Vanished Sisters: The Lycan King's Slave Island Chapter 113

Natasha's POV

I lifted my chin. Met her eyes. "No."

Selene's smile faltered. "What?"

"I won't beg," I said. My voice shook but held. "You're going to torture me either way. Whether I beg or not. So why give you the satisfaction?"

Anger flashed across her face. "You arrogant little—"

Her hand shot out. CRACK. She slapped me across the face.

Pain exploded through my skull. My head snapped to the side. I tasted blood where my teeth cut the inside of my cheek.

"How's that?" Selene hissed. "Did you enjoy that? Because you remember what happened the last time you struck me?"

She hit me again. The other cheek. Harder this time.

Tears sprang to my eyes. But I didn't cry out.

"Let's see you hit me now!" Selene screamed. She was losing control. Her beautiful face contorted with rage. "Go ahead! Try it!"

She hit me a third time. Then a fourth.

My vision swam. My face felt like it was on fire.

But I didn't beg. Didn't give her what she wanted.

And that made her angrier.

"Fine," she snarled. She stepped back. Raised the thorn whip. "If you won't beg, you'll scream instead."

She drew back her arm.

And struck.

The whip whistled through the air. The thorns bit into my stomach. Right across my abdomen.

White-hot agony exploded through me.

I screamed. Couldn't help it. The pain was beyond anything I'd ever experienced.

The thorns tore through my thin cloth like it was paper. Ripped into my skin. Dragged across my flesh.

When Selene pulled the whip back, it took pieces of me with it.

Blood bloomed. Hot. Wet. Flowing freely.

I looked down. Saw the wound. A line of torn flesh stretched across my stomach. Deep. Already bleeding heavily.

*Oh God. Oh God, she's going to kill me. She's actually going to kill me.*

"Beautiful," Selene breathed. She was staring at the blood. At the wound. Her eyes were glazed with something like ecstasy. "Absolutely beautiful."

She raised the whip again. "Let's add another—"

"STOP!"

The door burst open.

Lord Fergus stood in the doorway. His face was a mask of fury.

And behind him—

"Nathan!"

Davelina. My sister. Alive. Here.

She rushed forward. Tried to reach me. But one of the guards caught her arm.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "That's my brother! Let me go to him!"

Fergus stepped into the cell. His ice-blue eyes fixed on Selene.

"I told you," he said quietly. Dangerously. "I specifically ordered you not to touch the boy. Not to interfere."

Selene lowered the whip. For the first time, uncertainty crossed her face.

"My Lord, I was just—this slave attacked me. I was defending myself—"

"Liar," Fergus cut her off. His voice was like ice. "You abducted him from the King's Den. Brought him here. Chained him up. And tortured him."

He took a step closer. "You disobeyed my direct order. You violated the King's claim. And you've endangered everything we've been working toward."

"Working toward?" Selene's voice rose shrilly. "You mean coddling these filthy humans? Treating them like they matter?"

She gestured at me. At Davelina. "They're slaves! Property! They exist to serve us!"

"They exist because I allow them to," Fergus said coldly. "And I ordered you—specifically—to leave this one alone."

"Why?" Selene's face was red with rage and tears. "Why do you care so much about one insignificant slave? Why does everyone in this fortress care more about him than about me?"

She placed a hand on her pregnant belly. "I'm carrying Lycan blood! I'm the King's wet nurse! I should matter more than some random human boy!"

"You should," Fergus agreed. "But you don't. Not anymore. Not after what you've done."

He turned to the guards. "Release the slave. Take him to the infirmary. Have that wound treated immediately."

Then back to Selene. "As for you—you're confined to your chambers. Indefinitely. You will not leave. You will not receive visitors. You will remain there until I decide what to do with you."

"You can't—" Selene started.

"I can," Fergus interrupted.

The words hit Selene like physical blows. She staggered.

He gestured to the guards. "Take her away. Lock her in her chambers. Post guards. She is not to leave under any circumstances."

"No!" Selene screamed. "No, you can't do this! I'm—I'm—"

The guards grabbed her arms. Began dragging her toward the door.

"This is wrong!" she shrieked. "We're the same! You and me! We're Lycans! We should stand together against these parasites! These worthless—"

Her words cut off as they hauled her out of the cell. Her screams echoed down the corridor. Fading. Disappearing.

And then there was silence.

Davelina rushed to me the moment Selene was gone. Her hands were shaking as she examined the wound on my stomach.

"Oh God," she whispered. Tears streaming down her face. "Oh God, look at you. Look what she did."

"I'm okay," I managed. My voice was weak. The pain was making me dizzy. "I'm—I'll be okay."

"You're bleeding so much," Davelina sobbed. "We need to stop the bleeding. We need—"

"The infirmary will handle it," Fergus said. He'd moved closer. Was examining my wound with clinical detachment. "It's deep but not fatal. Painful but survivable."

He nodded to one of the remaining guards. "Unchain him. Carefully. Don't jar the wound."

The guard unlocked the manacles. My arms dropped. Fresh pain shot through my shoulders from being held in that position.

I sagged. Would have fallen if Davelina hadn't caught me.

"I've got you," she whispered. "I'm here. You're safe now."

Fergus watched us for a moment. Then turned away.

"Bring him to my chambers," he ordered. "Not the infirmary. My private chambers. I'll treat the wound myself."

Davelina looked up sharply. "But my Lord—"

"My chambers," Fergus repeated. His tone left no room for argument. "Now."

---

They half-carried me through the fortress. Up the stairs. Out of that hellish dungeon.

Davelina supported most of my weight. Kept whispering reassurances.

"It's over. You're safe. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again."

But I could barely hear her. The pain was overwhelming. Each step jostled the wound. Sent fresh agony through my body.