Chapter 3

With a soft click, the leather straps binding my limbs were removed.

Freed from restraint, I slumped in the assessment chair and felt so weak I could barely open my eyes.

I clutched the blanket draped over my body. Its thin fabric outlined the humiliating curves of my body. Shame pressed heavily against my chest, and I turned my head away to avoid Kael's gaze.

He said nothing.

After a brief silence, I heard the soft rustle of fabric.

Kael picked up my discarded gray robe and linen petticoat from the floor and walked up to me. Then, he reached out with the same hands that had just violated me.

I snarled at him, but he ignored my warning growl and began dressing me, fastening the buttons one by one. His movements were steady and meticulous; there was nothing overtly intimate in them.

It felt purely procedural, like he was restoring a tool to its former state. Every now and then, his cool fingertips brushed against my collarbone or the side of my neck.

I stayed rigid and let him dress me as my fangs dig into my lower lip.

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a firm, polite knock.

"Dr. Goliath… Sorry to interrupt, but there's an urgent document that needs your attention." The voice sounded muffled through the thick door.

All the blood in my body seemed to freeze.

No. Whoever was outside must not see me in this state. My hair was disheveled, and my breathing was uneven. With just a glance, anyone would know what had just happened.

I struggled to sit up and find a place to hide. Unsurprisingly, my weak arms gave out from the lack of strength.

As I tipped forward, Kael caught me and pulled me into his arms. I went completely still in shock.

When I tried to break free, he held me firmly within his embrace. I looked up to glare at him, and his amber eyes met mine.

He said nothing and gave a faint shake of his head, a silent warning to stay quiet.

"Dr. Goliath?" The he-wolf knocked again and sounded slightly confused. "The door's locked. Has he left?"

Kael gave me a small, reassuring smile and continued adjusting my clothes. He straightened my collar and tied the sash at my waist.

The footsteps outside the assessment room gradually faded away and finally disappeared at the end of the hallway.

Kael stood up. After bringing the disinfectant and cotton swab over, he dampened the swab and gently dabbed it on my lower lip, where I had bitten myself.

Something in his gesture seemed to transform all my pent-up resentment and fear into rage. I slapped the swab away and snapped, "Spare me the hypocrisy, Kael! I don't even know you, so why? Why are you doing this to me?"

My voice trembled with suppressed hatred, and tears blurred my vision.

Once the words "I don't even know you" left my lips, his calm, gentle facade cracked.

"Aria…"

His deep, unreadable eyes were fixed on me, and complex emotions churning within them frightened me. For a fleeting second, I saw a flash of raw agony, followed by a crushing sense of disappointment.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but ended up pressing his lips into a thin, hard line.

"Your abnormal blockages have been cleared. My apologies, Ms. Scarlett," he said and straightened up with his back turned to me. His voice was flat once more.

I told myself that he was just a rude, overbearing brute. However, seeing the glimpse of loss on his face stirred an inexplicable ache in my chest.

I forced myself to ignore the gnawing unease in my gut, grabbed the assessment scroll, and fled the room.