Chapter 29: 29: Pain Like Never Before
Every inch of my skin itched as though someone had let loose a nest of fire ants to roam free across my body. Even breathing felt labored, like pinpricks in my lungs.
I didn’t feel this same sort of pain when the triplet Alphas had forced me to watch them have sex with Violet. That was still a violation of our bond, so why now? As far as I knew, mating marks wouldn’t be given until later on when they actually mated on the night of their wedding.
By all reason, I shouldn’t be feeling this sort of pain even if my fated mates married someone else. We were never officially mated. It would hurt emotionally, but not physically.
Yet, this sensation that ran across my body was even worse than any torture I had ever endured. All the burns, beatings, and choking could barely hold a candle to the writhing pain that rained hell in my bones. It was as though even my body was betraying me.
In fact, the pain had been so bad that I had passed out unknowingly. I didn’t even realize I had fainted until my eyes cracked open, my sight blurry for a few seconds. It took a few moments for me to recall everything― the wedding, the humiliation, and the sensual experience with Rowan.
The memory of it made my body warm up in a mixture of embarrassment, desire, and regret. No matter how desperate I was, that was still Rowan Hadeon, for crying out loud! I hated him, and he equally detested me.
How could I have slept with him so easily?
But maybe that was why I felt this insane pain right now. We were fated mates. We had mated with each other. Rowan may not have marked me, but our bodies joined in the way the Moon Goddess ordained.
However, I didn’t have the time to think this through with too much detail. I sat up with a gasp, my chest heaving heavily up and down as a sudden, sharp pain tore through the side of my stomach.
Wheezing, I held my sides. The sensation was familiar and oddly tolerable, and I realized that I recognized this pain. Gastric. It had been a while since I last had a proper meal that didn’t consist of scraps or tea.
Another deep breath told me the reason why I might’ve felt it. There was an oddly pleasant smell in the air, savory yet light. Mixed in was another scent that seemed slightly familiar. It was minty and refreshing, and a quick scan of my small room quickly answered all the confusion in my mind.
"You’re awake," Soren said. He held a small bowl in his hands, steam still wafting out from it. He seemed to have just entered the room right before I woke up and had yet to sit down. He looked like he was about to.
"What..."
My mind went blank for a second. What the hell was Soren doing here in my room? Slowly, I turned to look out of the window again. It was nighttime, correct. Unless I had slept for a longer time than I thought, wasn’t he supposed to be spending his wedding night right now with Violet?
"What are you doing here?" I hesitantly asked, turning back to eye him warily. "How long was I out for?"
"I was worried," Soren said. "You didn’t seem well. Here." He held out the bowl. With it brought right to my face, I could see its contents clearly. It was a simple stew filled with a hearty portion of both vegetables and meat. My stomach rumbled hungrily. "Eat."
I cautiously looked at him.
"Come on," he said, smiling softly. "You’re obviously hungry."
I was.
I was also still pissed off with Soren for not standing up for me. He didn’t step up to help when I needed it the most, and that betrayal still stung, even more so than the awful things Cassian said and did to me, or even Rowan’s indifference.
The difference was that I knew Cassian was never going to treat me well, and Rowan was never going to warm up to me. However, I thought Soren was different. He saved me, gave me a nice dress, spoke gently to me, and even had the occasional smile. He wasn’t like his brothers.
However, that was exactly what made him the cruelest. He gave me false hope that he was different from his brothers and that he cared.
My pride badly wanted to turn a blind eye to the gesture of goodwill he offered. I could easily turn him down and return to sleep. But at the same time, I was starving, and this was still free food. With how crazy Violet and the other two Alphas were, I didn’t dare miss out on this opportunity.
Who knew when they would go crazy and choose to starve me again?
I slowly took the bowl, eyeing Soren the entire time. My lips remained tightly sealed shut.
Even though I could put down my pride to accept the food, I couldn’t force myself to say a single word of thanks. It seemed like Soren realized that too, because he cleared his throat and quickly turned away, leaving me privacy to eat without him staring me down like a hawk.
"To answer your question, it’s currently nine," he said. "I don’t know how long you were out for, but it’s still the day of the wedding, if that’s what you’re wondering."
I practically breathed in the bowl of stew. It was gone in under a minute, and the broth scalded my throat on its way down, though I didn’t give a damn about the heat even once. This pain was welcomed, even. Compared to everything that had happened, this was basically a reward.
In no time, the bowl was empty, and I sighed in relief once I was done. When Soren’s eyes fell onto the bowl, the corners of his lips quivered in amusement.
"Damn," he said. "I didn’t realize you were so hungry. Maybe I should’ve brought you more."
"Thank you for your kind gesture, Alpha Soren," I said, raising my hand to wipe the corner of my mouth, "but I’m going to have to ask you to leave."
The smile froze on Soren’s face, and he blinked twice before his expression turned awkward.
"Briar―"
"Please leave," I repeated, my voice a little firmer this time.
I didn’t want to speak to him. I didn’t even want to see him. Just the sight of him reminded me that his two other brothers were now with their new bride. Even though for some odd reason Soren wasn’t with them, it didn’t make it feel any better.
"No," Soren said, shaking his head as he crossed the room.
He kneeled at the edge of the bed, and without warning, took my hand in his. In my surprise, I dropped the bowl to the floor, and it shattered immediately. Yet, Soren didn’t even bat an eye.
"I’m not leaving," he said. "What’s wrong, Briar?"
