Chapter 4 - Under the Alpha's Heel
Ivy knelt on the cold marble,
the heavy grip of the guards bruising the delicate skin of her arms.
She refused to cry out,
though the pain in her shoulders was becoming almost unbearable.
She kept her gaze fixed on the floor,
refusing to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her tears.
Kane stood over her,
looking down with an expression of disgust that cut deeper than any blade.
"You brought this upon yourself,
Ivy,"
he said coldly,
his voice echoing above her head.
"If you had simply accepted the situation and left quietly,
none of this would have happened."
"But your pride has always been your greatest flaw."
Scarlett stepped forward,
cradling her injured wrist against her chest,
her eyes gleaming with a sick joy.
"Pride?"
Scarlett mocked,
spitting the word out like a piece of filth.
"She has no right to pride,
she is nothing but a nameless vagrant living on our charity."
"Look at her,
sitting where she belongs,
at our feet."
Scarlett then looked at the guards holding Ivy down,
her expression turning incredibly sinister.
"Beat her,"
Scarlett ordered,
her voice sharp and commanding.
"Teach her what happens when a stray barks at her rightful masters."
One of the guards hesitated for a split second,
looking toward Kane for confirmation.
Kane simply closed his eyes and turned his back,
giving his silent,
cowardly approval to the violence.
The guard's fist struck Ivy sharply across the face,
the impact sending a shocking jolt of pain through her skull.
She tasted iron immediately,
blood welling up in her mouth as her head was violently snapped to the side.
Another blow landed on her ribs,
knocking the remaining breath completely out of her lungs.
She gasped for air,
her vision blurring as the pain began to radiate through her entire body.
But through the agony,
a fierce,
unyielding fire burned within her soul,
a refusal to be broken by these monsters.
"Is that the best you can do?"
Ivy choked out,
looking up through her tangled blonde hair,
her bloody lips curling into a defiant smirk.
Scarlett's face turned purple with rage at her lack of submission.
"Strip her!"
Scarlett screamed,
her voice reaching a manic,
frenzied pitch that echoed off the high walls.
"Strip her naked and throw her into the streets for the entire city to see!"
"Let everyone see the true worth of this pathetic creature!"
The guards began to pull at Ivy's elegant tweed jacket,
their rough hands tearing at the fabric without a shred of decency.
Ivy panicked,
the thought of being publicly degraded sending a surge of adrenaline through her veins.
She thrashed wildly against their hold,
kicking out and managing to strike one of the guards in the shin.
He cursed loudly,
striking her again,
this time his sharp claws leaving a deep,
bloody gash across her left cheek.
The warm blood began to flow down her face,
dripping onto the white fabric of her torn blouse.
In the chaos,
Ivy's hand brushed against the pocket of her coat,
feeling the hard,
rectangular shape of her mobile phone.
With a desperate,
final burst of strength,
she managed to slip her hand inside and press the speed dial button.
She knew there was only one person who could save her from this living nightmare.
She prayed silently that the call would connect,
that the voice on the other end would answer before it was too late.
May you like
The phone began to ring inside her pocket,
the faint sound completely masked by the shouting and laughter of her tormentors.
