Chapter 11
Lina's POV
I sighed heavily, my fist clenched as I stood there trying not to lose it. I knew what the consequences would be if i let my anger win. Brielle was really getting on my nerves. She had no damn idea how much I wanted to crush her skull into the wall right now. Both in my past and now, she just wouldn't leave me alone.
"Look, miss, just go on and have your shower, you stink of sex," I shot coldly, already turning away because I didn't have the patience to deal with her nonsense.
I barely took a step before pain exploded across my scalp as she grabbed my hair, yanking hard, and that was the last straw. I was done with putting up with her nonsense.
I reached up immediately, grabbed her wrist while it was still over my head, twisted it as I turned around, forcing a yelp out of her before I shoved her away from me, sending her crashing to the floor.
At the sound of her scream,Kain rushed out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet, a towel wrapped around his waist. I quickly turned away, forcing myself not to be impressed by the holy freaking abs sight before me.
Brielle was already furious, scrambling to her feet, her wolf surging forward as she tried to attack me, but Kain caught her wrist mid-move, stopping her before she could make another move.
I froze for a second because I'd honestly expected him to let her hurt me, expected him to scold me instead and talk down to me just like he'd always done in my past life when she played victim and painted me as the villain, but this time she actually was the victim… not that I cared, since I'd only given her a taste of her own medicine.
"Don't stop me," Brielle screamed, thrashing against his hold, "how dare she treat me like this, that filthy slave."
Kain's grip stayed firm as he turned to me, his eyes cold and distant. "You'll be punished for what you've done, you need to know your place."
"But she—" I started, the words slipping out automatically like they always used to.
Then I stopped myself because what was the point. Defending myself had never changed anything before, and it wouldn't now either.
I sighed quietly. "As you wish, Your Highness." The guards were summoned not long after, and the punishment was decided, thirty strokes.
They dragged me to the yard and laid me down on the bench, making all the servants watch and making them understand what happens when a slave disrespected their superior.
The first strike landed and pain ripped through my back so hard my breath hitched. Each stroke burned worse than the last, my skin felt like it was on fire, my jaw clenched as I forced myself not to scream.
I heard soft laughter and didn't need to look to know Brielle had come to watch, standing there with that smug smile on her face like she'd won something.
I'd had worse, so it didn't bother me, but it fucking hurt like hell all the same, and by the time it was over, my back burned, my body trembling, the smell of my own blood thick in the air.
When they finally untied me, I pushed myself up slowly, sweat dripping down my forehead as my vision blurred, my legs barely holding me up, and yet no one cared enough to help me walk, not even when I could barely stand. I almost chuckled at how pathetic I felt at the moment.
My wolf stirred then, forcing some healing through me, not enough to fix everything but enough to keep me from collapsing.
I walked away without thinking, not even knowing where I was heading, only that I needed to get away from everyone.
I didn't realize how far I'd gone until the palace was nowhere in sight and I was deep in the forest, and when it finally hit me, I just exhaled and sank down beside a tree, my back pressed against the bark.
It had always been like this, lonely, alone, no one to share my pain or sadness with. My life has always been pretty pathetic.
At least I still had Carla.
"You do know there's a way to get out of this, right?" Carla finally spoke. I could tell she was pissed, annoyed that I was just bearing everything instead of using the option I had available, annoyed that I was still letting people step over me.
"I know what you're thinking," I replied, my tone exhausted, "don't even think about it, I won't do it."
"You have nothing to lose, Lina," she said, "he's your mate, and you've already been marked by him, what's wrong with taking advantage of that?"
"I want nothing to do with the Winstons," I snapped, "they've always brought nothing but bad luck into my life."
"You're saying it like you don't realize how different things are after your rebirth," she shot back, her tone scolding, "you have a chance to change fate now, do you really want to end up just like before."
"That's the last thing I want, which is the reason why I'm not doing things your way," I said, my chest tightening, "I thought you of all people would understand me, the Winstons ruined my life, and you want me to crawl into the arms of one of them?"
"Lina, you—"
"Just stop," I cut her off, my voice trembling as I forced my welling tears down, "the night with Louis was a mistake, I don't remember what happened and I want it to stay a mistake, I won't take advantage of him, and I won't bring myself so low as to crawl back into his arms, I'll crawl my way back up without using such means, so please don't try to convince me otherwise."
There was a brief silence, then Carla sighed, and spoke again. "Then what do we do about the mate bond?, you can't reject him...and you can't make him reject you either, or you might lose me just like last time."
"Then I don't have to do anything..."
"Shh, someone's approaching." Carla quickly warned, making me tense in my spot. Who could that be, a rouge? Or wolves from another pack. I was still in our territory so it couldn't be.