His Silent Temptation

Chapter 13 - Nothing Left to Take

Warning: The following contains abusive content.

S e l e n e

—

I was just a lamb surrounded by wolves. Human girls would have it better than me. As he stalked in my direction, I backed away, but what use could my bandaged legs give me? What strength would I have against a man twice my size?

When I opened my mouth to scream, he seized me violently. I cried into his hand, but barely a sound came out. Grabbing his forearm, I attempted to flee, but what good did that prove?

“b***h!” Leo snarled, throwing me to the floor. The wheelchair loudly crashed. My body slammed upon the ground, pain erupting on my elbows. I winced, clutching the spot, but it was futile.

“Alpha Malore sends his regards,” Leo seethed, grabbing me by the hair.

I hissed as my strands strained against my scalp, agony spreading across my body. Without warning, he yanked me back, until my throat was revealed to him.

I glared vehemently upon him, into the eyes of a man who had no worth to abuse me, but did so in secret like the coward he was. Clutching onto his wrist in an attempt to wrench myself free from him, I knew I was useless.

Killian was not here. Chester had just left.

Who else in the house would come to my aid?

“w***e,” Leo spat out, a sort of hatred and anger in his voice unlike any other. How have I offended him? Why did he hate me to this extent? Or, was he just a loyal henchman of Malore’s? There wasn’t a single waver in his voice as most abusers were when they had the upper hand.

“Are you listening, you venomous slut?” Leo hissed, raising his hand.

PAK!

Leo smacked me across the face. My head flew to the side, my cheeks burning. I tasted blood in my mouth, but that was just the lightest of the abuse.

Before I could even collect myself, Leo swung his legs into my stomach. I choked, my entire body buckling forward. Saliva dribbled from my mouth as I heaved on the floor, painfully clutching the spot.

Malore always enjoyed punishment and torture, but never like this. He hurt me in places people couldn’t see. He was abusive and violent, his temper unpredictable, but it wasn’t always this way.

Malore seldom beat me without reason nor struck me with his own hands and feet. Instead, it was with equipment like leather whips for horses, tree branches he found, or the nearest item next to him.

Malore didn’t have the heart to hurt me himself.

“When I am done with you,” Leo snarled. “You will forget your own name.”

It was the last time I remembered that incident before he stomped down on my skull. My head spun as if my brain was rattled against my bones. I opened my mouth to scream, but he shoved something into it and forcibly tied it behind my head. I clawed at the floor, retching away from him, doing anything I could to run.

“Smile for the camera, slut.” Leo grabbed fistfuls of my hair, yanking me back whilst stepping on my back. I sobbed and choked out, attempting to flee and fight for my life.

Leo held a phone to my face and I saw the blood tainting my flesh. Then, the camera flashed and I squeezed my eyes shut, realizing he had taken a picture of me. Whether it was for safekeeping or proof to Malore, I would not know.

When Leo released me, I knew my fate was sealed.

There was no freedom I could run to. No one to protect me. No way for me to fight for my life. This was my destiny—to be abused and never loved. This was the life of a traitor’s daughter.

A lone tear trickled down my face as I heard a loud WHOOSH! And the next thing I knew, horror unlike any other rained upon me.

- - - - -

The abuse lasted for as long as I could remember. Whether or not Leo did it on purpose, there were no visible injuries except for a sore cheek. All of the bruises and cuts were underneath my clothing, where it wouldn’t be easy to show anyone. The abuse only stopped when I passed out from the sheer agony that threatened to split my skull open and make me beg for death if I could.

I woke up in sheer darkness. Peeling my eyes open, I wondered if anyone entered the room after I passed out. Seeing as I was on the bed, tucked in like it was no big deal, I almost wondered if it was just a cruel nightmare. Atlas, the dulling sharpness in my bruised rib cage and stomach was the evidence of his torment.

Leo… he must’ve been the one who knew of my deadly allergy. He said he worked in the kitchens…

Besides punishing me for running away, what else were Leo’s intentions? How did he manage to sneak into the pack house undetected? If Malore wanted to retaliate against me, it worked. I could barely move a limb without wincing and hissing at the pain.

Suddenly, the doors opened slowly. A head poked inside, my heart soaring, hoping it was Beth.

“You’re finally awake,” the same woman from this morning spat out. Her frigid tone of hatred sent me on high alert. Did she work for Malore too? She didn’t look familiar.

I hesitatingly glanced at her, knowing she wasn’t someone I could ask for help.

“I’ve been assigned to watch over you,” she said like it was no big deal. “I’ll be here to stand guard outside if anything.”

I tilted my head, wondering what happened to Leo then. My question was immediately answered when she stepped aside to reveal Leo. My eyes widened and I opened to scream for bloody murder.

Leo lunged forward, grabbed me by the mouth, and pinned me to the bed. Dread dawned on me. Was he going to…

“Close the doors behind you,” he seethed over his shoulders. “Don’t open it until I am done with her.”

No.

I made eye contact with her, almost pleading for her to not leave. If she was sent to watch over me, then it could only mean one thing—no one would be able to enter or leave the room. There was no way for me to arouse any suspicion. All she had to do was lie that I was alright and no one would ever find out about the abuse for god knows how long.

I held in my tears and glowered upon Leo, no matter how many times his hand and feet landed on my body. I refused to let him break me in the same manner as Malore.

“And trust me,” Leo spat. “When I’m done, there’s nothing left for Killian to take.”

I had truly gone from one abusive house to the next.

Just what have I done?