The very first thing they did when I entered the packhouse was give me an extremely thorough scrubbing. Months of no baths had left all kinds of nasties behind, so a thorough scrubbing was needed to get rid of all those nasties before they turned into even nastier infections.
It wasn't a pleasant process. The females who took care of me - Isla, Poppy and and Evie - used the coarsest brushes known to wolfkind, and the soap they used was rather ... harsh for lack of a better word. My skin was red and aching all over by the time they were done with the first scrubbing, and the bathwater was black. I almost threw up at the sight, my self-loathing growning even stronger at the sight of all the grime that had come off me. This is my punishment, I told myself. Had I not been such an ungrateful bitch, I would never have gotten into this state.
This self-loathing had caused me to try and plead with them not to do it, that I didn't deserve to be clean. They'd looked at me like I'd grown a second head when I told them - or started to tell them - that I was a stupid little bitch who'd made up lies about my Alpha and almost gotten him killed, and that I didn't deserve this kindness. I didn't get very far when Isla had told me in no uncertain terms I was an idiot, that I did deserve to be clean, and could I be so kind as to pipe up so they could get on with the job?
I shut my mouth after that, realising that I wasn't going to get anywhere.
The second and third scrubbings didn't prove to be much better, and I felt as if my skin must surely be peeling off as they rinsed me off for the third time. This time, the bathwater was only grey, but they still weren't satisfied, and they kept the process going until the bathwater finally only looked as grimy as if I'd scrubbed off a day's dirt.
Then there was the matter of my teeth. One look in my mouth, and it was deduced all of them had to come out. So, while they washed my hair - again a process that took quite a few goes before it was shiny again - they injected me with a mild sedative and extracted my teeth. The sight was enough to make me gag, even while mildly sedated, but I repressed the urge, again reminding myself that this was the price of my betrayal of someone who had been nothing but kind to me.
As for the treatment they applied to my downstairs - suffice to say, I was in tears afterwards. Months of poor toilet hygiene had done a rotten job, and there was a lot of work to be done before I could be given the all clear. As it was, I felt even more ill, bitterly regretting my choices once more.
But it wasn't over yet.
Next came the shaving. Even though I was now clean from head to toe, they deemed it the only way by which they could ensure no infections were left to fester. So, off it all came; my legs, my downstairs, my arms, armpits, hair, and eyebrows. To say I looked ridiculous afterwards was an understatement, but somehow, the sight of my bald head, which now resembled an egg, actually brought a small smile to my face when I saw my reflection in the mirror. "I look like an idiot," I said.
"Well, at least we know it's working," Poppy said, and I looked at her, confused. She shook her head. "Nevermind. Just know that you're definitely starting to feel better, despite your beliefs to the contrary."
I decided not to comment on this. I did feel a bit better, truth be told, but there was still that core of self-loathing and shame which hung on, but as I looked at myself in the mirror once more, I felt the first flakes start to come off, and a little bit more light came in.
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP06Baz3SvT
After all the treatments, they then discussed teeth with me. Healing would not be able to grow my teeth back, but they could make new ones which would be just as good, if not better, than what had been removed. I opened my mouth to protest, but soon shut it at Isla's raised eyebrow.
"Why on earth do you think so little of yourself?" she said crossly.
I hunched in my chair, dropping my eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm just a stupid little bitch who doesn't know any better."
Poppy muttered something rude under her breath, and Evie outright swore as she placed a hand on my chin and lifted my head. "Look at me," she said sternly. I flinched, but did as I was told, wincing when I saw her fronw. "I don't know what that brute said to you," she said, "but we are not going to sit idly by and let you sink deeper into depression."
"But I thought I was a prisoner," I protested.
Isla rolled her eyes. "You are," she said, "but that doesn't mean we're not going to treat you with the basic deceny you deserve. Now, let's get back to discussing teeth, shall we?"
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGJ9eS0nLR
It took a week for the new teeth to arrive, during which time I thoroughly explored the packhouse. I'd been given free run of the place, but I was told very sternly not to try and leave, otherwise I'd be joining Samuel downstairs in the cellar. And though part of me still wanted to share his captivity, I found the other part of me steadfastly refusing.
The house, while not as grand as the mansion in Penzance, was still very grand, and it had all the modern conveniences one could hope for, including central heating, which was a blessed relief after the frigid three-day journey it had taken Samuel and I to get to Reading. There was even a library, and an indoor pool, but I stayed away from the latter. It wasn't the fear of my near-drowning - which was fast becoming a distant memory, thankfully - but rather the fear that I didn't deserve to enjoy the luxury of going for an occasional swim.
So I stayed away, instead burying myself in books. The pack - whom I still didn't know the name of - treated me very kindly, inviting me to play games, and letting me sit with them at meals. They talked to me about all sorts of things, but stayed away from two topics - who I was, and why I was here. Even I didn't know why Samuel had brought me here, but I suspected it had something to do with luring Doreah into a trap. My mind skittered away from that thought, but deep down, I knew it to be true. There was surely no other reason why Samuel would have dragged me halfway across the UK.
I also knew of a third topic that could never be brought up - Doreah. I longed to see her, but I knew better than to ask after her. I was, after all, a prisoner, despite being given the run of the house and treated as if I was an equal. I knew the day would come when I would have to face punishment for crossing enemy lines, and that was more than enough to dampen any joy I felt at my changed circumstances. Not even getting my new teeth fitted brought me as much pleasure as it would have done otherwise - though it was nice to be able to chew my food again after a week or so of soft foods.
Then spring came, and with it, the reckoning I'd been both hoping for and dreading. 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNj4vNLdZ0
116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdNGMVkRRX
