Twenty-four

Whisper woke up in darkness and a burning pain around her neck, wrists, and ankles. Crying out, she struggled to get free, but only managed to make it worse. She tried shifting into her wolf, but couldn't find her wolf, couldn't even contact her. What was worse was that it didn't feel like she was at home in Zane's tree house. Last she remembered, she was on the couch watching a movie.

From inside her clothes, she felt something vibrate. Startled, she tried to get free again, but to no avail. Her neck was shackled against the wall behind her as well as her ankles. Her wrists were above her head, making her arms tired. She was clothed and her ears could pick up different sounds from above her. Dirt rained down on her and she coughed.

All of a sudden, light poured down from a hole in the ceiling a few feet away and someone climbed down a ladder. When they were on the ground, the turned on a light, making Whisper blink. "I must say, my friend had a hell of a time getting you here, Whisper. It was too easy!"

Her heart stopped at the sight of him, of the man her mother sent her away to, of the man who put her in that facility to be tortured more. She began to shake as images flashed through her mind: both from past and what might happen in the near future.

"He didn't even need to look for you," he said and grabbed a knife from a table. "He walked in and there you were, sleeping like a child watching tv. Didn't even wake up to him running away with you."

"Where am I?" she said, her voice trembling.

"My old place. Once you were in that hospital, I moved. But I came back here because I knew it would bring back wonderful memories." He chuckled. "And my, what wonderful memories those were!"

He walked over to her and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She flinched and tried to look away, but the shackle around her neck prevented such movement without added pain. "Please, don't!" she cried.

"Don't, what?" he mocked sympathy.

"Don't hurt me."

The man narrowed his eyes and raked them over her body. "You've grown up, Whisper! You're finally a woman! Tell me, how did the hospital punish you?"

Whisper whimpered again. "A stick."

"What did they do with it?" he asked.

"Hit me."

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

The man grinned. "What else?"

Memories of everything at that horrible place flashed through her mind and she began to cry. "They tied me down and poured oil on me. Hot oil. They used metal that burned my skin. They tried to burn me from the inside out with something in a tube." She couldn't go on, it was too much.

"What else?" the man encouraged, arms crossed over his chest.

"They-they…I can't!"

The man shook his head, but felt satisfied with her answer for now. He walked towards the table again and brought up a syringe with orange liquid inside it. Carefully, he walked back to Whisper and pulled her shirt away from her neck. "Okay. Now, I'm going to put you to sleep and when you wake, we'll see how you react."

Whisper felt a sharp sting and gasped. Instantly she felt groggy. She tried to keep her head up so the pain from the burning shackle didn't worsen, but failed. She failed miserably.

When she woke up this time, she was confused. She saw Zane's bedroom with his clothes all over the place. She smiled and tried to get up from the bed, but found herself held down by shackles. "Zane!" she called. "Zane!"

No one came.

Then she saw a door open and she smiled. "Help me! Please!"

Zane stepped through and smiled at her. It wasn't a smile that reached his eyes, but a malicious one. "Hello, Whisper," he said darkly.

Her smile faded and she squirmed again. "Zane, please help!"

He chuckled and sat beside her, running his thumb across her cheekbone. "Little Whisper. What am I going to do with you?"

She was about to answer his question when his hand suddenly hit her hard, her left side of her face in pain. She cried and squirmed some more. "Zane, please! Just let me out of these."

"On one condition," he said softly.

She nodded, unable to see what was in his hands.

"You wear a necklace for me."

"Okay," she said softly and felt him release one of her wrists. Her hand immediately went to her face, feeling it swell and her eye shut. When all her limbs were free, he sat her up.

"Look straight ahead," he ordered. She did so and felt him wrap something stiff and heavy on her neck. When she tried to look down, a sharp pain entered her collarbone and right behind her chin. Zane laughed. "Don't look down, my sweet Whisper. If you do, you die."

Tears streamed down her face. "Zane! Please!"

