Killed The People I Loved...

••• Arabella’s POV ••• I opened my eyes and groaned because of the discomfort I felt along my body. Lifting my head up, I checked my surroundings to see I was in some sort of… dungeon? There were metal chains along the walls, but fortunately, I wasn't tied to the wall. Instead, I was sitting down and tied to a chair. Unfortunately, the chair was made of metal, and I was still bound by metal chains. I tried to break the chains and free myself to no avail. It seemed they had used strong chains to prevent me from breaking them… I remembered what had happened and couldn't help but lament on my foolishness. I sighed, thinking I should’ve listened to my wolf when she said not to engage in that zombie-like man. Remembering the way Iris didn't reply, I panicked a little. “Iris?” I tried calling her and breathed in relief when I heard her soft snore. At least she was only sleeping, and I didn't lose her. They must have used black magic to sedate her. A flurry of footsteps was heard, and Lina appeared in the doorway with a hint of mania in her eyes. I should’ve realized she was the one who sent that zombie-like man, and kidnapping me was one of her cheap tricks… “Be patient, Princess Arabella.” Her voice had a mocking tone when she said my title and name. “Let’s wait for the special guests I’ve invited.” Special guests? Who? Abigail? Max? I started to become anxious when I thought of Max coming to save me. As powerful and ruthless as he was, he would still be powerless against Lina since she knew how to use black magic. Faint voices could be heard from the hallway outside the room I was confined to. “The first special guest has arrived,” Lina said with excitement. I opened my mouth to say something but found that I couldn't get any words out, and suddenly, I felt intense pain coursing through my body, making me gasp and break into cold sweats. My bones felt like they would crack any moment, yet I could only let out a silent scream. I realized Lina wanted to torture me before maybe killing me. Lina laughed maniacally when she saw my condition before going to a corner by the cell entrance, blending into the wall, and disappearing. My eyes widened, and I nearly forgot my pain as I watched her in stunned disbelief. Just then, a figure appeared in the doorway, and I was shocked to see it was Shawn and not Max, who walked in hurriedly. His eyes widened in horror before it was replaced by anguish and… heartbreak? I would’ve snorted if I wasn't still in pain. Looked at how hypocritical he was… Seeing me tied up, he rushed over anxiously and tried to free me. “Bella, I’m so sorry,” he apologized and conveyed his helplessness. “I shouldn't have had an affair with Abi. I keep thinking about you, and now I feel the agony and grief of losing my mate. Even my wolf is now keeping quiet all the time. I can't bear it. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” I rolled my eyes at him and thought how stupid he was to choose an Omega and risk the chance of being able to participate in the Alpha King selection. Ah well, that was his choice... He deserved it for betraying me, his fated mate. I felt him tugging and trying hard to break the chains binding me, but just like I tried before, he was unable to break them, too. “Dammit! What kind of chains are these? Why can't I break them?!” he cursed with anxiety and helplessness. “Hang on, Bella. There must be something I could use to snap these chains away,” he said and was about to leave the room, but Abigail suddenly showed up. “You were saying you shouldn't have an affair with me?” Abigail, who usually pretended to be pitiful, was now scoffing at Shawn. “Oh please, Shawn, stop pretending. You know how great and compatible we are in bed,” she said as she looked smugly at me. I really wanted to vomit when I heard her words. No, it wasn't because I was still in love with Shawn or felt pain and heartbreak, but because her words were disgusting, especially when combined with her smug expression. Who would be shameless enough to feel smug and confident when bragging about stealing someone’s fated mate and how great they were in bed? Only a shameless mistress would do that, and Abigail was the perfect example. Shawn looked at me with guilt and shame, but then he seemed to remember something and said, “Abi forced me!” Abi forced him? Did he mean to say that he was raped by Abi? Yeah right… Would someone who was forced or raped enjoy it and say things like how his rapist’s mouth felt good while sucking his cock? Or that he would divorce me after getting the resources he needed to strengthen his pack and then marry his rapist? Did he think I was so naive and stupid that I would believe his bullshit? How lucky he was that I still couldn't talk or would’ve retorted him until he couldn't talk back. "Abi, release Bella!" Shawn ordered his fiance sternly. Abigail looked at Shawn as if he was a clown and laughed out loud. "Why the fuck are you laughing?" Shawn glared at her. "Did you forget my words? I will never forgive you if you hurt her. Release her! Now!" Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement behind Shawn out of the corner of my eyes, making me turn my head and realize Lina had appeared out of nowhere, just like when she disappeared into the wall before. I opened my mouth and wanted to warn Shawn, but I still couldn't make any sound. Lina moved fast and injected something into Shawn’s neck, and he didn't have any time to react before collapsing. Watching this, I felt ready to explode with rage. Although Shawn was as disgusting and shameless as Abigail, he still came here to save me. “I’m just testing this poison to see if it is as potent as they said,” Lina said with an evil smile. Poison?! Why would she want to see if the poison was potent? She laughed like a madman and looked as if she could hear my thoughts and was mocking me for thinking that way. “I will use the poison to kill the people you love,” she said next, like she could really hear the question I was asking in my mind. My eyes widened in shock. The people I loved… Max! Mom and Dad! They were the most important people in my life right now, and I knew Lina was referring to them when she said those words. The pain in my body had lessened, and I struggled and tried to break free again as I would never allow anyone to hurt them! I really wished I could rip these two vicious women into pieces and stop them from harming people I loved. Abigail laughed as she watched me struggling and said, “It’s no use, Bella. You are now weak and won't have the strength to break those chains.” She was right. Even if the thick chains contained no magical power, I was still too weak to break them in my current condition. I glared at the mother-daughter pair, wishing I could kill them with the daggers in my eyes. “Pathetic,” Lina mocked me, then snapped her fingers. Two burly-looking men entered the room after being summoned by her. “Take him away,” Lina ordered them, and I could only watch in helplessness as they dragged Shawn away. I looked at Shawn, who looked lifeless, and could only pray to the Moon Goddess that the poison wouldn't kill him. If it killed him, then Max, Mom, and Dad would be killed, too, once Lina used the poison on them. “Let’s go, Abi,” Lina spoke to her daughter. “Let's wait for our next guest to come and prepare our surprise for Bella.” Bella threw me another mocking and smug look before turning around to follow her mom and leaving the cell. “Max?” I tried mindlinking him but received no reply. “Mom? Dad?” Silence greeted me, too, as I tried mindlinking my parents. Lina must have used some magic to prevent me from mindlinking others. I wondered who the next guest would be. Would it be Max or Mom and Dad? Rosa must have realized I was missing and should’ve told Max about it. Did she or Max tell my parents about my disappearance? Did they know where I was at the moment? Judging from Lina’s words, it seemed she or Abigail had threatened either Max, Mom, or Dad so they would come and save me. A part of me wanted them to come, but another part wanted them to stay away. I didn't want them to risk or sacrifice their lives for me. Lina wouldn't let us go even if they came. I wondered why she wanted to kill us. What could be the reason for her wanting to assassinate the royal family… A thought suddenly occurred to me. Did she want to be the next Alpha Queen? I frowned as I thought about the possibility. But why did she want to kill Shawn, too? She could try to make him the next Alpha King and control him instead of killing him since he was her son-in-law. And why did Abigail let her kill Shawn? Did she want her baby to grow up without a father? Brushing all thoughts of their twisted minds, I tried mindlinking Rosa, Max, Mom, and Dad again. I needed to warn them of Lina’s black magic and plan so they would be more cautious when approaching this place.