Chapter 18:

RPOV

Once the guard had left I was allowed back into the courtyard. Dimitri was nowhere to be found. I asked someone where he was, but they just said he had some business to attend to. It was a little weird he hadn't said goodbye to me, but if the Guard had been here, maybe he couldn't.

"The General asked me to keep you here and train you some more, although, I really don't know what I still have to teach you." The lieutenant smiled at me.

"I might be able to help with that." A tall man stood behind the lieutenant and the lieutenant stiffened. I had no idea who this was. But I could tell he was alpha. But he wasn't any of the other Generals. And I knew there shouldn't be other alpha's around.

"My name is Pavel, and I am your father's Guardian."

Huh. My father had another alpha working for him? "Guardian?"

"It is like a protector, a bodyguard if you will."

I scoffed at that. "Does he really need one?"

That made him laugh. I could tell Pavel didn't laugh often. He seemed more serious than Dimitri - which was saying something. But I could tell he was loyal to my father. The way he spoke of him, of how he conducted himself told me all I needed to know about Pavel. He made me feel strangely safe.

"It takes an alpha to train an alpha. Alberta will have instructed you in basic combat as I can see, but to truly find your potential you need an alpha."

Alberta had known I started combat training with her guards? Was that something my parents had requested? I suppose if I had been there for my own protection, it would seem logical to have me trained too.

"Your fight with General Belikov should be evidence of that."

Yeah, that had been amazing. I was still on an adrenaline high. I knew in an hour or so I would feel every bruise, but right now, I was only feeling the positive vibe. I had held my own against Dimitri. I wonder how much weaker Pavel was? Could I take him? How many alpha's could I take? Was I stronger than my mother or my father?

"Okay, show me."

We moved to the ring. I nodded to the lieutenant that I trusted Pavel. I didn't know how much of the conversation he had heard. But he moved back and gave us some space.

I didn't know how strong Pavel was or how he fought. It is true I didn't know that about every person I walked into the ring with, but I had known I could take the soldiers and Dimitri and I had been in perfect sync, almost anticipating the others moves before we made them. I knew that connection would only grow with more training together… and probably with more sex.

But Pavel was alpha, Pavel was strong…and Pavel attacked me and hit home while I was day-dreaming about training with Dimitri.

"Keep your guard up Rose, and pay attention."

I growled. He didn't really have to say that to me. I knew that when his fist collided with my stomach.

"I know your mother would love to see how you do in the ring." He started. Probably as a way to distract me.

"Yeah, well, I had been in the same place for over a decade, she could have checked how I was doing then."

Pavel shook his head as he tried to land another blow but I blocked him. He smiled. "She really couldn't. And it killed them. Everytime the war was extended, when another enemy emerged and they knew it would be longer before they could see you. It killed them a little bit inside."

I moved this time, so close to landing a hit on him, but he pivoted at the last moment.

"It was hard on all of us. I held you when you were a baby, and I could see how your parents missed you. They thought you were safe, we all did. If they had known about Sorokin..."

I guess it would be hard for a parent to never see their child, I had Alberta and Lissa and her family. I wonder what they had. I sighed deeply. I guess they suffered too. But still could their reaction have been a bit different than attacking my…? What exactly?

I feigned a move to my right, quickly adjusted and attacked with my left and I hit Pavel directly in the kidney. He groaned, took a few steps back and righted himself again.

"Just talk to them. I know they will listen to what you have to say. They were just…"

"Shocked, angry, overprotective, jumping to conclusions, being giant inconsiderate asses."

He chuckled. "Probably all of them. Neither is used to not being in control, or having someone yell at them. When they got back to our suite, they were rather perplexed. I have never seen Abe that speechless before."

I laughed. Good. I hope they learned their lesson and just because I was their daughter, didn't mean I would make it easy for them. As a matter of fact, they had over a decade of temper tantrums and teenage angst to catch up to.

I was rather curious. I was angry before, I am still a little angry, because I was hurt. It was hard thinking you are an orphan, but it is even harder knowing you are not, but your parents still weren't there. I sort of get why that is, but there is a four year old girl in me that just remembers being left behind by her mother.

But I had a chance to see my parents again, to hold them, talk to them, I knew that they loved me. That was a chance not many slaves would ever get. I knew Lissa would run in her parents arms without hesitation if she could.

I dropped my hands from their defensive position. "Fine, I'll go talk to them."

