Page 6 of The Exiled Dragon

How could she? How could my own mother sell me to a Vampire? That is what he was, right? Vampires had teeth, and large fangs that sucked the blood of humans. They were to be nothing but monsters to frighten children and keep them out of the dark at night, but this man was anything but a man. He was a monster, and there were more of them.

I was to be used, and from the sounds of it, I would be used for many years. They will suck me dry only to keep me alive long enough to fill their stomachs again. Trying not to bite my lip, my lip trembled in despair. Dark clouds filled my mind.

I stumbled to my feet but quickly fell again. My knees were scraped, and hints of metallic blood hit the air. A large breath came from the Vampire in front of me. My heart stopped, clutching my knees so I could somehow hide the smell.

His back turned. "My name is Master Enoch; you will regard me as such. We will be seeing much more of each other." He smirked.

Chapter Five

Odessa

Theclinkingofutensilsstartled me. "Dad?" I whisper. I rubbed my cheek against the pillow when it dawned on me that dad wasn't here anymore. In fact, I was stuck in a tree running from the Duke. Whatever my cheek was rubbing against was so soft, so warm. It felt like the fur of an animal.

My eyes darted open with an intensity that almost made my lashes fall off. My back was turned to whatever was making small noises on the other side. My face stared into a rock wall. To the touch, it was cold and smooth. The light was dim, not bright in the slightest. Flames of a fire flickered my body's shadow on the wall. Was I in a cave?

Rolling my body slowly not to be heard was a bit difficult. My ankle throbbed, and the shift of blankets and pillows jostled the bandages into the wrong position. The bed was enormous, large furs covered the entire area, and I was raised high above the ground by three feet. These had to be bear furs because of their massive size. Some had patterns I was unfamiliar with. Petting them with my hand and finally lifting it up to look underneath, I saw that I was no longer dirty or in my purple nightgown. I pushed the furs back on my body.

Someone changed me.

They saw me naked.

I shrugged my shoulders. I would find it downright appalling, humiliating, and degrading six months ago. It was, and still is, but you must become numb to those sorts of travesties. This was just to clean me, though. At least, I hoped that is what my saviors' intentions were. I didn't feel anything different in my private areas. Just the bumps and bruises from running.

The large area was indeed a cave. It was one massive room with a small leather skin covering the other end of the cave. The other side, I guessed, was where we came in. A tiny bit of light highlighted one side of the cave.

A table and one single chair were opposite me. Pitchers of water, leather straps, bandages, berries, and salves littered the table. Whoever was taking care of me was meticulous in their work area. Everything this person owned in this cave had its place.

Weapons hung close to the entryway, bags, leathers, and clothes all piled nicely in large woven baskets. The cave had a nice shelf on the opposing wall. Vegetables of potatoes, carrots, and berries lay there. My wandering eyes became comfortable, only for the drop of a metal skillet on the cave floor to throw harsh sounds my way. Covering my ears and eyes for a few seconds, I opened them again.

I gulped, feeling the heated gaze of someone staring at me.

It was none other than the Viking I saw earlier when I shamelessly fell asleep by the tree trunk I crawled out of. His eyes were dark, compelling, and magnetic as he looked at me. He was holding a bowl, steaming with something inside, and my stomach automatically growled at me to reach for it. I rubbed it, mentally telling my stomach to calm down.

My ankle is broken or really sprained. If I was scared enough to flee, I wouldn't be able to, but weirdly enough, I wasn't. This Viking Prince Charming had brought me here and cleaned me. Maybe he was being nice? Surely, he wouldn't bring me here to kill me, then again, he might want other things.

I gulped harshly.Changed my mind. Scared now.

His steps were slow coming towards me, and he squatted down on the floor beside the bed. We were now eye-level, and it made me feel more equal, to make me feel like an equal rather than to be looked down upon. I have had way inferior lately. The Viking also brought over food, setting it close to my body, so I felt the heat of the stew. With his careful steps and slow movements, he treated me like a small, wounded animal. Which, in a way, I was.

Dark eyes looked into mine. They were full of life, pain, and unquenchable warmth. Looking past his scary appearance, my mood softened.

His large hands cupped the entirely too small of a bowl for his massive hands. It was a stew with meat, potatoes, and carrots. It smelled better than anything I had eaten in the past half a year. "F-for me?" I muttered. His lips tried to smile, but all I got was a crooked line and some wrinkles around his eyes. I wanted to giggle at him, he wanted to make me feel comfortable. He didn't make me feel scared, for some strange reason.

Taking the bowl from him, the spoon sat helplessly at the edge. Prince Charming, the name I had unofficially given him for saving me, watched me. I blew on the bowl to cool it and finally took a sip. It tasted amazing. It warmed and filled my stomach to the brim; I even drank down the entire bowl once I had finished the hunks of meat. Prince Charming's lips curled on one side of his face when he took it from me. Another bowl was poured, and he continued to move in slow, calculating movements, crouching beside the bed.

"This is so good." I smiled at him. "Aren't you going to eat?" He shook his head, pointed to the bowl, and then to my mouth. He made this for me? I blush involuntarily, feeling a little flustered. This man saved my life, brought me to his cave, and fed me food in his bed.

And he saw me naked.

My thoughts of not being embarrassed were erased when the idea of him seeing me naked surfaced. I got used to it with the Vampires, but he was different. What if he saw my scarred body? "Did you, um, dress me?" Prince Charming's tanned face turned a ruddy red as he abruptly stood up and turned his back to me.

Was he blushing? Was he afraid I was going to yell or scream at him? His back was tensed, the tattoos that adorned his body rippling over his skin. Tattoos of fighting Dragons, Wolves, and Bears decorated his back. If you looked close enough, you could see scars underneath. He was hiding scars like I had.

"Wait." I put my hand out, trying to reach him. "I'm not mad," I whispered. He turned back to me, keeping his feet in place. "T-thank you. You really patched me up well." His mouth tried to move again for a smile, but the scar prevented him from showing me his white teeth. I wanted him to talk, but the massive spot around his neck would keep him from doing that. We had to find a way to communicate.

"My name is Odessa." I pointed to myself. "What's your name?" Obviously, he couldn't tell me, but maybe he had it written somewhere.

Prince Charming sighed heavily and shook his head. "Can you write it down?" He shook his head again. He was in a rudimentary cave; he may not have learned how to read or write. The thought paralyzed me in fear. That was all I ever did.

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