Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 54: You Have To Extract Organs.

His tone carried a mixture of curiosity and anger, as though he had long since abandoned any hope of escaping this hell.

Sorayah stiffened, her breath hitching as she slowly turned her gaze toward the source of the voice. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs, an uneasy feeling curling in the pit of her stomach.

The wind had grown stronger, and with it, the sickening stench she had desperately tried to block out found its way back, invading her senses. The air felt heavy, charged with an ominous stillness, and the flickering candlelight barely held back the darkness pressing in around her. The sky outside rumbled faintly, a warning of the impending storm.

Her eyes strained to pierce the gloom, seeking out the owner of the voice. Slowly, as her vision adjusted, the figure of a man took shape. He stood tall, his broad shoulders rigid, his posture one of quiet endurance.

The dim light illuminated sharp features, high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and deep-set eyes that gleamed with something unreadable. Those eyes roamed over her, assessing, measuring. But beneath his guarded scrutiny lay something raw, something broken. Evidence of past suffering was etched into the weary creases of his face, and though his eyes were dry, they carried the weight of countless unshed tears. It was the look of someone who had long since given up on the idea of salvation.

The man looked almost corpse-like himself, his skin pale and bloodless. Unlike her, he wasn't covering his nose against the horrid stench. It was as if he had grown used to it, as if it no longer even registered to him.

He's the servant they spoke of, Sorayah realized with a sinking feeling. The one also sentenced to work here as punishment.

He took a step closer, his movements fluid but unhurried, deliberate in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. When he spoke, his voice was low and rough, like the scrape of metal against stone.

"Your tears, your anger, your screams, none of it matters once you end up here," he stated flatly. "So save yourself the trouble and stop. You're disturbing my sleep."

Sorayah's fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms as his words sank in.

"You should get to work unless you want to be punished by the werewolf guards when they arrive," he continued, his gaze drifting toward the motionless bodies surrounding them. "Those who refuse to work... end up like them."

He gestured toward the lifeless corpses strewn across the room, their still forms bathed in the eerie glow of candlelight.

Sorayah's breath hitched. A cold dread gripped her, tightening around her throat like a noose. They were killed... for refusing to work? The thought made her stomach churn.

Adam's voice echoed in her mind: I wouldn't cut your limbs off or to have you killed outright. But your tongue? That can be removed if you don't obey.

She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. That punishment, having her tongue cut out was not something she wanted to risk.

"Adam said you would tell me what work I need to do," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady even as her insides trembled. Her eyes darted between the corpses and the man standing a mere meter away. The tears she had fought so hard to suppress spilled over, streaking silently down her cheeks.

The man regarded her for a long moment before speaking. His voice was devoid of emotion, as though what he was about to say no longer held any weight to him.

"You have to extract organs."

Sorayah's body went rigid, her heart slamming against her ribs. "What?" she whispered, barely able to force the word past her lips.

"Useful organs," he clarified, his voice grim.

Her mind reeled. Her stomach twisted painfully. No... no, that can't be what he means...

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, needing to hear it again, needing to confirm that she wasn't misunderstanding him.

The man exhaled quietly, as if resigned to her reaction. "I'm Theo, by the way," he said before stepping toward a stack of corpses. He picked up a wooden torch, its small flames casting horror shadows against the cold stone walls. With slow, methodical movements, he moved closer to the bodies, illuminating their mutilated remains.

"See for yourself."

Sorayah's gaze followed his movements. Her breath caught in her throat as the dim light revealed the truth she had failed to notice before. Some of the bodies were missing their eyes, gaping holes left in their place. Others had their chests split open, ribs cracked apart, revealing empty cavities where their hearts had been removed. Stomachs were sliced open, intestines torn away, leaving only horror, hollow shells of what were once living beings.

Sorayah stumbled back, her hands flying to cover her mouth as bile rose in her throat. Her vision blurred with tears. She had thought the horror was simply being surrounded by the dead, she hadn't realized they had been harvested.

"Why?" she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why do they do this? They've already killed them... so why?!"

