Chapter 46: Back in The Field

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Back in The Field The door creaked open quietly as morning light spilled into the room. Martha stepped inside, balancing a tray of food in her hands.f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com "Morning, sweetheart," she said softly, her voice warm. "Brought you something to eat." Lily sat curled up in bed, her eyes wide and hollow. She hadn’t slept at all. As Martha got closer, she saw the dark circles around her eyes and her smile faltered. She set the tray down on the table and crouched beside the bed. "You didn’t sleep, did you?" she asked gently. Lily stayed silent, fiddling with the blanket. Martha sighed, brushing hair from Lily’s forehead. "Lily, talk to me. What’s wrong?" Lily turned her neck away, her lips pressing together tightly. That’s when Martha noticed it. A small mark, faint but unmistakable, peeked out from the side of Lily’s neck. Martha froze. Slowly, she reached out and brushed Lily’s hair back, revealing the mark fully. "Lily..." she whispered, stunned. "Is that—?" Lily flinched slightly but didn’t move away. Martha stared at her, her voice trembling. "Who did this to you?" Lily gripped the blanket even tighter than before. She shook her head slowly. Martha’s eyes widened in shock. "Was it Alpha Zayn?" she asked, her voice low, almost not daring to believe it. "Did... did he mark you?" Lily’s cheeks flushed. Martha sat back on her heels, dazed. "Good heavens..." she breathed. "You’re... you’re his mate?" Lily looked down at her hands, refusing to meet her eyes. Martha leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Lily, how did this happen? When? Why didn’t you tell me?" Lily shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut. "Was it forced?" Martha asked quickly, panic creeping into her tone. "Did he hurt you?" Lily’s head shot up, her eyes wide. She shook her head firmly—no. Relief flooded Martha’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a thousand questions. "Then why won’t you tell me?" she whispered. Lily just hugged the blanket tighter around herself. Just then, the door swung open with a loud creak. Martha jumped. Lily flinched, and her eyes went to the door. It was Victoria, standing at the door, grinning from ear to ear. Martha stood up slowly, frowning. "Mistress Victoria—" “Do you want to know why Alpha Zayn marked her?” Victoria turned to ask Martha. She had eavesdropped on their conversation before entering. Every word she said was laced with sweet poison. Martha was at a lost for words, unable to speak. Victoria walked pass her, turning her attention to Lily. She stopped at the foot of Lily’s bed, folding her arms. "You thought you were something special, didn’t you?" she sneered, looking Lily up and down. "Thought you were different." Lily stared at her, her face was pale, breath shallow. Martha moved protectively closer, but Victoria pushed her aside to get closer to Lily, voice loud and cruel. Loud enough for all to hear. "You want to know the truth?" Victoria said, smiling wider. "Zayn didn’t mark you because you’re special. He marked you because he wants to own you. Like a piece of property. Like the slave that you are." Lily stiffened. Her hands trembled slightly under the covers. Victoria leaned down close. She whispered in Lily’s ear, “I hope you liked our little show last night.” She lifted herself up to meet Lily’s eyes, enjoying the horror and tears welling up in her eyes. "And you know what’s even funnier?" Victoria chuckled, "He marked me too." "What?" Martha gasped in shock. Victoria straightened, smirking proudly. “That’s not all,” She savored the suspense of her own words, watching Lily’s expression as she continued to speak, “I marked him back.” Lily’s lips parted in silent confusion, her heart twisting painfully in her chest. "Telling lies again, are we?" Everyone turned. Talia stood in the doorway, arms crossed, face cold. “It’s true,” Victoria hissed as her smile began to falter, “Stay out of this.” Talia didn’t move. "I think you should leave," she said evenly. "Lily needs peace and quiet, not whatever poison you’re spewing." Victoria bristled. "It’s the truth—" "No," Talia said firmly, walking into the room. "The truth is that Zayn marked Lily to save her life. Nothing more." Victoria’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Talia turned to Martha, softening her voice. "She was dying. It was the only way to heal her. Zayn saved her. That’s all there is to it." Martha’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide and tearful as she looked at Lily. "Oh, Lily..." she whispered. Lily’s eyes were burning, her throat too tight to even breathe properly. Talia turned back to Victoria, “If she’s even lying about that, you can be sure she’s lying about the