Excuse me?! I shouted back.
''Leave her out in the sun but don't strip her, my instinct is clawing against that idea.'
''No…'
''Don't Kim, have my instinct ever been wrong?'
''I gave an order to have her stripped, whipped and tied under the sun! No man is to touch her, not one finger but leave her out to dry and keep the teenagers out of the ground until her three days expires.'
That was the order given and that was what was done. Whipped every morning and left out to dry, for three straight days. Yes, except for the fact that I was not stripped or stark naked because she later kicked against the idea.
but that wasn't my major concern. By the time it was the third day, I had gone completely blind with almost deaf ears. My body was almost useless but I could manage.
Two more strikes were all there was, two more strikes and I'll die. That was what I wanted. I missed mom, I needed to be with her.
What about Kale?
What about Kale?… I flared… What has he done for us than cause us pain!
He isn't aware of what is going on!
Nuance!
'Are you sure you can manage on your own?' Rina asked anxiously.
She led me to a river to bathe since I smelt like the biggest rotten flesh in the history of…of…of…I don't know. Giselle was sent out with some other maids to go clean up Kale's lakehouse. Rina was called by her sealed master to come to see him. Eventually, I had to manage on my own.
''Yes Carina, I can manage, I promise.'
''Don't stay too long or any wolf can come out here and defile you. Many of them have seen you being humiliated to the lowest level one could Ever think of and are all wanting you, be careful.'
'' Being disregarded as a female isn't a new thing to them,'
''Amongst their kind, not humans like us. Please be careful.'
'I will,' it took me three minutes to convince her but she left. She helped me fetch a bucket of water. I wasn't going to get into the river and pollute it. I used my hands to feel, it was like bathing in the dark. I successfully sponged the filth out the way I could, three good times before rinsing the soap off.
When I was sure my body was almost clean, I walked into the river to cool off. The water was very cold but I loved it, it reminded me of the grotto water. I remembered the time my mother first showed me the grotto, the magic it formed in my heart.
I'm tired, I want to die.
Vanessa, please don't… I sank deep into the water, letting myself go in deep… You can't die! Not without avenging mother!
I swam back up, agreeing to that. I could hear the ruffling of leaves. I ducked my body in, leaving my head at nose level.
''Is anybody here? I can smell something odd.' That voice. I raised my head, making sure my chest remained in the water.
'Rick!' I shouted. 'It's me, Vanessa!'
' Vanessa?!' He shouted.
Remember the youngest son of the she-wolf I saved?
'Don't come closer, I'm naked.'
'Oh,' I swam out of the water, ready to change. 'How have you been? Have you been taken good care of here?'
'' So good I look like an empress,' I said sarcastically. I found the gown I was wearing.
'' Vanessa, what have they done to you?'
''How's your mother?'
'She's fine.' He replied looking at me.
''And the baby?'
''Healthy, they will come in three days. I ran away, I'm tired of them.
Uncle Kale promised to return in five days…' My heart flipped when he said that. Questions started flooding my head, questions pushed in by Lona.
What if he saves us?
Would he care?
Would he search for us?
Will he be angry when he sees what they have done to my body?
I know he won't do anything to them but would he protect me? Would he stop this torture?
What if…
What if what!… I snapped. I wore my dress and looked for my underwear.
Rick was talking but I wasn't paying attention. When I was done, I called out to him.
''Rick, can you come now?' It didn't take him more than ten seconds to find me.
''Vanessa! What happened to your face?! And your body?!'
''Can you help me? I can't see.'
''But…'
''Please Rick, ignore my sight.' I could tell he was crying due to the soft sobs that left his mouth.
'' How could they do this to you,' he cried. 'You saved us,'
''They needed to pass their hate, I was open for service.' I smiled.
'No!' I heard him scream before he ran off. I sighed and shrugged, I would wait for Rina then.
»»»»»»»» End of flashback ««««««««
Two days after my wonderful nine days, I was dragged somewhere.
I remember I'm still blind and one ear went completely deaf. I was forced to sit down, I could tell there were a lot of wolves in there.
''Welcome,' Kim chirped. 'I heard you haven't eaten since you got here, not a single bite. I decided to make your food out of my generosity. Before you are the nicely fried flesh of one of your people, one of the wolves was nice enough to have collected them from the hounds. According to what I was told, this is your king's body…'
What?! Father!
''You will eat it, know how it feels to eat flesh…' I clenched my fists, sinking my teeth into my lips. '
" Eat it!' I refused. I felt a hand on my jaw, they wanted to force me to eat it. I clamped my jaw shut, refusing to open my damn mouth.
''Urgh! She's irritating! Eat it!!!'
'She won't eat it!' Before I knew it, I was hurled across the room and landed somewhere. I let out a sob, I wasn't going to cry. I knelt up and started feeling the floor, tears falling from my eyes. I kept feeling, looking for a way out. The door flew open, the wind carrying a particular scent, a familiar one. I didn't pay any attention, I only focused on trying to get away as my tears betrayed me.
The silence in the room was strange, I could feel the sudden fear of all the wolves, why? I kept feeling until I touched a shoe. I felt the shoe up to a leg. I heard a soft whimper before my two shoulders were grabbed and I was tugged to my feet. Whoever was holding me gasped, I did too because of the series of fireworks in my head, the dragon flying in my stomach and the electricity running to my heart from his touch.
''What have you all done to her?!!!' He roared. My heart stopped, my breathing hitched as my eyes widened.
Holding me was no other than Alpha Kale.
My mind shouted one name; Rick…,?