CHAPTER THREE

“Those pictures…,”

“It doesn't concern me,” he cut in, “You can look at whatever you want in your free time, I'm sorry I looked at it,”

I quickly sat up, “I don't look at things like that I swear,”

His head turned to me, “Go to sleep,”

I wanted to,but I couldn't let him think of me in that manner, “My aunt gave them to me, they are supposed to teach me how to have sex,”

I couldn't read the look in his eyes, I wasn't even sure he cared about what I had to say.

“I'm getting married in a few days,” I said in a low tone as I adjusted myself on the bed, still sitting. 

“Congratulations,” he looked back at the ceiling. 

“Aunt Nerrissa says I have to be able to bear his children, so I have to learn what sex looks like,”

He looked at me again, seemingly interested in what I had to say, “You are a virgin?,”

I nodded.

“Pictures won't help you, your lover should have to teach you,” he said. 

“That's the thing I'm not in love with him, I have never even met the guy, I have no idea what kind of person he is,”

Silence fell upon the room, he didn't say a word. 

I sighed and laid on my back again, “You leave in the morning?,” I asked, “You seem eager to go back home,”

He grunted, maybe I was talking too much. 

“Yes, I leave in the morning,” he said. 

Silence lingered again, a while minute passed before he spoke, “What is your name?,”

I smiled, “Lyra,” 

“Since you don't want to get married, as a thank you for saving my life , I'll find you when I get back home and free you from the marriage,” he said. 

I chuckled, “It's a powerful family, you might get in trouble,”

“I can assure you they are not as powerful as I am,” he said. 

I lifted my head to look at him, who exactly was he?

The next morning,

“Lyra! Come start your chores before I come up here!,” Nerrissa shouted, my eyes jolted open as I woke up .

I quickly sat up and wiped my eyes. I looked to the side where he had slept, but it was empty, just a rumpled bed sheet. 

I slid out of bed, did he leave last night?

My stomach twisted, he could have at least said goodbye.

The sound of the bathroom door sliding open spun me around, “You are here,” I gasped. 

He was shirtless, he still had his pants around his waist and his white sleeve tied around his lower abdomen, his green eyes met mine.

I gulped as I watched his bare body, I had never seen another man like this before, I wonder how it felt, hard? “I thought you left,” I said. 

“I will, soon,” he responded. 

“Oh…., well, goodbye, I have to go do house chores now,” I said. 

“Lyra! You dimwit! Do you want me to do the dishes!,” Aunt Nerrissa shouted. 

“Is it always like that?,” he asked, referring to Nerrissa.

I nodded. “You should wait until it's late before you go, I can't let my aunt see you,”

He shut the bathroom door, “I can find my way out,” he pointed at the window, “It's urgent that I leave as soon as I can,”

I sighed, I didn't even know this man and I was already missing him, “Goodbye then,” I said and turned around to leave.

“Don't make me call for you a hundred times before you show up next time,” aunt Nerrissa tossed a rag at me as I got down, “Wipe!,” she shouted.

I began to clean the house. After an hour I moved to the kitchen to make breakfast. As I waited for the food to be ready, I leaned against the kitchen sink, all I could think about was him and his identity. 

Only if he would give me a name. 

Sigh. 

Would he really be able to save me from getting married to the alpha king? 

The smell of burning rice jolted me from my thoughts, I spun around and quickly turned off the stove , smoke filling the air. 

“What is that smell?,” aunt Nerrissa shouted.

My blood ran cold, my fingers trembling as I turned to face her, “I didn't know…I..it..,”

Her eyes moved to the burned food, “You incompetent fool!,” she shouted and landed a hard slap against my cheeks, “Do you pay for the food? Who told you you could mess it up!,”.

She reached for my hair and pulled hard at it, “You have spoiled your food for three whole days, I better not see you touch anything here,” she snapped me again. 

I sobbed, my whole body trembling.

“Get out of the house and work on the garden, I'll make breakfast myself,” she spat. 

I rushed out of the place, sobbing uncontrollably, I worked in the garden for hours before I finished, my dress was dirty, I put my blonde hair up in a bun and carried the basket of equipment back into the house. 

I was very hungry, but I knew it would be a bad idea to ask Nerrissa for food. 

I placed the basket down and went into the woods, I got a few friends from the trees and sat underneath the tree to eat it. By the time I finished, it was already dark outside. 

I walked back home, exhausted, aware that tomorrow would be another long day. 

I shut the main door or the house, Nerrissa would be asleep by now, I hummed, walking towards the stairs when a sudden voice halted me. 

“Where are you coming from?,” 

I spun around, “Aunt Nerissa," I said, she started on one of the chairs with a long cane in her hand. 

“I went to get some fruits,” I said. 

She stood and walked towards me, “You think it's okay to leave the house without my permission?,”

I shook my head, stumbling backwards, “I'm sorry I didn't …,”

She grunted, swinging the cane in my direction, a loud cry escaped my lips as it touched my neck, I quickly rubbed against it, but the cane began to land on every part of my body. 

“I'm sorry, I was just hungry!,” I shouted amidst the pain.

“A man has been sent from the palace that never you tomorrow, what if you had gotten kidnapped, I will have to explain where you went you ungrateful dog!,” she continued to whip. 

My whole body burned until she finally stopped and tossed the broken cane to the ground.

“You better get up early tomorrow, seeing how incompetent you are, the king will send you back here,” she said, and marched off. 

I stayed on the ground, weeping helplessly, my whole body shook from the pain, I looked at my arms,my pale white skin was red from being whipped. 

I finally managed to get up from the ground and climb up the stairs to my bedroom, it was dark, but the windows were open as moonlight peered in. 

I pressed my head against the door and wept.

“Hey,” a man's voice spoke. 

My body jerked in

shock as I spun to face him, it was the man I had saved, “You didn't leave?,” I asked. 

He inched closer, “You asked me to stay,”