5. The cell.

OLENA

I didn’t want to breathe down here. 

The air was thick and smelled terrible, like blood, mold, and something worse. Every breath hurt, like I was breathing in old metal and rot. 

The stone walls were cold and wet, with water slowly dripping down. 

Chains dug into my wrists, pulling my arms behind me. A heavy metal bar pressed into my back, making it hurt every time I breathed. I stood at an awkward slant, my muscles shaking, but the restraints were so tight I couldn’t even fall.

Just outside the cell, there was an old table that looked like it was made for torture. Its surface was cracked and stained with blood. Leather straps were coiled on it like snakes waiting to strike. 

The walls nearby were covered in blades, clamps, and other things I didn’t recognize. Some still had dark stains on them. I didn’t want to know what they were from.

Now I understood what she meant when she said this place was worse than any werewolf dungeon.

“Please, let me go,” 

A trembling voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“Spread your legs, slut,” 

I looked up, my heart pounding. A girl stood in front of him, tears running down her dirty face. He hit her hard as she fell back, landing on that awful table, the one covered in straps and surrounded by tools meant to hurt. 

There were at least three men. They gripped her limbs, spreading her legs with cruel force. My stomach twisted, and I shut my eyes, unable to bear the sight.

"Why you acting like we didn’t do the same thing yesterday, huh?" one of them sneered, their laughter echoing like a sick joke.

"I... I’m still hurting down there... please..."

Her voice trembled as she begged, but they ignored her like she was nothing.

"Either we shove this rod inside you, or—"

He suddenly cut off like something made him pause.

Then his eyes shifted.

“Wait a minute…” he muttered, squinting in my direction. 

The creepy man stepped into the cell, rolling the metal rod between his hands like a toy. His grin stretched wider.

"I’m feeling a surge of joy inside me, you guys!" he shouted, voice echoing off the concrete walls.

"She's the silver-haired girl I told you guys about! Oh my Goddess!"

He slammed the iron gate shut behind him. The loud clang made me flinch.

"Will you let me have a taste, you greedy bastard?" one of the others called from outside, chuckling. The breeze carried a foul stench into the cell—his breath, probably. I fought the urge to gag.

"This fresh meat?" the man inside said, eyes gleaming. "Let me have the first bite. I want to feel her tits first."

He stepped forward, ducking his head as he came closer. That’s when I recognized his face, he was the one who had warned me not to cross his line. My heart sank.

"Don’t even think about touching me."

He froze for a second, then let out a loud, dramatic, "Wow."

I wrinkled my nose. Goddess, what is that breath? Rotten eggs and death? 

“You see,” he said, his hands already grabbing at my boobs. That’s when I realized why we were tied up like this, so it would be easy for these perverts to touch us. My white gown had slipped, and my chest was exposed.

“I like girls who act tough. But I warned you, didn’t I?” he said in a low voice. I knew he was talking about the time he first saw me. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”

I wanted to spit in his face. That creepy smile of his made my skin crawl. 

“Hey, Kimboo!” someone shouted from outside, sounding frustrated. “This one here isn’t cooperating!”

“You fuckers!” he yelled back.

Then, angry and snarling, he threw the metal rod at the cell bars. It hit with a loud, sharp crash that rang in my ears. 

“I want to be in the mood,” he said sharply. “If you want a taste, then shut her mouth and don’t distract me!”

He turned back to me and licked his lips. “Hey, don’t worry, I’m not sharing you for a whole week. We’re just going to have fun.”

His fingers ran through my hair slowly as I turned my face to the other side. “A silver-haired human who looks like a fairy… how could I possibly share you?”

That was it. I couldn’t take his stench any longer, I spat right in his face. His eyes darkened as he wiped his cheek, the corners of his mouth twitching with fury.

In return, he slapped me hard across the face. The sting burned, but I refused to flinch.

“Come on,” he said in a sickly calm tone, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking it back. “Don’t do that again, okay? Let’s just make this quick.”

As he tightened his grip, my mind drifted to the innocent girl outside, the one still screaming. Her cries pierced through my ears. 

I felt the chains around my wrists coming loose. My hands were almost free. When I looked up, I saw him as his pants were already down, his erection exposed, as I shook my head. Irritated.

“Please… just kill me instead,” I whispered. It was all I had left to say.

He laughed as I clenched my jaw.

“Oh, I’ll ruin you so badly you’ll wish you were dead after,” he sneered.

The last bit of the chains slipped off, and I dropped to the floor, my body weak and shaking. He didn’t notice because he was too caught up, standing there, rubbing his dick and moaning right in front of me. I shut my eyes tight, trying not to throw up.

Goddess, please, I promise I’ll never break a rule. I’ll never go into the King’s room again. Please save me, don’t let this thing touch me.

My heart pounded as he grabbed my legs and started pulling me to him. His filthy hands crept up my thighs, just as he was about to remove my pants...

“There’s an urgent message from the King!” someone shouted from outside the cell, stopping him in his tracks.

“Ah, fuck it… now? At this moment?” He growled under his breath, clearly annoyed.

He turned his head toward the voice. “Say it. What is it?”

“He says Slave 401 is to be released immediately!”

“What?”

He froze, then scrambled to his feet, hastily pulling up his trousers.

A wave of relief washed over me. I could finally breathe. It felt like the Moon Goddess herself had intervened.

“The Lycan King?” Kimboo scoffed in disbelief. “Since when does he send urgent orders to release a slave?”