Chained to the Enemy Alpha
Chapter 58: Scars

Chapter 58: 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.” \n(o)v.e\l.com

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.” fr\(e)ew(e)b.(n)o (v)(e)l.com

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.

Lily nodded.

Alphas healed quickly, rarely leaving behind scars. Zayn’s were clearly the exception.

Zayn sighed. “The years of torture broke something inside me. Not just my body, but my spirit. My wolf never quite recovered from it either. When that happens, some wounds never fully heal. The scars remain even after the flesh mends.”

Still, Lily had a worried expression on her face. She held out her hand, wanting to touch the scar on his arm. But she hesitated, worried it would hurt.

“They don’t hurt anymore,” He said as he pressed hard into one of the larger scars on his forearm, “See?”

Before he could finish, Lily’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. She shook her head frantically, her eyes pleading with him not to hurt himself. Her small hand covered his, warm and protective.

Zayn froze. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched him with gentleness rather than fear or obligation.

“I’m fine,” he said, voice softer than he intended. “I was just showing you they don’t hurt anymore.”

Lily didn’t let go. Instead, she moved closer to him. Zayn sat frozen, watching her carefully. Lily reached out her hand and placed it carefully on his chest. He flinched.

“What are you doing?”

She pursed her lips, brows furrowed as she tapped his chest lightly with her hand. She pointed at him and nodded. But the look of confusion remained on Zayn’s face.

Lily glanced around the room and spotted a notepad and an ink pen nearby. She grabbed them off the set of drawers and began scribbling something.

‘You have a good heart.’

Zayn read the words, then let out a harsh laugh.

“You’re wrong. I don’t have a heart at all.”

Lily shook her head firmly and began writing again.

‘I’ve seen the improvements you’ve made to the pack. People are happier now. They’re no longer afraid.’

“They should be afraid,” he muttered, but his voice lacked conviction.

Lily tilted her head, studying him. She wrote again, her handwriting neat despite her still-weakened state.

‘Even a damaged heart can still be a good, kind heart. Yours hasn’t died, just hardened.’ .com

Zayn’s eyes darkened. “My heart died a long time ago, along with my mate and child. What’s left is just survival instinct and a thirst for revenge.”

Lily watched as grief washed over his face. His eyes grew distant, lost in memories that still tormented him. She hesitated, then wrote carefully:

‘I’m sorry for what happened to your mate and child.’

Zayn looked to her, surprised.

“It’s not your fault. Your father and brother are the ones to blame, not you.”

Lily’s eyes dropped to the notepad on her lap. After a moment, she wrote again, hands trembling slightly.

‘If I hadn’t killed my mother, perhaps things would have been different. If she’d lived, maybe my father and brother wouldn’t have become the monsters they were.’

Zayn read her words, his brow furrowing. “That’s ridiculous.”

Lily looked up, startled by his abruptness.

“You didn’t kill your mother,” he said firmly. “Childbirth is dangerous. Many women die from it. That wasn’t your fault.”

Lily blinked rapidly, fighting back tears.

“And your father and brother,” Zayn continued, “they were cruel long before your mother died. I knew of them even before the attack on my pack. Your father’s reputation as a ruthless Alpha spread far.”

He paused. He saw the expression on Lily’s face. She was gripping the notepad tightly, lips trembling.

“I knew a little about your mother. From what I heard, she was kind to everyone, even those your father considered beneath him. She was probably a victim of their cruelty too.”

A small smile appeared on Lily’s lips, sad but grateful. She hadn’t expected him to defend her or offer comfort about her mother.

“You are your mother’s daughter, you definitely inherited her kindness and warmth.”

Lily’s breath caught at the unexpected compliment. She stared at him, searching his face for any sign of mockery, but found none. His eyes held only weary honesty.

Looking down at the notepad, Lily pointed to what she had written earlier and tapped on it twice. She still believed he had a good heart.

Zayn’s expression hardened again. Something more complex flashed across his face—disbelief, maybe even fear.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, voice rough. “You’ve seen the things I’ve done. I hurt people. I’ve hurt you.”

She shook her head and wrote quickly.

‘You took care of me. Fed me, remembered my allergies. Protected me. Those aren’t the actions of a heartless man.’

“Don’t mistake necessity for kindness,” he said. “I’m using you for my own benefit.”

His words stung. But Lily didn’t give up.

‘You only saved me because it benefited you?’

Zayn stared at the paper for a long moment. His shoulders seemed to carry the weight of years of pain and rage. When he looked up, something had shifted in his eyes—the barest crack in his armor.

“It has to be,” he said quietly. “Anything else is too dangerous.”

Lily watched him closely. She didn’t believe him. If it was just to save her, he could have arranged for someone else to protect her. Yet time and time again, it was Zayn who came to her rescue.

She scribbled down something new. When she finished, she hesitated before handing it to him.

‘You still have a lot of love to give. You just don’t know it yet.’

Zayn stared at her words. For once, he seemed at a loss for a response.