Chapter 29: Memories
Eliàn;
"Don’t stop until I say so."
My eyes snap to the men marching over to me, and my heart starts pounding as I back away from them.
I can’t run. They’ll overtake me.
There’s no escape from this. The only one who can stop them is the one who ordered them to torture me.
"Alpha Rhydian, I’m sorry...." I begin in panic as the men draw closer.
I look past the men at Rhydian, who’s sitting and watching on with cold eyes... Dead, unbothered eyes.
"I’m sorry!" I scream in panic as one of the men grabs me, but Rhydian doesn’t even bat an eyelid.
Am I really going to be beaten by these huge...
Air escapes my lungs, and thoughts abandoned my mind as one of the men throws a powerful punch to my stomach.
I double over and fall to the ground, as tears instantly blur my vision.
I can bearly catch my breath when a forceful kick lands at the side of my face, sending me tumbling a few feet away.
"Go easy on his face!" Rhydian yells, and I look up at him through blurred vision as I try to breathe.
I can feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, and there’s a growing ringing in my ears.
I watch the men rush over to me, and as much as I want to run away... as much as I want to get up and run for my life, my body doesn’t respond.
I can only curl into myself as a rain of kicks and punches land on me.
Dust fills my nose. Dust and blood.
I can’t see out of one eye now. Is it swollen? Have I gone blind in one eye?
This is what I get for being so sharp-tongued.
What would it have cost me to keep my big mouth shut?? Why did I care what he thought about me or omegas?
I let Elien’s anger slip through me, and now I don’t even know if he can feel this pain.
A foot suddenly slams onto my head, and black dots bounce against the vision of my one good eye.
I groan weakly as I’m too weak to cry.
Rhydian hasn’t stopped them.
I can’t feel my body anymore. I’m going to die. He wants me to die, doesn’t he...
One of the men kicks my side, and as I skid away from them at the impact, I swear I hear my ribs crack.
"What madness is this?!" I hear a familiar voice yell, and the avalanche of hits and kicks stops.
"Rhydian?!" The voice demands, and I watch the feet of the men who were just hurting me move away.
"Brother," Rhydian’s unbothered voice replies, and I gulp weakly as I try to get air into my lungs... It’s not working.
I feel... I feel weak.
"What is the meaning of this?" The voice demands in rage, and that’s when I identify it.
Alpha Koda...
"Your pet wandered off to my field..." Rhydian begins, but Koda cuts him off.
"He’s not a pet!" Koda snaps, and there’s silence.
"Are you trying to kill him!?" Koda demands, and my eye starts fluttering.
Here it comes. Death...
"I didn’t touch him, did I?" I hear Rhydian reply, and slowly, every sound around me begins to get muffled.
"This is not the end of this." I hear Koda say, and in a few seconds, I feel someone move me.
I groan in pain as I struggle to pull my eyes open.
My gaze lands on worried, golden eyes that look like they’re staring at a devastating crime scene.
Do I look that bad?
I must look like I lost a match against Hulk Hogan?
I can’t help the painful grin that splits my face, and the worried look in Koda’s eyes deepens.
"Don’t worry. You’ll be alright." He says as he scoops me into his arms, and my body protests violently against the movement.
I can’t help the groan that escapes me as he holds me against his bare chest.
My gaze lands on Rhydian, who is watching in silence, and I stare at him.
I just stare at him.
At the man who almost had me killed just now.
I stare at his dead, wicked eyes, and he averts his gaze.
Is he ashamed of what he did, or can he not just stand the sight of me?
He looks back at me, and as I stare at his cold, wicked eyes, one thought comes to mind.
I will never forgive him for this.
I turn away from him and bury my face in Koda’s chest as Koda walks past him.
"Alana, call the doctor." Koda orders, and that’s the last thing I hear before everything fades to black.
*******
"You’re a fucking disgrace! The biggest mistake of my entire life!" A man yells, and I flinch.
"I wish you had died in your mother’s place. I wish you had never been born! I wish I didn’t have to wake up every day to see the abomination you are. My first and only child, and you’re a mistake in every way!" The man continues, and something deep and buried inside me twists with hurt.
His red, angry face appears in the darkness of my mind as he glares at me with eyes so deep with oceans of hate.
"Not only do you not have a beast core, you’re an omega! An omega! I come from a long line of serpentine Betas, and you... You fucking curse!" He continues as he throws a bowl at me, and I wince as I feel the pain of the bowl crashing against my skull.
"I’m done taking care of you! I’ve hidden you my whole life. People believe you died at birth, yet here I am fending for something that I should have strangled the moment you opened those ugly eyes of yours!" He spits, and I feel my heart physically crack at his words.
I hold my hand over my chest as pain buzzes violently in my chest.
"Get out, boy. If you tell anyone I’m your father, I’ll hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. You know I mean it." He continues, and fear causes cold sweat to break out all over me.
"Where will I go? I’ve never stepped foot out of this house for all the 18 years of my life..."
"I don’t care!" He screams, cutting me off.
"You’re an omega after all. I’m pretty sure there are Alphas and Betas at every turn waiting for a useless piece of shit like you. You can get by using your body. That’s all you omegas have to offer, isn’t it?" He replies, and I fall to my knees.
Scared. Hurt. Desperate..
"Father, please... I’m sorry I broke your favourite pot... I didn’t mean to... I’ll... I’ll clean the whole house before you wake us. I’ll... I’ll rub your feet. I’ll... Please, Father. Don’t send me away. You’re all I have. I... I don’t know anyone else..."I cry as I press my head against the floor.
"I don’t care, Elien!"
"I’m tired of you. You disgust me. I’ve endured the past 18 years for your mother’s sake, but I’m done. I tried. Light knows I tried to love you. But you’re an abomination, Elien. A mistake. No one will ever love you. No one will ever accept a thing like you. You’ll only ever be useful for bearing babies." He replies, and I look up at him with tears streaming down my face.
"Listen here, boy. As your father, the last thing I can do for you is give you this genuine advice." He says as he walks over to me and stoops in front of me.
"Once you leave here... Go to the Jade River. Walk as far as you can into it. Till light leaves your eyes... till breath leaves your lungs... and till you leave this world." He says, and my heart skips a beat.
"Dying is better than living a loveless life. And you, boy... You’ll never find love."
I stare at him in disbelief, and everything fades to black.
A man suddenly appears in the darkness. He’s wearing a blue hood and is walking ahead of me.
"Lioran?"
I call, and the man turns around.
My heart skips a beat as I recognise his face.
He’s one of the Alphas. The one who sat quietly and drank soup the whole dinner.
His eyes look brighter here. He looks happier and has a massive smile on his face.
"The weather is beautiful today, don’t you think, Elien?"
I gasp in shock, and my eyes fly open.