Beasts and Savages (The Beastly Series Book 1) (21 page)

I hoped he would take his time. I grabbed the towel, bowl, and soap and lowered myself to the floor. My ribs ached in protest. The soap had green flecks in it and was lavender scented. It was soft and crumbled in my hand. For a moment, I closed my eyes and was transported back to the dressing room. I imagined my mother was massaging my scalp and singing me The Mother’s Song. 

Shuffling outside the room made me jump. I quickly washed my face and arms. It wasn’t a shower, but the warmth felt good on my skin. I cleaned my lower half starting at my stomach and working down. The soapy water was already clouded and I swore I’d ask for a full bath next time. When I got to me knees, I couldn’t reach any further. I tried to take off my shirt, but my arms were stiff and my right side burned when I lifted it above my head. The bandage on my left hand made it clumsy and I dropped the edge of the shirt. My head and arms were tangled in it and I wiggled to free myself.

Laughter floated from the doorway. I froze. The voice wasn't Locke's or Tanner's.

“Is that why they keep you locked up in here? Because you’re a poor dumb animal who’s amusing to watch?”

Ice went through my veins. Miller. He walked over and yanked the shirt off me. Pain seized my chest and I hunched to the right, letting myself fall to the floor. He grabbed my hair and used it to pull me to my knees.

Miller bent down and whispered, “I should've killed you while I had the chance, beast.” His breath was hot on my cheek and smelled of sour fruit. I tried to turn away from the stench, but his grasp was too strong.

Anger flooded my system. I was still weak and only had one chance to fight. I swung my arm and hit him as hard as I could in the back of the knees. They buckled, but he caught himself.

Cackling filled the small room. “Still want to fight, huh?”

He pulled me up higher, using my hair to twist so that I faced to him. His fist swung with full force at my jaw. White stars popped in my vision and the metal taste of blood filled my mouth. He drew his hand back to swing again. Tiny prickles erupted on my scalp as strands of hair let go of their roots. I spat a blood covered tooth onto the floor.

“Miller!” Tanner’s yell was more of a high pitched scream.

Miller released me and I collapsed to the floor. I covered my head and face to protect myself from any more punches and waited. There was shuffling around me, and then nothing. After a few moments of silence, I lowered my arms. Tanner had Miller by the front of the shirt and lifted him until he was on his toes. Miller, though much shorter than the other boy, kept his face steady and his hands clenched in fists. They stared at each other; hatred radiated off of them.

“What do you think you're doing in here? How dare you strike her.” Tanner talked through clenched teeth. A vein on his neck bulged under his freckled skin.

Miller sneered. “What and ruin your little house pet? I was just teaching the animal some manners.” His voice was cool and he appeared calm, but sweat glistened on his forehead. His blonde hair was disheveled and sticking up in spikes.

Tanner yelled, “She is not an animal!” and pushed Miller against the wall, lifting him so his feet no longer touched the floor. He raised a fist above his head, ready to strike.

Unfazed, Miller smiled a toothy grin. “You can’t fight me here. You know that. And what are you going to do? Challenge me at the gathering tonight? No one is to know it’s here, so what will be your reason?” Miller flicked his blue eyes to mine. “Besides, when you find out what your daddy’s plans are for you and the beast, you’ll want to kill it yourself.”

Confusion spread over Tanner’s face. He lowered Miller to the ground and shoved him to the door. “Get out!”

He slammed the door behind Miller and locked it from the inside. While he was busy I scrambled to the trousers he had brought and wiggled them on. They were soft cotton, like the leggings I wore under my tunics at home, but they only came halfway between my hips and knees.

Tanner squatted next to me. “You okay?” He turned my face to examine my new injuries. “You have a little swelling on your cheek, and you’re already bruising, but I don’t think he broke anything.”

He rubbed his thumb across my lower lip and whispered, “Busted your lip, though.”

“I lost a tooth.” I absently searched the floor. Panic, relief, and the aftermath of adrenaline rushed through me. I knew if I didn’t keep busy I was going to cry.

“Lea.” Tanner's voice was barely audible. He touched my shoulder.

It was enough to push me over the edge. Tears blurred my vision; I sat back against the bed and sobbed. Tanner patted me on the head and murmured shushing sounds in my ear. It only made me cry harder. I wanted real comfort. I wanted my mother to take me into her arms and tell me that it was alright to cry. I craved a hug and a kiss on the forehead and her familiar voice assuring me that I was okay. Some boy patting me on the head like I was his stupid dog was not what I needed. I wailed as a fresh wave of tears came.

Tanner moved his hand to my back and rubbed circles just below my neck. I buried my face into his chest. He wrapped his arm around my back and let it hang over my shoulder. More tears came as I thought that was the closest thing to a real embrace I would ever have again. He moved his other hand to the back of my head and stroked my hair. I cried into his shirt until I ran out of tears. Finally, I pulled away, wiping my face on him as I did.

