Chapter 8 Bathing Alpha

Valencia's POV

I turned my head toward the doorway and saw Alpha Logan standing there, his face dark with fury. I had seen him kill rogues with less anger in his eyes. Beta Dorian stood beside him, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Amara's hand shook as she held the knife. "Alpha, I can explain. This slave attacked me. Look at my face."

"Put. The knife. Down." Each word was delivered with deadly precision.

For a moment, I thought Amara might obey. Her hand lowered slightly, and hope flickered in my chest.

Then her face contorted with renewed rage. "NO!" she shrieked. "I won't let this WHORE DESTORY you!"

She gripped the knife and drove it down toward my neck with all her strength.

The blade came down toward my throat with deadly force. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the end.

CLANG!

The sound of metal striking metal rang through the room. I opened my eyes to see Alpha Logan's dagger embedded in the stone wall, having knocked Amara's weapon from her hands. The knife clattered across the floor.

Amara collapsed backward, tears streaming down her face. Blood from the cut on her eye mixed with her tears, creating red streaks down her cheek.

Alpha Logan's face remained blank as he stepped into the room, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword with deliberate slowness. The scrape of metal against leather filled the silence as he drew the blade.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Though his expression showed nothing, I could feel his Alpha authority rolling through the room like a crushing wave. The air itself seemed to thicken with his rage.

Amara whimpered on the floor where she'd fallen. Her earlier confidence had completely shattered. She pressed herself against the stone wall, her eyes wide with terror as she watched Logan approach.

"Logan, please," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I was only trying to protect you. She's dangerous. She’s a fucking witch."

Alpha Logan didn't respond. He didn't even look at her as he spoke those words. His boots echoed against the stone floor with each measured step.

"Logan... Alpha... please listen to me," Amara tried again, scrambling backward. "I've served this pack faithfully for years. I've done everything you've asked. I...I...love you."

Still nothing. Logan's silence was more damning than any angry words could have been.

Logan stopped directly in front of where Amara cowered against the wall. For a long moment, he simply stared down at her. When he finally spoke, his voice was deadly quiet.

"You held a knife to her throat."

"I was protecting you!" Amara cried desperately. "She's a slave! She means nothing!"

"You held a knife to her throat," Logan repeated, as if she hadn't spoken at all.

Amara opened her mouth to speak again, but Logan's sword moved faster than lightning. The blade came down in one clean, precise stroke.

Amara's scream tore through the room as her left hand separated from her wrist. Blood sprayed across the stone floor as she clutched the stump to her chest, her entire body convulsing with shock and agony.

"My hand!" she shrieked, rocking back and forth.

The severed hand lay on the floor between them, fingers still curled as if reaching for something. Blood pooled around it, dark and spreading.

I stared at the scene before me, my mind struggling to process what I'd just witnessed. This was Logan - the same man who had been gentle with me. Was this the real him? The killer... the monster that others feared.

The woman who had just tried to murder me was now writhing in agony, and I felt nothing for her. No pity. She had held a knife to my throat and would have killed me without hesitation. But seeing Logan's capacity for such swift, brutal punishment left me shaking.

"Take her to the dungeons," Alpha Logan commanded Dorian without emotion. "Tend to her wounds."

"Yes, Alpha," Dorian said immediately. He picked up the severed hand and helped Amara to her feet. She was pale as death, barely conscious.

As they left the room, I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I was holding. My entire body felt drained. I slumped against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the cold stone floor.

Logan cleaned his sword on a cloth from his belt before sheathing it. Only then did he turn to look at me, and I saw something flicker in his eyes - concern, perhaps, or regret.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

Looking up at him, I could barely form words. My throat felt raw. "I... I'm not hurt," I managed to whisper, though my voice came out hoarse and shaky.

Logan knelt down beside me, his movements careful - so different from the deadly precision he'd shown moments before. His gray eyes searched my face, looking for injuries.

"Let me see your throat," he said quietly.

I tilted my head back, exposing the pale column of my neck where Amara's knife had been pressed. Logan's jaw clenched as he examined the thin red line the blade had left behind.

"It's just a scratch," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

But Logan's fingers ghosted over the mark with gentleness, and I shivered at the contrast.

