Just beat me

Alana

I felt all hands around me, massaging me, scrubbing me with warm water.

Warm water? How could that be? How could I be given such a luxury when I'm only confined in the basement? 

I haven't had a bath for months now and even if I get to wash my face, it's just for one small cup. 

I opened my eyes despite the sting on the cut there to see what's happening and I could only gasp in shock.

These are all Sophia's nurse aids? Why are they all here with me washing my hair and body?

"W-Wait, excuse me but what are you doing? Why am I here with you getting a..." I looked at where I was and my eyes widened. 

I'm in a beautiful box full of water that is now so dirty because of me. What a wonderful dream!

"Our lady, we are bathing you for a while. Please keep calm," one of the nurse aides said while combing my hair with a shampoo.

I sniffed it and it's the most beautiful scent I have ever smelled of in my entire life!

"But why? Does my father know about this?"

I scrambled to stand up only to go back into the water when I realized that I'm naked and too weak to hold myself up. 

My fear returned and my eyes began turning red.

"If he knows I'm here and bathing, he would beat me again. Please help me back into my dungeon. Please, I don't want to take a bath anymore."

One of the nurses touched my cheek gently and smiled at me reassuringly.

"It's the alpha prince who wanted you to be here, our lady. He saw your condition and ordered us to treat you like a princess."

I paused remembering that someone had smashed the door in my cage. Thinking that it was my father wanting to beat me again, I crawled into a fetal position and just retreated into my imaginary world and just let him do whatever he wanted with me. 

I didn't know it was the alpha prince all along.

Really? Does it mean that our dear alpha prince is a kind man? He's not cruel just like his father? 

What does he look like? I heard from Sophia that he really looks young and handsome. 

And how does he unbind me from chains? He must have been so strong and powerful.

"Really? The alpha prince? But how come..." I began shaking in fear when I realized what would happen. 

Once my father finds out where I am, he will be so angry at me. Just thinking about how he's going to beat me endlessly is making me feel cold all over.

And once Minerva finds out the alpha prince saw me, she will definitely not let me eat anything for another month!

"Please, I'm begging you. Take me back to my cage and don't let Alpha Killian and Luna Minerva know about this, okay? Please, please."

"It's okay, our lady." The head nurse pacified me while rinsing my long hair. "No one can hurt you because you're under the protection of the alpha prince. I've been wanting to treat you myself because I was once your mother, Luna Athena, nurse aid."

"Really? What's your name?" I am shocked to know that someone here still knows my mother. 

I thought her memory was buried completely by Luna Minerva.

She touched my forehead where a healed scar has been while fighting off the tears in her eyes. "I'm Raven, Alana. I've been one of your mother's loyal followers. She's a strong woman so you have to be strong too. She's looking out on you, you know. Your savior has come. Let him take you away from here, Alana."

A savior? Really? Who would that be?

They wrapped me inside a big robe that is not my size after drying my hair and carried me back into a newly made bed that was so big that ten people could definitely fit in. 

"Wait Raven, where are you going? I thought you're going to take me back to the dungeon?"

The old woman caressed my cheek and smiled. "No, Alana. You are meant to be outside living your life. Just believe, child. Believe."

"Wait!"

But they all left the room in line leaving me alone in the soft covers of the bed inviting me to sleep. 

I lay down feeling the velvety fabric in my hand, my eyes fluttering in . It's the first time I'll be able to sleep on it. 

In the seconds that have passed, I fell asleep only to be woken up from a touch of someone too familiar to me. 

"Who the fuck has an evil soul to do this to you?"

I heard the curse and the hard tone in his voice that I immediately backed away and hugged myself.

Is he angry at me? Is he going to whip me like my father used to? I know all the men I saw only hurt me. 

Is this man the same? Is he going to make me bleed too?

I hugged myself and went into the farthest part of the bed covering my face with my hair. 

I know whoever this man is will be disturbed with my appearance.

Everyone does.

"No, please. Please Alana. Don't be afraid of me. I'm not going to do anything to you."

His voice is begging like he's in pain too but I'm already closing my eyes readying myself for the beating that I will receive.

"P-Please, if you're going to beat me, beat me now. J-Just please don't use a whip." 

I sobbed when I remember how my father uses it on me like I'm some kind of a cruel animal he's training to be disciplined. 

"Oh, Alana."

The man gently went to my side and pulled me into his arms. I panicked, overwhelmed by this sudden strange feeling.

Why does my heart beat so loudly? Why does it feel so peaceful being inside his arms?

And why does he smell so good more than the heavenly scent of the shampoo in my hair?