Chapter 2

Zero’s POV

“Get up, Zero! Your exercise is here—Madame is giving it to you!”

I heard someone shouting, forcing me to slowly open my eyes. My vision was blurry as I tried to see who had interrupted my peaceful rest, despite my entire body being exhausted.

I was terrified when I realized it was one of the people who tormented us—especially me. Just as I was about to close my eyes again, he kicked my side. Are they not tired of torturing me?

Why don’t they just kill me? Why do they have to do this to me?

“Don’t even think about sleeping again, Zero. It’ll only make your body hurt more!” he said, making me flinch against the cold, hard floor. In short, cement.

How can these people sleep, especially at night?

They might as well bury us alive. If I ever get out of here, I want to find my mate and my family. I want them to help me remember who I was before all this.

“Get up, Zero!” he barked.

Didn’t he realize I couldn’t stand up because of what they did to my knees yesterday? He wasn’t stupid enough to forget that.

When I still didn’t move from where I lay, he roughly grabbed my hair and yanked me up. I screamed in pain. It’s starting again, I told myself.

He forced me to stand using my hair and dragged me out of my cell by it. It hurts so much… but where is my hero when I really need one?

Synn told me that when my mate finds out I’m in danger, he won’t be able to rest and will find a way to reach me.

But why do I have a feeling that won’t happen?

This place is hell, and I am surrounded by demons.

I saw the other werewolves in their cages, looking at me with teary eyes. They knew this was my daily routine. Unlike them, who were only taken when their captors wanted to play with them, I faced death every single day.

Half of my body dragged along the ground as he pulled me away. I heard voices whispering—maybe they were pitying me.

“Let her go! I’m begging you! Take me instead, please! Can’t you see she’s barely alive?!”

Aw, shit! You’re an idiot, Synn! Don’t drag yourself into this!

I’m already used to this. You don’t have to suffer, too—you won’t survive it.

Synn kept screaming from her cage. Please, Synn, just be quiet.

We suddenly stopped. I heard her footsteps walking back. Synn!

“Oh? You want to take her place? Then why don’t we take both of you? I bet you’d be just as fun to play with as Zero.”

Even though they were a bit far from me, I clearly heard the loud slap land on Synn’s cheek.

I was furious, but I was too weak to do anything. I was nothing but a twig they could snap whenever they pleased.

“Let go of me!” Synn yelled, but there was something strange about her voice. It made the others flinch—but not me.

“Using an Alpha tone, huh? Well, congratulations to me. We’ve got an Alpha-blooded prisoner here,” the man said. I could almost see the wicked grin on his face.

I heard Synn struggling against him. That woman is so stubborn. She should’ve just stayed quiet.

As they approached where I had been left lying, the man grabbed my hair again and dragged me along. But this time, he had Synn with him, too.

“Are you alright, Zero?” Synn asked softly.

I hummed in response. I didn’t have the strength to use my voice.

“Don’t worry, Zero. I can feel it—we’ll get out of here soon. I won’t let anything happen to you,” she said.

I hope so, Synn… because I’m running out of hope.

As the man dragged us toward what we prisoners called the Torture Room, I wondered…

Is my family looking for me?

What had I done in my past to deserve this? My head was full of questions because I couldn’t even remember who I was.

What they were doing to us was inhumane. We were like pigs being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

As we passed by the other captives, some bowed their heads in sadness, while others wept.

I could feel their pity for us.

When we finally stopped, I sighed.

This is it. My daily routine.

The door opened, and we were thrown inside.

Laughter immediately filled the room.

Here’s our party now. Sarcasm intended.

“Well, well, here come our princesses,” said the woman who made my life in this hell even worse.

She quickly approached me and stepped on my hand as I lay weakly on the floor. As usual, I screamed in pain. And as usual, she smirked, enjoying every cry and plea that left my mouth.

“Your screams sound weak, Zero. I can’t hear them. Let’s fix that.”

She crouched down to my level and grinned. Then, she looked at my hand and twisted it.

My mouth fell open from the pain, but no sound came out.

W-where’s my voice?

She frowned, annoyed.

“Oh? Are you mocking me, Zero? If that’s what you want, I’ll gladly play along.”

She smiled evilly and signaled to her men.

What are they going to do now?

“What are you doing to her? Huh?! Let go of Zero!”

I had forgotten Synn was still with me. She screamed, reaching for me as the men lifted me off the ground.

I had faced this woman many times, yet I still didn’t know her name. And I had no intention of ever learning it.

My eyes widened when the men grabbed Synn, and the woman punched her in the stomach.

