FIVE

Lyra's POV

“I'm naked,” my voice came out in a whimper as the blanket loosens from my chest, “and the wolf king is staring at every wound I have tried so hard to cover all my life,” I add, talking more to myself. I look down at the space between my feet. I was bare but the way he looked at me made me feel like she could see more than my scarred skin.

I struggled with the blanket that had gathered around my feet. Picking the blanket seemed more difficult than standing there and allowing him to look through me.

The room was suddenly stuffy, more like someone had drained out all the air, leaving me in here, without any source of oxygen. The walls were closing in on me.

I managed to bend, and pick it up, hurriedly wrapping it around my chest once more. His eyes were still on me and this made me hot all over. They didn't have the look of disdain and disgust on them, it was more like an intrigued expression. More like concern.

I could not tell the last time someone looked at me with concern in their eyes. Not since that day— I had caused this for myself anyway. I didn't deserve an iota of pity.

“Please excuse me,” I mumbled, turning sharply towards the bathroom in a bid to hide. I could not afford to look him in the eyes.

He looked like he was expecting an explanation. I owed no one an explanation— an explanation would be the end of me.

I was almost there, almost at the bathroom door when I felt a hand grab me pulling me back.

“Come back here Lyra,” his deep voice followed, as he tightened his grip on my arm, the force of his grip sending tingling sensations down my nerves.

“Ouch,” I whimpered, turning to face him. His eyes never seemed to get tired of examining me. They were tracing lines on my body, mapping out every dent. I felt small under his scorching gaze, the gaze that threatened to dig into my soul and bring out every secret I have locked up— everything I tried to forget.

“What happened to you, Lyra? Who did that to you?” He asks once again, his voice more domineering than the last time, pulling me out of my self induced trance.

“What happened to me?” I repeated, blinking repeatedly as a way to buy myself some time, “oh these are just birthmarks…” I stuttered, biting my lower lip, “it's really nothing to be worried about, I promise,”

I managed a smile, seemingly forgetting how my face looked when I smiled. It was a gesture I had long forgotten how to do.

“Quit playing with me, Lyra,” he chuckled, “What exactly happened? Who did these to you? Have you seen your skin in a mirror?” I have, I know how the wounds look because I spend most of my time treating them, wondering when they would fully heal. But I guess they are— here to serve as reminders to me.. to remind me of my past mistakes

“I have”

“And this,” he pointed his arm in the direction of my belly.

He had seen it, the worst of them all, how keen were his eyes that he had to notice it? .

“Holy cow,” he cursed, running the free hand through his hair, “ You better tell me what happened Lyra, or else I would get really mad and trust me you don't want to see me get mad,”

I don't want to… even though I was hoping that his anger would burn down my past, wipe it out of existence.

“My arms hurt… really bad,” I cried out, struggling to free myself from his grip. It would be easier to think straight if he wasn't holding me— if his skin wasn't in contact with mine.

“I…I am sorry. I didn't realize that I was hurting you,”

“It's fine, your highness. You don't need to apologize to me,” I muttered, bowing my head in shame.

“Don't ever say something like that. You are a being, aren't you?”

“I…i..think..,” I stuttered, the words not making sense to me.

“So why then should I not apologize? I was hurting you, wasn’t I?”

“I didn't think of it that way,”

‘Enough about that,” he said, putting an end to my delusion— cutting the feeling short— the feeling of being regarded as ... ..a being. One to be considered.

“Tell me why you have this many scars on your skin? Aren't you supposed to be Edmund's ex mate? How then would he have the heart to inflict these kinds of injuries on you?”

“Edmund didn't do this to me,” I lied, hopefully, with time I would believe it as well.

“Then who did it? Tell me and I would immediately have them jailed up and beheaded,”

I looked at him. He was the alpha king, everyone was terrified of him, there were so many rumors about him being ruthless. But here he was, with a boyish grin on his face.

He seemed determined— determined to help me out, determined to help me fight my fears. I was almost at the verge of spilling, at the verge of letting my sins out in the open.

“Alpha sir?” A voice called, followed by a loud knock on the door, interrupting our little moment.

“There is no need to be scared now, take a seat here,” he pointed out, noticing as I had already gathered the blanket and was about to rush into the bathroom.

“I brought this as you requested, your highness,” a female voice said as he opened the door.

It was less than a split second when he returned, holding a pile of clothes in his hands.

“Here. Have these,” he smiled, handing them to me, “you can go change in the bathroom, I really do hope they fit tho,”

“Thank you so much,” I bent my knees in appreciation and he raised a brow. I turned my back to him and walked into the bathroom.

I shut the door and heaved a sigh., leaning my head against the toilet wall and shutting my eyes. Memories flooded my head. Memories i don’t want to remember, to think of. I bit my lips, the sting of fresh hot tears hitting every part of my body, hurting the back of my eyes, “Don't go there, Don’t think about it. Don’t say anything. Just behave,” it rang repeatedly, the only thoughts that helped me get through the day— my only companion in the solitude that was living with Edmund.

Maybe this was a sign— a sign that I needed to go back to Edmund.. staying far away from him would kill me.. The alpha would understand, he had to. He looked kind and he definitely wouldn't want an unhappy participant.

I put on the clothes he gave me, throwing the top over my head before putting on the sweatpants he gave me. I took a long look at myself in front of the mirror, pressing my thin lips together. I looked fresh, my face very clean and better than what I always looked like with Edmund.

My Edmund..

I stepped out of the bathroom, my mind made up because I needed to leave. I have to go back to Edmund. My legs froze to the ground as i saw the sight in front of me, the beautifully arranged table, filled with various sorts of food. Food i only saw in Edmund’s place if we were preparing for an event or something and yet..

“Come and sit. You need to eat.” He said.

I stared at the table again, and then at his face. This was too much. This could not be. There…

“Lyra…”

“Your highness, i can’t..

“Lyra, come and sit. We’ve been traveling all day.”

I nodded my head, dragging my feet with my heart thumping hard in my chest. Why was he being nice to me? Why was there so much food? What if.. What..

I took my seat on one of the chairs, gulping down with my stomach rumbling with deep hunger. I could feel his scorching gaze on my face, burning right on my forehead.

“Eat up.” He said, two words.

“Um,... I am sorry but which one is mine?” I inquired, still unable to form coherent words.

He scoffed out, chuckling right after, “You are quite amusing my dear. What do you mean by which one is yours? Everything you can see on this table is yours to eat,”

I looked up, my eyes widening in shock. From his face, to the table and to his words ringing back in my head. Everything on the table is mine. Mine. All this food. Mine.

“Are you okay, Lyra?”

I gulped down. This was hard to believe. Because the last time a large amount of food like this belonged to me, was made for me, was the night before I connived with Edmund to kill my parents. That was the last day I ate at a table like this, solely prepared for me.