Thunder

Luna's Pov

So far, I had been doing a pretty good job enduring the pain and getting on the nerves of my torturers but now, looking down at this blade, I wasn't sure I could keep up the front anymore.

I swallowed as I breathed in deeply. "It is just a blade. It is nothing you can't take." I whispered to myself.

The man laughed loudly as he turned to his comrade, "can you believe this? She is begging for mercy. Too bad. I expected her to go down with a smile but then again, no one escapes the great Baldwin without being broken." He thumped his chest so hard, I was afraid he was going to end up broken before me. I wondered if his name was a title or his parents had had some insight into his future to have given him such a fitting name. The thought was enough to brighten my mood as I started to smile and suddenly, the knife was not so scary. I thought about Indrik who was probably in his death throes, struggling with the poison that I had fed him and shook my head. What kind of master would I be if I could not take a little pain? This was nothing. With this thought, I straightened or tried to at least, since I couldn't really manage that with my body dangling above the ground.

I beamed the most challenging smile I could manage with blood streaming into my eyes, nose and mouth.

My tormentor frowned, obviously not liking the fact that I wasn't cowering in fear before him but it soon morphed to a scowl. "I will allow you to choose." He boomed. "Which body part do you want me to cut out first? Your eye? Your nose? your ear? Not your tongue though. I like to hear my victims beg." He said it like I had come to him with a request to help me get rid of my body parts.

"How about we start with your tongue instead?" I rasped.

He bellowed in anger. "I will just cut your tongue first."

"Enough!" A cold but no less angry voice interrupted. The hulk huffed and puffed but he didn't say anything else as he slinked back and approached the newest member of the room.

"Welcome, Beta Green!" The two men greeted simultaneously. "We have been torturing her just as you ordered." Baldy continued.

The Beta ignored them as he approached me instead. His minty scent was a welcome break from the overwhelming stench of my former guest.

"Indrik is dying. The doctor said he has only a short time left before the poison reaches his heart." His cold voice informed.

I slowly raised my head which I had kept bowed the entire time. I had to blink a couple of times before I could focus but finally, I could see him. He was wearing a green robe and had his arms tucked behind his back. He had a perfect poker face which prevented me from reading what he was thinking but his fear was hard to disguise. It was there in the way his back hung stiffly, in the way his voice trembled slightly. It was pretty obvious that he was scared about Indrik's safety which was a good thing. It would suck to have to endure this much suffering only to end up dying.

"Short time?" I chuckled, a short rasp that ended in a cough. "The last time I checked, the poison takes an hour to kill its victim. By my calculations, my master should not have more than a few minutes left. I don't think that qualifies for a short time."

His face hardened even more. "What is the antidote?" He snarled.

I chuckled again. Bad idea. An even worse coughing spell seized me as I coughed up some blood. "I already told you. Unlock his wolf and he will be fine. The doctor told you this, yes?"

For a moment, his veneer shifted and I saw all his rage and fear, then, he was back to his emotionless face. "I cannot do that. It is a promise I made to his father. Just tell me what the antidote it and I promise to lessen your punishment. You don't have to continue to endure this torture." His voice actually sounded convincing.

"But, I have been telling you that all along." I smirked and instantly regretted it. My entire face burned from the stretch, worsening my headache. "I would hurry if I were you. If I get my calculations right, he has less than five minutes left."

A cloud crossed over his features. "I should have known better than to try to reason with you. Someone like you who would poison your master who has been nothing but good to you would not know emotions. Fine!" He stepped back as he turned toward the waiting men. "Torture her, and don't stop till she gives you the information I need."

"Great!" I muttered. "Four minutes left. If you really care about your ward, you will go save him now before it is too late. But then again, maybe you don't care because he is not your son. Is that..." I was cut short as a blinding pain cut across my back. I reeled forward, crying out from the agony.

The next few moments were lost in a flurry of excruciating pain. From being whipped till I lost my breath to getting my head dipped into water for so long, I was sure my lungs would burst. At intervals, the Beta would stop the beasts and approach.

"Are you ready to speak now?" He would ask and I would reply with, "three minutes left" or, "the poison would be eating up his liver now," or any other thing that would immediately get me whipped or dunked under the water again.

This continued for so long that I was scared Indrik was going to end up dying. That was until thunder rumbled in the distance.