Chapter 7

I slowly came to, my senses foggy and disoriented. My head was spinning, and I couldn't make sense of anything. The sound of feet shuffling around me was the first thing that registered, followed by the feeling of something heavy on my forehead.

As I struggled to open my eyes, a gentle voice spoke to me, "Welcome back, dear. Can you hear me?"

I nodded, my throat dry and parched. My eyes fluttered open, and I was met with the kind face of a woman with a warm smile as she pulled her hand back from my forehead. She had a stethoscope around her neck and a clipboard in her hand. She smelled of lavender on a Saturday morning. So soothing.

"Hi, I'm Dr. April," she said, her voice as soothing as her scent and smile. "You're safe now. You're in your bedroom, and you're going to be okay."

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back onto the bed. Dr. April gently pushed me back, her hands firm but gentle.

"Easy, dear. You need to rest. Can you tell me your name?"

I swallowed hard, trying to speak through the fog in my mind. "A-Arianna," I stuttered.

Dr. April smiled. "Nice to meet you, Arianna. Can you tell me what happened? Do you remember anything?"

I shook my head,slowly. Fragments of memories flashed through my mind, but they were disjointed and unclear. I remembered Ryker's face, his cold eyes, and his menacing grin. I remembered the sound of ripping fabric and the feeling of intense fear, and then nothing.

Dr. April’s gentle prodding brought me back to the present. "Arianna, can you tell me how you're feeling? Do you have any pain or discomfort?"

I took a deep breath, trying to assess my body. I felt weak and tired, but there was no sharp pain. Just a dull ache that seemed to permeate every cell of my body.

As I spoke to Dr. Lee, I became aware of another presence in the room. Ryker leaned leisurely against the door, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. My heart skipped a beat as our eyes met, and the fear I felt for him, what felt like hours ago, returned. But I refused to let him see it. I masked my emotions, answering Dr. April’s questions as best as I could.

Ryker's presence seemed to grow more imposing, his eyes boring into me like cold, hard steel. I tried to ignore him, focusing on Dr. April’s gentle questions.

But Ryker's patience seemed to be wearing thin. He stepped forward, his voice arrogant and demanding. "What's wrong with her, Doctor? Why did she pass out?"

Dr. April's expression remained calm and professional, but I detected a hint of fear in her voice. Ah, he had that effect on everybody, then.

"Arianna is malnourished and dehydrated, Alpha. She also shows signs of physical abuse,” she quoted off her clipboard.

I felt a surge of vulnerability, my emotions raw and exposed. Ryker's eyes seemed to bore into me, his gaze piercing. I felt like I was being stripped bare, my secrets and fears laid out for him to see.

Ryker's expression didn't change, but his voice took on a slightly softer tone. "And is that all?"

Dr Arianna hesitated, her eyes flicking to me before returning to Ryker. "I think that's all for now, Alpha Ryker. Arianna needs rest and care. I'll leave instructions for her treatment."

Ryker nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "Very well. I'll make sure she receives the best care."

As Dr. April left the room, Ryker turned to me, his eyes cold and detached. "Arianna, is everything the doctor said true? Were you abused at home?"

I felt a surge of memories, painful and raw. I was triggered, my emotions boiling over. I snapped, my voice sharp and angry. "Why do you care? You're just going to use me for your own twisted desires, aren't you?"

Ryker paused for a while, his expression unreadable, and I thought he wasn’t going to reply when he spoke. "I don't care, Arianna. I just want to make sure you don't die before you do what I brought you here to do."

His words were like a slap in the face, a reminder that I’d been brought there like a commodity. A means to an end. He turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the room. I felt a wave of despair wash over me, followed by a deep-seated anger. I was trapped, caught in what looked like a life worse than the one I’d just come out from. But I refused to give up. I would survive, no matter what it took.

I sat in bed, my eyes fixed on the door as I waited for... something. Anything. The silence was oppressive as I looked at the windows that were high up in the sky. I felt like I was trapped in a luxurious prison, with no escape in sight.

Just as I was starting to drift off into a restless sleep, the door creaked open and a young girl slipped inside. She couldn't have been any older than me, with a shy demeanor and a hesitant smile. She carried a tray of food, the aroma of which made my stomach growl with hunger.

"H-hi," she stuttered, her eyes darting around the room before settling on me. "I'm Claire, the maid. I'll be taking care of you until you're feeling better."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I don't need a maid," I said, trying to sound firm but polite.

Claire's smile faltered, and she looked around the room nervously. "I-I'm afraid it's the Alpha's instructions, miss," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He wants to make sure you're well taken care of."

Someone would hear that and think he actually cared.

I thought of Ryker's controlling nature, his need to dictate every aspect of my life. But I said nothing, merely nodding and taking the tray of food from Claire.

As I ate, Claire hovered around the room, straightening up the already immaculate space. I could sense her eyes on me, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

When I finished eating, Claire approached me hesitantly. "I'll just take the tray, miss," she said, her eyes avoiding mine.

But I stopped her, my hand reaching out to grasp her wrist. "Wait," I said, my voice low and urgent. "Tell me, Claire... what do you know about Ryker?"

Claire's eyes widened, and she tried to pull away from me. But I held her fast, my grip tightening.

"P-please, miss," she stuttered. "I don't know anything. I swear."

But I knew she was lying. I could see the fear in her eyes, the way she glanced around the room as if she expected Ryker to appear at any moment.

"Tell me," I insisted, my voice firm but gentle. "What do you know?"

Claire's face went white, and she looked like she was about to pass out. “I..:I don’t want to get in trouble,” she stuttered.

“You won’t. I promise.”

Maybe it was the certainty in my voice or the sincerity in my eyes, but Claire stopped struggling, and then, in a voice I strained to hear, she spoke.

"The rumors are true," she said, her eyes darting around the room again. "There were four women before you. And they all... they all died."

My heart skipped a beat as I felt a chill run down my spine. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Claire's voice was trembling. "They were all pregnant, miss. Heavily pregnant. And they all died, along with the babies in their wombs."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The air was knocked out of me, and I couldn't breathe. Ryker's face flashed before my eyes, his cold, calculating gaze making my skin crawl.

"Did Ryker... did he kill them?" I asked, my voice shaking with fear.

Claire's eyes went wide, and she looked like she was about to bolt. "I-I don't know, miss," she stuttered. "But people say... People say he killed his own father when he was just 13 years old. That was his first murder.”

I felt like I'd been slapped. The room spun around me, and I thought I was going to pass out. Ryker, the man who had brought me here, who had torn my dress and left me feeling vulnerable and scared... he was truly a monster.

Claire seemed to realize her mistake, and she apologized profusely before scurrying out of the room. But it was too late. The seed of fear had been planted in my heart, and I knew it would take root and grow.

I was trapped in a nightmare, and I didn't know how to wake up.