Chapter 8

• Amara's pov
• I had finished my dance lessons. Magnifique! Which my French tutor kept screaming as the piano music went off as I finished my hop had kept me giddy knowing that I really aced it and then I had skipped from the ballroom, through the halls, and to one of the balconies to bask in self-approval when the winged creature came out of nowhere and attacked me.
• "Amara! Liam!" Rose rushed onto the balcony. She flung her arms around me on reaching me and not minding the blood, "Are you okay?"
• "I guess." I gulped even though I wanted to scream no as the only thing reeling in my head now were flashbacks and horrid images of things that I wanted to forget or could have been able to cope with if I wasn't adamant and went through with the therapy.
• "I informed them of what happened already." She spoke to Liam with her arms still around me, "They should be here any moment from now." I felt guilty knowing that they were to leave Eros's first sword practice for me. He needed them there and now he would have no parents to cheer him on from the crowd.
• "No, they can't come." I curled my fingers around the jacket, "He needs them there."
• "My parents are there Amara." She chided me while Liam gazed at the bloody corpse, "He won't be alone."
• "It's not the same thing." I was near tears now, my voice was breaking. Everything was caving in, the horrid flashbacks, Eros being left all alone cause of me, I wanted to cry and retch.
• "Take her away." Liam commanded, "I will stand guard and await their royal highnesses return, " And please don't let her out." I didn't have enough strength to shoot him a glare as Rose led me away. I just kept mute and followed her lead as she took me to my room.
• We both lay on my bed with her arms wrapped around me and she began to talk of other things that we both found interesting to distract me. But, I wasn't distracted. My fingers clutched onto Liam's Jacket, my best friend's voice fading of as I sobbed inwardly at the silhouettes conjuring up in my head.
• *
• "Mum." I cried as she rushed into the room with her eyes frantically searching my frame for any injuries.
• I leapt from the bed as she walked towards me, her arms engulfing me, pressing me onto herself while she rubbed my hair whispering soothing words to me.
• "Hello, Luna." Rose bowed.
• She gave rose a small smile before muttering a thank you. My best friend returned it and lightly tapped my shoulders for reassurance before leaving the room to give my mother and I privacy.
• "Come." She led me to the bathroom. She opened the door and took me into it. She ran the bath while I discarded the jacket and my ruined leotard.
• I hopped in once she was done and relaxed into the mass of scented flowery foams and bubbles.
• The warm water calmed my nerves and I closed my eyes soaking in the feel, "Is dad here too?"
• "I told him to stay back." She took my head and worked on losing my chignon, "Eros needs him there, yunno."
• "I didn't want any of you to leave him and come." I said sadly popping the bubbles with my index finger, "I would have waited."
• "Shhh." She lathered my hair and began to comb her fingers through it, "You needed one of us and no matter what, we will always be here for you."
• Always, I smiled inwardly, Always.
• I was done with my bath soon and was clean. All traces of blood wiped off. My wounds had already healed and now my mum and I were seated on my bed. Her arms were wrapped around me as I recounted the tale to her.
• "You can start therapy again if you want." I shook my head, a no, and I heard her lips part in a sigh.
• I didn't want to sit before a stranger, in a white room, and tell them all about my past and fears, my triggers and tick-offs, "You need it, love, to get healed."
• "Talking to you every night is enough." I smiled up at her and she dropped a kiss on my forehead. I couldn't help but wonder how she coped through all those years before escaping and how she dealt with the trauma after that.
• I only needed to be soaked in blood to have flashbacks of her being beaten to death while the pack warriors took their turns with her but she experienced all these first hands and never resisted the torture in an effort to protect me, "How do you do it?"
• "Do what?"
• "How do you manage to be so strong after everything? I know it's been years but even then you were still strong." I could feel tears welling in my eyes now and I managed to keep them back, I didn't want her crying with me or for me.
• "I don't know." She sounded tired, "I just had to push the past behind and move on. I still have nightmares and flashbacks at times and they could be so horrible one would think I am reliving the horrible moments but I can't let it bring me down and you shouldn't too."
• "But you have him, dad," I smirked at her and I could see her cheeks redden which caused me to giggle, "He helps you. He is always there to comfort you."
• "And you have Terren." She winked.
• "Mum!" I shied away not being able to take what I had dished out to her, "Come on."
• "And I just remembered how you had an endless crush on Liam."
• "I think I am sleepy."
• "You are not!" She laughed.
• "You think Terren would love me just as Dad loves you?" I asked pulling away from her and sitting upright on the bed, "I want to know."
• "Of course dear." She took my hands holding them in hers, "I have seen how he looks at you, others have seen it too and more over you said you could feel the soul bond with him." I nodded.
• Liar! Cora snapped and I pushed her back.
• They didn't need to know if I felt the soul bond with him or not. I didn't care about the bond anymore. I just wanted to be happy and I could be happy with Terren.