“Finished?” He looked down at his shirt, now wet and covered in blood and snot. I hiccupped in response. Tanner reached for the bowl of water.

“Let’s clean you up.” He wrung out the cloth. “The water’s cold now. Do you want me to heat up more?”

I glanced at the door and shook my head. I didn’t want to be left alone.

Tanner followed my eyes. “Miller won’t be back. But I won’t leave, okay?”

I let him unwrap the bandage on my head and wash my face. The fresh wound throbbed and I winced when he brushed the rag over my cheek.

When he dragged the cloth down my neck and onto my shoulder, I caught his wrist. “I already washed up once, while you were getting- before Miller.” My voice faltered.

He dropped the cloth into the water and searched my face.

After a long silence, he sighed. “Fine, but you have to let me change your bandages and check your ribs.” He tugged on the knots holding the bandages around my chest, and I took a sharp breath in. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn't want him poking and prodding my bare chest.

Tanner stopped, but he didn’t move his hands. “I don’t understand. You're perfectly okay with blowing snot and blood all over me, but not letting me help you. Is that right?”

I ran a finger along the seam of the wood floor, afraid to look at him. “It’s not about you helping me. It’s just -” I paused.

He went to work on the knots again. “What?”

“It’s just, other than my mother, no one has ever seen me topless. Ever. Well, until-” I peeked at his face to read his expression.

A grin spread across his features. He dropped his hands to his thighs and laughed out loud. “That’s your problem? Are you trying to be funny?”

Heat crept into my cheeks. “No! And why is that funny?”

“In the summer we take our shirts off and use them to shade our eyes while working in the fields,” he answered, his voice full of amusement. “Don’t you do the same?”

I was incredulous. “Outside? Absolutely not. We have garden hats.”

“Oh for God’s sake!” Obviously exasperated, he stood, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor.

“Happy now?” He held his arms out. The skin under his shirt was slightly browned, though paler than his lower arms. His chest and abdomen were thick and toned, the result of the physical labor it took to live in his clan. A fragile looking collar bone jutted from each of his rounded shoulders and met at a dimple at the base of his neck. A thin white scar ran from his right side to just above his belly button at an angle.

“No.” Embarrassed, I tried to look anywhere but at his bare chest. He sat back down and finished untying my bandages. I sat stiffly, but let him continue. The tension in the room was stifling, but other than the tight grip his teeth had on his bottom lip, he seemed unaffected. When he started unwrapping, I held my hand out toward his chest. Heat radiated off of him.

“Tanner, wait.”

He stopped, but didn’t say anything. His face didn't show any emotion and it scared me. I hoped he'd understand my next request.

“Can you put your shirt back on?” I placed my palm in the middle of his chest, just above the scar. Ignoring the jolt of electricity the touch sent through me, I pleaded with him, “Please.”

His ears and cheeks went scarlet, his jaw clenched. I waited for his explosion of anger. Instead, he leaned back and fished around until he found the shirt Miller had yanked off me. He pulled it over his head and pushed his arms through.

We sat in silence for a few minutes: Me, waiting for him to get angry, laugh, do something. Him, chewing his lip, a habit I noticed he had. The color had gone from his cheeks, which made his freckles appear darker.

Finally, I whispered, “Thank you.”

He shrugged and began to unwrap me again. When the bandages fell, I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my left arm over myself. I could feel the shade of pink I was turning and I held my breath. Tanner helped me ease my right arm above my head. He checked my side, careful to touch only my ribs.

“You’re healing, but I think you need to stay wrapped up for a few more days.”  We remained silent while he helped me re-wrap the bandage and get into the clean shirt still lying on the bed. My stomach growled as we finished.

Tanner heard it and said, “I’m hungry, too. Let’s get you up and I’ll get us food.” He helped me back into the bed. I leaned against the downy pillows and my muscles relaxed as I let out a slow breath.

We were both calmer and the mood was more somber. Neither spoke as he straightened the room. He picked up the bowl and his dirty shirt on the way out the door.

I jerked up. “Wait!” I wasn’t ready to be left alone.

Tanner walked over the bed and touched my forearm. “I’m sorry I let Miller attack you today. If I would've known he was in the house, I would've been more careful. I promise I'll lock the door and be right back.” He turned to the door. “I’ll bring my dinner up here and eat with you. Locke'll be home afterward, and I’ll talk to him, okay?”

My stomach rumbled again. “Okay…. But hurry, please?”

CHAPTER 14

~ Father ~

While Tanner was gone, I never took my eyes off the door. I almost hit the roof at a scratching sound near the window. I looked over and laughed at myself. “Lea, they have you reduced to being startled by tree branches.”