Unspoken Wounds

Breakfast was tense.

I moved the food around on my plate, barely eating. Mika sat beside me, annoyed, while Vulvan ate quietly across from us. His expression was unreadable, his jaw tight like he was holding something back. Dax sat next to him, watching everything like he was waiting for something to happen.

Then Susan spoke.“Oh, Vulvan, remember when we used to have breakfasts like this?” Her voice was smooth but full of meaning. “Back then, we were the perfect couple. Everyone admired us. No one could touch us.”

Mika let out an irritated sigh, stabbing her fork into her food.

I kept my head down. I wouldn’t give Susan the reaction she wanted.

But she wasn’t done.“I heard about you, Zara,” she continued, pretending to sound kind. “Back in Edwood, right? You were weak, weren’t you? Everyone treated you badly. That must have been hard, poor thing.”

I went still.Her words were fake sympath wrapped in something sharper.

I waited for Vulvan to say something. Anything.

He didn’t.

Instead, he set his fork down and stood up. Without a word, he walked away, followed by Dax, his broad shoulders disappearing down the hallway.

A heavy weight settled in my chest.

Why didn’t he stand up for me?

I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t feel hurt.

But I did.

Heat rushed to my face. I pushed my chair back roughly and walked out.

Behind me, Mika snapped. “Can you just shut up, Susan?”

Susan smirked. “Oh, relax. You’re getting annoying. Stop acting like a brat.”

I didn’t stay to hear Mika’s response.

---

I stormed into the kitchen, my heart pounding. I just needed a minute to cool off.

I leaned against the counter, breathing deeply. My chest felt tight, frustration bubbling under my skin.

I reached for a glass someone had placed too close to the edge. The moment I touched it, it tipped over. I tried to grab it too late.

It shattered on the floor.

I sighed and crouched down, reaching for the broken pieces.

Then pain shot through my fingers.A sudden pressure pressed down on my hand, making the glass dig deeper into my skin.

I gasped.

I looked up—

Susan.

Her foot was on my fingers, pressing down just enough to hurt.“Oops,” she said, eyes full of amusement. “Clumsy, aren’t you?”

I gritted my teeth. “Get. Off.”

She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. “Just reminding you Vulvan is mine. The sooner you back off, the better for you.” Her smirk widened. “He hates your kind. Especially someone like you from Edwood.”

The words cut deeper than the glass in my skin.

She finally stepped back, turning like she was done.

But I wasn’t.

I shot up, grabbed a handful of her hair, and yanked her backwards.She let out a startled gasp, but before she could react—

I punched her.

Her head snapped to the side, and a small trickle of blood appeared on her lip.

Silence.

Then “You bitch!” she hissed, touching her lip like she couldn’t believe I had hit her.

She raised a hand to slap me, but before she could, Dax appeared, grabbing her wrist.

“Enough,” he said, voice sharp.

Susan struggled against his grip. “Let me go! Who does she think she is?”

Dax didn’t move. “Get a hold of yourself.”

She stopped struggling.

His eyes darkened. “You just attacked the Luna,” he said coldly. “And you tried to hurt her again, knowing exactly what you were doing.” His grip tightened slightly. “That’s considered treason.”

Susan’s face paled. “What”

Dax let go of her wrist. “I suggest you think before you make any more reckless moves.”

Susan looked at me, her lips pressing together in frustration. Then she spun on her heels and stormed out.

I let out a shaky breath, finally feeling the sting in my fingers.

Blood dripped from my hand.

I needed a bandage.

---

Unfinished Words

I found one in the cabinet and unwrapped it, but before I could wrap my fingers—

The door swung open.

I knew who it was before I even turned.

Vulvan.

His scent hit me first earthy and raw. I clenched my jaw.

I turned my back on him, but he was fast.

His hand grabbed my arm, careful but firm.

A sharp sting ran through my fingers, making me let out a small sound of pain.

“I heard what happened,” he said quietly.

He glanced down at my injured hand. Without asking, he took the bandage from me.

I pulled my hand back. “I don’t need your help.”

“Stop being stubborn.”

He knelt slightly, holding my wrist as he wrapped the bandage around it. His hands were surprisingly gentle, but I refused to look at him.

The moment he applied the antiseptic, a sharp sting burned through my skin.

I sucked in a breath, gripping his shoulder without thinking.

He exhaled, then he blew on the wound.

I stiffened.

His breath was warm, soft. Too close.

I swallowed hard.

“Just give it time,” he murmured. “It’ll heal.”

I scoffed, yanking my hand away. “Why don’t you go care for your mistress? She needs it more.”

Something flashed in his eyes something I couldn’t read.

“She isn’t—” He stopped. Then, he smirked slightly. “Why? Are you jealous?”

I let out a cold laugh. “I don’t care who she is to you.”

“Then why do you sound like you do?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

The air between us was heavy, charged with something unspoken.

I wanted him to tell me she meant nothing. That there was nothing between them.

But he didn’t.

Instead, his expression turned unreadable. His voice was calm, but his words weren’t.

“Yeah? Maybe Susan is my mistress.” His smirk was gone. “What are you going to do about it?”

Something inside me cracked.

I stared at him, my chest tight, my breath unsteady.

I refused to cry in front of him. I refused to let him see how much that hurt.

Instead, I whispered, “I hate you, Vulvan Reagan. I hate you so much.”

He didn’t look away.

His voice was lower, rougher. “I wish I could say the same.” He turned toward the door. “But I have more than just hate for you.”

Then he left.

I stared at the door, heart pounding.

On the table, the medicine he left for me sat untouched.

With a sharp breath, I kicked it off the table, sending the pills scattering across the floor.

Then, finally, when no one was there to see, I let the tears fall.