Theo regarded her with a look that was neither cruel nor sympathetic but just tired. "Because even in death," he murmured, "they can still be of use."

Sorayah shook her head, refusing to accept it, but the evidence lay before her. She was trapped in a nightmare, one where the dead were picked apart like animals, their remains repurposed for some unknown cause. And if she didn't comply... she would become one of them.

"They use the organs to feed their beasts, of course," Theo replied, his tone edged with grim resignation.

He moved toward a row of large, rusted drums that Sorayah hadn't noticed until now. With a slow, practiced motion, he pried open the lid of one, revealing a horror sight, organs floating in dark, stagnant water. The putrid smell wafted toward her, making her gag.

"These drums contain different organs that have been extracted," he explained, his voice devoid of emotion. "They're stored here until they're taken to the wild to serve as food for the beasts. Some are sold to influential families to feed the creatures they keep as pets in their households."

Theo exhaled sharply as he replaced the lid. "Once a human dies here in the mines, they're not given any burial. In fact, whether they die here, in an influential household, or even in the palace, their bodies are still useful. Their organs are extracted, and the rest of them are left to rot."

"Oh my goodness..." Sorayah whispered, her voice barely audible. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto her knees, her entire body trembling. Hot tears streamed down her face as she wept uncontrollably. "What did humans ever do to deserve this?!"

Her mind reeled as she recalled her desperate plea to give Lily a proper burial. So that was the reason they refused me... The realization hit her like a brutal slap. They didn't want to grant her peace. They were more interested in her organs.

A fresh wave of grief washed over her. Even in death, there was no freedom. No rest. No dignity. Humans suffered in life, and when they died, they were harvested like cattle and desecrated a second time.

"Crying isn't going to save you here, young lady," Theo said, his voice sharp as a blade. "If you want to survive, you'd better start extracting some organs, or yours might be next. The werewolf guards won't spare anyone."

Sorayah stiffened, but Theo wasn't finished. He crouched in front of her, his dark eyes locking onto hers, the weight of his next words heavy in the air.

"If you refuse, they'll have their way with you first," he stated coldly. "And it won't be just one of them, it'll be many. And when they're done? They'll kill you and carve you up just like the others. I've seen it happen more times than I care to count. You don't want that, do you?"

Sorayah's breath came in quick, shallow gasps. A paralyzing fear gripped her, her entire body trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. She couldn't speak. Couldn't move. The horror of his words suffocated her.

Theo sighed heavily, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he tossed a dagger and a sharp knife toward her. A rusted cutlass followed, clattering noisily onto the floor beside her.

"You'll need these for the extraction," he muttered. "Hurry up and get to work. You'll want to finish before sunrise. I'm done with my share, so once you're finished, I'll take you to a hidden cave where I rest. You can stay there until morning."

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Sorayah's gaze flickered between the weapons and Theo. Her hands curled into fists. A surge of defiance bubbled up inside her, hot and uncontrollable.

"I'm never doing such a thing!" she barked, her voice shaking with fury.

Before she could think, she grabbed the tools and hurled them across the field. The blade of the cutlass barely missed Theo's head, embedding itself into one of the dead body.

Theo flinched, ducking just in time. He turned back to her slowly, his face a mix of shock and simmering anger.

"What the actual hell?!" he snarled. "Are you insane? You could've killed me! If I hadn't dodged, my head would be rolling on the floor right now!"

Sorayah inhaled sharply, her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn't even realized what she had done until it was too late. "I... I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice hoarse.

Theo scowled. "Sorry?!" He let out a humorless laugh before shaking his head. "Whatever. Do what you want. Sit there and cry all night if that's your choice. But if you're still here when the guards come, don't expect any mercy."

He straightened, his expression dark. "A word of advice? Stop those damn tears. Or I might just put you out of your misery before they get the chance. The guards won't question me if I tell them you died in an accident, maybe that my blade accidentally severed your head while extracting organs."

His words were cold, deliberate. A warning.

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed away, his footsteps fading into the darkness, leaving Sorayah alone with the horror of her fate.