The whispers
Ava's POV
"You’re worthless. No one will miss you."
"You don’t deserve love."
"Your mother never loved you, Ava."
The voices wouldn’t stop. They echoed inside my head, wrapping around my heart like chains. The weight of their words, the betrayal, they suffocated me. My chest tightened with the ache of their cruelty, like the way my heart was ripped out, piece by piece, leaving nothing but an empty shell.
"Ava, wake up... Wake up!"
A voice broke through the darkness. Soft, but urgent. I gasped awake, my body trembling, drenched in cold sweat. For a moment, I was shaken, disoriented, unsure of where I was, this wasn’t home. Then, I remembered, home didn’t exist for me anymore.
As the fog of my nightmare lifted, I realized I was in someone’s arms. Strong, warm arms holding me tight. I blinked, looking up into concerned gray eyes. Raphael. The Alpha King. The man who had saved me. Why was he so good to me? Why did a stranger, someone I barely knew, treat me better than my own family ever had? Why did he hold me now, when my own mother never would?
“He stayed up all night for us,” Maya’s voice whispered gently in my mind.
Why does it still hurt so much, Maya? I whispered back, the pain raw and suffocating. I want them to feel pain too, to suffer like I did.
"We will make them pay, Ava. One day, we will come back, and they will know the same pain they inflicted on us," Maya growled, her voice filled with venom and hatred.
"Ava?" Raphael’s voice was soft, but filled with worry. "Are you alright?"
I pulled away from him, my face flushing with embarrassment. I had fallen asleep in his arms, and now the reality of it made my stomach churn with awkwardness. Climbing down from the bed, I felt my legs shake. How could I have let myself be so vulnerable? How could I trust him when I barely knew him? And yet... there was something about him. Something that made me feel safe, protected.
"My king, I..." I started, my voice faltering as I tried to figure out what to say. His eyes softened as he looked at me, melting away my hesitation.
"Call me Raphael," he said gently, the kindness in his voice taking me by surprise.
"What? But I... I can’t..." I stammered, my heart racing at the thought.
"Yes, you can," he insisted. "Now, what were you going to say?"
I bit my lip, feeling small under his gaze. "I just... wanted to apologize for being a bother. For... sleeping in your bed."
His lips twitched into a soft smile. "You weren’t a bother, Ava. And as for the bed, that’s where you’ll be sleeping from now on. Once we get to the palace."
My eyes widened. "What? My... Raphael," I corrected myself awkwardly, "I’m a servant. A slave. That’s forbidden, isn’t it?"
A flash of irritation crossed his face at the word “slave.” "You are not a slave, Ava. Not in my kingdom. In Lystra, we don’t have slaves. Everyone is free to work or live as they choose. You will never be treated as less in my court."
I blinked at him, stunned. The idea of such a place, a kingdom where people like me could choose their own fate, was foreign, but... liberating.
"Then, I’ll choose to work as a servant," I replied softly, still not believing I was worthy of anything more.
He tilted his head, studying me. "Even so, you’ll still be in my bed."
My heart skipped a beat, heat rushing to my cheeks. "I... I don’t think that’s appropriate…"
Raphael chuckled, cutting me off. "It’s not about what’s appropriate. My wolf likes you. I like you."
I froze. His words hit me harder than they should have. I didn’t know how to respond. Raphael wasn’t like Landon. He was different, gentle, yet powerful. Kind, yet undeniably commanding. I had no idea how to handle this.
"I’m going to take a bath," he said, standing up and stretching. "Gemma and Caleb will be here soon. Caleb is my Beta, and Gemma is the head of security in Lystra. She’s strong, one of the best. I’ll have her train you."
"Train me?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion.
"Yes," he said, turning to face me. "I assume you’ve only recently gained your wolf?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes, just recently."
"Then Gemma will be perfect for you," he replied with a smile before disappearing into the bathroom.
I stood there, feeling out of place, not knowing what to do with myself. The room was large enough to give him privacy, but I still felt like an intruder. So, I stepped out into the hallway, hoping to clear my mind.
That’s when it happened.
A hand gripped my arm, yanking me into the shadows. Maya snarled in my mind, ready to fight, but when I saw who it was, my blood ran cold.
"You lied!" Landon’s voice was venomous, his grip on my wrist tight, his eyes wild with anger.
I pulled my hand free, stepping back. "What lie, Landon?" My voice was steady, but inside, fury boiled.
"You lied about your wolf! Helena was right about you. You’re nothing but a slut, just like your mother!" he spat, his words dripping with hatred.
Helena. Again. I wanted to scream. "Let me take over and teach him a lesson," Maya urged.
But I held back. We weren’t ready to fight him, yet.
"You made your choice, Landon, and I made mine," I said coldly, ripping my hand from his grip once again.
In an instant, his hand shot out, wrapping around my throat. He squeezed, his eyes filled with rage. "You think you’re something now? Just because my uncle took notice of you? What did you do in his room all night, huh? What did you do?"
His grip tightened, and with each word, he squeezed harder. But I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t the same girl he had raped countless times in my past life, maybe that was the reason for my nexg reaction.
I started laughing. Laughing at him, at his pathetic jealousy. And then I said something I knew would break him. Something I knew whom torment him.
"You want to know what I did with Raphael last night?" I grinned wickedly, watching as his face twisted in fury. "He kissed me... passionately. He told me to call him by his name. He said I’d be sleeping in his bed... every night, for the rest of my life."
Landon’s face contorted with rage, his control snapping. "You bitch!" he screamed, striking me so hard I crashed into the wall. Pain shot through my body, but I didn’t care. Seeing him lose control, knowing I’d rattled him,was worth it.
"I’m going to kill you, slut!" he roared, lunging toward me.
I could feel Maya surging forward, ready to fight. But before either of us could react, a voice cut through the hallway.
"What is going on here?" It was Raphael.
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