That seemed to appease Pavel a lot. We left the ring and I wanted to inform the lieutenant that I was going with Pavel to see Abe and my mother. But I was stopped when someone came running into the courtyard.

Lissa was in the middle looking around for me. Her hands were on her knees and she was breathing hard. She had run here from... somewhere. She had to take a few moments before she could talk. But before she did she looked at me and the look in her eyes stopped my heart for a second.

Because there was pity in her eyes, so much pity.

DPOV

I walked with the guard towards the King's private chambers. When I entered he was alone. I wasn't used to that. The guards closed the doors behind him and it was just me and my father. He was never alone with me. He always wanted other people to witness my humiliation. The fact that nobody was here set me on edge.

I had defied him last night. I had been willing to challenge him for Rose, but I hadn't actually attacked him or said anything out of line. We had been in a battle of wills.

I knew he wanted to punish me for my insubordination, but he must expect me to retaliate because he didn't want any witnesses. But why put himself in this vulnerable position? He must think he had something other than his physical strength to control me.

He sat in his throne-like seat. His eyes were clear for once and I knew he hadn't been drinking this morning.

I didn't know what scared me more, the lack of spectators, or the fact that he was sober. Did he think he could challenge me? He must know I would win in an all out fight.

"Did you find her?" His voice sounded smug and all I wanted to do was punch him until he was bloody. My fist clenched just thinking about it.

He got up from his chair and slowly walked towards me. "How many men did it take to bring her down? I noticed she was strong, but she wouldn't be able to handle a whole army."

Actually I am pretty sure she could have.

"Did she break? Did she cry? Or is she one of those silent types that will just shy away from any touch now, even yours."

Oh she hadn't shied away from my touch. Not. At. All. He thought she was broken. He thought she was a miserable ball of grief after soldier after soldier had had their way with her. He didn't know her at all. She would have never allowed that. She slid his throat when he tried and he is supposed to be the strongest wolf around. Even if they had tried, she would have fought until I got there. I know she would have. That is if she hadn't taken all of them down herself.

I said nothing and it seemed to infuriate him more. He wanted to get a rise out of me. Taking Rose, hurting Rose, it had been about me. He didn't care what happened to Rose, he just wanted me to suffer. He just wanted to control me and he thought Rose was a way to do that.

And he wasn't wrong.

We ended up in a staring contest for a few moments before he smiled. Now I know what frightens me more. It was that smile. That damn smug smile that could mean nothing else than my doom.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I am not unreasonable, boy. I know you want her… or what is left of her. And I am not a monster. I will release her from the soldiers. I will even refrain from requesting her. Not that I need some broken doll. And all you need to do is one thing."

There would only be one reason he wouldn't request Rose anymore and it had nothing to do with his kindness. He was afraid of her. I damn near smiled at that realization. He was coming off like he was doing me a favor, all so he could justify not requesting her again. She had come really close to killing him, I realized.

But he was a master strategist after all, because he was somehow twisting his own weakness and not only making sure Rose couldn't get to him anymore, he had also found a way to make sure I knew my place.

"And what would you have me do?"

"Kneel, kneel and take her punishment as your own."

With no witnesses that knew it was voluntary, he would pass this off as he simply beat me into submission, quieting all the rumors around here that I was stronger, once and for all. He was smart and he was devious.

I could just kill him. There weren't any witnesses after all, that truth went both ways. If I kill him now, he couldn't hurt Rose anymore. He couldn't hurt anyone anymore. But it would create a lot of chaos and I still didn't know Abe's plan for a smoother power transition. If he had only done this a couple of days later. Or if we had actually been able to discuss the plan this morning, I might have an idea of the resources already put in place by Abe. But it didn't matter now. I couldn't kill him, not yet.

And part of me didn't want to kill him. Not out of some loyalty or because he was my father. That had mattered little to either of us. But because some deep dark part of me wanted him to suffer. I wanted to humiliate him, the way he had done to me. I had been dreaming of it ever since Abe came to me with a plan. I had visions of him in chains, beaten and broken in front of me and Abe.

And I was ashamed to admit that part of me was very strong right now.

So that would mean taking this punishment. It wouldn't be my first, but I knew he would make it hurt. But it would buy us time, and it would keep Rose safe. She wouldn't be a concubine anymore. She would be mine.

I bend down little by little eventually landing on my knees, letting him know I accepted whatever punishment he had instored for me. And with every inch I lowered myself his smile grew wider.