“My dear, don’t ever raise your voice at me again. And don’t use your Alpha Voice, because it won’t work on me.

And FYI, whatever we do to Zero, we’ll do to you, too. So be patient.”

She grinned as she cruelly gripped Synn’s jaw.

We were both forced to stand, our hands and feet bound with silver chains attached to the ceiling and floor.

Synn screamed in pain. Silver was a werewolf’s weakness, along with wolf’s bane.

But why wasn’t it affecting me?

I didn’t feel a thing.

They tore off our clothes.

I was stunned by their actions.

The men ogled our bodies, their lustful gazes disgusting me.

Is this their new way of playing with us?

“They’re ready, Lady,” one of the men announced.

The woman approached, carrying a whip.

Synn and I locked eyes—we were facing each other.

She was already struggling from the silver cuffs.

“It’s playtime, my toys,” the woman said, then swung the whip.

Each lash left deep wounds on my body.

Synn screamed with every hit, while I… I could only shed silent tears.

My voice was gone.

The pain was unbearable.

As the woman continued to whip us, a vision flashed in my mind.

I was in the same situation before—two people had entered a particular room.

But I couldn’t see their faces.

Who are they? Do they have something to do with who I really am?

“I’ll enjoy this for the rest of my life, Zero. HAHAHAHAHA!”

Crater’s POV

Brother Dwight met me at the entrance of their Pack House, his face filled with worry.

“Crate, she’s screaming again, and wounds keep appearing on her body,” he said anxiously.

It was happening again. This had become a daily occurrence with my sister.

I came here every day to help brother Dwight with his Alpha duties since he was too preoccupied with sister Selene. Even my nephews and niece refused to leave their mother’s side.

Every day, I felt like my life was falling apart whenever my siblings were not in good condition. Rose had been missing for five years, and for the same five years, Selene had been bedridden. None of us could understand what was happening to her.

“What did Lea say, brother?” I asked as we climbed the stairs to their room.

Selene barely left her room anymore and had neglected her responsibilities as the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. Yet, despite everything, the pack remained sympathetic toward her. Everyone was saddened by what was happening to their Luna.

“Lea doesn’t know what’s happening to your sister either, Crate,” Brother said sadly.

My brother-in-law looked like a mess. His hair was unkempt, and it seemed like he hadn’t changed his clothes or even taken a proper bath. This all started when Rose disappeared. We all lost the light in our lives, and even now, we were still searching for her.

“Brother, you’re starting to look awful. If Ate gets better, she might leave you for looking like a beggar,” I joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

He gave a small, tired smile before heading up the stairs.

I sighed. If Rose were here, she and I would be teasing Kuya together. But she wasn’t—because of Keira.

If we ever found that woman, we’d race to see who could kill her first.

Brother Dwight entered the room without knocking—it wasn’t necessary since the door was always open.

I stepped inside and immediately saw my niece and nephews sleeping on the couch they had dragged closer to their mother’s bed. They had dozed off while keeping watch over her.

Brother Dwight sat beside sister, gently stroking her hair and forehead. Lea was checking her pulse.

I walked over and sat at the foot of Selene’s bed. But just as I did, she suddenly screamed and bolted upright.

“Ahhhh! Rose! Please, just hold on!” my sister cried out, tears streaming down her face.

Her children woke up, looking at her with deep sadness.

Brother Dwight pulled his wife into an embrace, trying to comfort her. Lea stepped back from her examination, and I took her place.

“Sister, what’s happening to you?” I asked, grasping her hand, which was now covered in dark bruises.

What happened here?

She looked at me with teary eyes but said nothing.

“Sister, please, tell us what’s going on so we’ll know what to do,” I pleaded, asking her again.

She stared at me blankly before finally speaking.

“I saw Rose… In my dreams, she’s suffering. She’s in pain—bruises cover her entire body. Her face… everything. She’s showing it all to me.”

Selene’s voice trembled.

“Crate, please… find Rose as soon as possible before it’s too late.”

Her words shocked us all.

My sister sobbed, and her children cried with her. Seeing their mother in tears broke their little hearts.

The pups wrapped their arms around her in a comforting embrace.

“Don’t worry, Mom. We will find Aunt Rose too,” little Vanity reassured her.

Sister was lucky to have children like them.

Selene had the power of vision. That meant—

She could see what was happening to our sister!

It also meant that Selene had inherited powers similar to our mother’s. The three of us were bound by a connection, which was why Selene could see these visions.

I needed to act fast. We had to find Rose.

As the eldest, Selene understood our pain more than anyone.

“Find her. Hurry.”