Chapter 3

Neither did I expect him to actually come back for me, not after he betrayed me so bad, but he really didn't return.

Not for me. Not for his unborn child.

I was beaten, abused and spit on by the three guards by my so called mother-in-law.

In the end, she stepped on my fingers, crushing them with her heels, she said, "You should feel lucky that my son still feel pity on you or else I would have these men sleep with you the way you slept with the servant and shame our family."

Her words cutting deep through my heart. But, before I could defend myself the world turned dark to me. I fainted.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in the ward of a recovery vault of our clan. Damien stood by my side, pouring fresh blood in a glass.

"You are awake?" He said excitedly. "You must be thirsty. Come take this."

He pushed the glass towards me. But, I brushed it off.

"I don't need your help, Damien." I said, my voice cold, "Go back to Lia. She needs you more."

"Serene..." He whispered my name, his words carried pain and regret. But, I did not care.

"Are you still upset with me?" He stroked my hair. "I'm sorry, I got a little late."

"But, I have punished those guards. They will soon be banished from the Clan and my mom, well, she can't hurt you anymore. I can vouch my life for that." He quickly explained.

"You let them call our child a bastard!" I spat, "Never did once you tried to explain your mother when Lia accused me of... incest."

"You know I can't do this, Serene." He protested, "If the High Court knows, I got two women pregnant, I have to step down from the race of becoming High Lord. Do you want me to step down?"

"Then ask Lia to find someone else to call him her child's Dad." I muttered.

"That's enough, Serene." He shut me down, "We have already talked about it. It can't be changed."

"Then there is no need of discussion. You can leave now." I said, tossing my head on other side.

But, he did not leave. Instead, he held my hands softly and said, "It's just the matter of a few months, Serene. Once Lia gives birth to the child, she will take the child and leave the House to go live with one of her human friend."

"And the Eternal Vow, I'm just going to announce it with Lia. But, I won't take a vow with her. Once she gives birth and leaves the Clan, I'll announce you my blood-bound and accept our child. Then, I'll take the Eternal Vow with you, not Lia."

"Till then you will let everyone call our baby a bastard? Me... a slut?" I asked, looking straight into his eyes, trying to see if he still had the love for me in them as he claimed.

"I also have a plan for this." He said while pulling me in his embrace. "I'll not let anyone hurt you, Serene. Not anymore."

And the plan he had thought of was– was locking me up in a room not spacious than a washroom of our master bedroom.

He imprisoned me in the room that he called my safe place, forbidden everyone to go near that room.

He did not want anyone to see my baby bump when it appears. It was as if he was hiding my whole existence in the Clan.

He was right when he said no one could hurt me anymore, not even his Mom.

But, he did not say he was caging me up like a bird.