The weight is silence

IVORY'S POV

"Is it that runt of an Alpha!" His form had taken a larger shape now, his eyes blazing red with fury, and I was more frightened than flattered that I was the source of his rage.

"Speak!" And immediately he was in my space, his face dangerously close to mine, his breath coming out in harsh huffs.

His eyes were scarlet blood. I could see my reflection drowning in them.

I wanted to speak. My heart knew he was angry for me, but the horrors I had faced in that pack were as fresh as an open wound in my memory. The Alpha had broken me.

"I… I—" More traitorous tears fell down my face as disgust and shame filled me. He moved away from me in a daze and hurled a table across the wall, shattering it into pieces and splinters.

The sky outside began to turn dark as winds picked up, the chilling cold biting at my skin. The flimsy nightdress did little to give me warmth.

"I will ask you one more time, Ivory. Who did this to you?"

His voice had gone low, his eyes narrowing at me. But I couldn't say anything. My heart began to beat rapidly, my breathing erratic. I was fear, and fear was me. Warmth filled between my thighs, and I welcomed it like a friend.

My gaze dropped to the polished floor, now stained by a puddle. My reflection stared back at me, a sickening reminder of my weakness.

"Ivory? Shit."

The vampire lord rushed to my side and lifted me in a swoop into the bathroom. Even though I was shaking with fear, I let him.

He turned on the lights, and I winced, instinctively turning into his cloak away from the brightness, basking myself in his embrace. I moved away immediately after realizing what I was doing, but he didn't say anything, thankfully.

He settled me down on the seat of the water closet and turned away from me. My eyes settled on him as he took off his coat and ran a hand through his dark hair.

My mouth hung open like a gaping fish at how toned his back looked. His muscles were taut against the white shirt. Through the sheer fabric, I could see the outline of a tattoo.

"I'll run you a bath. I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier." He huffed, turning sideways to look at me. I dropped my head down, thankful my hair covered my face so he couldn't see me. "I just… fuck, I'm sorry."

Say something, I screamed in my head. But instead, I stayed silent and didn't look up until I heard the sound of running water.

I watched as his muscles moved beneath the thin fabric, the hum between us beginning to grow evident as we spent more time together. But was that possible? I already had a mate. Or had a mate. Second-chance mates were not common. In fact, I had never heard of one.

"Come here."

The voice snapped me out of my thinking slump as my eyes landed on the King's awaiting hand. I didn't take it. I noticed again how large his hand was. He could easily take my neck in his grip and…

"Ivory?"

My vision cleared as I focused on his awaiting hand. My mind reeled back to what the doctor had said, and my body shuddered.

He craned his head to the side, and I swore my heart gave out. His eyes had turned to a warm hazel, and I didn't know what it was, but something pushed me to trust him.

I rose from the toilet seat and shakily placed my hand in his. I let him draw me closer.

"You'd have to take this off, mi Rosa." His fingers tugged at the hem of my nightdress, and I nodded. I began to pull at the ruffled straps, but I stopped when I saw he had turned away from looking at me.

He was the first man to turn away.

A tear slipped down my eye as I remembered days I had been stripped before being flogged. Stripped to be ridiculed. One time, I had been stripped and tied against a tree for a punishment I didn't commit. It had snowed that day.

I shuddered from the memory and quickly let the dress fall to the floor. I gasped and flinched into a half crouch when I saw his elbow raise up to my arm level. I knew it. This was the beginning of the end.

I waited for the hit and squealed when I felt myself lifted up. I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my breasts against him, and I felt him stiffen.

He stood like that, and I looked up to see his gaze was on my chest, his eyes flashing from scarlet to yellow in frightening paces.

Moon Goddess, please let this be quick. I shut my eyes.

I squealed when I felt myself drop into an envelope of watery warmth. I opened my eyes to gaze up at the King. His eyes were back to their hazel color.

"Stay here. I'll be back." I nodded, and my eyes followed him as he straightened up and turned to leave the bathroom. He stopped in front of the door and rolled up his sleeves before reaching for the mop and bucket in the corner. I felt my cheeks heat up as I realized what he was about to do.

"I'll take care of it, Your Highness." I rose from the water, the sound of droplets falling from my skin filling the quiet space of the bathroom. His back tensed, but I was too filled with fear to think as I hurried out of the tub and rushed to him, my feet slipping under me.

I yelped, waiting for my head to hit the tiles, but instead my body met flesh.

"Ivory, I'm trying hard to control both beasts, and you're not doing much to help." I gasped, realizing what I had just done. I leaped away from his hold, thankful he was looking away from me, as I rushed back into the bathtub.

"I'll be back." The door opened, and I was alone in the bathroom. I finally let myself breathe.

I watched as the lather in the water disappeared and the water turned a murky shade of brown and red. I was filthy.

My palm rubbed vigorously at my body. My fingers scratched at my skin as hot tears fell down my face, blurring my vision. Flashes of what I had endured played in frantic films in my head, and my hands moved more frantically against my skin.

"Hey, hey." My wrist was captured in a larger one as my body racked with more sobs.

"Please… puh-please, don't let me go back there. Please don't kill me." I let out in shaky breaths.

My head was pulled towards a large chest. I felt the water surrounding me recede down the drain, the last of it draining away in a gurgle as the tub filled with water again.

"They'll kill me. My parents… the Alpha. He hates—" I broke down in more sobs, not caring that I was unraveling in front of the most powerful being in existence.

"Fuck this."

I felt myself raised momentarily before being settled back into the water. A solid warmth pressed against my back as my vision cleared to the view of my legs, enveloped side by side by those of the dreadful vampire king.