*** CONTENT WARNING: ABUSE AND VIOLENCE ON THE SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS. ***
"You have such a beautiful body," Marcus murmurs appreciatively as he circles around me like a predator examining its prey. "It would be such a shame if it were permanently scarred."
He makes me lie on my stomach on the bed, my body still trembling from the intense pain that he had inflicted upon me earlier. He sits on the side and something cold touches my skin. I flinch at the contact, but I force myself to stay still.
"Shhh, now. This is just some healing salve. I will call the healer later," Marcus soothes as he applies the cool substance onto my raw and bruised back.
I bite my lip to keep myself from crying out as the salve stings against my wounds. It's painful, but I know that moving will only make it worse.
"You're doing so well, Lyrica," he murmurs, his hand gently rubbing the salve into my skin. "If you always obey me, there's no need to suffer from this."
