Stray Echo

Even More Scars

POV: Echo

Cordelia looked between the Alpha’s smirk and my blushing face, and smiled knowingly as she scented my arousal in the air. She seemed to understand that I was not prepared for her to comment on it and merely helped me hobble back to the bedside.

“Alpha, maybe it would help if you were to position yourself in front of her so I can finish this up. I am almost done, Lu-,” Turning to Atlas, she motions him forward to sit in front of me, catching herself before she calls me by my title. She smiles at me apologetically before continuing. “Echo. I am just reaching your back now, and then I just need to check under your bra and underwear.”

Closing my eyes briefly to stem the worry that bubbles at the thought, I remind myself that after having shown them the words carved into my back, the rest of my scars are minimal. Cordelia moved to sit behind me on the bed before she sighed.

“I am sorry Echo, but I am going to have to check where each…” she paused, seeming uncertain what to say next.

“Where he carved each letter?” I stated numbly, providing the words for her.

“Yes, my Luna.” She says, reverting to my title in her stress. I know by the tightness in her voice that she is struggling to say the next part. “I-I am going to have to check where he… carved… each… letter… It will be much the same as I have assessed the rest of your injuries. If anything hurts, please tell me. If you need a break at any point, don’t hesitate to ask for one.”

Swallowing hard, I gave her a jerky nod. Aside from when Atlas carried me in his arms, only Brady had touched the freshly healed scars. With a whine, I flinched when I felt the pressure of her fingers making their way over the first letter.

She pauses for a moment, giving me the time that I need as I adjust to the odd sensation of tender numbness from the letters. Atlas sat in the chair he dragged over, which put him directly in front of me. He slowly brought his forehead to mine, placing his hands on my hips. His green eyes never wavered from mine, and when he saw me particularly struggling, he would whisper soothingly into my ear.

“I am here, my Little Warrior, you are with me. You are safe now.” His voice was deep and soothing. Between his voice, intoxicating scent, and the tingling touch of the mate bond, I was able to sit through the rest of the examination of my back. Once she was done, Cordelia moved from behind me, placing a trembling hand on my shoulder and smiling gently at me while tears filled her eyes.

“Luna, I am done with my examination. Zev did a very thorough job of cleaning the…” She paused, clearing her throat before continuing. “Claw marks across your ribs and lower back. They should heal quickly now that you have your wolf, and your mate has cleaned them.” Seeing my confusion, she explained.

“I believe you are aware of your expedited healing, both prior to Tala’s appearance, and even more so now that she has arrived?” I nodded to confirm. “Well, mate bonds allow werewolves to sense each other’s needs, emotions, pain, etc. Their saliva also has healing properties, but only for each other. When Zev was licking the claw marks, he was both cleaning them and giving you his saliva to help heal them.” She smiled at my surprise and patted my arm as I saw her hesitate.

“Time to strip the rest of the way?” I asked, trying to make it sound like a joke, failing as my voice tightened in apprehension. She gives me a small smile, appreciating the attempt, and nods. Turning to Atlas and seeing the conflicted look on his face as he tried to figure out how to show me respect while I’m naked, I couldn’t help but smile before Tala pushed an image into my mind. Forgetting my reservations, I decide to give in to her impulsive idea.

Feeling braver than I ever had before, I caught Atlas’s eye and turned around before I reached up behind me to unhook my bra, slowly slipping the straps down my arms and letting the ragged thing hit the floor.

Feeling his gaze on me with rapt attention, following my every movement, I grin at the powerful feeling teasing him brings me. He sucks in a breath as I stand facing away from him, hooking my thumbs into the elastic waist of my underwear, and I bite my bottom lip, scenting his arousal in the air this time. Cordelia outright laughs, drawing my attention as she watched the scene unfold, turning to Atlas with a smirk.

“I think someone’s getting a little payback for earlier.” Her eyes sparkled with humour as we watched him blush, unable to tear his eyes away. I looked down, preparing to expose myself entirely, and froze.

Just now remembering the scars that my underwear kept hidden, the scars Tala’s idea made me forget all about. I cleared my throat and covered my breasts with my hands before turning around, suddenly anxious about being seen. I met his confused look with a wince and offered the only explanation I could.

“I forgot,” I whispered, slowly lowering my hands and removing my underwear as well. Looking everywhere but at the wolves, who made a series of furious noises as they looked at me, I watched them both move around me, taking it all in.

Scars were concentrated in these areas as Brady used to be more diligent about hiding the extent to which he went to torture me. Once I turned eighteen, he gave up on most pretenses, and things escalated.

“He used to hide the marks when I was younger,” I stated emptily, shrugging as I answered their unvoiced question. A tingle runs up my spine as Atlas lightly taps one of the many rows of lines that run across my butt cheeks.

“His tally,” I whimpered, my throat feeling tight as Atlas began growling the more I explained. “He used to keep track of how many times he would have to punish me. He stopped when I turned eighteen and it didn’t matter anymore.”

Atlas and Cordelia just stared at me, neither seeming to know what to say after this new revelation, after knowing the extent of torture I’d endured. With a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes, I shrug.

“I’d honestly forgotten about them for a moment.” My voice was hard, causing their eyes to widen. “Please, can we focus on getting me out of here instead of what he’s done to me?”

My voice sounded foreign to me, filled with a mixture of my and Tala’s strength and determination. They shared a look before turning to me, and nodding once, their eyes shining with pride and compassion.

“Yes! We will,” Cordelia said before packing up her healer’s case. Checking that she had everything before stepping to the door, turning back to us for one last thing.

“I’ve done what I can for your ankle, but we will have to do x-rays once we reach our pack. I will most likely have to break any healing that’s been done by then in order to set it properly. Tala, if you can hold back as much healing as possible from your ankle, it would be best in the long run. I need to prepare to head out.”

Atlas nods, and she slips out, heading down the hallway and leaving us truly alone for the first time.