Valko-Zeke

Chapter 6

Bellamy and Jack burst through the door. Bellamy met my eyes first and let out an obnoxious gasp.

"How the f**k are you still alive?" Bellamy shrilled. He didn't seem angered, no, he seemed intrigued.

"Is it really THAT unbelievable?" I retorted, while attempting to stand up.

The skin on my stomach stung when I attempted to straighten out, reopening my bloody, dried up wound. Turns out my injury was worse than I thought.

I groaned, then immediately saw Jack's frantic eyes lock with mine. I expected him to come and help me. After all, he was the one that tried to prevent this whole scenario, but he just looked at me. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and his brows were pressed into thin lines of concern.

He quickly looked away once he noticed me looking at him and shot his eyes up to the roof. I turned to Bellamy in confusion, only to find he had a similar expression printed onto his face. I followed their lines of vision until dread began to fill my stomach.

I forgot about Valentino

****

After Jack and his goons Dusty and Henry decided to have a 'meeting', Bellamy helped me tend to my wounds.

"Just tell me this, Amalia," Bellamy said seriously. I was currently lying on my bed in the cell pulling my shirt up to reveal my stomach as Bellamy cleaned my cut.

"Why didn't he kill you?"

"I-I don't know what you mean," I mumbled, getting flustered.

"We all know you didn't do that to Valentino. He was dangling from the seventh floor by a chain tied around his neck. He wasn't even recognizable!" Bellamy exacerbated.

"I don-"

"When you first got here you climbed to the seventh floor- he didn't kill you. Why? Now he saved you from Valentino?"

"I don't know Bellamy..." I whispered, refusing to tell him that we were mates.

"I can hear your heart beat. Your lying!" He accused.

"Bella-"

"Look, I'm not the one you need to worry about," he interrupted me, "but you can't let the others find out about this. "

"What do you mean? You mean Jack?" I said, confused.

"I mean everyone else in the prison, Amalia," He said, finishing up wrapping my stomach.

I planted my hands on the table and muscled myself up so I was sitting straight and quirked an eyebrow up at Bellamys words.

He stared back at me and then left me to my own devices in my cell.

...

I walked into the prison shower, my body aching from the fight with Valentino. I stripped off my clothes, wincing as I caught a glimpse of my bruises in the mirror. I had a large bruise on my left cheek, a cut above my eyebrow, and my knuckles were swollen and raw. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over me, easing the soreness in my muscles. I took my time, scrubbing away the sweat and grime from the fight.

As I washed my hair, I couldn't help but think about the fight and all the things that led up to it. My thoughts kept drifting to Valko Zeke and I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. I was ashamed that he had to step in and save me during the fight, it made me feel weak and inadequate. I couldn't help but replay the moments where I stumbled, where I couldn't defend myself.

After I finished showering, I wrapped a robe around myself and walked back to my cell. I noticed that someone had left a first aid kit on my bed, so I sat down on my bed and tended to my wounds. I winced as the antiseptic stung my cuts, but I knew it was necessary to prevent infection.

Once I was finished, I reached for my hairbrush and makeup bag. I took my time, brushing my hair and applying a light layer of makeup. I wanted to look my best, even though I knew it was pointless in a prison. I wanted to hide the bruises and cuts and pretend that everything was okay.

I walked over to my bed and lay down, letting out a sigh. My body ached and my mind was racing with thoughts. I decided to skip dinner, not feeling like facing anyone or answering questions.

As I lay in bed, my thoughts turned to Jack. I wondered if he would come by to check on me, to ask me about the fight or bring me food. I hoped he would. I wanted to talk to someone about what had happened and how I felt. But as the minutes ticked by, I knew he wasn't coming.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of concern. Jack was one of my closest friends in prison, and the fact that he didn't come to check on me made me wonder if he was angry or disappointed in me. I knew that I had let him down during the fight and that thought weighed heavily on me.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I felt a mix of disappointment and relief. My body was aching and my mind was racing with thoughts. I decided to let myself rest. I needed to heal and come to terms with what had happened.

As I lay there, my thoughts slowly started to fade, and I felt my body relax. I let myself drift off to sleep, letting my mind take a break from the constant chatter of thoughts and emotions.

...

I woke up to the sound of the morning bell ringing through the prison. I lay in my bunk, staring up at the ceiling, I felt a knot of anxiety in my stomach and was hesitant to leave the safety of my cell. I knew that once I stepped out into the prison yard, I would be exposed to the dangers and uncertainties of prison life.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves. I reminded myself that I had survived this long and I could survive today as well.

Slowly, I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. I saw a determined and capable woman staring back at me. I knew that I had to be strong, if not for myself, then for my new mate.

I grabbed my belongings and headed to the door. After taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the corridor, and walked towards the dining hall. If only I knew what would happen today, perhaps I could ease my nerves. As I was walking down the prison hallway, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. I turned to see Jack standing behind me, a look of suspicion on his face.

"Amalia," he said, his voice low and discreet, glancing around to ensure we were alone in the hallway. "I need to know something."

I nodded cautiously. "What?"

"Did the Alpha help you win that fight?"

I was taken aback by his question. I knew it was coming, but I still hadn't thought of my answer. I had to keep Zeke's help a secret at all costs.

"No," I lied, shaking my head. " I won that fight fair and square."

Jack's expression didn't change. "Are you sure?" he pressed, still keeping his voice low. "Because it just seems so convenient that you were able to win so easily."

I knew I had to be careful with my words. "I swear to you, Jack," I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Then how did Valentino get... hung in that way?"

I gulped, trying to think fast, "I had started to climb up the wall, and he followed me up. I kicked him down and hid on the fourth level. I guess he thought that I had climbed higher, but he went too far up and that was when the Alpha killed him."

Jack thought about it for a moment, and seemed to accept my answer, "So, he just climbed that high by himself?"

I nodded, "I guess since he thought that I was up even higher, that he would be safe. That wasn't the case though, obviously."

Jack nodded, looking relieved, "I don't know why I... kind of thought you might have been his mate."

My face paled a bit, but I kept myself cool and let out a chuckle. "No," I said, shaking my head.

Jack smiled at me, and nodded his head. "Okay. Just let me explain that to everyone else, and then tonight... we can have a celebration."

"A celebration?" I asked, surprised.

"You are officially one of us Amalia!" He beamed, and bent down to give me a hug. I smiled, feeling somewhat like a fraud.