Ever After (X Reader)

The Ring

Alex closed the door gingerly behind her, she'd been out for a few hours, she hadn't known how long she should give (Y/n) and her father.

Her gaze drifted towards the bed half expecting her to be still there, when she didn't find her there fear clawed its way to her heart, with a horrified gasp she looked around the room her eyes frantic with worry, all the demons of the last few months coming back to her again.

"(Y/n)!" She called out yet she got nothing back.

Frantic with worry deja vu of that awful night coming back to haunt her she rushed through the apartment again, retracing the very steps she took that night.

"Not again please not again." She whispered out a plea.

The sound of water caught her attention standing by the bathroom door the sound of the shower put her at ease, but still, she was anxious if she could just see her, then she would feel better.

Slowly she edged open the door, casting her head around it and seeing the back of her lover, she gasped at the angry claw marks that stood out so clearly and painfully on her shoulders.

How had she not noticed that, how was it possible that she could not have seen them, it looked like she had been attacked by some crazed wild animal?

The wounds were closed but already she could see where the scaring would remain.

Unable to stand and watch any longer she closed the door behind her, moving further into the steamy bathroom until She stood behind her, a closer look at the wounds made her want to cry.

Lifting her hand slowly she trailed her finger lightly over the broken and puckered skin, (Y/n) tensed at the touch.

"Don't touch it."

" Does it hurt? " Alex asked on a whisper.

"Not anymore, just please its gross I hate it, please don't touch it."

Alex frowned. "What happened?" Her hand still moving over the uneven skin, her palm massaging it lovingly as she moved closer to her.

(Y/n) sighed, she didn't want her to know the horrible grizzly details, but the idea of lying to her didn't sit well with her. "The whole place is like some dystopian nightmare Alex, I had to learn really quick how to survive, the combats where you found me are like their football or baseball tournaments only much worse, Zod offered me a deal I had no choice but to take, it was my only way home."

" Oh, baby. " Alex wrapped her arms around her waist and held her tight.

"There were these lion-like creatures sent in as a test, but not as you would think, we weren't told, it was a battle as usual against other warriors, then as I had one cornered and I was facing away the creature was let in and it just pounced on me from behind, it's claws tearing through my skin as though it was sugar paper."

Alex was by now accustomed to the feeling of her heart tearing into a thousand pieces, how could a mother watch as her daughter went through such a horrible thing? "You're safe now (Y/n)."

"That was how I got my name, everyone else in that pit was mauled to death, I well I had to kill those things otherwise I wouldn't be alive."

"Oh, (Y/n)."

" Are they.....are they very ugly? " The chef asked softly a little afraid of the answer she would get.

Alex took a moment to think, yes they weren't pretty but how did she tell her this without also letting her know that it made no difference. "They aren't going to win any beauty competitions baby, but do you know what I've heard?"