The Missing Luna

Chapter 4: Hope’s POV

Trigger warning! This chapter contains explicit torture, gore, murder, and psychological torture. Material that can be sensible for certain readers.

Readers' discretion is advised.

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"I, Hope Dymond, future Princess of Blue Lake Pack and daughter of the Queen on the North, reject you, Caelan-" his slap didn’t let me continue.

My mate just slapped me on my cheek with great strength. I felt how blood filled my mouth; it tasted metallic. My head was moved to the side from how much force he used on me.

I turned my head and looked at my mate. His nostrils were flaring, and the scent I once found amazing was slowly becoming nauseating.

“Is that the best you got?” I glared at him. My voice was filled with venom, I hated him, with all my heart.

“Careful, mate, you don’t want to meet the dark side of me,” he squinted his eyes and grabbed my chin to for my eyes on him.

It was a stupid move, but if you ask me, I would not back down. If anything, I would stare more intensely.

“So this is your good side?” I asked sarcastically. “Geez, thanks for being so nice.”

“Don’t mock me,” he said angrily. “You don’t know what I am capable of,” he warned.

But I was not having it. I was done with him, his stupid threats, his behavior.

Mates are stupid. They are supposed to be your other half. However, I am mated to a monster and supposed to love him.

Well, I don’t. I could never love him, I will never forgive him, and if I could, I would kill him. He is a waste of oxygen.

“Maybe I don’t, but either way, you are going to torture me. It doesn’t matter what I do or don’t; you hate me for being me,” I growled.

Kira whimpered. She f*****g whimpered.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, Kira, but get a grip. This man is an asshole, he doesn’t deserve it, and I will never, ever accept him as our mate,” I declared.

Caelan could never be forgiven. He has done too much damage to ever consider him as my future mate.

Of course, Kira didn’t answer me. She disappeared again, leaving me alone.

I don’t need her; I have been alone for years now.

“I can do worse; you have only seen the tip of the iceberg, mate,” he retorted.

I could tell he was angry; his aura only became darker as we spoke.

Was I scared? Yes, but what did I have to lose?

“I will escape this place one day, and when I do, I will kill you myself,” I snarled.

The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t used to being challenged, especially not by someone as beaten down as I was supposed to be. But I had nothing left to lose, nothing left to fear. He had already stripped me of everything.

Or so I thought…

Caelan’s grip on my chin tightened painfully, his nails digging into my skin, but I refused to flinch. If he wanted to break me, he’d have to do a lot more than throw around threats and inflict pain. I was already shattered, but he will never know that.

“You think you can kill me?” he asked, his voice laced with dark amusement. “You, a pathetic little girl, barely surviving in my world? I’ve crushed warriors stronger than you without a second thought. What makes you think you stand a chance?” He mocked me.

I saw him grinning; he thought it was an empty threat, that I wasn’t strong enough, and perhaps I wasn’t, at the moment, but I would be one day.

I stared him down, forcing myself to hold his gaze. He would not intimidate me or make me back down.

“Because I have nothing left to lose. And a person with nothing to lose is the most dangerous.” I was surprised at how strong and deadly my voice sounded.

For a moment, he was silent, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he released my chin and stepped back, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to figure out whether I was bluffing or if I truly meant every word. Did I see a flicker of something in his eyes—hesitation? Doubt?—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“I look forward to seeing you try, little mate,” he finally said, his voice dripping with contempt. “But know this: if you ever manage to escape, I will hunt you down, and when I find you, I’ll make sure you beg for death before I’m through with you.”

His words hung in the air, a chilling promise of the nightmare that awaited me if I failed. But I refused to let him see the fear gnawing at my insides. Instead, I forced a smile that was more a baring of teeth than anything else.

“Maybe I’ll surprise you,” I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands.

He didn’t respond; he just watched me with those cold, calculating eyes.

“We will see,” he said, and then, as if deciding I wasn’t worth his time anymore, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me alone.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Maybe I poked the bear, and now I feared he would bite me back.

As soon as he was gone, I let out a shaky breath. What was done was done. I had to wait for the consequences and see what this man was capable of.

They dragged me back to my cell and closed it. Leaving me alone to drift to sleep.

