5

Rhea’s POV

He was about to say something but changed course and said after a few seconds in a sober tone “The top row, third one from the right”

I clicked on each number he guided me through until I finished the last number.

“Now you need to write something, so he’ll know it’s from me and not a trap to lure him out” he said firmly then guided me through another set of buttons representing letters.

I started sweating as this was taking too damn long and I was starting to get more nervous of being discovered before I was done.

“Click that button on the top right side, yes….ok now it’s done. You can lock the phone by pressing the button on the side” he said in relief.

I breathed out and went back to sit on the ground again.

I was about to tie the phone back to my calf when Hazel alerted me that someone was approaching us.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the alpha tense up, as he too heard them coming our way.

I didn’t have time to untie the rope and then tie it back around the phone, so I improvised quickly.

I dug a shallow hole in the dirt, buried the phone and then put the dirt back quickly to cover it.

I was just standing back up, grabbing the whip in my hands when Stefan appeared from between the bushes.

He looked between us and then demanded in an angry tone “I thought I’d find him a lot more worse than I left him. You barely did anything”

I gave him a cold look “I had my fun with him, that’s what matters to me. Go ahead…make him worse all on your own” I threw the whip his way and was about to start walking away when he stopped me by ordering “Hold on”

I was starting to get agitated with him as I whirled back around and snapped at him “What?”

He approached me quickly and grabbed the empty water bottle peeking out of my front pocket.

“You gave him water, didn’t you?” he hissed angrily in my face.

“I didn’t, I drank it in front of him and made him watch” I said without missing a beat.

He narrowed his eyes at me, while I held my gaze on his, resisting the urge to look away, not that it really mattered considering what happened next.

He turned his attention towards the alpha who was giving him a death glare.

Stefan kicked him in the stomach so hard, I flinched in my place. His back was to me so thankfully he didn’t notice it.

The alpha groaned and coughed violently, that’s when Stefan jammed his dirty two fingers down the alpha’s throat, making him retch and puke out all the water he just drank from my bottle into the ground.

Shit, I’m so screwed now.

Let’s hope the asshole doesn’t find the phone I buried under his feet or I won’t just be screwed, I’ll be dead.

I see it coming before he even lifts his hand to hit me.

It was kind of a special gift I discovered when my wolf awakened inside me, two years ago.

I can always sense when someone is about to make a move against me.

It gave me a great advantage against anyone I fought with.

I blocked his fist and gave him back a stronger one, right on the same spot he just hit the alpha on.

Stefan doubled over and fell to his knees while hissing angrily “You whore! You’re going to pay for this… the alpha is already on his way”

Yeah, I’m definitely dead now.

While Stefan was too busy coughing on his hands and knees, I looked at the alpha and saw him looking back at me, a hint of wariness was evident in his eyes. Worry for me or worry for the plan that was about to be discovered, I couldn’t determine.

If they find out I shared this location with his brother and that we were about to be invaded again, they’ll move to another location and leave my dead body behind.

I had to do everything I can to avoid this.

My ears picked up the sounds of several people approaching us. I willed my heart to keep its rhythm steady.

Alpha Victor walked in with five of his closest circle.

I lowered my head in submission and cast my eyes down.

He was in his seventies probably, but you can tell he looks no older than forty considering we age slowly in regards to our physical appearances.

He had large deep brown, almost black eyes, a grey medium beard, and a shaved head.

He was tremendous in size and of course lethal in power.

He walked until he stood in front of me, too close for my comfort.

“Rhea” he said in a cold low voice that made my insides churn.

“Alpha” I said submissively, still looking down at the ground.

“Stefan said you gave this piece of shit water, is it true?” he asked menacingly.

I couldn’t lie to him. The evidence was there and it will only make things worse, so I gave him the truth… well, part of it.

“I gave him some so he wouldn’t die before we were done with him. I thought you wouldn’t like that alpha” I said firmly without letting my voice waver.

“Look at me” he ordered coldly.

I cast my eyes up to meet his dead, empty ones.

“Are you telling the truth?” he commanded.

It was an alpha command. I had no fucking choice.

My lips moved before I had time to fight it; not that it would have mattered, an alpha’s command is absolute. No amount of fighting can overrule it.

“No”

I cursed myself and lost control of my steady heartbeat as it skyrocketed, sensing our end coming.

Again, I sensed his attack before it even happened. But the problem this time is, he’s not Stefan. He’s the alpha. I was going to die anyway, but I’d rather it be quick than slow, and fighting back will definitely result in an excruciating death.

I stood my ground and braced myself, fighting every fiber of my being that wanted to block his blow.

His palm came down hard on my left cheek with a loud slap that echoed around the forest.

My head whirled to the side and my eyes teared up, but I held my mouth shut against the intense pain that claimed my whole face. I tasted blood inside my mouth and swallowed it down.

“Tie her up with silver chains next to that bastard, Stefan” ordered the alpha sharply.

