Never Be Tamed

Chapter 64: Sacrificial Lamb

Alexander... I watched his unconscious state of my brother. You're still glad we've met, right? You're not regretting it, right? If we could only have more time together as a family.

"This is taking too long. Take her in!"

"Wait, I--"

I was pulled up from the ground, away from Alexander. I struggled  from their grasp, trying to hold Alexander's hand for the last time. I managed to stabilized his breathing. I got to close his wound. He was going to be okay.

The claws digging against my skin dragged and forced me back to the  car. I glanced back at Alexander, tears slowly blurring my vision. Alexander, tell Zackary I'm sorry. I couldn't fulfil my promise of  staying by his side.

My bare face hit the leather seat after being roughly pushed to the backseat of the car.

"You're born to be a sacrificial lamb, do you realize that by now?"  Madame sneered from the open door of the car, staring at me with nothing but hatred in her eyes. "Your life is nothing but a commodity  use by other people."

The door shut close, shaking the entire backseat. Dalawa sa tauhan ni Madame ang nanatili sa sasakyan kasama ko. They both took the front seats before starting the engine.

I lay on the backseat, clasping my chest beneath the fabric, my breathing coming out short and shallow. Without a wound in my body, the pain  was a bullet digging a hole into my chest.

Tears spilled from my eyes while the car was leaving the compound. I could only see the top of towering trees and the pouring gray sky  outside.

I tried to wipe my tears. I did the right thing. It wasn't like I've never been in this situation before. This isn't new to me. I'm just going back. I'm used to it.

The last year gave me a taste of what it was like to have a normal life.  But I couldn't remove myself from my past no matter what I do-- no matter how far away I run.

Clasping my tightening chest, my eyes slowly shut close. Maybe this is really the life meant for me.

--

I was woken up by someone's palm hitting my cheek. I could hear  voices around me, one of them was Madame's. but I couldn't seem to grasp what was happening around me.

"Hey, you lazy dog. Wake up--"

May iba pa siyang sinasabi, but I could no longer understand them. My body felt strange, like I've been numb from inside out. I couldn't feel anything, even my own breathing.

"Ano'ng nangyayari sa kanya? Is she unconscious the entire trip?"

"Hindi namin napansin. Naging tahimik lang siya sa backseat."

They were arguing about something while everything was draped in darkness around me. It must be evening. I had no recollection of the entire trip.

They dragged me out of the car to a narrow pitch black hallway, pulling me like a lifeless rag doll. Binalot kami ng liwanag pagpasok sa isang kwarto. The heat of the cracking fireplace in the corner reached my shivering body.

"Nandito na siya tulad ng ating napagkasunduan."

I was shoved into the carpeted floor by Madame. I refused to raise my head, to see where I was. There was someone in the unknown room  with us. A few steps away from me, he stood from the couch, walking to where I was slump on the floor.

He reached for my chin to stare up at his face. A sneer greeted me...  from a person with a familiar long face and a lanky body. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang rumihistro sa isip ko ang kanyang mukha. I immediately shove his hand away from my face.

Why is... why is a council member in front of me?

He let out a slow smile before facing Madame. "Good job."

Madame stared at the council member, a rigid expression on her face. "Now I'm completely free, as you promised. Don't ever bother me again."

I clasped the floor with my trembling hands. I thought... Madame...would take me.

Madame was leaving. I gripped the nearby coffee table and tried to pull myself to stand.

"Keep that slave with you. Do whatever you want." Before completely leaving the room, she faced me for the last time with a face of no  remorse. "Take care of yourself here," she said before closing the door after her.

I scampered to the door, gripping the lock in desperation to leave the place with her. I've accepted my fate. I was prepared to leave  everything behind me and never establish a connection to Van Zanth again... to never let my past destroy anyone again. But this... this situation meant one thing.

I faced the man sitting back on the couch, with his legs folded,  watching me while swirling the glass of liquor in his hand like I was some form of entertainment in his eyes.

"Now that you're officially a slave of mine, let's see how Zackary Van Zanth will handle it. I'm curious on how he will destroy his own reputation after losing you."

He took a swig of the liquor before chuckling. "It's time for the Van Zanth to be taken down a peg--"

Liquor splashed all over his face from the bottle in my shaking hands. I calmly placed the bottle back to the coffee table where I snatched it  while the two lady servants inside the room rushed to aid the council  member, gasping in terror.

He raised a hand, stopping them before slowly wiping the dripping  liquid off his face that was now stone cold. With glaring eyes aimed to kill, he reached for my head by pulling a handful of my hair forcing me  to stare at him.

"What a foolish act of bravery."

Tinitigan ko siya nang may parehong galit sa aking mga mata. "I pity  the council for having you as a member. You will never destroy Van Zanth."

I was shoved back to the floor. Tumama ang aking ulo sa sulok ng mababang mesa. Sinubukan kong muling tumayo, subalit tuluyang bumalot sa'kin ang matindig sakit. Ang sakit na kapalit ng pagligtas kay Alexander.

I fell back to the floor with blood dripping from the corner of my lips. Tinitigan akong muli ng council member bago naglakad palabas ng kwarto.

"Bring her to her cell," utos niya sa dalawang tauhan. "Make sure no one will find her in this place."

***