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A demon awoke me. He didn’t speak a word to me; he simply dragged me to a room I knew well.

The torture room.

At least I was not going to get my organs taken out. Maybe Caelan got tired of torturing me; he realized I would not break like he wanted and decided not to waste more time on me.

I knew it was wishful thinking, but I decided to be stupid.

When you are a kid, you don’t realize how evil people can be. You hold to any chance of escaping like it was burning charcoal. I did that, but Caelan found a way to destroy my spirit.

In the room, the same chair and buckets were waiting for me. I knew what was coming up next, he would insert that f*****g bug on my ear, then he will start cutting my fingers off until I passes out.

Ah! But let’s not forget that he will make me count backward from a thousand so I stay awake during the torture.

Caelan stood in the middle of the room, looking at the devices he was going to use.

Hm, looks like he has a torch, maybe he is going to burn me alive.

Stay strong.

I heard that voice again.

What the hell?

I need to figure out who it is.

“Ready?” Caelan asked.

I should have kept quiet but was stupid enough to provoke him.

“It is starting to become repetitive,” I said. And so the torture began.

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I was panting. Caelan took seriously my words, and he not only cut my fingers but burned me as well.

I finished counting, yes, from one thousand, and I still haven’t fainted. My resistance to this torture is growing.

“Hmm, it seems I need to find something else. You have barely screamed,” my mate muttered.

Prick.

I didn’t say anything. I was thirsty and hungry. I couldn’t wait until he told Cat or the demon that brought me here to take me back to the cell. They haven’t fed me for two days.

Without another word, he turned around and left. Yes, I can sleep.

I began closing my eyes but heard the door open again.

So soon? Maybe he went looking for another thing to torture me with.

Too bad, I thought I had more time.

Only it wasn’t him. It was a small woman in a red robe covering her whole body. I could see strands of her honey-brown hair falling at the sides.

Hmm, strange.

She came with a mop, and she started cleaning the room without uttering a word to me.

It seems I will have time for my nap. I closed my eyes again to try to fall asleep, but before darkness could claim me, she came by my side.

“Pss,” she whispered. I didn’t open my eyes, I have learned that when demons try to talk to me it only gets me on more trouble, although she doesn’t smell like a demon, but more like a…

What the hell is she?

“Pss, I am talking to you,” she whispered again and touched me with the stick of the mop.

So I am not getting my nap; how annoying.

“What?” I asked, but she shushed me instantly.

“Not so loud, I will help you get out.” She said.

I squinted my eyes. This must be another sick game of Caelan; why would anyone want to help me? Still, something was in her voice—something urgent, desperate even. It didn’t match the sadistic games Caelan loved to play.

I studied her more closely, searching for any hint of deception, but there was none. Still, I couldn’t trust her.

"And why should I believe you?" I asked, my voice hoarse from the lack of hydration.

She glanced nervously at the door, her fingers twitching as she gripped the mop. "Because if you don’t, he will only find new ways to torture you; that is what he does; he breaks people, and no one has been able to survive Prince Caelan.”

I knew what she meant. I noticed how much he has tried to break me, and he has to some extent.

"And what’s in it for you?” I demanded. “Why risk your life for someone like me?”

She hesitated as if weighing her words. “Because you’re not the only one who’s lost everything because of him. And because I can’t stand by and watch him destroy another life.” There was a bitterness in her tone that I recognized all too well.

She was another victim.

I sighed. Please let this be the right decision.

“Fine, I will trust you, but if you’re lying to me, I’ll make sure you regret it.” My voice was a low growl, the threat clear.

“Wait for my help; I’m going to get you out of here, Hope,” she said, startling me.

How did she know my name? No one has referred to me by name in years. I told Caelan my name and title when I tried to reject him, but I am certain he didn’t tell anyone about us.

Before I could ask her anything, she hurriedly left the room.

That only made me realize that maybe, just maybe, I had a chance at escaping. Maybe this was how the Moon Goddess helped me out after all I had endured.

I waited for hours, but Caelan didn’t return. I was still strapped to the chair, so I fell asleep, only to meet with someone I didn’t expect in my dream.

“Hello, Hope,” her voice greeted me.

“Who the f**k are you?”