He walked up to me and without warning he kneed me in the face. I don't think he had broken anything yet, but the spray of blood coming from my nose certainly meant he had done some damage. Once I was on the ground, he kicked me a few times, breaking a couple of ribs, before I felt chains clasp around my wrists.

He pulled on the chain and it hoisted me up, suspending me on the ceiling. I really didn't want to think about why he had chains in his personal chambers. Or why he had flogs there, and not the good kind. These weren't tools for pleasure, these were exclusively for pain.

He circled me a bit, noticing how the suspended position and my broken ribs made me breathe heavily.

"Not so tough now." And he let loose the first of which I knew would be many floggings. I gritted my teeth. I would not give him the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

But that might have been a mistake. Because he snarled and hit me again, this time with all his strength. It ripped the skin from my back. It took him five more tries, but eventually he was able to pull a scream from my body.

He eased up a bit after that, and I learned to pick my battles and at least make sure he knew it hurt. It took him another four rounds of flogging and kicking and me screaming for me not to feel anything at all. I didn't know if it was the blood loss that made me numb, or because I was starting to go in and out of consciousness but it didn't hurt anymore. But that didn't stop him. I don't think he would ever stop.

"I think that is enough Randall."

I looked up at the new voice. My vision was a little fuzzy, again a toss up between the lack of consciousness, blood loss or the blood that kept seeping into my eyes.

"Aunty? What are you doing here?"

Yes, Tatiana. Now I knew who it was, I could make out her features.

"I thought this was meant as a punishment, not to kill him."

My father actually looked a little confused, as if he had forgotten that I was supposed to make it out of here alive.

Tatiana walked up to me and started to unbuckle my chains. "I am not done, aunty." He snarled. But Tatiana didn't move or stop releasing me. "Yes, you are."

I fell to the ground, my legs couldn't hold me up, hell no part of me could hold me up, so I layed down on the ground.

"He needs a healer, and you need to calm down. You have made your point."

He snarled again, but he turned away and I saw Tatiana bringing in some of her guards. They were picking me up, one on each side of me, dragging me off as I groaned. Tatiana followed, so very calmly. She bowed to the King and gracefully moved out of his chambers. Once the doors were closed she became a little more ruffled.

"Get him to the surgeon and fast."

I could hear her mutter under her breath about what an idiot my father has been and how he had brought this on himself. I wonder what she meant. I mean, I brought this on myself right? I made the decision to submit instead of killing him. But I would heal and Rose was safe. No more hiding, no more fearing he would take her. She was still a slave, but just like me that was a title more now than it was reality. She wasn't a concubine anymore.

And in the end that was all I cared about. Randall would be stopped soon. Abe would make sure of that. Although I didn't know how long it would take for me to heal these wounds. I was pretty battered. I don't think I had ever been so severely hurt. Even as Alpha, I wouldn't be operational again in a few days.

I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was horizontal. I recognized the surgeon. He called for someone... Lissa, Rose's friend.

When she saw me she gasped. "Don't just stand there girl. Get supplies, he is still bleeding. If we don't find out from where, he could bleed out."

They started to move. I could feel some tugging here and there, they would sometimes roll me on my side or on my stomach. He hadn't just lashed my back, He had hit me wherever he had felt like. I don't think there was an inch of me that wasn't bleeding. The bowls of water kept transforming from clean and crisp to a dark pink and then another would be fetched and the transformation would start again. Bowl after bowl after bowl.

I needed something to focus on and my eyes landed on Tatiana. I wasn't close to her. But we had crossed paths a few times. I knew she had had her hands in some of my advancements. I know from other slaves, she mostly deals behind the scenes and she is powerful in her own right. But I had never paid her much attention because I knew she was loyal to her nephew.

Now, I wasn't so sure.

Her eyes met mine. They held compassion and it gave me hope. Hope that my heritage from his side of the family could be something else than just pain and blood.

The buzzing seemed to slow down and the look on the surgeon's face went from outright panic to a more controlled emotion. The last bowl of water was still pink but they had been working from that one for a while, so I assumed the major bleeds had been dealt with.

"You girl." Tatiana motioned towards Lissa. "Get your friend."

I wasn't surprised Tatiana knew of the connection between Rose and Lissa. She knew a lot about the interrelations between slaves. As a matter of fact, that was her speciality.

Lissa looked at the surgeon but he nodded, giving her leave. I took that as a good sign. He didn't need all hands on deck.

Then Tatiana turned to one of her guards. "Find Abe and that mate of his. We need to talk."

And in that moment I knew Tatiana would help us. She would help us bring her nephew down.