Chapter 4 Horrible Imprisonment

Debra's POV:

"Tell me, Debra. What the hell happened?"

Blue veins stood out on my father's forehead, and they looked like they were going to pop at any moment. "Who's the father?"

I bit my lip, not knowing what to say. I was too shocked to think straight.

Marley added fuel to the flames. "Debra, you really let us down. An Alpha's daughter having sex before her mate has been assigned? It's unheard of! Such a scandal will definitely affect the reputation of the pack."

Left with no choice, I came clean.

"I've only slept with one man—Caleb Wright, the Alpha of the Thorn Edge Pack. He's my mate."

"What? Are you sure it's him?" My father's face suddenly froze.

His expression changed several times. But he gradually calmed down and murmured, "You'd better be telling me the truth."

Although Caleb had a bad reputation in terms of his personal life, it was well known that he was an outstanding Alpha and the Thorn Edge Pack was prosperous under his reign.

Obviously, my father was more willing to accept the fact that Caleb was my mate. If that were the case, the reputation of the pack would remain intact.

"I'll look into it," he said gruffly, though his tone was a lot gentler than earlier. "I'll send someone to ask Caleb about this. If I find out you're lying, I'll punish you severely."

Then my father made arrangements for me to be put behind bars in the meantime.

Unbeknownst to him, Marley had instructed the prison guards to lock me up in their worst cell—the one specially used to imprison traitors and the lowest of criminals.

The cell was dark, dank, and smelled of piss. The only quilt in the cell was ripped and shabby, even worse than the clothes of a street beggar.

As soon as I was pushed inside the cell, I couldn't help but retch. My stomach ached so much from vomiting, and I could only curl up on the floor to ease the pain, twitching from time to time.

At night, the cell was extremely cold. I felt like I would freeze to death.

"Hey, wake up. Breakfast is ready," the guard spat at me harshly.

He tossed me a piece of moldy bread and kicked a bowl of water toward me.

The water smelled like sewage. I only smelled it from afar, but it was enough to make me retch again.

The guard sneered, "You're quite picky with food, huh?"

I swallowed the urge to vomit and retorted, "This isn't food at all!"

The guard kicked the water over. "If you don't want to eat, then starve! Luna Marley ordered us to make sure that you suffer here."

Marley? It was that damn woman again!

She hated me more than I had thought. The only thing she hadn't done was kill me.

Gritting my teeth angrily, I vowed to make her pay for this.

I swore as soon as my father found out the truth and proved my innocence, I would gather all the evidence I could to terminate the cooperation between the Silver Ridge Pack and the Frosty River Pack. Then I'd expose Marley's plot, letting my father see her true colors.

Hatred gave me the will to live. I endured the pain, reached out, and picked up that moldy bread.

******

The terrible suffering lasted for three whole days. When Vicky came to visit me, I was curled into a ball in the corner of the cell.

She rushed to my side, but I noticed that she was walking strangely.

"Vicky, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly.

Vicky didn't want to talk about that. She just set down the lunch box and hugged me tightly. "Debra, my child, you have suffered a lot."

Heartbroken, she looked at me and stroked my face. "My God, how could they do this to you? You're still the Alpha's daughter! You've only been locked up for a few days, but you've lost so much weight."

Sobbing, Vicky helped me sit up. Then she opened the lunch box and fed me carefully.

But when Vicky raised her hand, I caught a glimpse of the wound under her sleeve.

It was a long and deep gash that ran from her wrist to her shoulder. At a glance, I could tell that it was from a whip. The wound was so deep that her skin was ripped open. Whoever did the lashing had used all their strength.

I was so shocked that I forcefully lifted up Vicky's blouse. Countless wounds littered her skin.

There was not a single spot on Vicky's body that wasn't wounded.

No wonder she couldn't come to see me sooner. Perhaps she didn't even have the strength to get out of bed.

I could only imagine how much pain she was in.

A terrible rage consumed my heart, causing me to tremble all over. Seeing this, Vicky hurriedly comforted me, saying, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Vicky, what happened?" I begged her for answers. "Tell me!"

Vicky sighed and gave in. "After you were locked up, I tried to prove your innocence, knowing that Marley wouldn't let you go so easily. I tried to look for a witness who could prove that Caleb had taken you away that night, but Marley found me..."

"She was the one who lashed you, wasn't she?" I ground my teeth, seething with rage.

Vicky didn't deny it. She just smiled and said gently, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt at all. Don't worry about me."

I shook my head, feeling terribly guilty.

I had lied to Vicky, but she only thought about how to save me. She never thought of blaming me for lying to her.

Since my mother passed away, Vicky had stepped in and raised me. She was like a second mother to me.

"Vicky, I promise I'll be good once I'm released." With tears in my eyes, I held Vicky's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "I swear I'll listen to you from now on."

"Okay." Like my mother, Vicky smiled at me dotingly. She touched my cheek and whispered, "Don't cry. You're a grown woman."

Even though Vicky tried her best to look relaxed, I could still see the worry in her eyes.

After all, this was no trifle matter. Now that the news of my pregnancy had spread throughout the pack, it was absolutely crucial that my claim be verified so that the reputation of the pack wouldn't be ruined.

Otherwise, my father would not let me go.

"Vicky, don't worry. I wasn't lying to my father. The baby's father is Caleb."

Caleb was my mate—the one and only man I had slept with.

"That's good." Vicky let out a sigh of relief. "This place is heavily guarded. Only when Caleb confirms it will you be released."

Only Caleb could save me now.

I couldn't wait for him to corroborate my claim.

However, the next day, my father delivered some heartbreaking news.