: Taking Advantage Of Her

Kayda looked at his gloved hands and the faint smell of disinfectant wafted over, making her small nose twitch.

"Let me help."

Surprised, Kayda looked up and met his glacial blue eyes. And that's when she really got to take a look at his face.

She had seen many types of men in her life. Guys that could topple cities, men with looks that could attract even cold blooded creatures with a glance.

But this person before her didn't fit into any of those categories.

His face was like a perfectly carved sculpture, so perfect without a single flaw except a perfectly placed mole under his eye allowing him to give off a devilish charm. With a straight nose and sinfully shaped lips, he could cause even men to have heart attacks at just a meer glance of his.

And with raven colored hair that contrasted so beautifully with his eyes and milky skin, he didn't seem human.

But Kayda wasn't dazed for long. If there was one thing that all men that she had met, with even a shred of his looks had in common was that they were complete scoundrels who lived their lives thinking that they could do as they wish without any conscience just because of their looks.

"Why should I let you?"

She sneered at him.

Dimitri tilted his head to the side. His eyes coldly smiling as he gazed at her.

"The same reason that you let me take off the collar. I have something to gain from it."

His smile was cold without even an ounce of warmth that could easily freeze someone to the bone. And without even trying, he exuded an air of hidden danger that made the atmosphere thick and gloomy.

Kayda though, wasn't even slightly effected and just looked at him. Her eyes narrowed as she examined every inch of his expression.

When she didn't find what she was looking for, she turned her head away and gave a huff.

Seeing her silent consent, he moved forward and knelt down in front of her. Even then, it only made it to where Dimitri's eyes easily skimmed over the top of her head unless he looked down otherwise.

Holding out his hand, he didn't reach for her any further.

He was patient and considerate, waiting for her to move first. It was very contradicting with his wintry and impassive face which seldom showed a change of expression when she was looking.

Seeing his actions, it took her a little bit of time to even gather up enough courage to pick up her own hand and place it into his gloved one.

She could feel the turmoil inside her rise to a frightening degree, but she breathed out hard. Reminding herself that he was wearing gloves and the smell of disinfectant helped.

While Kayda breathed in and out, Dimitri quickly went to work. His hand was large and could completely envelope hers. But he only held her hand as lightly as he could as he quickly tried to patch her up.

But when he had started putting on the gauze, he noticed the long cut went all the way under her sleeve.

With smooth and fluid motions, he folded up her sleeve.

When Kayda realized what he was doing, she immediately wanted to pull her hand away but he immediately grasped her hand as gently as he could in response and looked at her in the eyes.

"Trust me, the last thing you need is an infection."

Being stared at so blatantly, Kayda could do nothing but freeze under his chilly stare.

When he continued to roll up her sleeve, she turned her head to look away while gritting her teeth.

She hated these scars. Every one of them carried a greater weight than the last, and she couldn't even bear to make herself look at them. Much less have someone scrutinize them under their own spiteful gaze.

But Dimitri didn't even pause for a second and continued as if there was nothing wrong.

Kayda of course noticed this the second he finished rolling up her sleeve to her elbow where the ugly wound ended.

It was an indescribable feeling, almost bringing tears to her eyes.

She was always haunted by the eyes of disgust and hatred that silently followed her everywhere she went.

Her scars a permanent reminder of that.

But there was one memory which haunted her like a phantom.

It was long after The Black Sea Arena. Life had beaten her down at that point. Just trying to escape the very memories that danced in her mind had taken such a toll on her that it had wear her down. All she could bring herself to do at that time was travel. To not stop moving.

She had traveled to towns, villages, even small cities. And in each one, she was turned away and scorned for her wings and horns. The very objects that proclaimed she wasn't like them.

Until one weary night, she had come across a small and remote village.

She had only planned to stay for a night then leave, but instead of the usual scorn she received from humans, she was welcomed.

People opened their houses to her. Shared their bread and allowed her to explore their lands.

With her guard down and her spirit spent, she didn't put up any walls and accepted the kindness, savored it. It was one of the very few memories she deeply cherished.

It was her own mistake to finally let trust enter her heart.

One night, when she had been peacefully asleep, they struck.

The people of the village taped her wings together, gaged her and bound her feet as they presented her to the lord of the territory they lived on like some prize to be given away.

They turned against her and sold her for some gold coins to a low ranking noble.

And what he did to her, was not just physical pain, but pure humiliation to the highest degree.

He stripped her of her clothes, tied a chain and collar around her neck and dragged her through a ballroom presenting her like some exotic pet as people adorned with gems and silk ridiculed her.

Everywhere she looked, eyes of mockery looked at her. Eyes of disdain and spite and words of pure burning disgust entered her ears.

She was disgusting to them, only because of the scars she bore and the body she was so rightfully born with.

It was one that day, she had learned of the poisonous thing called shame. Shame of her own appearance. Shame of her own existence. And was forever stripped from her so called rights a human being.

And what came after that was a nightmare she never wished to relive again.

Her hands balled into fists. Her nails came dangerously close to piercing her skin but she felt the light brush against her hands, allowing her to escape her daze.

Looking up, she noticed that Dimitri had finished wrapping her arm up, but was still standing there with a towel and comb in one hand and scissors in the other.

Confused, she looked at him.

What was he going to do with those?

Dimitri inwardly smirked looking down at her confused look.

Earlier, he noticed an empty blaze in her eyes. It was unfeeling and dead. And the only thing that remained was a white fire that burned dimly in the dark.

Noticing her fists that had turned pale, he lightly brushed his gloved hand past them knowing it would do something as he knew how she hated the touch of others just from a few minutes of observation.

And he was right.

She looked up at him as confused as a child that had awakened from a dream and he decided to take this chance to further fix her up.

"Stand."

His voice was cold and commanding, but not forceful.

And with Kayda still in a daze, she stood up, allowing him to gently lay a towel out under her before he signaled for her to sit again.

In reply, she obediently did.

Now that she had forgotten to put up a wall, she was nothing but a lost child which Dimitri took full advantage of.

Sitting down on the bed behind her, he started to trim her hair in neat and short clips while Kayda sat there dazed. Wondering what had just happened.

It wasn't until Dimitri had told her to stand that she finally snapped out of her trance and looked at Dimitri with a red face and angry blazing eye, which he proudly returned with a cold smirk.

"Get some rest, little kitten. We'll be leaving at sun set."

And he left the room before Kayda could even give him a single word as a response.