rest.” “It’s...” “You say Alpha Zayn marked you? Sounds more like a fantasy you’ve been having for years,” Talia snapped before Victoria could even speak. She glared at Talia, at all of them. In a fit of rage, she spun on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Talia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Some people," she muttered, shaking her head. She moved to Lily’s side, sitting gently on the edge of the bed. "You’re safe, alright?" she said quietly. "Don’t let her get in your head." Lily blinked hard, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Martha reached over, wiping it away gently. "Are you sure she’s trustworthy?" she muttered under her breath, glancing sideways at Talia. Lily caught the look. She nodded her head quickly, grabbing Martha’s sleeve with her good hand. She mouthed. Kind. Helped me. Martha looked between them for a moment, still skeptical. But seeing the way Lily’s eyes softened when she looked at Talia made her sigh. "Alright," Martha muttered. "But the second she does something shady, you come straight to me. You hear?" Lily smiled weakly and nodded. Overhearing them, Talia just chuckled softly as she finished checking Lily’s stitches. "I’m not here to hurt her," she said, tying off the last bandage. "I’m here to fix the mess others left behind." Before Lily could try to thank her, a heavy knock sounded at the door. Two guards stepped inside, dressed in plain brown leather, looking impatient. "We received orders. She’s fit enough to work back in the fields," one of them grunted. Martha stiffened immediately. "She’s not ready—" Lily shook her head quickly, waving her hands. No. Don’t. Talia’s brow furrowed. "This isn’t right. She needs rest." Lily pulled herself up slowly, wincing as she moved. She gave them both a small, determined look. Martha looked like she wanted to fight the guards herself, but Lily gave her a pleading glance. Talia squeezed her hand lightly. "Be careful, alright?" Lily nodded and allowed the guards to lead her away without a word. They sent her straight into the fields again. Same place, the same endless rows of crops. Lily knelt in the dirt, her fingers moving through the dry soil as her mind drifted elsewhere. The memories of what happened refused to fade. Zayn’s agonizing howls, the terrifying creature he had become, and the voice in her head that belonged to him. It had pleaded for the pain to stop, and somehow, she had heard it. Why? She wasn’t special. She wasn’t anyone. So why could she feel his pain like it was her own? Her thoughts circled back to the vault—the locked doors, the strange energy that pulsed through the air when she stepped inside. There were answers down there. She could feel it. She dragged a hand across her forehead, smearing dirt and sweat. Her stomach growled, sharp and hollow, cutting through the fog in her head. She pressed her palm against it, biting down the ache. Hunger wasn’t new. She’d grown used to it. Before everything spiraled, she had quietly traded a few of the strange totems she found buried in the fields for scraps of food. It had helped her survive in silence, just enough to get through each day. Maybe if she found another one now, it would ease the pain in her belly. Her eyes flicked toward the patch of land nearby, where she had found the large totem not long ago. Now it was gone, leaving only a wide, deep indent in the soil. The sight sent a ripple of unease through her. Someone had moved it. Where? Something wasn’t right. That much she was sure of. The totems. The vault. The voices in her mind. Zayn’s monstrous transformation. All of it felt connected, like pieces of a puzzle she hadn’t figured out yet. Whatever was happening to her and whatever she had become wrapped up in wasn’t random. Lily stood slowly, brushing her hands off her dress. If she wanted to be at ease, she had to stop pretending it would all go away. She needed answers, and she had to find them herself. Suddenly, nearby voices broke into her thoughts. "Alpha Zayn is making his rounds," someone muttered behind her. Lily stiffened, quickly ducking her head, her fingers moving faster through the soil. "Heard he’s checking every row himself," another voice snickered. "Better look busy or you’re going to get whipped." Lily’s heart pounded harder. Without hesitating, she moved toward a more secluded stretch of the field, near the edge where the brush grew taller. There she was hidden, but kept her eyes low. Her senses sharpened when she heard boots crunching against dry earth. Zayn was here. She could feel him without even looking. From the corner of her eye, she saw him stop. Saw the shadow fall over the row. Saw him look straight at her. Her fingers fumbled slightly in the dirt, but she didn’t lift her head. She stayed still but kept working and pretended not to notice him.