Chapter 2 Tortured For Defiance

• Daisy didn’t scream.
• The whip cracked against her back, slicing through her thin dress, but she bit down on her lower lip so hard that she tasted blood. Pain exploded across her skin, fire racing down her spine, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
• Alpha Raymond stood a few feet away, watching with cold amusement. His dark eyes gleamed under the dim torchlight of the dungeon, his arms folded over his chest as he observed his men doing his dirty work.
• “You always had a sharp tongue, Daisy,” he mused, tapping his chin. “But you see, a slave doesn’t get to have an attitude. You belong to me, and yet, you insist on fighting.”
• Daisy forced herself to lift her chin. “I belong to no one.”
• The guard holding the whip hesitated for a second, almost as if he admired her defiance. But Raymond snapped his fingers, and the next strike came down harder.
• Her knees buckled. The only thing keeping her upright was the chains wrapped around her wrists, shackling her to the stone pillar. The metal bit into her skin, cold and unforgiving, but nothing compared to the burning agony running down her back.
• “You’ll learn,” Raymond continued, stepping closer. His polished boots stopped inches from her bare feet. “Tomorrow night, you’re going to be auctioned at Devil’s City. And this time, I’ll make sure your new owner knows exactly how to handle disobedience.”
• Daisy’s stomach twisted.
• Devil’s City.
• Even she, a rogue with no place in the werewolf world, had heard the name. A dark, lawless place ruled by the most dangerous alphas. A place where slaves were bought, sold, and used until there was nothing left of them.
• She refused to end up like that.
• She yanked against the chains, ignoring the pain, ignoring the way blood trickled down her back. Her eyes burned with hatred as she glared up at Raymond. “I’d rather die.”
• Raymond only smirked. “That’s the beautiful thing about being owned, my dear. You don’t get a choice.”
• He turned on his heel, gesturing to his men. “Leave her here. Let her think about her mistakes.”
• Daisy watched, her breath ragged, as they walked away. The heavy iron door slammed shut behind them, plunging her into darkness.
• She sagged against the chains, her entire body trembling. The wounds on her back throbbed with every beat of her heart, her dress soaked with blood.
• But she wouldn’t cry.
• She had lost the ability to cry a long time ago.
• Instead, she focused on her breathing. On the pain. On the rage.
• She had one night left before they dragged her to that cursed city. One night before she was sold like an object.
• She needed a plan.
• But before she could even think of an escape, footsteps echoed outside the cell.
• Daisy tensed.
• The door creaked open, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
• Matteo Devil.
• He was tall, dressed in black, his long coat swaying as he moved. His dark, messy hair fell over piercing silver eyes, lips curved in a lazy smirk as he took in the sight of her chained and bloody.
• “Well, well,” he drawled, stepping closer. “Look at this little mess.”
• Daisy clenched her teeth, hating the way her heart skipped at the sound of his voice. Deep, smooth, dangerous.
• “What do you want?” she hissed.
• Matteo tilted his head, his gaze sliding over her, slow and deliberate. “I was passing by and thought I’d take a look at what Raymond is selling tomorrow.”
• His fingers brushed against her jaw, tilting her face up. She tried to jerk away, but the chains kept her still.
• He chuckled. “Feisty.”
• Daisy glared at him, but his touch sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. He smelled like cedar and smoke, like something forbidden.
• “You’re disgusting,” she snapped.
• Matteo only smirked, unbothered. “Oh, sweetheart. You have no idea how disgusting I can be.”
• She hated the way his voice sent a rush of heat through her, hated the way her traitorous body reacted to him.
• Matteo leaned in, his lips barely an inch from hers. “You should be careful, little rogue. In Devil’s City, wolves like you get eaten alive.”
• Daisy held his gaze, her body screaming from pain, but she refused to show weakness. “I’d rather be eaten than be owned.”
• Matteo’s smirk widened, but this time, there was something dark in his expression. “Oh, darling,” he murmured. “Who said you won’t be both?”
• He stepped back suddenly, as if he had grown bored, and turned toward the door.
• Daisy watched him go, her breath uneven, her mind racing.
• She didn’t know what game Matteo Devil was playing, but she had a feeling she was about to be caught in it.
• And she hated that a small part of her—just a tiny, foolish part—was already burning to play.