Chapter 42|Baseless Torture.

.....

**Isabelle's P O V.

The feel of ice cold water being splashed over my face pulled me out of my slumber. Attempting to pull my hands out of the restraint holding the limbs back was fruitless. My eyes fluttered open at the resistance met by my move, my gaze moved to my wrists which were plastered to the wall and shackled there by thick chains. My feet were bare and the cold blowing through the open space above my head had my limbs shivering from the freezing chill it was exuding mixed with the one caused by the water splashed on me.

"Tell me who you're working for." The man I heard Alexander refer to as Sylvester snarled over my face. He was a tall and hefty man, being able to be on eye level with me he had to bend his neck and subject me to the torture of feeling his strong breath. He was reeking of everything terrible. "A loyal rat huh? You'll rot before your saviour comes. He'll get your ruins and nothing more." He grinned in a wicked and evil manner and took my jaw in his grip. His hold bruising.

"The Alpha will not come for your rescue again, he has no fucking clue as to where you are so your only two options are," He began to count off his fingers. "One, tell me now and I'll rid you of pain, you'll die a fast and easy death or.." He counted a finger down and snorted, "Two, waste my time and I'll make you die a very slow and painful death. I myself will mutilate your limbs and watch as the hungry wolves munch on them before litting you on fire, then you'll know I am not one to be played with. So it's your choice." He shrugged as though his words were making any sense.

I scoffed inwardly at his sheer evil. His face inched closer towards me making me fight the urge to shudder in disgust. Bile rose in my throat.

"Will be such a waste though, with such milky skin you could've been whatever you wanted but you chose to be a bounder, a fraud and an imposter all for reasons you refuse to disclose. Do you know the sort of humiliation you brought down on us?" He growled moving away and giving me space to breath. I released the accumulated breaths in huge gulps.

Sylvester paced around the room, "You promoted an attack to this Pack causing the death of innocents. You caused the humiliation and degradation of two highly respected and very important men. You, a mere human runt who reeks of the Alpha's smell. Or is being his slut your side job? You don't know what that means do you?" He spat and covered the distance between us in the blink of an eye.

He took my neck and raised me from my feet, his eyes shone with blalant hatred and I felt the animosity rolling off of him in waves. It was revolting.

"You don't plan to kill our prisoner do you?" A new voice inquired making me turn my head to Sylevester's partner.

Arabella came striding in with her lips covered in the smirk I  always see on her whenever our paths crossed.

"Hello there, bitch," She grinned. "How's your new room? Hope it's to your liking? Like it or not it'll be your new permanent residence. Lovely huh? I know right." She laughed joyously as her eyes trailed over me. "Feels cold in here, Leah didn't bother to garb you in comfortable clothes huh?" Then her face morphs into a thoughtful expression, "You thought you were going somewhere for reprieve. The thought of Alexander marrying his own intended makes your heart crawl with pain and envy and hatred, doesn't it? Whether you wish it or not Belle I will be Alexander's wife, the Queen to rule by his side, the De Luca Pack's lawful Luna. Where will you be?" She asked with a grin, her eyes glinting at the turn her thoughts rove to.

Satisfaction made a side of her lips tug into a lopsided grin.

My eyes stayed glued to her face as I tried to process and recall all that happened to have brought me here. Yes, Leah apprised me of the decision made by the Elders and the representatives of the Lichen Pack to marry off Alexander and Arabella in a week's time. The pain I felt when she told me about it returned tenfold, it clawed viciously at my heart. Then I remember Leah's comforting words and gestures, and her suggestion to take me to some place for respite, to get rid of the pain that dulled my every sense and feel. What I was utterly clueless of was how I turned out to be here, where Leah was. I can recall joining Leah in a black car and..

It stopped there.

I could recall no single thing from there again.

If I was here, tortured and questioned then where was Leah? Was she hurt?

"Where is Leah?" My jaw hurt from the few words I managed to voice out and wrangle from my throat.

"You mean your saviour? She's well." Arabella's eyes glinted as she spoke and I couldn't comprehend what it meant. Were they hurting her too? "Don't hurt her, she did nothing to you." I snarled, pulling at the chains. The thought of them hurting her was getting on my nerves, she deserves none of it.

"She didn't, but you did and you're birds of the same feather. You better tell Syl here how you got the information that led to the attack and do it fast. Waste our time and we promise to torture your dear friend Leah more than you could ever imagine."

The two walked out of the room, it got darkened immediately after they left and the doors closed with a resounding click.

By night I was more exhausted than I've ever been and was praying for their return so I could plea for the fast and easy death as promised by Sylvester even though I had no clue as to who was behind the attack.

Sleep came to me at that position with my hands braced apart and chained to the walls. My feet were touching the very cold ground and the breeze flowing into the room was more fiery than anything. In my sleep I heard the distinct click the door made when it was unlocked before the intruder walked in in very silent steps.

Whoever it was must be a pro in seeing in the dark because it was pitch black in the room with no sign or streak of light. The intruder unhooked my chained hands, lowered me to the ground and wrapped a leash-like-chain around my neck, tightened it slightly before pulling a key out of its hook. The intruder laid me on the very cold ground and walked out the same way he walked in, silently.

I relaxed after hearing the final click of the key being turned into place before returning to sleep.

My sleep that night was filled with nightmares, screams, a very terrible fire and finally an eerie scream piercing through the darkness that made me jolt awake with a palpitating heart.

.....

**Author's P O V.

Clad in a body fitting romper, Leah dashed into Old Bea's chamber with sorrow and distraught etched on her bold features.

"We can't find her anywhere." She rasped, placing a hand over her chest to cool her rapid heaves courtesy of the short run she covered from one side of the manor to another.

"What do you mean you can't find her? Are you sure you returned with her? Ah dios mio." Old Bea muttered under her breath taking a shawl from the rack to cover her frail shoulders from taking the brunt of the cold. "You've checked her room too?"

"I did." Leah panicked. "When we returned she said she wanted to have a nap before coming to you and next thing I know she was no where to be found. Isabelle knows nowhere around here," Her shoulders shook as sobs escaped her body. "What if she's in danger?" Her teeth clattered from fear and the chill of the cold.

Old Bea balked at Leah for giving up so easily but nonetheless consoled the distraught girl. She took a glance at the girl's outfit choice and pursed her thin lips. With a firm hold on her cane she bursted out of the room with Leah trailing behind her.

The two women called for the Hunters and Scouts before a search party was formed from amongst the best trackers the Pack had. With the promise to find the human the wolves went on their various ways. Within and beyond the Pack territory.

One day later with no sign of Isabelle Old Bea began to panic, she felt something was highly wrong after some of the Scouts returned with no clue about Isabelle's whereabouts. The next batch returned with a piece of paper that seemed to be scribbled in a rush, it had Isabelle's name written in bold scrawls at the end of the paper and the words in it made the blood running through Old Bea's veins turning ice-cold.