|chapter 4|

|Talitha|

A/N: Dear readers, please proceed with caution when reading this chapter. Contents include a brief scene of rape/sexual assault.

The next two months pass by in a haze of torment with Cain's presence constantly filling the walls of this house while choking the very air I breathe. He spends every waking moment cocooning Daezahn like she's a long-lost treasure he freshly unearthed. They parade about the manor like hounds in heat, his hand ever fastened to her waist as he kisses and gropes her shamelessly—oftentimes in the view of others, basking in the spectacle of it all. Worse yet, he whisks her into empty chambers, their laughter echoing through while I pretend not to hear.

But goddess curse me, I do. I hear everything.

The ache in my chest throbs persistently, growing unbearable each time I glimpse them in passing or worse, feel them through the mate bond. I've tried to sever it, tried to build mental walls, and though I bury myself in chores and hearthwork—anything to distract myself, the noises still manage to pierce through the crack, consisting of Cain's groans and whispered promises to Daezahn.

Each night, I curl upon my pallet, hands clutching my flimsy covering, while trying to drown out the rush of Cain's pleasure tainting the bond between us like poison. He knows I can feel it and he revels in my suffering.

Then one night, something shifts inside the bond, a molten, unbearable twist that leaves me writhing and gasping in bed as I grasp my chest, where pain sears through me like flames. I know in an instant what it means.

The marking.

Cain is marking Daezahn as his mate, sealing their connection, and thus making the bond between us suddenly snap, ripping itself free from my soul and reattaching to Daezahn’s.

The scream that escapes me is raw, unbridled, and agonizing when I double over, clutching my chest as if I can hold onto what’s already gone. This isn't how it's meant to be. I am his mate, not Daezahn. How had I been so utterly, woefully wrong?

The pain is still coursing through me when I hear the creak of my door. I stiffen, breath stuttering as Cain steps inside, his scent potent with Daezahn's essence, making my stomach churn as he shuts the door behind him, dark brown eyes gleaming with something cruel.

"You're awake," he murmurs, his voice low, almost amused. “Good.”

I push myself up, arms crossed tightly around my trembling form. “What do you want?” My voice is hoarse, raw from the scream that ripped from my throat moments ago.

Cain tilts his head, examining me as if he finds my suffering fascinating. “Did I not once tell you how much I enjoy watching you squirm beneath me in pain? And what better way is there to achieve that than fucking you with another woman's scent still clinging to me?”

My heart lurches. No. He wouldn’t. He—

Cain's hand suddenly shoots forward to grasp my wrist, yanking me forward with such a force that I crash against his chest, where Daezahn's fragrance suffocates me, making my eyes burn.

I shove at him weakly. “Cain, stop—”

His grip tightens, fingernails digging into my skin. “You forget yourself, little omega.” His tone drops to a sinister growl. “You’re still mine, even though the bond disagrees.”

“No, you're mated to Daezahn now,” I rasp. “You marked her—”

“But I haven't rejected you yet, have I?” he cuts in, smirking as he pushes me back down on the straw mattress. “Which means you're still tied to me and marked or not, Talitha, you’ll feel everything I do with another woman.”

I shake my head, panic flooding my veins. “Cain,” I whisper. “P-please don't.”

His fingers trail down my arms, deceptively gentle like a serpent winding around its prey. “You think your begging will move me? You’re an omega. My omega. That mark on Daezahn doesn’t erase what you are to me.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trembling. “You're hurting me.”

“I mean to,” he says, and then with a savage move, he rends my chemise down the middle, baring my body to him. Unlike that night at the lake, there is no false pretense of tenderness and he doesn't give me a moment to prepare before he forces himself into me, muffling my scream at the pain that sears through my core. The pain and betrayal twist into an unbearable feeling as he manhandles me, while calling me degrading names. I feel it all—from the suffocating weight of him, to the cruelty in his brutal thrusts, and the satisfaction he takes in my suffering as our bond pulses like a dying star between us.

Tears stream silently down my cheeks, but I don’t fight him because fighting will only make it worse.

When it's finally over, Cain leans down, his breath like warm poison on my skin as he mutters “Speak a word of this to anyone and I'll make certain you regret it. Do you understand?”

I don’t answer. I can’t.

He seizes my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “Do you understand me?”

I nod, my body numb, my soul shattered.

Satisfied, he releases me, straightening his tunic as he strides to the door. He pauses at the threshold, casting one final glance at me. “You’ll never escape me, Talitha. No matter what you do, you’ll always belong to me until I deem you useless.”

Then he leaves, shutting the door behind him as if nothing happened.

I remain where I am—bare, bruised, trembling yet numb as I curl into myself as though I can protect what little is left of my being. The silence around me stretches, hollow and unkind, until something deep inside me buckles. A sudden twist in my guts forces me upright, and my hands fly to my mouth too late. The bile surges up my throat and I heave, retching onto the ground beside my bed, expelling what crumbs remain inside my stomach in a flood of nausea and shame.

I cough, gasping through the burn in my throat as my hair clings to my damp face. The stench of my vomit and sweat fills the room, yet the mate bond, fractured and corrupted as it is, continues to pulse faintly—a cruel reminder of what I just endured.

Tears well up my eyes but I shut them, swallowing down the sob rising in my aching throat.

I need to get out of here.

I need to run.

•|•|•|•

The next morn, Daezahn ensures I know precisely where I stand. She finds me upon my knees in the corridor, scrubbing the floors, her voice steeped in venom.

