Phoenix Rising

Chapter Eight

I woke up and looked around to find I was in the same room Blade had locked me in earlier. I was underneath the covers laying in the King's bed confused as to how I'd gotten here.

Truthfully it was the softest thing I'd ever had the privilege of touching, but Lily sat at the edge of the bed staring at me causing me to shoot upright immediately.

"What happened," I rush while frantically looking down to find I was not in the same jumpsuit I'd worn for half my life. "And where are my clothes?"

She gave me yet another sympathetic look before answering, "you fainted. I think the mark drained what little energy you had left. Your clothes are being replaced, so for now The King has dressed you in some of his linens."

"Dressed me," I uttered as my eyes searched hers. "Where is he?"

All of a sudden her expression shifted to a look of guilt and my stomach knotted. "What is it Lily?"

She stood up from the bed and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt nervously to plead, " Please do not be mad. It was not my choice to tell him."

"Tell him what," I bit out as I grew more irritated by the second.

"Well. He brought me here in the instance you felt uncomfortable by him undressing and bathing you once you woke. He wanted me to witness that he did nothing but strictly clean and dress you before lying you in the bed to rest comfortably."

My eyes widen as I gasped out, "he bathed me?"

She nodded her head in a yes manner before continuing, "I think it is sweet the way he took care of you. He ordered me to tell him about your time in the Crescent pack. After I did he sat in that chair over there and just stared at you for an hour or so. Then he stormed out and hasn't been back since. I didn't want to leave until he returned or you woke so you would not be alone and confused."

I moved to get up and stand in front of her beside the bed. The knots in my stomach twisted deeper at the thought of him knowing everything.

"What exactly did you tell him, Lily?"

Her head dropped down to gaze at the floor as she uttered one word. "Everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes. You slept on the floor of the Omega slaves' basement since Alpha Reagan and Luna Selene's passing. The tormenting. Training under Jack for years until he turned you out to fourteen-hour patrols. I had to tell him how you got those scars all over your body when he undressed you.."

"You didn't," I uttered with disbelief.

That was one thing I had buried in the past. The lash whips Jack had given me to condition my body to withstand torture. The blades he had sliced me with over and over again. The red hot branding rod he used on my spine. Lily knew because she had witnessed him taking me down to the cellar in the basement of the Alpha's quarters.

"I am so sorry Fee. I did not wish to tell him. I tried to refuse, but he ordered me to speak."

I let out a humorless laugh while pinching the bridge of my nose from the frustration I felt towards this prying man. " Of course he did. No need to apologize it's not your fault. Thank you for staying, but I wish to be alone with my thoughts for now."

"I understand. If you need anything my room is on the east side of the castle where they house guests of the King."

She waited a few moments before turning to exit the room ultimately leaving me to myself.

I walked to the bathroom and hastily stripped out of my clothes aggravated that he'd seen the scars along my body when I, myself, hadn't looked at them in years.

I turned to the full-length mirror standing In the corner while letting my eyes wander across my naked torso. The last time I truly looked in a mirror must have been at least four years ago.

My eyes began to water at the poor-looking figure staring back at me.

The collar bones along my neck stuck out from the area around it being sunken in as did my hip and rib bones. Dark bags under my eyes highlighted the sunken cheekbones on my face as well.

The same white scars lined my body along my thighs, arms, stomach, and chest.

Turning sideways I saw the same pinkish crescent moon symbols made from my knotted flesh branded from the top of my neck all the way down to the base of my spine. My eyes glanced over the jagged slashes that zig-zagged and covered the majority of my back curtesy of the silver-tipped whip Jack loved to use.

Wiping the stray tears that fell from my eyes I turned and jerked the clothes back over my body as quickly as I'd shed them- remembering exactly why I avoided mirrors in the first place.

Now Blade had seen my ugly past without even asking for my consent.

Suddenly I felt claustrophobic, like an animal trapped in a cage once again. The urge to roam the castle and find my way outside to inhale the night air with hopes that it would ease the weight I felt in my chest now took hold.

I took off walking down the long hallway, barefoot, with no idea where I was heading.

Somehow I managed to slip outside without being seen by Blade or his nephew Radic. The castle was so large the two could be lurking anywhere inside. I did notice that oddly the guards were no longer posted or walking about the halls as they had been earlier in the day. Maybe Blade sends them home at night or maybe he had so many wondering about the castle grounds earlier because of the shifter tribe leaders' arrival. I hadn't an idea which one it was.

Truthfully I didn't care. I was on a mission. Not to run this time, but to find Kronos.

He wasn't hard to locate sitting in the same spot on the inside of the now-closed iron gate guarding it.

His ears perked up as soon as my foot touched down on the stone Bridgeway. His head stayed facing forward as he gazed out into the darkness on the other side of the gate, but his voice drifted through the wind as he spoke to me already knowing exactly who'd been approaching him.

"It is late Little One. You shouldn't wonder about the grounds after dark."

I came to stand beside the wolf who was still taller than me even in his laid down position on the stone.

" It was you wasn't it."

At that, his eyes seemed to glance sideways at me, and I swore he even sported a wolfish grin.

"What you speak of will have Zirablade locking you away from me in the towers of the castle."

I gave him a wolfish grin of my own, figuratively speaking of course.

" Only if he finds out. I for one won't be telling him, will you?"

I would also swear the wolf chuckled for a split second in response before speaking once again.

" I will not tell Zirablade of our connection so long as you give him the chance to right his wrongs before you make your decision. "

"What decision?"

Finally, Kronos turned his head to look at me rather seriously.

" There will come a time when everything will be revealed. The truth will be brought to light. Whether you will choose to stay or to leave us, what you decided will either be our salvation- or our damnation, little one."

I was utterly confused, and I was beginning to think I always would be from here onwards.

I was on the brink of asking the cryptic wolf what exactly he'd meant, but it seemed Zirablade had other plans for me.

"Pheonix."

My head snapped to look behind us as the King slurred my name to grab my attention.

"Come with me," he slurred once more as I took in his disheveled state.

His eyes were bloodshot even in the dark of night. The linen shirt he wore was half-tucked into his pants and half sticking out meanwhile, the trousers he wore had one tucked into his boot to match while the other was oddly rolled up.

What the bloody hell?

Brushing Kronos across his side as a silent goodbye I took a few steps towards Blade.

"Are you alright," I asked as the concern I felt was clearly portrayed by my tone.

I continued walking toward him closing the distance between us as he held his hand out for me to take. He slurred once again with his words causing me to halt mid-reach for his hand. "You were lashed with a silver tip whip as a child and you ask if I am alright?"

My eyes seemed to narrow in on him in response to his comment. "Commanding Lily to tell you my darkest secrets should be a crime- even for a King."

He didn't miss a beat taking a step forward to grab my hand and entwine it with his anyways. "What should be a crime is how beautiful you are."

I refrained from snorting at the humor of his lie as he tried to change the subject. "As you've seen I'm not beautiful. I'm mutilated."

"You are beautiful Ajei," he argued as he tugged my hand along to follow him back into the castle. After a few steps, his voice had lowered to a whisper and suddenly his slur was gone as he added, " In the most tormenting ways."