(Zorya)
“You need rest; you should sleep some more,” I requested without turning towards him.
I found it strange how he was awake after all the morphine we had injected into his body.
Did he have a high tolerance for it?
The thought terrified me again.
It meant he had been hurt countless times.
And that black collar around his neck- how many times has she electrocuted him?
“Stay!” His single word was a request, and yet it harboured the madness and storm that must be brewing in his head.
He didn’t wish to be alone.
After what he went through, he needed a therapist, and so did I.
But all we had was each other.
“I am on night duty to stay.” I turned around and walked over to him, resuming my seat.
Seeing me sit, he finally closed his eyes.
“Can we talk about it?” I quietly whispered, seeing the chains still around his ankles.
He pointed to his eyes and shook his head.
But pointing to his ears, he nodded.
It meant they could hear us but not see.
I nodded in understanding.
He closed his eyes.
I couldn’t help but stare at his serene face.
That was no ordinary face.
The impeccably sharp features he possessed.
I stared for a while before averting my eyes.
He seemed to have fallen asleep.
I leaned back in the chair, my head resting on its edge—I stared at the ceiling.
Tears made my vision blurry.
I missed my parents, my sister, and my friends.
The song my mother used to sing to me erupted on my lips.
Slowly they began moving:
“Candle burns with a flickering flame
Against the winds that flew to claim
The rain falls softly on the withering ground
Bringing new life, enriching every mound
Close your eyes, my precious one
The hard day is gone, over and done”
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” His mesmerising voice had me halting.
Was I that loud?
I thought he had gone to sleep.
“I apologise, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I softly answered, keeping my gaze on the ceiling.
“You didn’t.
Keep singing…” he requested, and urgency underlined his request.
“It’s peaceful.
The only peace I have felt in a long time.”
My heart restlessly jerked in my chest.
How much had this man suffered?
Emotions choked me; tears slipped out of my eyes, and yet my lips rhythmically continued to sing:
“Close your eyes, my precious one
The hard day is gone, over and done.”
His warm fingers slowly wrapped around my cold hand, and an assurance crawled through my body.
Gently, he pressed my hand, enfolding me in a certainty that I wasn’t alone.
Like a blanket against the freezing winds.
How the rest of our lives were going to unfold, I didn’t know.
But moments like these could make it easier.
The blissful moment didn’t last long.
The two bruised souls who tried to find a semblance of peace were interrupted.
The broken hearts found solace in each other for merely a few moments.
I slipped into the valley of sleep, but the opening of the door had me jerking awake.
It was Ashlia with a broken smile on her lips.
She gestured with her head for me to come out.
His hand slipped from mine, leaving me cold again.
My eyes automatically drifted towards him, and he appeared to be soundly sleeping.
Such peace resided on his face.
What was even his name?
I never asked…
I left the room, closing the door behind me.
Ashlia apologetically faced me.
“You have been summoned.”
My heart turned into a trapped drum, banging against my chest.
Sweat broke out on my palms and temples.
My legs violently shook.
“I am sorry.” Emphatically, she placed her hand on my shoulder.
I was going to be fine.
That fiend had already taken my dignity and body, but he couldn’t take my soul.
Strengthening my heart, I gave her a small nod.
Beta Hadis was waiting for me outside the Clinic.
“Follow me,” he sternly said.
I obeyed, trying not to fall apart.
How was I going to face that rapist Alpha?
Was he going to dehumanise me again?
Survival was the key; I had to remain strong.
The shivers running down my spine made the very hair stand on the nape of my neck when Hadis knocked on that blue door.
“Enter!” The command made me weak in the knees.
I had no strength or desire to gaze into his eyes and be reminded of what he had done.
Hadis closed the door behind me.
“Come closer, slave,” he amusedly said.
Not wishing to be hurt or electrocuted again, I acted according to his desire and only halted when his immaculately polished shoes came into view.
My chest felt heavy.
“Kneel!” He ordered, voice forceful.
Slowly I knelt in front of him.
“Already so obedient.
You really know how to make them docile,” Canara’s lazy voice came from somewhere nearby.
She was here too.
“And there is mine.
Who humiliated me in front of the entire arena,” she sighed.
Her rings tapped along the glass she must be holding.
“Well.
This one learnt the hard way.” His icy cold hand crawled into my hair.
I almost flinched away, checking myself in time.
I couldn’t help but compare the touch with my saviour’s.
His was warm and assuring.
This was cold and disgusting.
He fisted my hair at the back and jerked my head so I could stare into his glacial eyes, which froze the very blood in my veins.
That slit in his pupils terrified me to my bone marrow.
“Didn’t you?” He leaned in, his breath stroking my temple, instilling terror.
“…yes,” I admitted.
The memories of that night played like a reel in my brain.
Tears pricked the back of my eyes.
I wanted to jerk his hand away and smack his face until I left it bloodied, and yet I didn’t move.
“Yes, what?
Do you want to be punished again?” Amusement gleamed under his dry tone.
And I wondered how someone so handsome could be so vile.
“Yes, master.” Quickly, I corrected myself with a gulp.
“Intelligent girl.” His predatory smile widened, and I sent a silent prayer not to go through those horrors again.
“I almost gave her to my sentries yesterday just to teach Shade a lesson.” Canara chuckled before adding.
“He was being difficult, you know,” Canara added.
That smile disappeared from Caliath’s face.
His head snapped towards his sister as he raged at her.
“You did what?”