07|Did I hear wrong?

Davina’s POV

“Get her cleaned up” Emmanuel ordered and I held the hem of my dress tighter. “Make sure she is properly dressed too and give her suppressant, she must not get pregnant since she will be spending the night with the Lycan king”.

I froze the moment those words were uttered. A chill ran down my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. Every nerve in my body went rigid as my mind scrambled to process the weight of what had just been said.

Did I hear wrong?

Suppressant? Spending the night with the Lycan king?

My legs almost gave way but I stretched my hand out to hold onto anything that was near me– I touched a hard surface and I held the edge of the table, keeping my body steady to stop myself from falling.

"Oh, Moon Goddess. Is that true? What could the Lycan King possibly see in her?" one of the girls murmured, her words heavy with disbelief. I could feel their stares pressing down on me and they carried a weight of judgment and resentment.

"Right? She looks like... a ghost," the other girl replied, trying—and failing—to keep her voice low. Their laughter was muffled, but it reached me all the same.

“Stop laughing and do what you are asked, no mistake is acceptable” Emmanuel scolded and I could hear the slight annoyance in his voice.

“Yes, yes, we understand”. They replied, trying to hold back their laughter.

I could feel Emmanuel gaze on me, and with a final once-over glance, he turned away before muttering to the girls. “I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you”

A cold shiver crept down my spine. What did he mean?

Once he left, their restraint snapped and they burst out laughing. Their mocking laughter rang through the room like a haunting echo, it was cold and cruel. It had me inhale a deep breath and I couldn't help but wonder what they were going to do now.

“Right, let’s take care of the king’s new blind ghost,” one of them snickered, footsteps approaching. She stopped close enough that I could feel her presence looming. “What’s your name, ghost?” she taunted, her voice dripping with cruel amusement.

“Not that it matters,” the other said. “We can just stick with ghost, it suits her more especially since she looks like one” They all laughed again, their words cutting me as deeply as any blade.

I kept my head down and sucked in a breath. Bawling my hands into a fist, I tried to control the anger that I felt. I wasn't a robot, I had emotions too, I wanted to speak– to tell them not to talk to me that way but I didn't utter a single word as they continued to laugh.

Five years—that was all it took to break me, to shatter everything Father and Mother had instilled in me. All the confidence they’d nurtured was gone, leaving only fragments of who I used to be. Now I was just a broken vessel—empty and fractured, a mere shell of who I had been. Every piece of me that once held purpose had crumbled, leaving only the remnants of someone who no longer knew how to feel whole.

The only reason that had kept me alive, that kept me going was Sebastian. The hope that I would one day meet him was the only reason I was currently breathing.

Experience had taught me not to react, not to show emotions– that way, it would be less painful.

With a sigh, one of them sneered, “Seems she's not only blind but mutt. Oh well, let’s strip her down and get her cleaned up before Emmanuel gives us another lecture.”

I flinched back as I felt a hand reaching toward me, instinctively pulling away. “I’ll handle it myself,” I spoke up for the first time, my voice firmer than I felt. “I can bathe on my own.” My gaze swept over the space around me, but all I saw was a blank, endless white.

“Oh, so she’s got a voice,” one of them chuckled mockingly. “What are you hiding, anyway? Not like there’s much to see.” I barely had a moment to brace before rough fingers gripped the fabric on my shoulders, tugging it thoughtlessly.

I felt something in me snap and before I realized what I had done, I reached out, moving on instincts alone, I gripped her wrist tightly in my hand, yanking her away from me without letting go. Their surprised gasps echoed in the room and she tried to pull away from my grip but she couldn't.

“Don’t touch me,” I said, my words carrying a warning I hadn’t intended, but one that felt long overdue.

She laughed, though there was a tremble in her voice now. “Oh, so the blind ghost has claws after all?” she sneered, but her words wavered.

“Let go,” the other said, trying to sound brave, though I could hear the uncertainty creeping in.

I sighed and let go of her hand, she immediately move away from me but I could feel their glares. I had overreacted, I knew that and I regretted it. They were only going to get worse from here.

“I can take my bath” I whispered and they scoffed.

“Do what you want. It is not like we want to touch you either”.

They didn't come near me anymore and my body relaxed a little but then I remembered about the Lycan king, my mate. I could hear my heart beating rapidly as I thought about his touch in the car earlier and now I would be spending the night with him.

“Go left, and make sure you take your bath well,” she snapped, her voice laced with irritation. I nodded, feeling her disdain settle over me like a weight, and took a careful step forward, extending my hands to feel my way.

I felt the doorknob under my fingers and turned it, stepping into the bathroom. Despite my lack of sight, I’d managed to survive five years without seeing; maneuvering through unfamiliar spaces had become second nature.

I stripped off my clothes, letting them fall around my feet, and my hand drifted unconsciously to the tattoo on my chest. It burned beneath my fingers, a dull, persistent heat that started ever since I saw Hades.

I stepped under the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me, washing away the tension clinging to my skin. When I was done, I brought my hand out and found a towel in the rank. Wrapping it around my body, I walked out hesitately.

“Look, Stella.” I felt their eyes on me as I anxiously stood there.

“Sit down and let us get to it,” the girl—Stella, I assumed—scoffed. “Or are we not even allowed to touch your hair anymore?”

I didn't reply and obediently sat down, hands gripping the edge of the bed. They inched closer and began brushing my hair, I had thought they would be rough cut surprisedly they weren't.

When they finished, they gave me a drug which I assumed was the suppressant, I hesitated before I swallowed it, I knew I didn't want to find what would happen if I didn't. 

They thrust a dress into my hands. The fabric felt soft and silky under my fingers, almost too luxurious, like something meant for someone else. “Put this on and come out when you’re done,” Marie ordered before leaving the room.

When I was done, I followed them, my head lowered and my steps careful. Their footsteps echoed ahead, guiding me through the halls, but I kept my distance, my hands lightly brushing the walls to steady myself.

“Stay here” Stella commanded, “The king would come in soon”. I was about to say something but they pushed me into the room and closed the door behind them.

I stood there in the room where his scent seemed to linger. An hour passed by and no one walked in and I wasn't sure if I could sit on the bed so I sat on the floor and continued waiting.

Another hour went by and I immediately sat up straight when I heard the door to the bedroom crack open. Light, almost inaudible footsteps drew nearer, and I knew it was him.

I had braced myself for something else, but nothing could prepare me for what came next. Without warning, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward him with an almost violent force.

“How dare you!?” His voice was cold and seething with anger, sending a jolt of fear through me as he yanked me closer. “Do you have a death wish?”