Help you

Chapter 12: Avalyn's POV

My heart resumed beating suddenly. Each pump caused an ache in my chest as her words replayed in my head.

"By mate... Do you mean sex? I have to have sex with him?" My voice broke at the end and I hoped she would give a negative answer.

I prayed to all the deities that existed in the world at least this once, I hoped they listened to me. I wished that the term mating in their world meant something entirely different.

My stepmother had always accused me of sleeping around in town but I had been preserving myself for the one man who would truly love me.

Out of all the misfortune that befell me, that was the one thing I thought truly belonged to me. I thought no one would take that away from me.

My tears resumed falling down my cheeks as my heart thumped so loud in my chest, it was the only sound I heard. I kept my eyes fixed on Sara waiting for her to open her lips and tell me that I was being silly.

I wished she could tell me that their king couldn't possibly sleep with someone like me... But a single tear dropped from her eyes shattering my already broken heart.

"No," I whimpered.

 "I am sorry, Avalyn. But you are right. You will have to mate with King Talon for you to conceive him an heir," she explained and my stomach turned.

"No," I whimpered again as my hands clutched hers. "No, it can't be possible. They can't do that..."

This was the one thing I held. The one thing I thought I could protect.

"Sara, look at me," I said, swallowing my tears. "I have been maltreated. I have been abused. I have been spat on. I have been hurt in every way possible by my own father and stepmother..." As I spoke my body trembled in anguish but I went on refusing to stop now.

Who knew, maybe she would have mercy and help me.

"...but Sara," I said, tightening my grip on her. "I am still a virgin because I thought —I hoped that this would be something I could —I could give someone I loved and someone who loved me back... Not your King... No... Please tell me it's not true..."

Sara covered her mouth with her hands and got off the bed.

"I have to give you that injection now..." she said through gritted teeth.

I wiped my face clean and waited for her to get back with the injection before gripping her hands again. "Sara, please... Help me..." I begged.

She was the only one who showed human feelings. Maybe she could help me. I didn't want to lose my virginity to some monster who was only going to kill me in the end. I didn't protect it for so long only for it to be taken away like this.

Sara's eyes were red but she fought back the tears. She grabbed my upper arm and tapped it gently refusing to look into my eyes as she worked.

"This will hurt a little... It should help you sleep," she managed to say without her voice cracking. She injected me and in less than a second, my head went drowsy.

As I fell asleep, I watched her hoping I would wake up and she would accept to help me. I couldn't continue like this.

I couldn't.

The next time my consciousness returned to me, I was still in the hospital bed but this time it wasn't just Sara and me, there was someone else with her.

"Greg, I feel so terrible. Do you think the king will kill her?" I heard her gentle voice whisper.

"What makes you say that?" I recognized the voice at once. It was the towering man that had bought me from my father.

"Earlier today, Luna came here and after she left, Avalyn was a mess. She said that Luna said she will kill her after she delivers the child. The poor girl was inconsolable, Greg..."

Greg, the towering man, was quiet. I was almost tempted to open my eyes and see what they were up to but I feared they stood watching me. If I dared open my eyes, they would know that I was awake.

"Sara, your job is to prepare the girl for your King. Whatever happens to her after that, is none of your business. Do you understand?" His deep voice boomed.

"But Greg she is just a little girl. She has suffered a lot already. Did you see her body when you brought her?" Sara cried out and my heart clenched.

I didn't know if I should be happy or sad. For the first time, someone was rooting for me. Someone was concerned about my well-being. 

Someone other than myself.

"The people responsible for her hardship have been killed, she should be grateful to the King and perfect her duties diligently and not cry..."

I heard shuffling of feet and then Sara spoke again. "You don't understand humans! They care about their relationships more than we do. Her father might have been a monster but he was still her father. You didn't have the right to kill him—"

"Mind your words, Sara!" Greg growled. "Don't forget your place! We serve the King! I admit his ways are certainly not the best sometimes but you and I have no right to question him! Do you understand?"

The air in the ward changed as Greg raised his voice. Evening felt cornered. This king they spoke of, was the same man they wanted me to have sex with?

Surely, Luna was right. This story could only end one way and that was with my death.

"I am sorry Beta. It won't happen again," Sara said in a defeated voice. "I will prepare her for the task ahead."

"When can the king mate with her?" he asked and I felt my blood drain from every part of my body.

"S—she is still recuperating. I gave her a serum with the King's blood to help her organs get used to the DNA. Her old scars have started healing but they'll take time to completely disappear..."

I heard heavy boots coming forward and I tried my best to keep a straight face. I felt the bed dip slightly and his heavy breathing fanned the skin on my neck as he spoke.

"The king needs a date. When can they mate?" He repeated and my heart froze and shattered a thousand times in one second.

"It's Friday today. Give the girl five days, please..." Sara pleaded.

"Fine. But she move to the palace today. You can move with her so you can continue observing her progress. Five days are all I can give you," he said.

"Thank you, Beta. I am grateful."

The sound of heavy boots echoed in the room and I could tell he was leaving. I waited till the door closed and I could no longer hear him before opening my eyes.

Sara heard my movements and she raised her head from the seat she was occupying at the corner of the room. There was a table there as well filled with files.

It was as if she had moved her office to my room. Did she have other patients?

"How are you feeling?" She asked, getting to her feet at once.

"Ummm... Fine..." I said with a small smile. "Thank you..." She looked at me and nodded but I shook my head. I wanted her to know that I appreciated her for trying to push this encounter with their king as far as she could.

"Thank you for giving me more time..." I drawled. "I heard your conversation with Mr. Greg," I said.

The cloud of confusion on her face dispersed and she smiled at me. 

"It's the least I can do Avalyn. I would have done more but my hands are tied. We werewolves, we are strongly tied to our leaders —our alphas. My king isn't only an alpha but a Lycan too. I can't disobey him..."

I nodded and sniffled away quickly before the tears resumed. "I understand. It's fine."

She pulled me into a tight embrace and I leaned into her.

The sleep had helped me to see that there was no way out. All I had to do was embrace my pain and watch till I drown in it.

If the king would be kind then all I would ask was that I could see my child before I die —that was all I wished for. Besides, my child was going to be their king. My spirit would live on in him.

My story wasn't ending yet.

My stomach growled and Sara pulled back with a scowl on her face. "When was the last time you ate?" She asked.

My cheeks heated and I quickly bent my head to stare at my intertwined fingers. I couldn't remember. 

I couldn't even remember what day it was.

"Oh, you were brought here yesterday. But your stomach shouldn't be growling this way if you ate..." she said more to herself than to me.

My stomach growled again and I held it, hoping to muffle the sound.

"May I get something to eat, please?" 

"Of course. I will just head out and Dawn can bring you something to eat," she said, moving to her table to pick up her files.

"Why can't you bring it?"

She stopped by the door and smiled at me. "I have other patients I need to look at right now but I promise to be back as soon as I am done with my round, okay?"

I nodded and she did the same.

As she walked out, a small sad smile sat on my face. I was right. My story wasn't ending yet.