[Completed] Riley Hayes | A Vampire Novel - Book I

Chapter 14 - Foundation of trust

Riley's POV

I somehow managed to get into the lukewarm water and settle in the bathtub. My tears didn't stop streaming down my face for a solid ten minutes or so. It wasn't just the pain but everything that had happened to me rushed into my emotions all at once. My whole life I had been training only to have it all shattered.

Leuca also had used his mind control on me, I couldn't even speak. My throat was so sore and if I made a sound it felt like someone was scraping my vocal cords with a cheese rasp.

I closed my eyes and let myself rest in the water, the water that once was lukewarm now was cold. However, I didn't mind.

I heard a knock on the door but ignored it. "Riley?" I heard a female voice speak up, it was Beth. I didn't mind Beth...

"Y-yeah?" I almost teared up just answering, my throat... It hurt so much. It didn't even sound like my voice anymore.

She came in and I didn't bother that I was naked. She gasped a little when she saw me and my body. She grabbed a towel en placed it on the floor tiles and then grabbed another one while beckoning me to get out of the water.

I had to pull myself up and hold onto her for I felt so wobbly on my feet. My skin was wrinkled from being in the water for probably more than an hour...

She held up the towel as I walked into her arms so she could wrap the fluffy towel around me. She also used it to softly pull me into a hug. It kind of hurts the pressure of her body against the wounds but I found much comfort in her arms. "Are you alright?" She whispered.

I wanted to speak but it hurt too much so I just shook my head and pointed at my throat. "Does your neck hurt? She asked while drying me and trying to decipher my sign language.

I shook my head again and pointed at my throat and mimicking as if I spoke and then I wiggled my finger. Surely that was obvious.

"Your throat hurts, how so?" She then started to dry my hair my fluffing it around a little and then guiding me to the mirror so she could use the blow dryer on my hair.

I used my fingers to imitate fangs and thus Leuca and then pointed to my eyes and then widened my mouth in a silent scream. Every time I had to swallow saliva it pains as well, what if my vocal cords were torn? Was that even a thing?

After drying my hair she padded the towel onto my back and legs as well. She avoided my front fully, "he did a number on you. How are you standing right now?" Did she ask? Her eyes were full of worry, she seemed so concerned for me.

I shrugged, my power of tolerance I guess. I glanced in the mirror and saw the marks on my back as well, old scars from whipping and the freshest ones from the dungeon. Though it had healed quite nicely ever from the day I woke up with suddenly the pain being as good as gone.

Healed, just like that. Could it be done with my front as well? I didn't want these marks all over me, just looking at myself made me cry again. I had truly been mutilated, how the hell am I a precious possession looking like this? Even some pieces of my skin hanging loose, couldn't he have held back slightly?

He said I slammed his buttons, for what? Not wanting pain? His fangs hurt like hell, of course, I didn't want it, I don't understand how all those whores do love it and beg him for it. He had spoken about making it pleasurable if only I asked for it, why would I?

It went against every moral inside my body. First of all, wanting pleasure from him and second asking him for it. Both just aren't in me.

Beth soothed me by rubbing my back and asking me to follow her to the closet. I did after she wrapped the towel around me and had taken a hold of my hand. I sniffled behind her as I followed her into the spacious walk-in closet.