Chapter 58

"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Emmaline shrieked and tried to reach for Jasper who visibly flinched after hearing those brutal words. Damien's command even rendered Zion speechless.

An eerie silence prevailed in the dungeon as everyone watched Damien with shocked-filled eyes.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME??" Damien shouted when Zion didn't budge. The questioning look in his eyes irritated to him no extent because Zion had always followed his orders without giving a second thought.

Zion flinched after hearing his fierce growl. Nodding, he splashed the hunter. A loud sound whipped through the air that jarred Emmaline to her bone.

"NO, DON'T!!" She screamed her lungs out and rushed for his aid but Damien pulled her to her original spot by grabbing her waist.

Painful grunts followed by loud wails soon filled the air as people watched their Beta welting the bruised boy relentlessly.

"No, please. I am sorry. Just let him go. STOP IT!!" Emmaline pleaded while flailing her arms but Damien remained the heartless guy and continued basking in their pains and cries. Her tears not for once melted his heart.

His eyes blazed with a malicious glint watching Zion ripping the skin off the poor boy.

"Time to eat your own words, sweetheart." Damien sneered and buried his face in her hair. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he inhaled her sweet fragrance. Emmaline tensed; his creepy behavior was terrifying her now. Her struggles picked up pace but her strength was incomparable. She couldn't understand what was wrong with her body. One moment she would be ripping people heart's out and the other she couldn't even pick up a needle. It was like her mind was playing games with her. She couldn't measure her capabilities and her power.

Jasper groaned and rolled on the floor as he tried to protect himself from the continuous flogging when his gaze accidentally got connected with a pair of blue eyes. A sudden familiarity crossed his mind as he watched a girl sobbing in front of him. His brows twisted as he pressurized himself to recognize her. But still, in his unconscious state, he was able to decode that his pain was coming through her eyes.

"Jasper"

A shocking gasp slipped through his mutilated lips. Ever slowly, he extended his trembling fingers in her direction. Emmaline froze but soon a smile etched on her lips realizing that he recognized her.

"M-Moo-Moon"

Jasper breathed out her name with utter difficulty, his eyes begging her to save him. But what he didn't realize was that his cry triggered a strong never inside her.

Emmaline jolted when suddenly a zap of electricity buzzed through her veins. She felt energetic and powerful. Letting out an ear-piercing growl, she tore Damien's hands away and lunged at Jasper. Zion was startled, he tried to stop himself but she was fast enough.

A grunt escaped her mouth as the laced whip struck her back, the wolfsbane scalded her skin. Damien watched her with stunned eyes as she draped herself on Jasper like a protective shield and took the lashes for him.

"Shit" Zion quickly threw the whip away and staggered back. Fear groped him as her shirt was torn unveiling a long gash of blood that was glaring back at him, mocking him for his cruelty.

Biting her lips, Emmaline somehow managed to lift herself off and looked at Jasper. His eyes were full of tears just like hers. Smiling sadly, she held his face in her hands and looked at him.

"I am so sorry. So sorry that I always bring you and your family nothing but trouble."

Jasper denied it by slowly moving his head. Every single bone of his body was screaming with pain but the fact that his Moon, his Emmaline saved him brought him immense happiness.

"D-Don't. W-Where did you go? I-I had been looking for you f-for so lon-long. W-Why did you d-disa-disappear without even tell-telling me?" He croaked out.

Emmaline said nothing and simply shed tears. What she should tell him? That his mother was the one who ousted her. That her parents were against their relationship and threatened her to leave his life by making her count the favors they had done to her.

Jasper lifted his hand and traced his fingers on her face softly. Emmaline led him to do as he please not caring about the blood that his fingers were smearing on her flawless cheeks.

"I-I got you back Moon. Can't b-believe I got to see you." Jasper smiled and continued caressing her face, "You have turned b-beau-beautiful Moon. Just like a d-doll."

Emmaline chuckled with teary eyes and grabbed his hand, "Y-You two." She said and kissed his hand before hugging it closer to her chest.

"How romantic."

Her smile dropped upon hearing that throaty voice. She looked behind only to see Isabella clapping.

"I brought you here to have a civilized conversation but it turned out to be a love tryst." She walked forward and threw shade at her.

Emmaline clenched her jaw and looked at Damien knowing very well what she was trying to do. But her heart sank after finding his red hues that were burning with sheer rage and madness. His skin had turned red and she could see the veins popping through his neck. He looked ready to kill and Isabella's remarks were only worsening the situation.

"First love never dies, isn't it sweet Em?" Isabella spoke with an ugly pout and stood beside Damien, "And here you were trying to protect your unfaithful wife."

She suddenly dropped her humorous facade and spoke seriously turning Emmaline uneasy. She watched how Isabella placed her hand over his right shoulder and gave him an apologetic look.

"That's why I am never in favor of giving women leniency. That's what they do, having multiple affairs, backstabbing husbands, and staining the family's reputations." Isabella spat with disgust.

Emmaline gaped. She was so shocked by her words that she couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Aren't you a woman too, psychotic bitch?" she spoke between her laughs. Never in her life, she had seen a woman demeaning her community.

Damien let out a thunderous growl and pounced on her. Grabbing her neck, he picked her from the floor and slammed her on a wall, "HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY MOTHER??"

He tried to intimidate her but what shocked him was her smile. Emmaline gripped his wrist that was strangling her and snorted.

"Oops, did that hurt you? Forgive me for no apologies but the way you behave there is no rocket science needed to understand that she is indeed your mother. Cruelty runs in your blood and this sick way of exercising control is in your genes."

