CHAPTER 34 #2
My cheek is pressed against a hard, cold, wet surface that I guess is the stone floor of my prison, the wet substance probably my blood. I can hear a hoarse voice, belonging to a man -O'Connor- yelling at someone?
I can't make out what’s being said, but
I can soon hear footsteps, telling me someone is getting closer. I whimper weakly and in pain when I'm suddenly lifted and pressed against something warm.
No, not something. Someone.
The familiar crushing sensation makes me nauseous, and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. The person places me on the cold ground, I shiver, still whimpering in pain. Small pebbles irritate my skin, and I try to control the panic that's starting to rise from within.
Where the hell am I?
The sound of footsteps retreating echoes, I jump when I hear a dull thud.
I force myself to open my eyes and I succeed this time.
My vision is blurry, but I can make out the massive silhouette of a dark-haired man walking away and a flash of red light above his head.
Like a distress flare. I blink away the blur just as the man teleports away, leaving me here in the cold, injured.
A door creaks behind me and I hear several people approaching, making me tense because I still don't know where I am and I'm defenseless, too weak to get up, let alone fight.
“Fuck, angel!”
Relief washes over me and my muscles automatically relax.
Mattheo.
His familiar scent fills my nose as his strong arms lift me up and pull me against him.
I can't help but moan weakly at the pain that radiates through my limbs and bones, and he curses under his breath.
He orders the people who followed him to immediately send a letter to the Rigast family's personal healer, I realize we must be at Leroi Manor, which makes sense when I think about it.
O'Connor wouldn't have risked having me taken back to the Academy, probably wanting to cover up the fact that they kidnapped and tortured me.
They're supposed to be the good guys in this war.
Mattheo moves, his muscles tense as he leads us inside. I almost sigh as the warmth of the fireplace brushes against my skin. I'm so cold and sore. I grit my teeth as he begins to climb the stairs to our room, he murmurs an apology, probably knowing that every small movement is painful.
He slows down and pushes open a door that creaks slightly. I then feel the softness of a mattress, and his fingers brush my hair away from my face.
“What did they do to you, my love?” He whispers, his voice hoarse and full of rage.
I turn my head and get lost in his brown eyes, my heart skipping a beat at the relief and worry I find there.
“Matt,” I whisper weakly.
“I'm here, you're safe now, angel,” he places a kiss on my forehead before leaning down to press his own against mine. “I looked everywhere for you. I couldn't find you…” He whispers, his voice trembling with guilt.
I shake my head weakly, wanting to tell him it's not his fault and that I don't blame him, but the lump in my throat is too big and I can't get a sound out. He pulls back and his gaze sweeps over my face, his jaw clenching painfully and his irises darkening as he takes note of every single injury.
“I'll take care of you, okay?” He says softly, his voice trembling but he tries to hide it by clearing his throat.
I nod weakly, and he presses another kiss to my forehead before walking away. When he returns, he's holding a clean towel, a bowl of warm water, disinfectant spray and a jar of magical herbal healing cream.
He apologizes weakly as he begins to clean the blood from my face and I moan softly in pain. My heart aches at seeing him so hurt, so I bite my tongue to keep from expressing my pain, not wanting to break his heart further with my pitiful state.
Once the water in the bowl has turned red and my face is clean, he uses a gauze pad and disinfects the wounds left on my face by Law's knuckles. I can see from the way his jaw clenches and unclenches that he's dying to ask me what they did to hurt me like this, but he remains silent.
His movements become even gentler as he applies the healing cream, the feeling of the flesh closing almost makes me sigh in relief as some of the pain disappears. The only pain that remains is the pain in my bones, as if they were broken and mended without me realizing it.
“Your beautiful face is well cared for, angel,” he murmurs, stopping his touch and closing the jar of cream. “The healer should be back soon to make sure you don't have any other injuries that require attention. Would you like to take a shower first? To remove the rest of the blood.”
I nod and he helps me up, making me wince a little as we head to the bathroom. He carefully undoes the laces of my dress, I feel tears rolling down my cheeks as I keep my head down, staring at the white fabric, now stained with blood.
My dress. My beautiful dress is ruined.
The fabric falls to the floor and my eyes never leave it as I cry for the dress that means so much to me.
“Hey, what's wrong, princess?” He asks softly, his hand tenderly caressing my arm, his beautiful eyes full of concern.
“My dress,” I mumble in a shaky voice.
“We'll fix it, I promise.”
He kisses my temple, trying to comfort me.
I don't respond and take a step away from the fabric on the floor.
I watch him turn on the shower as I stand there in my matching red lingerie.
My eyes meet my reflection in the mirror and the tears fall faster down my cheeks.
I no longer have any cuts or injuries on my face, but my body is still stained with bruises and blood.
“Come on, love,” he speaks softly, holding out his hand to me.
He's still fully dressed, and I want to tell him he's going to wet his clothes, but I know he doesn't care. One thing you should know about Mattheo is that he always prioritizes my well-being over his own.
I take a step forward and grab his hand, but a sharp pain in my lower stomach makes me freeze. My hands move to hold my stomach, when another wave of pain hits me, making me wince again. I feel something warm running down my thighs, and I frown in confusion.
What's happening to me?
My gaze lowers to my body and I freeze at the sight of blood running down my thighs. My eyes widen and my lips part in shock. Waves of pain hit me again, the blood still running down my thighs and I can't tear my eyes away or even move as the pain assaults me.
I hear Mattheo's voice, but it's muffled, I don't understand a single word that escapes his lips. My body begins to tremble as my hands tighten on my stomach, desperately trying to ease the pain even though the bleeding still hasn't stopped.
The distant sound of doors opening and closing reaches my ears, but I barely hear it. I'm too shaken to notice that Mattheo has run out of our suite, probably to call for help.