Alisson's Escape

An Introduction To Pain.

Kicking her mother out was a necessary evil that involved a lot of huffing and complaining. Seeing that she was finally alone, she took the time to explore the house.

The sitting room was a spacious area with the familiar theme of white, gold and black. The upholstery and furniture were various shades of gold and brown, with the occasional mix of black. The house consisted of three bedrooms; the one her things were kept in being the largest from her observations, a large kitchen with a sparkling granite counter that took up most of the space in the centre, and an office/study that she did not dare explore and the dining area that was connected to the kitchen.

The dining area left more of a lasting impression on her than the other rooms. It had a beautiful oval table with four chairs placed at each point, she could see carvings of baby angels along the edge of it and could not stop herself from feeling excited about eating on it. It was well-lit and airy with the occasional fluttering of the lilac curtains positioned at the only window in the room.

It seemed to be the only room in the house that deviated from the normal colour scheme as it was coloured in different shades of purple and light pink. It had a soft feel to it that made one feel like they were floating through a cloud of bright, happy colours. The room was soft and colourful; but not imposingly so.

Against one of the walls was a cabinet that solidified the room as Alisson's favourite. It was a vintage, brown oak cabinet that had the same intricate detail on the table etched along its edges. It had a glass door that gave a view of the fine china and delicate ceramic figurines inside. There were so many of them and they all looked so wonderful. Alisson had never seen anything like them before, which was why she did not think twice about opening the case and picking up the statue of a maid in a bonnet with gentle fingers while holding her breath. She felt like breathing too hard would somehow shatter them.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Came the sudden question.

She turned towards the voice, nearly dropping the figurine but managed to catch it right before it hit the ground. She straightened up from her crouched position and glanced at her mate whose eyes were glowing.

He did not seem very happy.

She forced a smile on her face and shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Hi," she said quietly hoping he would calm down because it was making her feel threatened.

"I ask again, what do you think you are doing?" His eyebrows seemed to meet at the centre of his forehead from how hard he was frowning and if they were human she was sure he was on his way to developing serious wrinkles.

She timidly stuck it back into its place and responded, "I was just observing it."

She watched as he flexed a couple of times and took deep breaths while staring directly at her. This was not how Alisson planned their meeting in her head and she berated herself, silently for even touching it.

Henry walked towards her with slow calculated steps that made her feel like he had practised doing it to look menacing. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he placed his hands on her shoulder in a gentle yet firm hold

He began in a soft tone as if she were a skittish animal that would take off in a sprint at the slightest movement, "This is your home just as much as it is mine, but we have to learn to respect each other's privacy, that means you do not touch what doesn't belong to you." He stopped and gave her a look that made her scramble to respond, "of course, I'm sorry for assuming I could just touch it. I promise....."

He suddenly looked irritated. "Stop! You talk too much." He took his hands off her shoulders and wiped them on his jeans, her heart lurched at the action and she had a pained expression. "A simple 'I am sorry, I won't do it again' would be enough. Learn to think before you speak, that way you don't annoy people anytime you open your mouth."

Alisson was shocked and ashamed, this wasn't fair, she was trying her hardest to make this work and he didn't even care. She hoped her mate wasn't always like this; finding fault in everything she did or said.

He noticed the look on her face and scoffed, "what? It isn't my fault you were not taught common sense or manners."

"I was taught those things! Unlike you who thinks it's alright to be a mean and bitter person!" She gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth but it was already too late, what did she just do? Something stupid, from the look of outrage on Henry's face.

Allison could barely get out an apology before Henry pounced.

Whenever she remembered this day it always made the phantom ache on her spine flare up. Growing up, she had broken bones from playing with the other pups, which was normal for the average werewolf who was blessed with many things, two of which were strength and self-healing, so a broken bone wasn't something to shout about. Pups broke their bones all the time and activated their healing power almost immediately, so in a few hours and a bit of sniffling from the pain, it was as good as new.

It was a surprise for her to find out that certain bones heal slower and more painfully than others. For example, compared to the leg bone the spine was far more complex and sensitive, it did all sorts of important things and other medical jargon she could not wrap her head around.

When Henry slammed her body repeatedly into the ground, she was overcome with what she called an 'out-of-body experience'. She could feel the blinding pain and hear herself screaming, but she could also feel nothing. It felt like she was an observer, hovering over the chaos of all that was happening.

It was a peculiar experience, she watched as he continued pummeling her unconscious body, and looked on as his parents alongside the present Beta and head of pack warriors rushed in and tried to calm him down.

It was amusing seeing three grown werewolves struggle to contain a young wolf half their age. She glanced at her bloodied body and noticed the look on Penelope's face, she looked disappointed, like she had expected this to happen but hoped it would not.

Alisson was suddenly filled with resentment towards her, she knew this would happen and she did not even try to warn her. Yet here she was staring at the work of her son's hands like Alisson was the one she should be ashamed of. She was disgusted by them all and let herself get sucked into the darkness calling her. She would sort out this mess when she woke up.

Alisson found herself in the pack clinic and was informed she had been unconscious for two days. Her parents came to visit her first, though it wasn't to comfort her. Her mother asked her what had happened, with her father standing in solemn meekness in the background. Her mother was dressed to please and covered in expensive jewellery she knew they couldn't afford. As she explained the matter to them she often found herself getting distracted by the pendant of her mother's pearl necklace, it was a pretty silver flower covered in tiny jewels.

When her mother and father (who had finally found his voice) started reprimanding her, she realised she was numb. Not just her feelings but from her waist down. She felt fear wash over her, this couldn't be happening, she can't lose her legs. She called out frantically for the doctor and ignored her parent's indignant squawking, they could feed their complaints to the dogs.

She was told her spine was broken in the scuffle and some medical jargon that equated to her losing the function of her legs temporarily. Apparently, if she was human she would either be dead or paralyzed for the rest of her life.

She felt the first burst of emotion since she woke up, relief. It was that relief that helped her take on everything that happened next. The alpha family visited while her parents were expressing their disappointment in her 'recklessness'. The Luna came in with her radiant elegance and hypocrisy and showered them with apologies. Her parents ate it up and waved it off as 'marital squabbles' like they were the ones on the hospital bed, temporarily paralyzed.

Henry was brought in and they were left alone to make amends with each other. Alisson felt her second burst of emotion which was amusement when Henry got down on his knees and burst into tears. She had to stop herself from bursting out in laughter and letting her joyful scent reach him. Who knows what he would do this time if he gets upset with her, maybe shatter her skull?

Everyone agreed it was a terrible incident they all had to move on from and that was the end of it. For them.

It happened again and again. He marked her, he mated her and it continued happening. Her life felt like she was running through a forest filled with bear traps, she was always on guard and ready for the unexpected pain. Henry did not make her predicament any easier, he was quick to anger and slow to forgive.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost seven. The chattering group of women were a warm welcome, they helped keep her sane in their small but meaningful ways. Like her, they were slaves to their mates, the only difference being that they were willing and she was not.

She glanced at the leaf pattern on the wall and slowly traced it as the water boiled. Another day in hell.