.

Before stepping through, Blackfen stopped. “You won’t see her again.”

Torak said nothing.

Blackfen looked back. “You will remain here until I decide otherwise. Preferably, your death day.”

Torak’s jaw tightened.

The door began closing.

“Blackfen.”

Blackfen stopped, taken aback by how straightforwardly he was being addressed by a mere beta.

Torak lifted his head. “If you hurt her…”

Blackfen waited.

Torak’s voice became quiet. “…I’ll survive this.” He paused for his words to sink in. “But you’ll never survive what comes after.”

Blackfen stared at him.

Then the door slammed shut. The lock turned.

Torak was alone again.

For several seconds, he remained upright. His strength disappeared, and he slid slowly down the wall.

His injured hand rested against his thigh.

His breathing was shallow, and his entire body shook. He lowered his head in pain, as the world dissolved into blurry lights.