Kacie
I stood in all of my nakedness in front of the bathroom door. My mind flashed back to the towel I had thrown into the hamper. I wasn’t shy and I wasn’t ashamed to be naked in front of my mate. His eyes locked on mine and I hated how it took him this long to notice my lack of clothing. His eyes lowered down my body and just as lust began to flare in his gaze they locked on the bruises on my torso. Worry replaced the lust and he leaned forward.
“Come here, Kacie,” Viktor said. Instead of a demand it was more of a plea. My bit into the left side of my lip and tasted blood. Pain. It’s what I needed to remind me that I was angry with him. I needed the reminder of what he had done with Jake. I didn’t care that they did it, I was angry that I was left in the dark once again. Especially after we had talked about it the last time and I told them that it bothered me. They were supposed to tell me and they didn’t.
I refused to buckle under the pleading Viktor after he had walked out on me, after they both walked out on me. I focused on the tension that had so clearly filled the room when I first walked out of the bathroom. The small voice of reason begged and pleaded that he had to have a reason but I’d seen it with my own eyes. I didn’t hear from either of them after that and I deserved to know where he was at.
Viktor wanted to talk and it was probably so that I would do what he wanted. He didn’t like what I said yesterday but I wasn’t going to just give in. I wouldn’t submit to him because of Jake. I wouldn’t let him make me feel bad for my words. I may have been harsh but I didn’t say anything wrong.
Deciding to ignore his plea and his command I stride into the room. I do it as gracefully as I can mage with my injuries. My stomach aches with each step. If I wasn’t sure before I was sure of it now. I had broken a rib and my body protested with every inhale of breath. Now that I was in my safe space, in my room, my body wasn’t doing me any favors. Pain weighed down on my shoulders like a ton of bricks.
Instead of walking towards him, I turn from him and make my way towards the wardrobe. I hear a sharp inhale of breath as I bend over and open a drawer. When I spot a silk dress I pull it out and straighten my back. Standing up I pull the silver dress over my head.
As I pull it down I spot the bruises all over my body. Ugly splotches of purple decorate my torso. Tenderly, I slide my fingers over my sore rib. I took the mud monster out but he did a number on me. Jade. Not the mud monster. Jade had done a number on me and I hadn’t even been able to lay a finger on her. She was unarmed at the end of our fight. The bitter taste of defeat and shame filled my mouth. I pulled my dress and it fell halfway down my thigh.
A rasping sound filled my ears and I held my breath. I’m healing slowly, too slowly. A wave of nausea washed over me. Followed by my stomach cramping. Cramping while having a sore stomach and cracked ribs is just my luck. My mouth began to water and the world started to spin.
The ground shifted beneath my feet and if I didn’t grab onto something I was going to fall. I leaned forward and pressed my palms to the top of the wardrobe to steady me. When the world stopped spinning I smoothed out my dress. When I was sure the ground was no longer shifting I walked toward the table next to my bed.
“To me, Kacie,” Viktor said. He sighed as I ignored him. I took a seat at the table and stared at him. “What happened? How did you get hurt?” Viktor asked.
“Ask Jake. He keeps tabs on me. I’m sure he knows,” I blurt. This is not what I meant to say. I wanted to make things better and somehow I managed to make things worse as soon as I opened my mouth. Viktor shook his head.
“Have you always been like this?!” Viktor exclaimed. “You can’t let it go? Can’t you see that we’re going to lose him? Does he really mean so little to you?”
“Have I always been like what, Vik?! Have I always been a HUMAN BEING with EMOTIONS? Have I always been your mate or have I always been who you settled for because you couldn’t have Jake?”
“Goddess, do you hear yourself, Kacie?” Viktor asked.
“Why don’t you explain it to me? Since you demand we talk!” I screech.
“Were you not going to talk to me?” Viktor asked. He was on his feet now and I glared up at him from where I stood.
“Why would I come to you, Viktor? Did you want me to beg you to talk to me? Did you want me to beg you to come back to me when you walked out on me?!” I screamed. The cramps were getting worse and I jerked forward. I straightened my back and glared at the man I loved.
“Don’t try and make this my fault. I’m not the one is to blame for this!” Viktor yelled.
“Are you serious?” I asked. I was flabbergasted. He couldn’t be serious. “You can’t be serious, Viktor.” After what they did to me, he wanted to paint me as the bad guy. Did he NOT see what they did to me? Did he not see what they had done?