“Oh, poor Talitha,” she sneers, casting her shadow over me before driving her boot into my pail of lye water. It topples, spilling across my bare feet while soaking the hem of my threadbare shift. “You look so pathetic on your hands and knees, but it is clear that’s the only place you belong. Far beneath me.”

I keep my head down, my hands trembling as the scent of Cain’s mark lingers on her skin. It burns. I'd scrubbed his essence off my flesh at dawn, and despite being tied to him now, it appears Daezahn remains unaware of what had transpired between Cain and I after he left her bed yesternight.

I bite the insides of my cheeks until I taste copper, willing back the tears that prick my eyes.

"Now," she continues, her wicked smile stretching wider, “rise and prepare a basket of victuals for us. Cain is taking me for a picnic. And mind you, do not be tardy.”

With a final shove, she pivots and leaves, her laugh trailing behind her like a malevolent wraith.

And so, I do as I have always done. I listen. I obey. I prepare their food, serve them with lowered eyes, and swallow every barb and cruel insult, because I have no choice or strength left in me to fight, and because defiance only breeds harsher punishment.

Yet behind closed doors, a darker peril festers. My foster sire’s unhealthy interest in me seems to have escalated as of late, to an extent that chills my very blood. His gaze lingers too long, his hands, bolder now, stray where they shouldn’t. And each time I try to slip past him, Luna Cleo accuses me of sloth and metes out punishment—more chores and less bread.

My life has become a dungeon wrought of cruelty and false piety, where every soul within these walls seems bent on breaking me piece by piece. I know I need to flee for my life, but there is no clear path. They are ever watchful.

Then, one eve, it happens.

I am all alone in the kitchen, the hearthfire casting flickering shadows across the flagstones, when the Alpha finds me. The moment I sense his presence, my body goes still. Even without words, I feel the hunger in his stare, thick as smoke, choking the air between us.

“Talitha,” he purrs lowly, moving near, his fingers grazing my shoulders. “Come hither. Come closer to me.”

I take a quivering step back but his hand darts out and snatches my arm, yanking me against his chest while his breaths scorch my ear. “Do not flee from me,” he growls. “You are mine. I brought you into this pack, you owe me your fealty. I want you and I mean to have you.”

Panic surges within me. I claw at his wrists, trying to wrench free but he is just too strong. My throat tightens as I fight back tears, my heart hammering against my ribs. The memory of Cain barging into my chamber and forcing himself on me the other night crashes over me then, feeding my terror.

“A-Alpha, p-please.” I murmur, my voice shaking. “Please don’t…”

His grip tightens until I feel his claws bite into my flesh. “You think yourself better than me? Playing at innocence when all know you are naught but a worthless little omega who forgets her place.” His lips twist into a malevolent sneer. “Mayhap I need to remind you.”

Terror claws at my throat. “No!” I cry, thrashing wildly. “Help! Somebody, please!”

With an abrupt burst of energy, I manage to wrest myself free, heedless of the gashes torn in my skin from his distended claws. I stumble back, gasping, then turn and flee without looking back.

I sprint across pack grounds, ignoring the shocked stares of other pack members as I push past them. My feet pound against the ground as I bolt for the forest, the cool night air slashing against my skin. I run and run, lungs burning, heart pounding.

I don’t stop. I don’t look back. I will never return there.

Days blur into a waking nightmare of exhaustion, hunger and cold. I eat scarcely enough to keep my body from failing totally. Sleep comes in snatches, fitful and haunted as I dream of being caught and dragged back to that cursed place. My limbs grow feeble, my mind dulls with fatigue, but still I push forward. I must.

Then, one day, my strength finally gives out.

My knees buckle, and I collapse on the cold, hard ground, my body too spent to move even an inch. As the darkness swiftly rises to claim me, with one last shred of will, I whisper a prayer, clutching the hope that somehow, the Goddess will have mercy on me.

Or that mayhap… I will forever be put out of my misery.

•|•|•|•

When next I wake, I find myself lying in a bed, my limbs heavy as if forged of lead. The scent of herbs fills my senses, sharp yet oddly soothing. I attempt to sit up, but pain lances through my body, before a gentle hand bids me to lie still.

“Careful, child,” comes a soft voice. I lift my head, blinking up at the woman beside me. Her face is finely lined by the passage of many seasons, yet her blue-gray eyes, muted as the skies on a rainy spring day, appear warm, kind and wise.

“Where… where am I?” I rasp, my throat parched.

“You’re safe now,” she assures me, checking on my pulse with soft fingers. “But you were in a woeful state when I chanced upon you—severely starving and sorely dehydrated. ‘Tis truly a miracle you can still draw breath.”

Her words ought to comfort me, but the tempest inside of me rages on, unabated. Then she pauses, her gaze growing solemn and her brows furrowing as she continues her examination.

“Hmm, you must have done something to stir the gods you pay obeisance to,” she murmurs, wonder mingling with quiet joy lacing her tone. “For your babe has survived as well.”

The world tilts as my heart begins to pound in my ears.

“B-Babe?” I whisper, breathless, shaking my head because this—this cannot be.

“You did not know?” she asks with care, sympathy further softening her voice. “You are with child, dear. Near three months along.”

I open my mouth, but no words come. My vision blurs as tears gather, spilling over before I can even muster the strength to stop them.

The healer rests a gentle hand on my shoulder, her touch intended to steady me yet rather, the weight of her words crushes me.

I am pregnant.

With Cain’s child.

The darkness swallows me whole once more.