How do you feel?
ITHRA’S POV
The sound of the metal door opening stirred me awake.
“Rise and shine, Luna,” Athaliah said with a smile.
I felt weak. Too weak to say a word to her.
“Thankfully, your mate is better and he has ordered to have you out of here.” She said with a clasp and some men entered my cell. “Seeing you can’t help yourself, I thought to bring some guards to speed the transfer.” She added with a smirk and the guards picked me up roughly.
I felt pathetic. I couldn’t even fight back as they roughly dragged me through the concrete floor, leaving me with bruises and scratches.
By the time I returned to my room, my once-fresh legs were littered with scars, dried blood and bruises. “You should count yourself lucky to be alive. After that stunt you pulled out there, you should be happy Cole still fancies you enough to keep you.”
She turned around and the guards followed her. “One more thing.” She said, “Don’t lose that fire in you. Who knows, maybe that’s what keeps them coming back.” A laugh escaped her throat. “Just a friendly advice. Take it or leave it.”
With that, Athaliah strutted out of the room and shut the door with a bang. I lay on the floor – recovering my depleted strength. My body ached like a bitch as I crawled to the bed in the middle of the room – painfully finding my way up.
As soon as my body touched the bed, I felt relieved. I was alone, unmarked and alive. If that wasn’t a miracle, I didn’t know what was.
I must have spoken too soon because Cole came to visit that night.
He didn’t knock. He pushed the door open, waking me up from my light slumber. I tasted horror as I saw the crazed look in his eyes. This was it. He was going to kill me, no questions asked.
“Calla.” He said softly, but I knew it was the calm before the storm.
His tumultuous eyes were proof enough. “My Luna.” He fawned, coming closer.
I got down from the bed, putting some space between us. His words confirmed my thoughts. “You think you can run away?” He said, shaking with unadulterated anger.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“You think you can do away with me?” He was dangerously close to me.
I had run out of space as my back hit the walls. Nowhere to run now. His eyes said to me.
“Cole. Please.” I managed to say, “Leave me alone. Please. Let me go.” My words must have been the gas that lit up the fire because he immediately lost every sense of coolness and went bat-shit crazy on me.
He caught me by my neck and my breath supply seized. “You are my Luna, Calla.” He growled. “And you will be my slave until you learn to accept that.”
I couldn’t breathe. My face was puffy as I gasped for air. My poor body couldn’t handle it. “C-Cole…” I said but it angered him further.
“I’ll teach you.” He said, shaking his head profusely. “I’ll teach you what it means to cross an Alpha.”
Cole had recovered his strength. I could tell by the punch he sent to my guts, causing me to cough up blood. I fell on the floor, clutching my stomach in pain. “You think you can kill me, huh?” He said with a deranged expression. “I’ll teach you.”
Cole followed up with a series of kicks on my stomach. Each felt harder than the last. His kicks pummeled into my stomach, pushing me backwards and hindering me from breathing.
My lungs felt like they were on fire and with his continued assault, I was tethered at the brink of death. For someone obsessed with me, I could see the death intent in his eyes, hell, I was minutes away from the death I coveted before he stopped, noticing my resignation to die.
With one last kick, he spat on me, and angrily left me to die. No such luck because the next second, guards rushed to me, forcing something down my throat. If it was poison, I didn’t know because I drifted out of consciousness.
*******
I wake up on my bed, feeling light in the head. I was still alive.
I opened my eyes and took a look at my surroundings, I was still in the room.
I noticed the little changes in the room. There was a change of sheets, I was wearing a change of cloth and an IV dripped in my arm.
With one swab, I took it off and blood trickled out of my wrist. I didn’t care much, I got down my bed and that’s when I felt it.
Intense abdominal pain. So much so that I couldn’t take a step further. I winced and my ordeal with Cole flashed before my eyes. He did this to me. Cole did this to me and I swore he would pay despite Athaliah’s mocking laugh in my head that said otherwise.
Deciding to rest, I sat on my bed, taking a deep breath. That hurt too.
The door flung open, and to my horror, there he was.
Cole. Looking prim and proper. Like he hadn’t beaten the shit out of me. His eyes softened as he took in my form and walked into the room.
My first instinct is to run. To get as far away from him as possible but no such luck. Cole caught me by the neck and peppered kisses all over my face.
“My Calla, I’m so sorry.” He said to my surprise. “How do you feel?”
I couldn’t answer. I sat there moping at him, shocked beyond words.
“I’m so sorry I lost my temper.” He continued. “I promise never to hurt you again my love. If you apologise to me and promise never to do or utter nonsense, then we can live together in harmony my love.” He petted my cheeks. “What do you say, love? Am I forgiven?”
Cole spoke like he committed an offence synonymous with nothing. At some point, I wondered if I had mistaken the person who beat me without a second thought and to the brink of death.
He stood before me with a smile, waiting for my answer like it was normal.
“Where is Scar?” I asked and his face turned dark.
“She is in prison. Put away to never bother us again.” He answered with a dark and faraway look. “You don’t need to bother. She will never hurt you again.”
Cole spoke like she was one to be wary of. A monster. Thankfully, I knew better. I knew exactly what a monster looked like and he was standing in front of me in sheep’s clothing.
“I want to see her.” That was not the answer he’d hoped for. It was clear from the sudden change in his countenance.
He covered up with a faux smile. “Of course not.” He said it like it was simple math, looking at me like I was his world.
Spooked, I let myself ramble to fill up the painful silence. “Can I go out?” His jaws clenched and I realised how wrong that sounded. “I just want to go out of my room. I’ve been holed up here for the longest time.” I added, shaking within me.
This man scared me – His silence, acts, thoughts, everything. I had no idea the lengths he could go and that unnerved me.
“You can’t, my love.” His answer was expected. “I can’t trust that you are mentally stable to go out yet. However, Athaliah is at your beck and call. You can convey whatever you need to her and she will get it to me. You will remain here till I see valuable changes in you.”
Cole finished with a smile, sealed it with a chaste kiss and left me in my room, wondering what the hell just happened.