Chapter 5 Don't make me into a Beast

As I stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind me, my heart pounded against my chest. My voice trembled as I pleaded,

"Kael, believe me, I didn't say anything."

He turned sharply, his gaze cold and piercing.

"You say what?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I swallowed hard, my words faltering.

"I... I... I didn't say anything to Clara. I didn't invite her. You were there; you saw everything. She came on her own," I poured out in one breath, my fear evident in every syllable.

Kael took a step closer, his tone laced with accusation. "Nyra, you promised me. Are you going back on your promise? You want to betray me?"

My hands shook as I tried to calm him. "Believe me, Kael, I won't betray you. I swear, I didn't do anything."

His expression darkened, his voice cutting through my words like a blade.

"You are not the one to tell me you didn't do anything. I will be the judge of that," he snapped, leaving me frozen in place, the weight of his distrust suffocating.

"I thought you said you don't want to end up like your mom? You told me you'd do anything to make this marriage work. You said you wanted to paint a perfect picture of marriage." Kael's words came at me like a storm, his voice rising with each sentence, sharp and accusing.

He stepped closer, his tone tightening with frustration.

"Nyra, remember? You said you wanted to raise our children in a complete family, not a broken one. What's gone wrong? Do you want to go back to the streets? Do you want to leave me? Go against me?"

His eyes bore into mine, his words relentless.

"Nyra, I paid your bride price in full. You belong with me. You promised to listen and obey me. Why are you going back on your word? I gave you everything! You're not working, Nyra, I do everything. I provide for you and the children. All I'm asking is for you to listen, be submissive and obey me. Is that too much to ask?"

His voice cracked slightly, but the edge of accusation never wavered. It was as if every word was a weapon, meant to remind me of my promises and pin me under the weight of them.

"Kael, I'm sorry. It's not what you think. I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.

He let out a bitter laugh, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Now you know what I think too?" he fired back, his words sharp and cutting.

"No, you don't know what I think or how I feel. You don't know the pain of a man who goes out every day to work so that you won't starve, all in exchange for your submission."

He paused, his gaze darkening as he stepped closer.

"Nyra, please, don't make me into a beast," he said, his voice low and menacing.

Before I could respond, he grabbed my chin roughly, his hand tightening around my neck. His grip was unrelenting, suffocating.

My lungs screamed for air as I slapped his hand in desperation, trying to free myself.

"Kael... you're killing me," I gasped, tears streaming down my face and falling onto his hand. My vision blurred as the pain became unbearable.

Finally, he loosened his grip, and I coughed violently, trying to catch my breath.

He stepped back, glaring at me with a murderous expression.

Without warning, he kicked the vanity table, shattering the mirror into jagged pieces. His growl echoed in the room, a sound of frustration and fury.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper as tears continued to stream down my face.

"I'm sure it won't," he snapped coldly. "You will get your phone, call Clara, and everyone else, and tell them I don't need them around my family. Is that clear?" His tone was authoritative, his glare a silent threat.

"Yes, I will," I replied, my hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Come here," he commanded, his voice steady but laced with cruelty. "Remove your clothes and lie down there."

My eyes snapped open at his command. There was an unsettling familiarity to it, a dark reminder of what was to come.

Kael's voice, low and commanding, sent chills down my spine.

The memory of past encounters flooded my mind, the way he would grip my wrists,

My heart raced, each beat echoing the dread that filled the air. The command pierced through my thoughts like a knife, sharp and unforgiving.

"He's going to do it again," I thought, the realization sinking in like a stone in my gut. The anticipation of pain, the knowledge that my body would again be a battleground, and my emotions a casualty, made it hard to breathe.

"Kael, please." I pleaded my voice barely a whisper, cracking under the weight of my emotions.

"You will get on that bed now before I repeat myself." His words were final, devoid of any empathy, echoing in the corners of my mind like a haunting refrain.

With every step towards the bed, the weight of resignation settled over me. I stripped away my clothes, each falling to the floor like a piece of my dignity.

I climbed onto the bed, exposing the vulnerability that left me feeling raw and exposed.

Kael bound my hands above my head, the cold fabric of the restraints biting into my skin, a reminder that I was at his mercy. His actions morphed into something primal, an animalistic force that took pleasure in my suffering.

Each movement was rough, and aggressive, as if he were trying to dominate not just my body but my very spirit.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision as I cried.

The pain was unbearable, a relentless wave that crashed over me, pulling me under time and again.

It felt like an eternity before he finally pulled away, leaving me breathless and broken on the bed.

He rose and disappeared into the bathroom.

I sat in the aftermath, my heart heavy with the weight of my existence.

"Do I want to continue to live like this?" The question hung in the air like a specter, taunting me.

The thought of Kael filled my mind; he was my captor, yes, but he was also my lifeline in a world that seemed too harsh to bear alone.

"How will I survive if I leave him? But I won't survive if I don't leave him too."

The duality of my existence gnawed at me, tearing me apart from the inside.

I was caught in a web of dependence and fear, a brutal life that seemed impossible to escape.

When Kael returned from the bathroom, a sense of dread washed over me once more. He walked towards his safe, opened it, and tossed my phone onto the bed carelessly,

"You can call whoever you want," he said, but there was a warning laced in his tone, a threat disguised as an offer.

As I slowly got up from the bed, I felt the remnants of my tears on my cheeks, the salt burning against my skin.

Wiping them with the back of my palm, I turned to face the reality of my life, torn between the chains that bound me and the flicker of hope that whispered of freedom.

In this moment of clarity, I understood that I was at a crossroads; the choices ahead were fraught with danger, but perhaps, just perhaps, one path could lead to liberation.

*****

Later that afternoon, as I folded laundry in the bedroom, my phone beeped on the nightstand. I picked it up, my heart skipping when I saw the message:

"Nyra, Are you okay? Clara told me something is going on with you"

It was from Jarek.

I stared at the screen, a mix of emotions swirling in my chest.

I hadn't spoken to him in years, not since Kael made me cut ties with everyone from my past.

Jarek and Clara had been my best friend, my confidant, my safe place.

Seeing his name now felt like a lifeline I wasn't sure I deserved.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Should I reply? What if Kael found out? But then I thought of Lorien's question, "Why don't you want to leave?" and the pain in his eyes.

Maybe this was a sign, a chance to reach out, to find help.

Before I could overthink it, I ran into the bathroom and typed a reply.

"I'm not okay, Jarek. Can we talk?"