Chapter 142: Chapter 142

DAHLIA:

“We will stop here tonight,” Lord Irvan said when we reached a clearing in the woods.

I slumped into the soft ground, not caring whether it was muddy. I was exhausted to the brim, having had to walk all day.

I remembered the times Tristan had carried me on his back. I hadn’t truly appreciated that gesture from him before, but it was really an act of love and kindness that I missed now that he was gone.

I wish he was still here. Even if he hated me and our baby, the sound of his voice still made me feel safe and comfortable.

Now there was only the barren feeling in my chest, the memories we shared together, and the image of his fading mate mark that was left for me to remember him by.

It hasn’t been more than ten minutes when I collapsed on the ground when someone tugged at the silver chain around my neck once more.

“Get up. We’re taking a bath.”

I met Samalah’s cold stares and nodded. I get up to my feet as fast as I could although I really wanted nothing else but to lie down on the ground until it ate me up completely.

Two of the rogues under Lord Irvan’s command came with us. It didn’t look like they had friendly intentions.

Samalah led me into a swap that looked greenish and dirty. Despite the approaching twilight, I could still see flies swarm on the surface of the water. My stomach started to repulse just thinking that we had to bathe in that black and smelly place.

“Strip,” Samalah harshly commands.

I hesitated for a second, eyeing the rogues that were escorting us. They were definitely staring at us in an offensive way. My skin began to crawl.

Samalah saw my hesitation and began removing the soldier’s clothing I had donned myself in when I rescued Kaist. Since I had put on several layers upon myself, it took an awfully long time before Samaah had finished baring my body. It was well into night time by then.

I shivered in my nakedness as I tried to cover the shameful parts of myself that were exposed to these hungry wolves.

Just then, Samalah also began stripping her own clothes.

Unlike how she undid mine, Samalah stripped her clothes as if she was putting on a show for these men, taking one clothing article at a time for them.

As a result, they became completely mesmerized with her that it felt like they had forgotten about me.

“Now boys,” Samalah said in a mild and almost seductive voice. “The show is over, so why don’t you give us girls the privacy that we need, huh?”

The rogues, who acted like two lovesick puppies, almost jumped in agreement at her suggestion. Surprisingly, they really did quickly retreat in a safe distance away from us.

With the dark night as our cover, Samalah led me into the middle of the stinky swamp to bathe.

Perhaps seeing the uncomfortable look in my eyes, she mumbled. “This is better than sleeping with mud in your body, Dahlly… Smelling bad has its own perks, you know. It would definitely discourage pests from latching on to you,” she said as she eyed the rogues in a distance.

Immediately understanding what she had meant to tell me, I began pouring the unclean water generously against my neck, wishing that the foul scent would linger and get worse throughout the days.

I looked at the sky and saw the crescent moon peak from the horizon. I fingered the mate mark that had almost been gone now in my chest.

On a night like this before, Tristan had once caressed me in his arms. Now I can only be together with him in my dreams…

I looked back at Samalah and saw her looking at the moon as well. There was a vacant look in her eyes as if she was also remembering something very painful.

I braved myself and shook her shoulders a bit.

“Sister,” I whispered, “what is it?”

Samalah turned her gaze at me and gave me a stare that was of pure hatred. “Do you not remember something about this night, Dahlia,” she said, her lips trembling in anger.

“No,” I said. I can feel her rage building up inside.

“Funny how I remembered looking at the window on a night like this some months ago... I was hidden amongst the bushes, and I was seeing the bride on her first night with his husband from across a giant window…”

As if by instinct, memories of that fateful encounter came back to me.

So it wasn’t my imagination at all when I told Tristan there was someone by the bushes back then!

“Is it coming back to you now, Dahlia? Is it?...” I couldn’t nod at her. I was just transfixed on the spot.

Samalah clutched me by the shoulders, her fingers digging into my skin. “I looked at that girl in the window and imaged how she was anticipating it – her first encounter with her beloved. I imagined how eager she was for his hugs, for his kisses, for his touches that will feel like wildfire against her skin…”

“I imagined her pleasures as he caressed her,” she continued, “And you know what? For the first time in my life, I had regretted it so much… I regretted sending the person I love to her side.”

A tear fell into Samalah’s face, and I felt them too coming down from my own cheeks.

“If I had only known you would be the death of him, I wouldn’t have sent him to you, Lady Hurst…”

At these words, Samalah let go of her grip against me. She turned her back and started walking towards the shore.

My eyes were still spewing out torrents and torrents of tears, but I knew this was the right time to speak. My throat was feeling horse and dry, but I forced myself to say them.

“Sister… If you had loved Tristan enough, help me,” I said, choking back on my own sobs. “Help me… Help me and our baby escape.”

I knew this was a gamble. Samalah was working alongside Lord Irvan. She had staged all of this to get her revenge. She hated me from the very core of her being, and I hated her too!

However, I was desperate beyond words!

“Help me and your beloved’s baby… Help us to get away from here…”