Chapter 73 - Bared To You: Part One (2/2)

”Of course, I would never let my sword go rusty or get dirty. Be careful, though. I still sharpen them,” Gabriel replied as she started to feel the edges of the blade; that was when she looked down at her arm where the dressing gown sleeves had fallen away from, revealing the carved words of 'ETHAN'S' on her skin.

Esme's stomach dropped, but she smiled at Gabriel's concern before looking back at the swords and crossing her arms as she shifted on her feet. ”When I was a Hellhound, my last mission was to infiltrate the White Sands pack, not to cause any harm.. well, not yet. I needed to find out information on their plans. You see, we found out they were going to expand their territory, taking over another pack and trying to take the rogue's territory, which no one dared to do. They obviously didn't know it was territory to the Hellhounds, only that it was dangerous to enter that forest.”

She tapped her fingers, recalling her attempt at fighting the pack members and refraining from killing them to get caught.

”Anyway, I was to get as much info I could and return so we could formulate a plan. This was a pack that had no powerful position; it was a small size compared to others and one that the Hellhounds had never found any point in targeting before..” Esme trailed off and gazed at the engraved wolves on Gabriel's sword. ”That was when I met him. Ethan, my mate.”

Esme started recounting the first year of her relationship with Ethan, describing not in too much detail how slowly she was becoming someone else, someone pitiful, falling into a trap her mate led her to. Gabriel tried to intervene, his apparent disgust at the harsh words about herself, but one look from her halted him. She continued, telling him how obedient she was, though Ethan still found reasons to hit her or sexually assault her.

Esme followed Ethan's words, being the 'perfect' mate for him and always making sure they looked like the perfect couple in public, especially when meeting other packs. She was silent in meetings unless the pack leaders asked for her input or suggestions in which she would agree with whatever Ethan previously suggested, even if she knew of better ways. She couldn't 'show him up'.

”I was a marionette, and after some time, I came to realise that the pack knew what was going on behind closed doors. That was when I fell further into despair; the times I found the courage and tried to reach out for help turned out to be a useless struggle, and that's when things started to get even worse. Ethan found out,” Esme continued. Her head was now resting on Gabriel's lap as she bared herself to him; even though she recalled horrible memories, she felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

Esme closed her eyes and let a tear fall down her face as the images of her right arm being held in wolfsbane then burnt because of her disobedience flashed across her mind. She inhaled sharply and held onto Gabriel's hand as she lost herself to what was to come, letting the vampire into her mind if he so wanted to. The memory was not at all hazy and was as clear as day..

Esme was crying and being dragged by her hair down into the basement in which she hadn't been to the whole time she had lived in the mansion. Her right arm was throbbing and itching, pulsating in burning pain from the wolfsbane and fire Ethan put on her skin. But right now, that wasn't the issue. Her eyes widened as she came across a cage.

”Wh-what.. Ethan..” She struggled and tried to get out of her mate's arms even if it meant him ripping her hair out, but he smacked her across the face, and she flew into the wall. Her vision blurred, and a ringing noise rung in her ears, Ethan's words muffled from the blow to her head. He put something around her neck, and she hissed in pain and was thrown into the cage; with the last ounce of strength she had left, she tried scrambling forwards, but the silver bars slammed in her face.

”Any time you even think about escaping or asking for help, I will discipline you,” Ethan growled in front of the bars, his eyes glowing. ”Like a dog, I will train you.”

He left her there staring in shock and went into a fetal position, keeping herself warm and as comfortable as she could in the damp, cold cage. She had a silver collar around her neck with a fricken name tag on it. This was a new low and one that seemed to have zapped out the last bit of energy she had left in asking for help.. The pack wouldn't help her, and now she was in a cage like a dog.