The wolfless king's mate

CHAPTER 2: ZAZINA'S POV

I woke up as the persistent rays of the sun penetrated my closed eyelids, making me squint. My body felt sore, probably from lying on the cold floor all night. Thinking back at what happened last night, I began to cry once more. It's like everything was just walking against me, from losing my parents to having Nanny die, to getting sold off, to being molested and abused and now suffering unjustly.

“ Why? Why me?” I clenched my fists in anger. I began to wonder if the Moon goddess was indeed partial because if she wasn't then why was I suffering like this? I always did my best to live right but nobody likes me, nobody cares about me, everyone wants to covert my beauty yet still detest me. The iron gates slid open.

” Get up! Lycan King Haegan wants to see you,” one of the guards ordered. I continued looking at him without standing.

“ If not that I fear His Majesty more than I lust over you, I wouldn't have hesitated to go a few rounds with you,” he lusted, licking his lips as he crouched in front of me.

“ But touching you a bit wouldn't hurt, would it?” He caressed my lips with thumb and his hand moved up my thighs before he finally reached out for the easiest target - what lay in front of me. As his hand approached my fullness, I didn't hesitate to bite his thumb which he used to caress my lips as hard as I could, refusing to let go.

“ Aahhh! Get off me, you dumb b***h!” He yelled punching me hard in the face making me fall to the ground - my mouth began to bleed.

“ You really think you're special, don't you?” He said kicking me in the stomach as he got to his feet. I curled up in pain. “ I'd have had my way with you whether you liked it or not if not for the Lycan King,” I didn't know if I should be grateful to the Haegan now.

I began to cry in pain, I was tired of everything. I regretted looking the way I looked and getting involved with Rhegan. I began to cough up blood, though mildly.

“ Get to your feet already, I don't plan on carrying you there,” the guard said pulling me up to my feet even though he knew I was in pain. He dragged me out of the dungeon and as we walked through the hallway of the palace, I bent my head as servants gossiped and whispered as I passed. This was embarrassing.

“ You don't look as terrible as I thought you would after spending a night on the dungeon floor,” Lycan Haegan said the moment we walked into the throne room.

“ Seems like she's a little tougher than she looks,” Rexina sarcastically remarked spreading her fan open and fanning herself.

“ I'm going to give you the opportunity to speak. Do you have anything you want to say about this?” Haegan questioned and I thought hard. If I talked, I would it expose myself and it's not like anyone would believe me over a noble especially when his twin sister clung onto Haegan so tight. I choose to keep quiet.

“ Fine, since you refuse to talk, we'll carry on with our plans,” he snapped his fingers. “ Tie her up and take her to the middle of the pack, preferably a public place and beat her up,” he instructed his soldiers.

“ Don't forget to use her as a warning to all others, the consequences of a peasant not knowing her place,” she added to the instruction. “ That will teach her a bit of a lesson,” she grinned.

“ Yes, Your Majesty,” his soldiers echoed with a bow before taking me out of his presence bound.

With my hands tied to a wooden pole in the middle of the pack, shame became my biggest concern and fear as people looked at me and talked. They hadn't began the punishment but I had began to cry. I didn't deserve any of this.

“ This is a warning to everyone to know their place in society,” one of the soldiers announced and the crowd that had gathered went quiet. “ Thinking you're good enough for a noble? Pfft,” he scoffed.

“ Men, get to work,” ge instructed the ones in charge of my punishment. With their razor laced whips covered in wolfsbane, I felt it wrap around my back. It's razors tearing deep into my skin and ripping it out as it was retracted. I had never felt such seering physical pain before, my body trembled with the third whip latching on to my back.

The crowd that had gathered had a mix of feelings, some a mix of sadness and pity, others glad it wasn't them while some still ogling even in my sorry state. With the fifth whip pulling my skin out, my body couldn't handle it anymore - my legs gave way and I fell to my knees, my consciousness fading.

“ Get a bucket of water,” the soldier in charge ordered another as they stopped the whipping. I regained my consciousness as ice cold water landed on my face, some touching my injured back making me flinch and cry in pain. Loosing me, I was placed in the carriage in which they had used to bring me here and after making another announcement I couldn't hear from the severe pain I felt, the carriage began to move as I hung on to my life. My body quaked as I lay on my stomach from pain.

Getting to the palace, I was immediately rushed to the infirmary to be treated. I was laid on my stomach and once the nurse had gotten everyone out, she took off the remnant of my clothes.

“ This must sting a lot,” she said empathizing with me. “ Let me quickly give you something that would soothe your pain and reduce your sufferings,” she went looking for the drug around in which she found in a couple of minutes.

“ It h-hurts,” I shook as I expressed, my whole body trembling.

“ I know it does and that's why I'll make sure you feel better, alright?” She looked at me with care. An eye that I had rarely seen, was she not afraid of me? Did she not think that I was pure evil and badluck like the others?

“ Please... Help me... I'm in pain,” with a tear drop falling from my eyes, my eyes went shut as everything turned black as my head carelessly hung over my shoulders.