Chapter 13
I wasn’t able to drag myself up the stairs. Eve and another maid had to help me up the stairs and into the bathtub. Eve offered to bathe me but that felt weird and I assured her that I could do it myself but as I struggled to get out, I realized I should have taken her up on her offer.
I finally made it out and I couldn’t be bothered to put on an outfit so I settled for a black nightgown. It was the easiest thing to wear at that moment and as soon as it was on, I crawled into my bed and was out like a light.
I don’t know how long I was out, but by the time I came back to consciousness, I felt long fingers stroking my hair. I was too tired to move or acknowledge them.
“Have you eaten?” the gruff voice made me realize it was Ryker and I responded with a grunt, “That isn’t an answer Camilla.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s nighttime.” That had me sitting up quickly and I regretted it the moment I felt a burning sensation all over my b*dy.
I looked out my open window and sure enough, the sky was dark and I could see the full moon glistening in the night sky with the millions of stars. I cannot believe that I slept the entire day away. I didn’t think I was that tired, I thought at best I would sleep for a few hours.
“I didn’t realize I slept that long.” I said slowly.
Just then my stomach rumbled and Ryker gestured for me to go with him. He had gotten to the door when he realized 1 wasn’t following him.
“I can’t get up,” I whispered, “My legs hurt.”
“Of course,” he face palmed, “I forgot you trained for the first time today. It is completely normal to be in a little pain.”
I didn’t know how to explain that it wasn’t a little pain, it was a lot of pain and I felt like I was about to keel over and die.
“Is it okay if I have my dinner in here?” I asked and he nodded.
He exited my room for a while and returned with two trays filled with food. He placed one on the bed for me and dragged a chair from the vanity over to the foot of the bed and sat on it. I wondered why he didn’t just sit on the bed but I respected that he didn’t.
I wasted no time in devouring the food. I felt like I hadn’t eaten all day and by the time I was done, I felt a little better. I still felt like my b*dy was weighed down with lead but it wasn’t as bad as before.
It wasn’t until I was done that I realized that Ryker had been looking at me the entire time. My cheeks flushed pink as it dawned on me that he probably watched me devour my food like a pig. Maybe I should have listened to Lauren earlier.
“I knew it was a good idea not to agree to the diet,” he said mostly to himself but I heard it.
“Will I have to train again tomorrow?” I asked, I prayed he would say no. I felt like I couldn’t move.
“The only way to get rid of the pain is by training more,” he explained, “Although tomorrow will not be as hard as today. I promise. It will most likely be more stretches and stamina building.”
I held back a groan and settled for a nod instead. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck training with Lauren again but I had no other choice.
Ryker took my empty tray and placed it in his. He hesitated before leaving the room and I realized there was something else he wanted to say. He placed both trays on his chair and walked over to the door then returned with a bag.
“If you don’t like this one; don’t hesitate to tell me,” he reached into the bag, “You’ve been using leather shippers for a while and I can’t imagine how uncomfortable they are.”
The sl*ppers he brought out were a pale blue color. They weren’t like anything I had ever seen. They covered my entire leg- like shoes. The soles were made of rubber but the top and the inside was made of- I think it is wool.
I put it on and it somehow felt softer than the first one. It was also prettier and I couldn’t help but stare at it in awe.
“I love it. I admitted as I made a mental note to never wear it out of the room so Lauren wouldn’t see it. “Thank you”
“I just want you to be comfortable.” He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it at the last minute. “Have a good nigh:, Camilla.”
“Good night, Ryker.”
By the next morning. I was in a better mood. My better mood didn’t stop me from limping everywhere I went. My better mood also seemed to irritate Lauren because when she walked into the living room and saw me laughing with Eve a huge sneer took over her features.
“What are you smiling about?” she spat, “You were supposed to be outside ten minutes ago.”
I quickly apologized and limped as fast as I could to the training field. Even though I was walking as fast as I could, it wasn’t fast enough for her and she punished me by making me run a lap around the house. After my lap, she said I wasn’t fast enough and made me run an extra two laps.
So much for it being stretches and stamina work.
By the time I was done with my laps, I felt like I was going to throw up and when I told Lauren she dismissed it as me being lazy and forced me to do some burpees. On the fifth one, I felt bile rise up my throat and I dry heaved all over the grass.
“Faking a vomit isn’t going to get you out of training,” she tsked, “In fact, you just bought yourself an extra half an hour of burpees.”
I was feeling dizzy and it took everything in me to stay upright. I didn’t even know how to say it as my mouth wouldn’t form the words. I just stayed there, hunched over and worked on steadying my breathing.
“Get going Camilla!” she blew her whistle directly in my ear and I forced myself to keep going.
Against all odds, I finished the burpees and I started on the laps. I did the first one and stopped but she told me to keep going until she blew her whistle. This was worse than any torture I had ever faced in Tyson’s pack and a part of me wished I had never run away. I would have gladly faced their humiliation over the pain I was in.
I was so far in my head that I didn’t notice the root until I had tripped over it and I fell. The first thing I registered wasn’t the pain from the fall, it was a burning pain in my ankle and thighs and I let out a small scream.
“Get up,” Camilla sneered, “Your pretending won’t work.”
“I can’t; it hurts,” I choked out the next words, “Please.”
She scoffed and made her way over to me. I thought she was going to help me up but instead, she leaned down and pulled on the leg I was clutching hard. The pain 1 felt was blinding and spots danced in my vision as I let out a blood curling scream of pain.
Lauren jerked back in alarm and I think she realized in that moment that my pain was real. I heard hurried footsteps and through my blurry vision, I saw Eve.
“Is she okay?” Eve’s voice was panicked, “I heard her scream.
“She is; now get out of here.”
“But she’s crying.”
“I said met the hell
Eve looked over at me and back at Lauren and walked over to me. I saw Lauren burn with fury at the fact that Eve just disobeyed a direct order from her. Eve leaned down and tried to help me to my feet but the moment I put any form of weight on my injured leg I screamed again and crumpled to the floor.
“I’ll ask one of the guards to get Alpha Caine,” she whispered to me as she helped me back to the floor.
She was leaving when Lauren stopped her. “You aren’t getting anyb*dy”
“She is in pain,” Eve exclaimed, “Look at her.”
“I don’t care; I said you-,”
She was cut off by the sound of thundering footsteps. Even I was compelled to turn to the sound of the noise. Ryker burst through the garden and he took in the scene in front of me.
“Ryker.” Lauren exclaimed, “I was just about to call you.”
He ignored her and rushed over to me, “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I choked out, “It just hurts and I can’t stand on it.”
With one quick move, he ripped the leg of my leggings and that was when I noticed how red and swollen my ankle had become. There were angry green veins around the area and I knew that whatever it was- it was bad.
“I don’t know what happened; one minute we were training and the next-,”
“Shut up!” Ryker cut off Lauren’s rant with a growl, “You had one job and it was to watch her and train with her. If you couldn’t do it then you should have said it. I do not pay you to sit around while my mate gets hurt.”
“I wasn’t sitting around, I was training with her.”
“That explains why you’re not sweaty or winded,” she had the decency to look embarrassed when she was caught.
Ryker turned away from her and back to me. He tucked his hands under my knees and behind my back and gently lifted me up. I whimpered slightly and he cursed under his breath.
“Eve, send one of the guards to bring Lucy,” I was shocked that he knew Eve’s name but she wasn’t because she nodded and rushed out of the garden.
Ryker walked past Lauren and started carrying me inside. He was halfway up the stairs when Lauren appeared.
“It was all an accident,” she said, “I swear it.”
“I will deal with you later Lauren; for now stay here. You’re relieved from training her.”
