{Elira}
~**^**~
No matter how cruel Regina had been to me, I understood one thing about pain.
The pain of watching something you fought for slip into another's hands. I had lived it.
She took what was mine plenty of times.
So, I knelt.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Lady Maren's smug smile. She looked pleased. Like this moment was the one she had been waiting for.
"Regina, I apologize for that night," I said quietly, my head bowed low. "I still can't explain what happened, but… I'm sorry for embarrassing you. It was never my intention."
A brief silence ensued.
Then, Regina's voice—sharp and cold—sliced through it.
"That apology is nearly enough. Promise me you will leave the Alpha's house."
What?
My head snapped up and met her gaze. She wasn't joking.
"I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head, voice trembling. "I can't promise you that."
Her eyes narrowed. Her rage, visible.
From the side, Lady Maren's expression darkened, her smirk vanishing like smoke.
"What did you just say?" she hissed.
Then—
Smack!
The slap came out of nowhere. My face stung as I crashed to the ground, but I pushed myself back up.
Regina towered above me, her face flushed with fury. "Are you testing my patience?!"
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"I can't promise what I'm not sure of," I whispered before I could catch my tongue.
I wasn't certain what the future held, so I saw no point in making promises I wasn't sure I could keep. However, Regina took it the wrong way.
Her expression froze. She hadn't expected that answer. I hadn't expected myself to say it either.
But it was the truth.
If I promised her now, and something happened tomorrow… what then?
I wasn't going to make a vow just to save myself, even if my current situation was complicated. Not if it meant destroying my future.
"You filthy bitch!" Regina screamed.
Then she hit me again.
My head jerked. I bit down hard to swallow the pain, and still, I stayed on my knees.
I had thought my uncle's presence in the house would be enough to protect me. But I was wrong.
I had miscalculated the intensity of Regina's emotions, and now, I was going to pay for my ignorance.
"You think you've won just because you showed up here with my fiancé's brother?" Regina spat. Her nails dug into her palms as she trembled with rage. "You want to rub it in my face. You think you are clever?"
It felt like cold water was splashed on me. I forgot that words about Rennon's presence could still reach Regina's ears even though I had made him wait outside the gates.
My efforts were wasted.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, even though it wouldn't change anything. But at least, she wouldn't run with that speculation that I had played her.
"I had no such intentions," I said quickly. "Sir Rennon offered to bring me. I couldn't refuse him."
"You couldn't refuse him?" she snapped. "Is that what you're saying? If he asked to get into your pants, would you spread your legs too?"
My eyes widened. I gasped.
How could she say that?
Rennon had only shown me kindness like any elder brother would. He had bought me clothes, brought me here, and treated me with nothing but respect since I woke up in Father's mansion.
And here she was, dragging his name through the dirt.
How could she think so lowly of him?
The fury boiling in my chest nearly escaped my lips—but I held it in. Now wasn't the time to explode.
I was still in their territory, Regina's bedroom. And I was still on my knees.
Even though I had willingly gotten on my knees, I didn't dare to consider standing up from that spot. At least not when Regina and Lady Maren were right in front of my face.
"Just two nights in Alpha Cyprus's house and she's already grown wings," Lady Maren sneered.
"She's forgotten her place, Mother," Regina barked. "And I'm going to remind her."
Before I could move, her hand fisted the scarf on my head and yanked.
Pain exploded across my scalp.
"Ahh!"
I cried out, and before I could recover—
Slap.
"You stole my Zenon—"
Slap.
"You humiliated me at the clearing—"
Slap.
"You brought one of his brothers to rub it in—"
Slap.
"You dared to live in my future home—"
Slap.
"And now you say you won't leave—"
Slap.
"You worthless pig!"
Slap.
Tears slipped past my lashes before I could stop them. My left cheek throbbed, burning. My ears rang. My vision blurred.
Regina's slaps came like waves, drowning every bit of strength I had left.
I tasted salt. Blood. I didn't know which was which.
I couldn't believe I was back to this... cruelty.
I hadn't seen this day coming; otherwise, I wouldn't have made the decisions I made today.
I would have allowed Rennon to follow me in. And I wouldn't have ever come to apologize to Regina.
It was a trap.
Then Lady Maren grabbed her wrist. "Gina, stop. That's enough."
Regina yanked her hand back, and in that motion, my scarf slipped from my head, exposing my uneven, hacked hair.
I stiffened.
Regina's eyes blazed as she looked at me.
"This isn't nearly enough," she growled, pointing a finger at my face. "She embarrassed me. Now I can't even leave the house without people whispering."
"You will hurt your hand," Lady Maren said calmly. "And your father is still around."
But Regina wasn't listening.
Just then, the door creaked open behind me.
"My Lady, we brought the water for your—" a maid's voice called out.
They had been waiting outside for the perfect opportunity to come in. But it was the wrong one for me.
"I don't care!" Regina yelled, storming past me.
Something cold swept up my spine. I didn't know what she planned, but I knew it was something worse than the slaps she had delivered.
Moon Goddess… please save me... please...
Then I heard the crash. Metal clanged.
Gasps echoed behind me.
"No, Regina!" Lady Maren's voice was sharp and panicked as she looked past me. "Don't!"
I turned my head just in time.
Regina was charging at me, a steaming metal jug gripped in her hand.
My brain shut down. But the next moment, my legs scrambled beneath me, my eyes searching frantically for an escape route.
But it was too late.
Hot water exploded across my face, chest, and arms.
"AHHH!"
I screamed, clutching my face as fire spread through my skin. It was blistering. Violent.
I dropped to the floor and rolled, but the pain followed me, sharp and unbearable.
My eyes—my eyes burned. The heat bit into it and every inch of my exposed skin.
The pain was too much. I couldn't breathe.
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, and a little part of me worried I would be left blind.
Then suddenly, in the midst of my tears and pain—
"Elira?"
That voice—it was calm and measured.
Even through the storm in my skull, I recognized it.
Then came the second one.
"ELIRA!"
This one cracked the air like thunder, sharp, furious and unmistakable.
Two voices. One, cool as steel, and the other, ablaze.
I knew they were here. Yet, all I could do was cry.