Mated To The Pack’s Doom

Arielle

Icy water splashed on my face, forcing me out of my sleep.

I gasped for air and looked around, which proved even more difficult as the water blurred my vision.

Another stream of water completely woke me, and I staggered to my feet, scared for my life. I clashed against the cell's iron bars and my memory returned.

The painful memories of the party returned, and I remembered how Damien had coldly asked his men to throw me here…

I was almost getting lost in my pain again when another splash of water, pulled me back to reality. I looked at the one conducting the torture outside the cell and I saw Bailey beaming at me.

"You are finally awake? How was your night?" She mocked me.

I stood there, trembling like a fish outside water. I felt the cold inside my bones, and I gasped again. I looked back at her and I was horrified at how happy she was torturing me.

Those eyes soon turned to hatred when she saw me recovering.

"What are you doing? Get out of this cell now!" Bailey screamed. "Drag her outside!"

Two guards walked in, pulled me under my shoulder, and threw me outside. Bailey grabbed a mop and bucket and dumped it at my head.

"Go and clean the hall! Do you think it will sit there and clean itself?!" She snarled.

I nodded and got up as fast as I could. I avoided glaring at Bailey because it would multiply my punishment. I grabbed the bucket and dragged my wet self to the hall.

The guards opened the door and pushed me inside. I fell on the floor with the buckets, and I looked up. The hall was empty. No maids were cleaning.

I turned back at Bailey in confusion. "But there are no maids here..."

Bailey folded her arms. "So? Is there a problem? Get cleaning!"

"This is impossible, what you are asking of me. Five people aren't enough to clean this hall, let alone me," I tried to tell her, through my shattering teeth.

Bailey stared at me as if I spewed rubbish. "I'm ordering you rat, to clean this hall and you are objecting?"

"I am not objecting but… I can't do it. It's impossible. You will break me before I am halfway there… I will break down before even reaching halfway…"

"That's the plan, witch— I want to break you!" She squealed in laughter. "I want you to die, don't you get it? I will be a hero if that happens!"

My heart felt like a whip had slashed through it as my head shook. There was no reasoning with Bailey. She was crazy and her sole intention was to kill me.

I clenched the mop angrily and turned away. "Fine! I will do it!"

Bailey's laughter echoed behind me as I filled the bucket with water.

With trembling hands I began. I slowly went around, picking up refuse around the hall, which took me at least two hours to fulfil but I didn't give up.

Bailey was watching me, she never left. I knew she was looking for an opening to torture me. I had to be very diligent around her— no matter how exhausted I got.

But the longer I worked, my body started to protest. My stomach made funny noises from the hunger and my limbs were barely able to move anymore.

I carried the bucket of water and began to mop but my arms trembled from the effort.

"What's that? Are you giving up?" Bailey asked.

My attention shifted towards her guards, that grinned at me. They wanted to grab at any chance to torture me.

I remained silent and continued mopping. My stomach was rust empty, I just pushed on with sheer will power but it could only carry me that far. I slowly went down on one knee to catch my breath, but it was a fatal mistake on my part.

"What do you think you are doing? How dare you rest?" The guards were suddenly coming at me.

I was alarmed but I didn't have any strength in my limbs to run away. "I'm only catching my breath—"

A kick at my side stopped me mid-sentence and I crashed to the floor. All the air I was saving up was knocked out of my lung.

"What's that? You can't talk again?" The second guard pulled me by the hair, and I groaned in pain.

Bailey watched from afar with a grin on her face, enjoying the show.

"Take this!" They poured the dirty water on my head and slapped me hard across the face.

I spat blood and fell to the floor and that was when the whipping began.

I just laid there on the ground, watching in slow motion as their whips hit my skin like heavy loads thrown at me.

I couldn't even cry. My lungs were too weak and all I wanted was death's warm embrace.

"Stop! My lady, we should stop!" A different guard suddenly screamed.

Bailey stared at him in disgust. "How dare you tell me what to do—"

"She will die if we continue. This could activate her Hex and we will be in trouble! It might kill us!" The guard explained quickly as his life depended on it.

I blinked several times as I tried to recover but my vision was blurred. I felt warm blood flow down the side of my head, and I wiped it slowly.

"Fine, but we will continue later!" Bailey snarled, obviously not pleased.

The other guards nodded and drew away from me.

"Get Riley to help her, I don't want her dying here," Bailey ordered.

My eyes flew wide open at the mention of Riley. A strange new strength and fear forced its way through me as I forced myself to my knees. "No, don't bring her. She doesn't have anything to do here. We aren't friends anymore!"

Bailey glared at me with raised brows. "Get me four maids— with Riley."

My heart sank but I bit down on my teeth. Bailey was playing her games again.

Her aide went out the door and came back minutes later with Riley and the other maids.

"Start cleaning the hall!" Bailey ordered.

Riley's eyes met with mine and I saw them fill up with tears. Quickly, I avoided her eyes and dragged myself to continued working with my pains.

The other girls worked far away from me, but Riley came to my side.

"Let me help—" she tried to grab my mop but I pushed away from her.

"Stay away from me," I whispered, still trembling.

Riley frowned. "But you are going to die, Arielle please, let me help you with this!"

Pain filled my throat as I knew that Bailey was watching. Once more, I tried to move away from her; "Stay away!" I hissed.

I moved away and continued cleaning. Riley didn't ask to help again, but I felt her in my shadow.

Just when I thought I was going to pass out from working, Bailey clapped her hands which called us to her attention.

"Go back to your rooms, and cell..." Bailey eyed me. "We will pick it up from here tomorrow, Arielle. Goodnight."

Her eyes glowed with such hatred, it was clear that tomorrow was going to be the day she succeeded in truly killing me with her tasks.