“Did you get a good fucking look at what your people have done? Did you!” He snarled, making his anger very clear.
“I am not to blame for that!”
“As their king, you are to blame for everything they do!” He roared, his anger clearly reaching a new level.
I had no idea my father had done this kind of thing, having taken his crown and job fifty years ago. I wondered when he did such a horrible act and why I was only now finding out about it. Hating that, it horrified me to ask. But, I managed the words.
“When did this happen?”
“Forty years ago.” He snapped again.
I nodded and sat in silence. I had been king for just a decade, having had to take my father’s position because he was unfit to lead. My father, having been stripped of his title, he was gone for long periods of time. Now I knew what he was up to, and I was horrified.
“You have my deepest sympathies that my father did this to you. I did not know—-”
“I don’t want your fucking sympathies.” He hissed.
Sinking into silence again, the other male finished up my foot and spoke.
“I’ve stabilized your foot, but I don’t recommend you walk or move around too much on it.”
“Thank you.” I said softly.
“Alpha, may I speak to you outside?” He said.
I watched as they headed outside. My foot felt better, but that was meaningless compared to the grand scheme of things. Giving my head a shake, I felt ashamed. My father had been committing all this horror right under my nose and I did not know.
Testing my foot, I stood up and looked around. When the door opened again, the other male frowned, seeing me up and standing on my foot.
“Thank you again.” I said, politely.
“If it causes you any more problems, do say something.” The healer said, before glaring at the Alpha.
“Thank you.”
The Alpha made it clear he was ready to leave with the look he gave me. Limping behind him, all the way back to the cabin. He shoved me inside, but much lighter than before.
Carefully, I spoke. This time, taking into account the horrors my father did to him.
“I understand why you blame me for what happened to you and others.”
“I highly fucking doubt that you do. Kissing my ass won’t get you anywhere.” He growled.
“I am not kissing you and anyone else’s ass, let me assure you of that. But you need to understand. I honestly did not know what he was doing. If I had, I would have put a stop to it.”
“Shut up.”
“No! I refuse. You—”
“I said shut up!” He roared and drew his hand up, hitting me with the back of his hand. Bringing my hand up, I touched my lip where I felt pain. Anger welled up inside of me, but instead of acting out on it. I took a few deep breaths.
“You can’t just keep hitting me or hurting me when you don’t like something I have to say, you want to blame me for what my father did to you and your people, but it’s not my fault, I didn’t scar you. He did. So please, If you intend to make me stand in for my father’s crimes, then at the very least tell me all I am guilty for.”
I waited for him to hit me, or harm me again. But he did no such thing. He narrowed his eyes at me and went to sit by the fire again. He was silent, and I limped back to where I had been when I woke up the first time. Sitting back down, I relaxed against the wall.
What I wouldn’t give for my normal cup of tea right now, and maybe a slice of cake. My stomach growled, and I just ignored it. I hoped those of my people who still lived were treated better than I was. They weren’t to blame for this. I wasn’t either, but I would take all the blame if it meant they got to live pain free and without worry of the wolves.
“My people, are they ok?” I asked.
“Your people are just fine.”
“Please don’t punish them. I will take all the responsibility for everything.”
“How heroic of you.” He sneered.
Silence took back over the space again, and sadness filled me. There was nothing I could do. This was where I was likely to die. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stopped the tears that threatened to fall.
My stomach growled again, and the Alpha seemed to catch it this time.
“Get up. If I have to listen to your stomach growl any longer, I’ll lose my ever loving mind.”
Getting up, I bit my tongue to stop from crying out at how badly it actually hurt to do. He didn’t walk as fast as we made it to a larger cabin. The inside was filled with wolves and the scent of food.
My people sat in the far corner of the building. They had bowls of food and everyone looked well. But it was hard not to notice the atmosphere change when he brought me in. Conversations seemed to die down, and I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I hated it.
The sound of one bowl smashing off the ground had everyone’s attention. Looking up, I met eyes with my aunt, who was standing up and looked horrified. Tears filled her eyes, and she defied the wolf, who told her to sit back down and mind her business. She walked right past him and towards me. The wolf, who seemed to watch all my people, stomped over angrily and as he raised his hand, I spoke.
“I will take her punishment.”
“Elias no!” She yelled.
The wolf actually seemed stunned and looked at the Alpha. The Alpha spoke.
“Just go sit back down and clean your mess.”
The other wolf lightly shoved my aunt back to the others and gave her stuff to clean up her mess. The Alpha took my upper arm and pulled me to the other end of the large cabin.
“Sit.”
Carefully, I did as he asked and he sat down not that far from me. I could feel the heat from his skin. Our legs were that close together. A small table was in front of us and he was served food and drinks only moments later. They placed a small amount of food on a plate in front of me. Shredded meat, vegetables and bread, it smelled heavenly, but I knew the pain I would be in because I hadn’t fed in days. Processing the food would be painful.
I looked to see the Alpha eating, then picked up a few pieces of the meat and placed it in my mouth. It was warm and delicious, so I cleaned off the rest of the plate quickly.
My stomach hurt before we even got out of the hall, where they all shared a meal. Back in his cabin, the pain was far worse now. I knew this would be the case, but I was starving. I needed the food. Keeping a straight face, I went right back to the same spot to sit down, leaned up against the wall. The Alpha lifted a pictured fabric away from the wall and I realized he did indeed have more than one big open room for his cabin. But that made sense because there was no bed in all the open space out here. It wasn’t yet dark, but I was sure it would be within the next few hours. I was praying that I could fall asleep before the worst of the pain arrived shortly.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened to me, but this was definitely the longest I had gone without feeding, that was for sure. This was bound to be a very painful mistake. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, listening to the surrounding sounds. I heard the Alpha moving around. He stopped not far from me and then continued on his way with whatever he was doing.
I was missing my nightly glass of tea and my feather down bed now, in the worst of ways. Part of me wondered how long he intended to drag this on for. At any point, he could just end me. His anger proved that.
“Get up, go lie by the fireplace, you’re in my way.”
Opening my eyes, I looked at him fully and realized he was speaking to me and wanted me to move. Waiting for a moment, I tried to stand up. I was struggling. He grabbed my upper arm and yanked me up. Limping to the fireplace, I walked past a small mirror. Stopping, I inspected myself.
It was no wonder that my aunt looked horrified to see me. My hair was tangled, my lip split and swollen, my foot wrapped up, but most noticeable was the black and purple handprint around my entire throat from when he shook me like a damn rag doll. I looked like I had been through hell, and I felt like it, too. I noticed the Alpha watching me as I touched my neck and he huffed and went back to what he was doing before.
“How many people did my father and others kill?” I spoke softly, worried about him lashing out again.
“Too many. Every day, he killed more people.” He said, some anger in his voice.
“I’m deeply sorry that you had to be out through that.” I replied.
“Your sorry is worthless to me as kin of that monster.”
“I understand. But—-”
“Go, I’m too busy to speak about this.” His tone was cold and rude, but he didn’t scream like before.
I went and sat down, right in the chair by the fireplace. He looked at me, but said nothing, continuing what he had me move for. Which was fine. The chair was far more comfortable than the floor. Closing my eyes, and with the heat from the fireplace, I was done for. My body was demanding I sleep now.
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