The Alpha's Silent Bride: Seventh Time's The Charm novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37: 037: She sees the beast

~ ROSELLE ~

I’m being tied to a chair inside an old, abandoned shed.

The rough ropes bite into my wrists as they’re pulled tighter, securing me firmly against the wooden frame with a finality that makes my stomach drop. My ankles are tied tightly to the chair legs too, leaving me unable to move and completely at their mercy. I test the restraints once, then twice, feeling them dig into my skin. It only takes a moment to realize there’s no way I’m getting out of this.

At this point, I can confidently say that getting kidnapped and nearly dying has become an unfortunate part of my life.

The thought would almost be funny if it weren’t so pathetic, most people spend their days worrying about work, relationships, or what they’re going to eat for dinner, but me? I somehow keep ending up at the mercy of people who either want me dead or want me to suffer first. It’s like I have a target painted on my back, a glowing neon sign that says "abuse me" in letters that only certain people can read.

I let out a shaky breath and force myself to remain calm, knowing that panic won’t help me in this situation.

Still, that doesn’t stop my heart from pounding violently against my ribs as I take in my surroundings with mounting dread. The shed is old and poorly maintained, with rotting wooden walls and a leaking roof that allows thin streams of moonlight to slip through the cracks. The smell of damp wood and dust fills the air, mixing with something so acrid that makes my nose twitch.

Fear twists in my stomach, a tight knot of terror that I can’t shake off.

"Fate is a beautiful thing, you know," one of the men says, crouching in front of me with his elbows resting on his knees.

A devilish smile tugs at his lips, making it clear he’s been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.

"You have no idea how much it hurt, losing our jobs, losing our place in the pack," he continues, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you know how many times we sat around thinking of ways to get our revenge? How many nights we lay awake plotting this exact moment?"

The other man chuckles from somewhere behind me, a sound that echoes off the wooden walls and makes my skin crawl.

"Too many times to count," the first man says, and he nods slowly, his eyes never leaving mine as though he’s committing this moment to memory. "But then fate stepped in and did all the hard work for us, didn’t it? It practically handed you to us on a silver platter."

He spreads his arms dramatically, acting as though he’s revealing some great truth that I’m supposed to appreciate.

"Don’t you see?" he asks. "We didn’t have to look for you, didn’t have to sneak into the pack house or come up with some elaborate plan to catch you alone. You wandered off all on your own, right into our path, with no guards and no one coming to save you."

The second man laughs from behind me, and the sound of it sends another wave of dread crashing through my body.

Then they exchange a glance. I can’t quite see what passes between them, but I can feel it. The look is filled with nothing but cruelty and the desire to hurt me.

"You know what wolfsbane does to a wolf?" the first man asks, standing up and moving toward the far corner of the shed.

I watch as he brings out a bundle of dried herbs. Their dark, withered appearance tells me they’ve been around for a long time—and are still potent.

My blood runs cold.

"It weakens them," he continues, speaking as if he’s teaching a lesson, which somehow feels even more terrifying than if he were yelling. "It makes them suffer. Makes their wolf feel like it’s burning from the inside out."

He pulls out a match and strikes it against the wooden chair. The sharp scratch echoes through the silent shed, making my heart jump.

"We thought about just killing you," he says casually, as if he’s sharing an interesting story rather than discussing my imminent torture. "But that seemed too quick, too merciful. You deserve to suffer the way we suffered."

He lights the dried wolfsbane, and immediately, acrid smoke begins to rise from the bundle.

The smell slams into me, strong and choking, making my eyes water. Within seconds, the shed is filled with grey smoke. It snakes through the air, creeping into every corner and making it harder to breathe.

I immediately try to hold my breath, but that’s impossible when you’re restrained, when you can’t move, when your body demands oxygen and all you have available is poisoned air.

My lungs begin to burn almost immediately.

It’s not the pain of a wolf being weakened by wolfsbane. It’s the pain of human lungs being filled with toxic smoke. My chest burns as I cough violently, struggling for air. But every desperate breath only drags more of the poisonous smoke deeper into my lungs.

Laughter echoes from outside the shed. The wooden walls dull the sound, but not enough to keep me from hearing it.

"That should do it," one of them calls out.

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