Chapter 58: Scars
“Yes,” Zayn answered, his voice low and grave. His eyes darkened as memories flooded back.
“These scars are from years of torture. Your father and brother made sure I always remembered who was in charge.”
Lily’s eyes widened. She stared at the raised lines crisscrossing his arm.
“The physical pain was nothing compared to what came after,” Zayn continued, his jaw tightening. “The screams of the others—my people—echo in my head night after night.”
Nightmarish scenes of torture and screams replayed in Zayn’s mind. He didn’t have to close his eyes to see it. Their contorted expressions and blood-curdling screams were etched into his brain. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing they would go away, but instead they became clearer.
“I used to see them all the time. It didn’t matter if I was asleep or awake. It was all the same. Then...”
A new horror resurfaced in his mind. The one he could never forget, the heaviest burden he carried.
“Then I see Irene’s face... our unborn child. I couldn’t save them, I watched them die. Those are the scars no one sees.”
Lily furrowed her brows. Her heart ached for Zayn and the pain he suffered. They were both victims of her father and brother.
She pointed to his visible scars again, then made a gesture of wrapping bandages. Then removing them after. After that, she pointed back at Zayn with a questioning look. Zayn studied her actions, trying to piece the puzzle together.
Realising he didn’t understand her, Lily gestured to herself and the scars she had. Compared to Zayn’s, some of hers had not even begun to scab despite it having been weeks or months.
“You’re wondering why mine hadn’t healed, despite Alpha’s having superior healing?” He guessed her question.