I didn’t resist. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

In a matter of minutes, my hands were tied above my head with silver that was scorching the skin of my wrists, hanging from a nearby tree branch, a few feet from the shackled alpha. I averted my eyes from looking at him, I didn’t want to give away anything else.

“If he alpha commands you again to tell him everything you did….” Hazel says to me in a panicked voice.

“I’m dead, I know. But I can’t fight it, Hazel” I said in desperation.

“You have to try! If he just thinks you’re sympathizing, he might punish you for it, but he won’t kill you. You need to avoid telling him anything about the phone, the first command took us by surprise, but now we know he’ll ask again, I’ll try to help you lie this time” she said intensely.

I didn’t see any point to it, but I decided to give it my hardest.

I keep my head down until alpha victor stands in front of me again.

He grasps my chin painfully and lifts my head to make me look at him again.

“Why did you give him water, Rhea?” he alpha commands in a deadly voice.

I tell the truth.

“I felt sorry for him. He was in so much agony” I said firmly.

His anger practically sets my heart on fire.

“You’re a disgrace to this pack. You felt sorry for the bastard who killed more than half of your pack? I thought you had loyalty to me, you always showed me that you had, but maybe you didn’t all along” he said in a disgusted tone.

“This is it! Fight back Rhea!” my wolf whispered intensely.

“I’m loyal to you, alpha. My loyalty to you, to our pack, never changed. I would never, ever, betray you! I’m sorry I disappointed you. I think my humanity is confusing me again, you knew I had some problems with it a few years back. Please…forgive me. I messed up, and I’ll take the punishment I deserve for it. But I’m no traitor. It’s the truth, you can alpha command me again about where my loyalty lies and my answer will not change. It will never change” I pushed myself to speak as fiercely as I can and mean every single word that left my mouth.

He studied my face for a minute before he alpha commanded strongly “Are you one hundred percent loyal to me, Rhea? Speak the truth”

Intense, burning pain flooded my system as I fought the command with every ounce of will power me and my wolf had. I could feel in the split second before I answered, how much Hazel was helping me fight it off. The agony inside me never showed to the alpha who was staring intensely at me.

“A hundred percent loyal to you, alpha” I said tightly.

I was shocked to say the least, but I hid it from him.

Because as soon as the words left my mouth, the pain disappeared, like it never existed a millisecond ago.

I kept my eyes on him and my expression the same.

“How did we do that?” I asked Hazel in surprise.

It’s impossible to fight off an alpha command.

“I have no idea” she said tiredly, she became weak I could tell. The internal struggle and pain took its toll on her.

After what felt like forever, he released his painful grip on my chin and let me go.

He spoke angrily “This humanity of yours Rhea, will only get you in trouble. We need to do something about it right now or I’m going to have to kill you. I can’t wait for your humanity to start shifting your loyalty to me into another direction”

I gulped in terror, but kept a straight face as I spoke intensely “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to burn down every last shred of it, alpha. I don’t want any part of it”

He gave me a proud nod and said coldly “That’s good to hear. I know the best and only way to get rid of that hateful thing. But first, a punishment is in order. Maybe after you feel the consequences of doing something against my wishes registers, you will be more persuaded to accept my solution”

He turned to Stefan and ordered him coldly “Whip her back until I return, I want to hear those lashes coming without a pause or you will take her place”

“Yes, Alpha” Stefan said with a smile and a look of pure satisfaction.

After alpha Victor and his followers cleared out, leaving me, the alpha, and Stefan alone, he picked up the bloody whip and stood directly in front of me.

He delivered a gruesome, strong punch to my stomach as payback for hitting him, while I groaned involuntarily.

I felt my insides rupture as blood traveled all the way to my mouth immediately.

“Karma is the best bitch in the world, don’t you think? I’m so going to enjoy this” he said smugly with a sick smile.

I smiled back at him and said enjoyably “Me too, trust me” and I spit the blood gathered in my mouth directly at his face, giving it some color for a change.

I wasn’t scared at all. On the contrary, I was relieved for more than one reason.

First, I bought enough time for the alpha’s pack to come rescue him.

Second, I gained back alpha Victor’s trust in an impossible way and avoided getting killed, which made me so damn proud of myself, despite not having a clue of how I even managed to do it.

Third, well… being a masochist who enjoys physical pain to overcome a more painful emotional and mental torture, came in handy in this situation. I was rather looking forward to the punishment.

Stefan wiped his face with his dirty sleeve and moved to stand behind me and get his torture session started.

I looked sideways at the alpha hanging next to me who has been silent this entire time, and saw him staring at me in what could only be awe and admiration in his eyes.

He knew I lied my ass off earlier. And I could tell he was just as surprised as I was that I was able to do it.

There was also a look of concern and pain as his eyes traveled between me and Stefan.

I winked at him and stared straight ahead just as the first lash landed sharply against my back.