Survive the Day: A dark Omegaverse romance

Chapter 20

Lila was being tossed by the sea. Her body rhythmically crashing against the waves. It was making her nauseous. She smacked hard against something, and the movement stopped.
“Wake up, Lila,” Her eye sprung open and her body trembled.
Liam stood above her, scowling down at her with his good eye. The other socket had a purplish hue and some swelling. He wasn’t healing well at all.
“Leon?” Lila’s voice croaked when she spoke and she held her hand up to her throat, attempting to soothe the pain.
“Our son is fine,” He answered.
“M-Maya?” She stuttered, her shaking becoming violent.
“Dead,” His answer rang like a bell in her head and she couldn’t help the sob that bubbled up her throat.
Liam snarled at her and Lila buckled beneath the Alpha dominance he projected.
What was wrong with her? She had always been able to fight him. Her Omega was strong, but now she felt utterly alone. She caught herself as she reached for him in an attempt to placate him. He snatched her hand, pulling her up to her feet. Her right leg bent at an odd angle as it tried to support her. She yelped and tried to steady herself on Liam. He stepped back, softly growling as he stared at her leg.
“Javin, send word to Aniya’s King that we require a healer. That leg needs set and splinted before we leave,” Liam ordered.
Lila swallowed. He sounded so clear, like his Alpha had finally receded allowing him control again.
“Liam,” She murmured, an attempt at placating him on the tip of her lips.
“Do not use that tone with me, Omega. You have wielded your power over me for too long,” Liam’s command tore through Lila, her mouth audibly snapping shut.
“Sir, the healer is attending to other wounded. The King requests we bring her to him,” a soldier shouted from somewhere, but Lila couldn’t pull her eye from Liam’s.
What exactly did he think she did to him? Surely, he couldn’t have thought her to plan any of this.
Liam sighed and adjusted his grip to her arm. He pushed her towards another soldier and she fell into them. The soldier caught her, but held her away from him like she was infectious. Perhaps that’s what he thought. She had no idea what Liam had told them, or what he thought in general. She found herself in dangerous waters, unsure how to navigate to shore. The Liam she knew had been volatile, but at some point she had learned his tells. This Liam was more like the one she had fallen in love with, but colder. So much colder.
The soldiers fell into line behind Liam, as he walked back towards his horse. She saw Leon stone-faced atop it and her heart started to splinter. She hoped he had remained unconscious as her friend, a person he trusted, had been murdered. She reached out to him, as they came to a stop, but Liam grabbed her hand in a crushing grip.
“One hand upon him and I will put you in shackles,” He snarled, leaning down low into her face.
Her skin crawled at his closeness, but her instincts urged her to cower, to submit. She caught herself before showing her neck. What was wrong with her?
She had never submitted before and she wouldn’t be doing so now. She steeled herself, calling up every ounce of willpower she had.
“Am I to be a prisoner then?” She asked, her tone callous.
He dropped her hand and gripped her jaw, forcing her eye to look at him.
“I tried to have you as my mate, didn’t I?” He snapped, then smirked.
“Perhaps being treated as a prisoner will make you rethink your past choices.”
His gaze lowered to the bite on her neck, the one that marked her as Keir’s. He dropped her face, softening his gaze on her for just a moment. He nuzzled into her hair, breathing in her scent.
“No one has to know who that bite mark belongs to. It could just as easily be mine,” He purred, pulling her against him.
Her stomach lurched and even though she tried to stop herself, she gagged. Undeterred he pulled away to mount his horse. Leon’s gaze bore into her, a pleading type of look. But she had no reassurances to give, no plans that were made. Liam moved his horse forward breaking the stare.
“Who am I to ride with, Liam?” She asked, limping after him.
He chuckled before urging his horse into a canter.
“Prisoners walk, Lila.”

***********************************************************************************************************
By the time Lila had reached the healing tent, she was nearly crawling. Her leg drug listlessly at her side, her body ached with such a fierceness that she was unsure how she made it this far. And it had not been far, at least it wouldn’t have been if she would have had a horse.
She had dropped to her knees a few paces ago to wretch from the pain. Her stomach heaved even now, but the hope that there was help at the healing tent spurred her forward, so she continued on her knees. The other leg merely dragged, pulled by the power of her arms and other leg, but she pulled herself into the opening.
She collapsed into the dirt, uncaring for much of anything other than some rest. Her body was drenched in sweat and tremors shook her overused muscles. Someone,a healer she assumed, attempted to aid her to a cot.
“She needs to be ready to leave as soon as possible,” A voice said, wisping by.
“I’m not a miracle worker. These injuries…are extensive,” A male voice beside her answered, as they probed at her skin.
She didn’t even open her eye. Her body called for rest and she tried her best to do so, to let herself float into nothingness.
“This is going to hurt and I don’t have anything for pain. Bite down on this,” The woman’s voice was stern, but not harsh.
Lila opened her eye and her mouth. The healer propped up her head and stuck something hard in her mouth. Lila felt like a horse with a bit and fought the urge to spit it out.
“Bite down when it hurts.” Lila wanted to retort that she was already hurting, but settled for a nod.
The healer moved her hands down Lila’s bum leg, poking and prodding as she went. Lila fought the urge to gnash her teeth at the woman, when she pulled suddenly.
“Senya, bring that here,” The healer ordered, and the other scurried away to retrieve what she requested.
Lila shut her eye again, unwilling or perhaps not wanting to see what was going to be done to her leg.
A sudden steady pressure along with a twist and a terrible crunching sound later, and Lila was throwing up. She heaved over the side of the cot, ribs screeching in pain. Panting hard, she whined as they applied the splint to her lower leg then moved to the thigh. The healer prodded again and Lila dry heaved.
“Hold her. I’ll make this quick as I can dear,” The healer promised.
Lila supposed that she made good on her promise, because as soon as she delivered the first push she passed out.