Her words only ticked him off. Leaning forward, he glared into her ocean-deep eyes and seethed, "And there is no rocket science needed for you to learn to shut the fuck up, or else-"

"Yeah yeah. Or else you'll kill Jasper and if I continued defying you, you'll slit the throats of my loved ones and bathe me in their blood. I get it and you know what, it's getting boring now." Emmaline cut him off and scrunched her nose.

She was trying to get on his nerves but what she didn’t know was that Damien was delighted with her feisty comeback. He released her neck and stepped back, "Good to see that you know. So, let's get down to brass tacks, shall we?"

Emmaline gave him a side eye as he inched forward and whispered near her lips,

"Get down on your knees and apologize to my mother, right now."

The vein on her temple throbbed. Oh, how badly she wanted to put the dagger in his heart but then Jasper's moans rang in her ears. It was a do-or-die situation.

Swallowing down her rage, Emmaline curled her fingers into a fist and heaved a deep breath, "Fine."

She then walked past him and stopped near Isabella who was smirking at her with triumph.

Emmaline scowled at her overweening stance with her hands crossed over her breast, lips twisted in a smirk, and the nasty judging looks in her eyes. She mentally smirked at the high-and-mighty whose main motive was only to break her.

Sighing, she dropped to her knees and flipped her hair, "Forgive me, my lord."

The derision in her voice was too evident. Isabella scoffed and shook her head, "Vague apology, not accepted. Try a genuine one."

Emmaline smiled bitterly, "I was just told to apologize. Vague or genuine, doesn't matter." She spoke and stood up while dusting her palms. Turning on her heels, she started walking towards Jasper.

"GET BACK HERE!!" Isabella yelled, enraged by her attitude. But Emmaline completely ignored her and halted in front of Damien.

"I did what you said. Now treat him."

Damien smirked. He was impressed by the spirit of her tigress. No matter how hard the situation turns, she always molds in her favor and achieves supremacy.

Stepping closer to her, he stretched his hand and reached for her face. Emmaline frowned as he cleared the tear stains and settled her messed hair.

"Of course, but before that."

Emmaline flinched when he snaked his arm around her waist and jerked her closer. She immediately placed her palm on his chest to push him but Damien didn't give her a chance and closed his mouth on her.

Embarrassment washed over her as he kissed her fiercely. Her eyes squeezed shut as he was being dominant, angry, wild, and as usual reprobate. Tilting her head, he ravaged her lips like a caveman. Emmaline was disgusted, she tried shoving him away but then the fact that Isabella was watching her crossed her mind.

She smirked and dropped her guards willingly. She deliberately moaned out loud when Damien sucked her tongue. Emmaline could imagine Isabella's fuming and helpless face because her aim to make Damien hate her was that she despised their relationship. And that would prove beneficial to her.

Breaking the kiss with a pop, Damien pecked her swollen lips and caressed her flushed cheeks. A smile made its way to his lips watching his wife catching breaths with closed eyes.

"Now that was perfect isn't it, love?"

*****

Another disappointment crashed her. She again mistook the dark cloud as a silver lining. A slight hope stirred her insides watching Damien's gentle behavior but the Alpha again wronged her. Emmaline thought that if she did as he says, he'll grant her freedom but Damien was always one step ahead. He had read her mind beforehand that's why he caged her back in her room, cutting off her from the outer world.

Her injuries were tended and the poor girl was currently sitting on the couch near the window gazing into space.

Emmaline sighed when Jasper's battered state flashed in front of her eyes. Damien, true to his words, provided Jasper the treatment but she knew that his mercy simply depends on her being the faithful dog.

His packhouse was beset by dense forest, located on a steep valley far away from the city so even if she manages to escape, there were minute chances that someone would come for her rescue. It was his territory and she was his captive.

"I hate it."

Her jaw clenched recalling the brutality she was being put through by the man to whom she was destined.

"I fucking hate him so much Rein and I know you won't help me. No matter how much I scream for your help, you never come out still I would tell you my sob story. Maybe one day you'll have a change of heart."

Emmaline was upset with Reina's ignorance. She was being distant, delusional, and sad to say but she was slowly turning her rival.

Bringing her legs closer to her chest, Emmaline placed her chin on her knees and inhaled sharply, " I don't know what went wrong but I am sure by now that we are definitely not on the same page anymore. I wanted to save Jasper and-"

"And you did it, bravo!"

She jumped upon hearing that heavy voice.

"What are you doing here?"

She spoke with a frown after finding Zion who was leaning against the doorframe with his hands crossed over his chest. His forest hues held rage and frustration as he said nothing and continued glaring at her.

Her silence irked him, "I asked you something, didn't I? What the hell are you doing here?" Emmaline growled as she stood up from the couch and turned to face him.

Zion stared for a while before letting out a dry chuckle, "I can't believe you risked your life for the man who left you in a lurch."

Anger bubbled inside her. How dare he question her relationship? Who is he to poke his nose in her private matters?

Jutting her chin out, she marched towards him and snarled, "Stay in your fucking limits. Get the hell out or-"

"Or? Or you'll kill me, Moon."

Zion snickered and entered the room. Emmaline stiffened when he closed the door behind him and continued approaching her with a sly smirk on his face. But she didn't retreat her steps.

"Dropping the honorifics? Do you have a death wish, Beta?" She spoke eyeing his audacity with amusement.

Zion chuckled, "Honorifics? Seriously?" he said and stood in front of her.

Emmaline didn't miss the way his eyes raked over her figure, examining her from head to toe. He abruptly raised his hand and tried to touch her face. She quickly stepped back but still; Zion removed the rogue strand of her hair that was blocking his vision.

His aura turned cold. Emmaline gulped watching his eyes darkening as he moved closer to her face and whispered while looking deep into her soul.

"Titles can't restrict family, Moon. Especially someone who has been a part of your life from the outset."