Mate for the Prince of Beasts

Chapter 7

Alana's POV

I woke up feeling groggy, I wasn't sure where I was, but then I felt the arm around me and noticed the strange surroundings and everything that had happened came back to me.  I felt so warm and safe in his arms that I didn't want to move.  I was fighting myself, fighting my instincts to get away from my father's murderer, but I was tired, and his closeness made me feel happy and content, so I fell back asleep.  When I woke up again, it was late and I was alone.  Without the Prince to blur my mind, I was free to really think about what had happened to me. 

I was still shocked and appalled that I had given myself to my father's murderer.  I knew that he was the reason all my people was dead, but it was different to know he was responsible for his deaths, and knowing he had given the fatal blow.  I felt so dirty, soiled, I looked at my skin, and it was hard to believe it wasn't marked by the corruption that had touched me.  I went to the bathroom, just like the previous day it looked like someone had prepared everything for my bath.  I went in and started scrubbing my skin, using the oils and the sponge that they had left there, but it wan't enough to erase the memory of his touch.  

I heard the door of the room opening and got out of the tub, running to block the door to the bathroom.  I could hear voices outside, and I knew it was the two women that were always with me, my jailers.  They tried to open the door, but it held, keeping me safe for the moment.

"Princess?  Are you in there?" the older one's voice asked.

"Go away!" 

"We are here to help you prepare for your day."

"I don't need your help!"

"The Prince said..."

"Just leave me alone!  I'll be out once I'm ready!"

"Well, there's not much on the schedule today, so I guess it's fine if she wants to take a long bath," the younger one muttered on the other side of the door, and I guess the older one agreed, since they left me alone. 

I looked around and saw one of the hair brushes they had used on me the previous day, I went for it and then back to the soap selection.  I used more on my skin and started scrubbing my skin raw, using the brush to clean my skin, soon the water turned pink.  It was painful, not much, just enough to sting, but it felt good, it felt like penance.  I had slept with my father's murdered, I had let him touch me, and give me pleasure, it was only fair that I should feel pain to balance my karma.  I had done something horrible, I needed to be punished for it. 

Soon my legs, arms and chest were covered with scratches, some of them superficial, some of them deep enough for blood to flow.  The water was past pink and getting red, and I felt cold and tired.  I closed my eyes for a moment, letting darkness envelop me.  

Blaze's POV

I wanted to be next to my mate, but I couldn't forget my mission just because I had her, besides, I felt like she needed some time alone before we could talk.  I needed to make sure she understood this was her new life, and that she had to get over any issues she had with me and what had happened.  I wanted her to be happy, but she wouldn't be if she didn't let go of her past life.  

"So, everything is ready, we will send out our next batch of slaves in a few days, that will free more space in the dungeons to capture some more during the next raids," Talon said. 

"We need more of them working on harvesting, and we also need more of our men hunting, or we won't have enough food for our troops.  We can always ask for more to be sent from home, but they barely have enough as it is," Creto added. 

"The plan is to send them more, not to take from them," I said.  My skin was starting to burn, which was weird since the day wasn't that hot, but after a while I decided to move to the shadow.  Then the feeling moved to my chest, it made me feel itchy at first, like a slow burn that kept extending through my body, but then it became painful, not very, but it was distracting.  I kept checking my body and the others noticed something was going on. 

"Boss?  What's wrong?"

"I'm not really sure, it just that my body is suddenly hurting, it's like I was burned or something, but all over."

"Well, your mate was pretty mad last night, and she is a witch, do you think maybe she put a spell on you?" Talon asked. 

"It doesn't work quite that way," I said, but what he had said sparkled a memory, or how fated mates shared could sometimes share each other pains, and how their very lives were connected, something I hadn't thought of that much, but that at the moment was very relevant.  

"Boss?  Do you need me to call the medics?" Creto asked, and I could tell he was worried.  I think something was showing in my face.

"Send him to my room, as soon as possible," I ordered as I started my way back there, wishing it was something happening only to me, and not something to do with my mate.

I started to run when a feeling of foreboding consumed me.  When I arrived at my suite's floor I could see the startled guards outside the door.  "Open the door!"  I yelled from the other side of the hallway, and ran straight into the room to find Katra standing right next to the bathroom's door.  "Where is my mate?"

"She is taking a bath my Lord," she said, a little scared by my arrival.

"How hot it the water?" I asked, thinking maybe she had burned herself and that was the reason for the sensation.

"It's kind of cold.  We prepared the bath for her early, but couldn't wake her up, and when we returned, she was already bathing, so we didn't have time to heat up the water again."

"Is Lira with her?"

"No, Lira went to fetch some tea..."  before she could finish her explanation I pushed her away and tried to open the door, but it was closed. 

"Open the door!"  I yelled, but got no response.  I wasn't going to wait, I was sure something was wrong, so I kicked the door down, and felt horrified at the sight before me. 

My mate was in the bath, at first sight it could look like she had fallen sleep in the bathtub, but her body was full of scratches, some superficial, some deep and dripping blood.  The water was tinted red, and I had no idea of how much blood she had lost.  

Katra screamed at the sight, and at the noise my mate moved, so  I knew she was still alive.  I went to her and took her in my arms, taking her out of the water and to my bed.  I realized that the only part of her body unharmed was her back, and I got the horrible realization that she had done that to herself.

"Did you send for me?" the medic asked, from the doorway.

"Yes, something happened to my mate!  You have to help her," I said, making it clear that I needed him to make things right as soon as possible.

"What happened to her?" the medic started checking her, and it was clear most of her body was affected.  When he started examining her chest, my animal started growling.  Part of me knew it was necessary, but the other part knew it was our mate and no one should see her like that.  

"The damage is extensive, but mostly superficial," the medic said, trying to calm me down.  "I don't think she is in real danger, but she will need to be monitored, she will be weak from loss of blood and in extreme pain.  I'm afraid I will have to clean and dress her wounds, and it will be painful, and once she starts healing, every little movement will hurt."

"Just do whatever you need to do, and make sure she hurts as little as possible, give her anything you can to ease her pain."

"Will do, my Lord."

I took one of her hands in mine, careful not to hurt her, since even her hands were scratched.  What could have driven her to do something like that?  Once she woke up, we needed to have a long talk.  I couldn't let something like that happen again.  She was my life, someone I couldn't live without, and since I was able to feel her pain, I knew that our connection ran deep, when I said I wasn't going to be able to live without her, I wasn't being poetic, I was being literal.