"Hush. Now, go down and get dressed. Find a dress to wear."

Nodding solemnly, she carefully stood and walked away and down to the bathroom. When she got there, she saw the black dress and let out a whimper. Whisper tore off her pants and shirt as best she could but ended up with puncturing herself, making blood run down her chest. She slipped the dress on and groaned at her reflection. The neckline was really low…

Heart racing, she left the bathroom to find Zane standing there waiting. He smiled at her and held out a hand. She took it and was led to the living room. Instead of placing her on the couch beside him like normal, she was put on the floor. "Kneel."

She obeyed, getting on both knees and resting her hands in her lap.

Zane smiled, and shook his head. "Kneel on one knee, Whisper." Whimpering, she changed her position. Satisfied, Zane sat down in front of her and stared at her face for a while. "I could get used to this sight," he said more to himself.

"Please!" she cried.

Zane chuckled. "Please, what?"

"Let me go!"

Leaning forward, he moved some of her hair out of her face. "I could, but then I'd lose my prized possession!"

"Zane!"

"Get down on your hands and knees, Whisper."

"What?"

He smiled. "You heard me." Carefully, she did and had to strain her neck to not jab the prongs into herself. "Now turn so you're sideways to me." She obeyed. When she was standing still, Zane sat back and propped his feet onto her back. "Good girl!"

She stayed like that for hours while he snacked and watched tv. Her arms and legs started shaking and her neck started cramping, but he didn't notice or didn't care. She cried silently, her memories of Zane washed away with his behavior. What had happened to the person who was gentle and caring? What happened to the one who protected her from harm instead of inflicting it himself?

Where was Nico and Anton and Wren? Where were her so-called friends? Why did everyone turn on her? First, her mother died and she was blamed for it, then she was sent to a facility who could care as much for her well-being as the man did, then she met Zane who only pretended to be nice to her only to do this in the end. What did she do to him? How could he do this to her?

It was dark outside when Zane finally told her to change into her old clothes. She went to the bathroom and undressed from her dress. When she grabbed her shirt, something fell out. She got down on her hands and knees again, searching with her fingers to where it might be since she couldn't use her eyes. She was about to give up when she found it near the toilet.

Standing, she held it up to her face. Phone. She blinked furiously as hope flooded her. She remembered Nico showing her how it worked and where to go to call for help. Pressing a few buttons, she found two numbers with names attached. One was Zane. The other was Nico.

Zane…

Betrayal and hurt flooded her eyes as she remembered what he made her do for the past few hours. She didn't understand how he could do this to her, why he would do this to her. What changed? Was it all an act?

Deciding to think about it later, she hit Nico's name and put it to her ear. It only rang once. "Whisper!" she heard.

"Nico?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Goddess! Where are you, Whisper? Look around and tell me what you see?"

She let out a sob. "The tree house. I'm in Zane's house."

"No, Whisper. You're not here. I would know. I'm in his house right now."

"You are?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I'm in the kitchen."

Immediately, Whisper flung the door to the bathroom open and ran downstairs, careful of the necklace. She ran into the kitchen only to have her heart sink. "Nico!"

"Whisper, calm down!" she heard on the phone. "Tell me, did you see anything before Zane's house? Did you see anything that might help?"

She thought for a moment, tears running down her cheeks. She remembered waking up, shackled. For a moment, she believed she woke up here all along, but then images of the man came to her mind. "Nico—"

The door slammed open and she spun to see Zane grinning at her. "Who are you talking to, Whisper?"

"Zane!" she screamed and ran around the counter. "No! Let me go! Please, Zane!"

"Whisper! What's going on?"

"Zane, he's trying to get me!" she cried.

Through the phone, she heard shuffling. "Whisper, Zane isn't there."

Whisper froze, staring hard at the male who resembled the man she'd come to trust. "Who-who—"

Then the kitchen faded and Zane faded. Before the man could knock her out, she screamed, "NO!"