Luna Battle: The Game

Chapter 2 BROKEN

I stay close to Alpha Ethan, but I can feel Alpha Draven’s eyes burning into my back the entire time. Beta Luca is watching me just as closely, his gaze sharp and expectant. They’re both waiting for me to slip up, expecting me to refuse or fight. But how could I? I have no wolf to protect me or give me the strength to escape. Even if I tried, there’s no power within me to withstand their cruelty. I’d be forced back into submission, maybe even left outside again, naked, in the cold, to suffer the freezing punishment with no way to protect myself from the elements.

“For you.” Alpha Ethan’s voice pulls me from my thoughts as he extends a glass toward me.

“Thank you, Sir, but I am not permitted to drink without Alpha Draven’s approval,” I say, keeping my voice steady, rehearsed. I know the rules too well.

Ethan smiles, seemingly pleased with my response. He glances over at Alpha Draven, raising the glass slightly and pointing toward me. Draven gives a nod of approval, his eyes cold and calculating.

“Now you may.” Alpha Ethan holds the glass out again, this time waiting for me to take it.

I don’t want to. I never drink when they offer me something; it’s safer that way. But refusing now, after Alpha Draven’s silent order, would be defiance. So, I take the glass, wrapping my fingers around it and lifting it to my lips. The liquid burns as it slides down my throat, and I cough, trying to swallow the heat.

“How old are you, Elara?” Alpha Ethan asks casually, walking forward, and I instinctively follow at his side.

“Nineteen, Sir,” I answer. Twenty tomorrow, I think silently, but I don’t dare mention that. Birthdays mean nothing here. Not for me anyway.

“Still young, then.” He grins, an expression that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m at a crossroads with this deal. Part of me wants to agree, part of me doesn’t. What do you think? What’s the right decision?”

I hesitate, careful to choose my words. “It isn’t my place to say, Sir. However, Alpha Draven is known to be an honest and trustworthy leader.” I choke on the lie. I know exactly who Draven is, but I also know what he expects me to say.

Alpha Ethan watches me closely, perhaps searching for cracks in my response, but he says nothing about it. Instead, he turns and walks, and I follow, staying just a step behind him as he leaves the crowded room. He leads us into a quieter, more intimate room, and I kneel immediately, lowering my head as protocol demands.

“You don’t need to do that, Elara,” he says softly. I glance up, unsure if I’ve misheard. “Please, come sit,” he continues, patting the sofa next to him.

I shake my head, apologetic. “I’m not allowed, Sir. Alpha Draven forbids me from sitting on the furniture.” Most of the things in this house are off-limits to me, no matter who else insists otherwise.

Alpha Ethan frowns. “Where are you allowed to sit?” I point at the hard wooden chair in the corner.

He scoffs. “That won’t do at all.” Standing abruptly, he leaves the room without another word, disappearing down the hall. I stay still, waiting, unsure if I should follow. Five minutes pass, and I wonder if he’s coming back at all. But I can’t leave. Not without an order, not without permission.

“Come,” a voice orders from the doorway, and I stand immediately, turning to see Alpha Ethan with Beta Luca by his side. I move toward them, falling into step behind as they lead me through the house, my head bowed as always. We reach a guest room, and Alpha Ethan opens the door, gesturing for me to enter first.

“Remove your clothes,” he says calmly, loosening his tie, his demeanour still disturbingly casual.

I swallow the rising dread and obey, lifting the dress over my head and placing it neatly on a nearby chair. I stand before him, my body exposed, vulnerable. He circles me slowly, like a predator inspecting his prey. My skin prickles with anxiety, the sensation of his eyes moving over me unbearable. He pauses behind me, and I flinch, hating the feeling of not being able to see him.

“I have some orders for you,” he says, his voice low but sharp, “and I expect you to follow them without hesitation.”

“Of course, Sir,” I manage to say, though the bile rises in my throat. My heart races as I hear him rummage through his suitcase, the sound of metal making my stomach twist with fear. He pulls out a long chain with cuffs attached, and I realise just how helpless I am at this moment.

“You see,” Alpha Ethan continues, walking toward the ceiling where he hooks the chain, “even if you wanted to refuse, you wouldn’t get the chance.”

He yanks me toward him, and I stumble, my wrist captured in his grasp as he snaps the cuff around it. I scream as the spikes embedded in the metal bite into my skin, sending searing pain through my arm. He ignores my cries, securing the other wrist in place.

“Now, you have no choice but to obey,” he says, pulling the chain tighter. The spikes dig deeper, and I scream again, biting down on my lip to stifle the sound.

His earlier friendliness has vanished, replaced with a darkness that chills me to my core. I should have known better than to hope. Alpha Ethan is just like the others. They’re all the same—cruel, merciless, and filled with a hunger for power over me.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Hours later, when they returned me to my cell, I could barely move. I crawl to the small, dingy bathroom, my body screaming with pain, every muscle and bone feeling like it’s on fire. I drag myself into the shower, collapsing under the weak stream of water.

My breath comes in ragged gasps as the warm water stings the raw, open wounds across my body. I glance down, seeing the bruises bloom in angry shades of purple and brown, each one darker and more prominent than the last.

The bite marks on my skin are still bleeding, and I know they’ll scar without proper healing. Blood mixes with the water, turning it a sickly pink as it swirls down the drain.

I’ve run out of tears to cry. My throat is raw from screaming, and I can’t find a position that doesn’t hurt. The water continues to run, a faint comfort in the agony that engulfs me.

“Mutt.” The voice startles me, but I can’t even muster the strength to flinch. My body is too broken, too exhausted to obey commands.

Alpha Draven stands in the doorway, surveying my battered form. “I’ll get someone to fix the worst of it,” he says before turning and leaving. Relief floods through me. At least he isn’t forcing me to join him in bed. I don’t think I could endure another moment tonight. My body is beyond its limit, useless without a wolf to help it heal.

A short time later, I hear movement again. Alex, the healer, steps into my cell, his eyes widening in shock when he sees my state. “Are you alright?” His voice is soft and filled with pity as he turns off the shower and lifts me out, wrapping a sheet around me gently. He kneels down, opens a jar of ointment, and begins applying it to my wounds.

“It’s fine,” I whisper hoarsely. “Thank you, Alex.”

“I wish I could do more,” he says sadly, his fingers gentle as he works. The ointment burns at first but then brings a cooling relief.

Slowly, the bite marks begin to heal, the magic from the ointment doing its work. “Alpha Draven must have realised your injuries were severe,” Alex murmurs, “and ordered that we use magic to heal them. Good night, Elara.” He stands, giving me one last sympathetic glance before leaving me alone in the cold, dark cell.