"She could have killed you," he said, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "But she didn't. You stopped her."

Logan was quiet for a long moment, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. When I finally looked up at him, something in his expression made my breath catch. There was a darkness there. Guilt, maybe.

"You saw what I am," he said simply.

I knew what he meant. "I saw you protect me," I said softly.

Logan's eyes widened slightly, as if my words surprised him. "Most people would be running from me right now," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I thought about that. I should be terrified. Any reasonable person would be. But all I could think about was the moment when Amara's knife had been at my throat, when death had seemed certain, and Logan had appeared like an avenging angel. He had saved me without hesitation.

"I'm not most people," I said, meeting his gaze steadily. "And you're not the monster you think you are."

Something shifted in Logan's expression. He started, then stopped, seeming to struggle with words.

I waited, watching as he knelt there beside me on the bloodstained floor. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken things.

Finally, he stood and extended his hand to me. "I want to take a bath." He sighed.

I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. My legs felt unsteady, and Logan steadied me with a gentle grip on my elbow.

I noticed a large wooden bathtub in the corner of the room. It was carved from dark oak, large enough for someone of Logan's size, with iron bands holding it together.

When Logan mentioned wanting a bath, I assumed he wanted me to prepare it. I started to move toward the tub, but he caught my arm gently.

"Stay here," he said quietly, then walked to the door and pulled a rope hanging beside it.

Within moments, there was a soft knock. Logan opened the door to reveal a young maid with black hair, her eyes downcast respectfully.

"Prepare a bath," Logan instructed her curtly.

"Yes, Alpha," she replied with a quick curtsy before hurrying away.

Soon, three servants appeared carrying large buckets of steaming water. They worked efficiently, filling the tub while another young maid knelt on the stone floor with a cloth, scrubbing away the bloodstains where Amara had fallen. The metallic scent gradually gave way to the clean smell of hot water and soap.

As they worked, I noticed their eyes flickering to me with confusion. I saw them take in my iron collar, the way I stood freely in the Alpha's chambers without any tasks to perform. Their faces showed puzzlement rather than outright disdain - after all, what was a slave doing here, apparently doing nothing? Even though they weren't openly contemptuous, I still felt the familiar burn of shame creep up my neck. I was out of place, and we all knew it.

Once the servants finished and filed out, closing the door behind them, Logan began to undress. My breath caught in my throat as he started unlacing his leather vest. I immediately looked down at my feet, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I didn't know why he was keeping me here, what he expected of me.

I heard the soft splash of water as he stepped into the tub, and my heart began racing frantically. Unbidden memories flashed through my mind - his big dick, the powerful muscles of his chest and arms. My face grew even hotter.

"Come here," Logan's voice came from behind me, low and commanding.

The words sent a jolt through my entire body. I froze, my heart hammering so hard I was sure he could hear it. Come here? What did he want? My mind raced with possibilities, each one making me more nervous than the last.

I hesitated for several long seconds, my bare feet seemingly rooted to the cold stone floor. But his authority was absolute, and despite my confusion and racing pulse, I found myself taking small, reluctant steps toward the tub.

My heart felt like it might burst from my chest with each step closer. I tried desperately not to look at his nude body. Being faced with a man's nakedness, I had no idea what to do.

Alpha Logan's voice came again, emotionless. "Massage me."

"Alpha?" I looked up at him in surprise.

Alpha Logan turned around in the tub, resting his head against the edge and placing his hands on the rim. He didn't bother to repeat his command.

Despite my inner hesitation, my feet moved obediently to stand behind him. I began massaging his broad shoulders with trembling fingers.

I tried to focus on the task while controlling the turmoil inside me. I knew what kind of man he was. In an instant, he could decide to end my life.As I continued the massage, I felt his muscles finally begin to relax. This gave me a small sense of satisfaction. I moved to his left arm, using my limited experience to properly work each muscle.

When I gathered courage to glance at his face, I saw his eyes were closed as if he had fallen asleep. This allowed me to breathe a little easier.

I turned to his other arm, skillfully kneading his bicep. Was the water still warm enough? I wondered, glancing down at the water's surface.

That's when I saw it.

Alpha Logan's cock was fully erect.