Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 317: Shedding Her Skin For Me

"Yael, no!"

My eyes snapped open, his name tearing out of my throat before my mind even caught up.

For a second, I expected the pain to slam into me again that burning, needle-deep agony that had dragged me into darkness.

But it didn’t.

I shot upright and stared around, confused.

I was in a bed.

Clean sheets. A thin blanket. My clothes had been changed.

After that brutal night with Lewis, my whole body had been sore in a way that sat deep in my bones. Yet now... nothing hurt. I felt strangely light, like someone had lifted a heavy coat off my shoulders.

My hand shook as I lifted my shirt.

The marks Lewis left on me those bruises, those kisses were gone.

Completely gone.

Not even a shadow.

And my skin... it didn’t look like mine. Riley had always been pale, but this was different. This was ghost-pale. Cold-white. Smooth in a way that didn’t feel human. Even tiny moles and fine body hair were missing, like they’d been erased.

It looked cleaner than any spa could promise.

Too clean.

I swallowed hard, staring at myself like I was a stranger.

What did he put in that water?

My body didn’t feel violated, at least not in that way. No soreness. No strange ache. Nothing that told me he had touched me like that.

But my clothes being changed still made my skin crawl.

I forced myself to breathe and looked around.

The room was plain, almost empty, but it felt... abandoned. Like no one slept here for a long time. Even the bedding carried a faint, stale smell that reminded me of closed rooms and wet walls.

Outside, I heard waves smashing against rocks.

Hope flared in my chest. If there was a window, maybe there was a way out.

I hurried over and peered outside.

My heart nearly stopped.

The rocks below were moving.

Not from the tide.

From bodies.

Dozens of snakes crawled over each other, thick and glossy, tangled like ropes. Their scales flashed in the early light, and the sight made my stomach twist so hard I clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Ugh..."

I stumbled back, grateful I hadn’t opened the window. If I had, one of them could’ve slipped inside.

Maybe I wouldn’t die from a bite.

But I’d rather die than feel that kind of fear crawling over me.

Far off, the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. The sunrise was beautiful.

I didn’t care.

After seeing those snakes, beauty meant nothing.

Yael had trapped me.

No chains. No locks.

Just an island that didn’t want me alive.

Now I understood the spray he’d used on me before we arrived. I’d thought it was for bugs.

It wasn’t.

It was to keep the snakes away just enough.

This was an island of snakes.

He didn’t need to tie me up, because he knew I wouldn’t run.

The room had modern plumbing, but no phone. No TV. No tablet. No laptop. Nothing.

No way to call Lewis.

No way to scream where anyone could hear.

I opened the door and stepped outside.

The air tasted salty and sharp, and the wind kept pulling at my hair like curious fingers.

Not far away, someone sat on a rock.

He turned his head like he’d sensed me before I even moved.

Yael.

He wore a white shirt and beige pants, his hair messy from the breeze, his posture relaxed like this was a vacation and not a cage.

He smiled brightly when he saw me. "Elena, you’re awake."

The scene looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Like a postcard.

And that made it worse, because I’d seen what he was capable of.

I didn’t answer. I just watched him.

He stood and walked toward me. The sun caught his face, softening him, making him look younger than he had any right to.

"You look marvelous, Elena."

I glanced down at myself. A simple white dress. Bare face. My hair loose. The only mark on my face was a small red mole between my brows.

Whitney wore white too.

They liked their girls in white.

My throat tightened.

"What’s in that drug?" My voice came out hoarse, still raw. "What did you put in the water?"

He grinned, like I’d asked about skincare. "A rejuvenating serum, sister. The only downside is the pain."

Then his eyes gleamed. "Do you know how snakes shed their skin?"

My stomach clenched.

I looked back at the rocks below and felt sick all over again.

He stepped closer, standing beside me like we were friends watching the ocean. The sunlight outlined him, making him look almost holy.

"I saved the skin you shed last night," he said, pride dripping from his voice. "Sister."

"Ugh."

It hit me harder than the snakes did.

Skin doesn’t shed like that.

Not like a coat you can peel off and keep.

My mind tried to make it make sense like exfoliating, dead cells, something normal.

But the way he said it... the way he enjoyed it...

It wasn’t normal.

His fingers touched my cheek lightly. "You look even cleaner than before, Elena."

A cold shiver slid down my spine.

You could never predict him.

One second he was smiling.

The next, he could turn.

He noticed my trembling and softened his voice. "Elena, are you scared of me?"

I didn’t answer.

Because yes.

Anyone would be.

He leaned in slightly, almost gentle. "Don’t worry. As long as you behave and don’t try to escape, I’ll treat you well."

As if I was a pet.

A few snakes slipped out from between the rocks nearby. My body jerked back without thinking.

Yael didn’t even look bothered. "There are many vipers here."

He handed me a spray bottle. "Spray this on yourself every day. Snakes, bugs, rats... they won’t bother you."

My fingers wrapped around it, stiff and slow.

"Are we the only ones on this island?" I asked.

His smile didn’t move. "If you’re testing me, I won’t answer."

I forced myself to sound calm. "The bedding smells musty. If we’re staying long, we’ll need supplies. New sheets. Food. Water. It’ll be... awkward with just the two of us."

He nodded like I’d asked for towels. "Don’t worry. Someone will bring supplies. I’ll take care of your room soon."

Then he held out his hand.

"Elena," he said, voice almost bright again. "The sunrise is beautiful. I want to show you something on the island."

I didn’t trust him.

But I needed time. I needed information. I needed a way back to Lewis.

So I pretended.

I stepped forward and gave him a small, obedient smile that didn’t reach my eyes. "Let’s go."

His gaze hardened instantly.

He didn’t like that.

Like my agreement wasn’t pure enough for him.

In a flash, his fingers closed around my hand, grip tight and possessive.

"Elena," he said quietly, "my patience is limited."

A warning.

My mouth went dry.

I wanted to pull away, but the memory of his calm threat in the washroom rushed back like ice water.

So I followed.

I had to survive.

I had to go back to Lewis.

Yael led me up a small hill.

The air was filled with hissing.

Everywhere I looked, there were snakes bright patterns, glossy scales, bodies sliding through grass and rocks like the island itself was alive.

My whole body stayed tense, every nerve stretched.

A few snakes, I could handle.

This?

This felt like walking through a nightmare and pretending you weren’t afraid.

I kept repeating in my mind, stupid and desperate, like it could make it less real.

Snake stew. Raw snake stew.

Snake stew.

"What would you like to eat later, Elena?" Yael asked casually.

Without thinking, the words jumped out.

"Snake stew."

Even I froze after I said it.

I didn’t eat snakes.

I didn’t even like looking at them.

But fear makes you say strange things.

Yael laughed like I’d made a cute joke. "Alright. We’ll have snake stew."

He stopped walking.

"Elena," he said. "We’re here."

The sun had already climbed higher. The sunrise was long gone.

I looked around as he stepped aside.

He hadn’t brought me here for the view.

He brought me here for something else.

In front of me, dark tombstones stood in rows.

A graveyard.

On an island full of snakes.

My throat tightened until it hurt.

And in that moment, I understood one simple thing

This place wasn’t just a hiding spot.

It was a warning.