Wolfsbane and Wallflowers

Click

Flynn exited the car as if I was just going to happily follow him into the murder cabin. How could someone be so confident? I wasn’t getting out of the car. As soon as his door shut, I pressed the lock button on my door. All four doors amusingly clicked as they locked. Did I know he had the keys? Yes. Did that stop me? No, because I had an infinite amount of stubbornness on my side.. and a healthy dose of brattiness.

He clicked the unlock button on the key fob. I clicked the button on my door. I could play this game all day long.

Click..click.

He was trying so hard to be patient, but you could see that patience wearing down on his face and in his body language.

Click…click.

You know that little, half smile Hermione got when she did something or figured out something especially clever? That was the smile on my lips as Flynn sighed in frustration.

Click…click.

I knew how infuriating this exact situation could be. I’d been in Flynn’s shoes. Except, it was a giggling six year old locking the doors in the grocery store parking lot. There is a reason I don’t babysit anymore.

Click..click.

I almost felt bad, until I remembered the murder cabin. Man, was he getting frustrated.

Click…click.

Boom.

His palm came down on the hood of the car and he roared in exasperation. “Lena, come on. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Isn’t that what they all say? I just defiantly shook my head no. The gesture sent a jabbing pain through my arm and neck. Sometimes, I really wish my brain was wired differently and I remembered things that should be remembered… like injuries. If I twist my ankle, you can bet within ten minutes, I am going to step on it like it is perfectly fine and send waves of pain through my body. How exactly does one forget they are injured?

Click…click.

We are still playing this game.

“Lena, unlock the door.” Flynn’s voice cut through the air and my finger pressed unlock like it had a mind of its own. I was less than thrilled and slightly confused. There was no part of my mind that made the choice to unlock the door, and yet I did.

“Get out of the car and follow me into the house.” Another command and my body had already started to react. I tried to fight it, willing my limbs to stop, begging my finger to lock the door. “I wouldn’t have had to do that if you were being reasonable.”

I got out of the car filled with fury. Each step I took towards the house made me angrier. “What the hell did you do to me?”

“It is an alpha command, whether you like it or not, you are a part of my pack. If I issue a command, you have to follow it.” Flynn’s explanation wasn’t the easiest to digest. If my body hadn’t been moving on its own accord and against my wishes, I would have dismissed it all together. However, it is pretty hard to ignore something you are actively being subject to.

What the f**k was this s**t? Just because he commanded me to do something, my body was going to do it. Stop. Just stop moving. My legs did not listen, they did not even seem to react to the pain from my thigh. Could he really command me despite injuries? If I lost a leg, would my body still obey? Are his commands like genie wishes? If I am technically following them, is there room for interpretation? If I was following him into the house, was there room for me to do other things as well?

I glanced around and noticed a small flowerpot whose contents had dried up long before sitting on the rail that wrapped around the porch. It would be just in arm’s reach at the top of the three steps. My feet carried me up the steps in agony. A little bit of moisture rimmed my eyes in response to the pain. I snatched the pot and threw it at the back of Flynn’s head.

Did I intend to throw it at his head, not particularly? But, I was furious and it just happened without too much thought. I did learn the valuable lesson that his commands were more flexible in nature. Just like I thought, genie wishes. Flynn also learned a valuable lesson. Don’t piss me off.

“What the hell?” He shot the dirtiest look over his shoulder at me.

“Screw you!” I would like to see how he felt if someone stripped away his free will.

“You know, I am just trying to talk to you and explain what is going on. I didn’t do this to you and I’m only trying to help make your transition easy. I don’t want you to do anything you regret.” He sounded genuine but that was the problem with men. They just didn’t understand the chronic fear most women operated under. There was a disconnect between the genders. A man just couldn’t understand how terrifying it could be. They don’t have to check around their car at night in a parking lot or always be on high alert to the attention people are paying for them. Men don’t have to constantly appraise situations for any possible threats to their well being. Yeah, most of the time, women are safe… but that one time they are in a dangerous situation and don’t notice it, that is all it takes.

“You might have the best intentions in the world Flynn, but you kidn*pped me and dragged me out into the woods to some murder cabin!” I had finally found my voice and it was loud and aggressive.

“Would you have listened if I didn’t?” He was probably right about that considering everything was spiraling out of control and so crazy and I still didn’t believe him.

“That doesn’t matter. I am allowed to be irrational and angry about the situation! I was hit by a car. My whole body hurts and now I have to hear about being a werewolf and I get to experience the lovely feeling of having my free will stripped just because you feel like it. That is terrifying. You do realize that, right?” Everything was exploding out of me in venomous words.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Moron, seriously. Flynn did sound remorseful but it didn’t quell the storm.

“Oh, you didn’t mean to.” I rolled my eyes, emphasizing the mocking tone in my voice. “So I should just accept it and forgive you because you are too ignorant to know any better?”

Nothing in my 23 years of existence could have prepared me for what this i***t did next. He spun on his heels and slid his fingers into my hair, smashing his lips against mine. Yes, they were soft and melted against mine in a delicious warmth that washed over me. A small fire may have been lit which only made me angrier. I wasn’t sure if I was enraged by his advances or the fact that part of me enjoyed them. Did he think he was Matthew McConaughey and a passionate embrace would cause me to forget what I was feeling?

I balled my fist up and pulled back, making contact with his eye socket. I then yelped in pain because I forgot about my shoulder. It’s funny how ADHD can momentarily cause you to forget something like pain if you are focused on something else. At least, until you do something to remind yourself about it. Worth it. He rubbed his cheek with that wounded puppy dog look in his eyes. We had stopped just outside the door. Apparently, if he stopped walking the follow me command also caused me to stop. “Damn it, Lena. I’m trying my best here.”

“Does consent even exist in your alpha dominated society?” I was gonna stand my ground.

“That’s not fair, you don’t know anything about my pack, you haven’t given me a chance to explain.” He did have a point but that didn’t mean he was right.

“Fine, we can go inside to the scary cabin in the woods and you can explain things to me. However, if you ever force me to follow one of your commands again. I will murder you.” I didn’t exactly know how to kill a werewolf, not that I really accepted that explanation, but I fully believed with enough determination, I could achieve whatever I set my mind to. Death seemed extreme, but the idea that one person could just command others and their freewill was null and void was far too dangerous and there were an infinite possibilities into how badly that could turn out. “I don’t care how many tries it takes. I will kill you or die trying.”