Slave to Free

Chapter 2

I gasped and struggled to get air in my lungs again. I heard the tearing of clothes and the growls and yelps of a fight. I forced myself to my feet and ran for my room. The only safe place I had in this house. I gulped down air, trying to get my heart to calm down. I slowly walked over to my small mirror. My face was bruising from my mother and Bruce's slaps. I sighed and turned away. I sunk down onto my small mattress. I could still hear the fight going in the kitchen. This was bad. Why did I have to be done with the gardens when he was outside.. Mother was going to punish me for sure now.. 

My door opened. I looked over and saw my father standing in the door way. Oh no... "You have caused us enough trouble." He growled at me. "First shifting in the school, now having the Prince fight for you? How dare you run away and hide while His Highness gets hurt!" Father strode across my room in two strides. I shrank back, but not fast enough. He grabbed me by the throat and held me against the wall. I couldn't feel the ground. I couldn't breath. "I'll make sure you don't cause anymore trouble for anyone ever again." He squeezed my throat. I felt something pop. I tried to cry out, but it wouldn't come out passed father's hand. 

The darkness was closing in on me fast. I heard someone coming up the stairs. It was Mother. She stood in the doorway with her hands balled into fists. "My turn." She growled. Father let go and I dropped to the floor. I gasped for air. Mother stood over me now. I began to tremble. My room was no longer safe. Mothers foot connected with my stomach. Tears filled my eyes. I was struggling to catch my breath when her foot connected with my throat. I felt a second pop. The darkness was still taking over me when her foot connected with my temple. Everything got very blurry after that. I couldn't move. I could barely breath. 

Someone.... help me... I couldn't feel Demeter anymore. She was hiding.  A harsh growl vibrated the floor. I couldn't quite tell, but I think it was King Ty in his wolf form standing at my door. The darkness kept coming. Father growled and stomped on my head. The darkness took over completely.

I felt like I was drifting.. No.. I think I was being carried. I could feel warmth around me in this darkness. I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't smell anything either. At some point, I could hear beeping, but it would get very quiet. I think I was waking up, but slipped and went back into the darkness. I couldn't tell what time it was. I didn't know what day it was. Day or night, I didn't know. All I knew was that I was floating in the darkness unable to do anything. "Ure she will be---" What was that? I concentrated on trying to hear. "Doctor, I need you--- the best." I slipped back into darkness again. I floated for what felt like years. I felt like I wasn't going to wake up again. No, I had to wake up. Mother and Father were going to be mad if I didn't get my work done on time. 

I heard the beeping again. It kept getting louder and louder. I slowly opened my eyes. It was dark outside. How long was I asleep? I looked around slowly. The room I was in was huge. Two sofas, a comfy looking chair, a coffee table and they were by a huge window. I slowly sat up. "Where am I?" I thought. I opened my link to Demeter. "Demeter, are you awake?" There was nothing from her. I was alone. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood up. Pain shot through my stomach. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself to walk. I didn't go to the window, I walked right to the door. Something pulled on my arm. I looked at my  arm and saw an IV, I pulled it out and pulled the sticky things on my chest off. An alarm went off on the heart monitor. I jumped and pushed all sorts of buttons to turn is off. The door opened and I turned around. I was already trembling. 

"You are awake. How do you feel?" A woman in a white coat asked me. Her smile was friendly, but I couldn't be here. Mother and Father were going to be very mad if they found out that I caused more trouble. The woman took another step toward me. I took a step back, and tripped over the IV tube, landing hard on the floor. I cried out, but it only came out as a very weak squeak. "Oh Darling.. Please be careful.. I swear I'm not going to hurt you." My heart was pounding again. My breathing was erratic. I was shaking so much that my teeth were chattering. She came closer and reached her hands out to me. I scurried back until I hit the wall. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. I was so afraid. "It's okay Sweetheart. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." She reached for me again. I held up my arms to block my head. My bladder gave. The woman stopped moving and looked at the floor. I did too. A large puddle was forming under me. More tears came. I couldn't stop them. I was causing so much trouble.. 

The door opened again and there stood Jacin. He was looking at me and the woman crouched in front of me. His eyes went to the floor under me. I saw his cheeks turn slightly pink before he cleared his throat and stepped into the room so he could close the door. "Are you feeling okay, Leto?" 

I shook my head and pointed at the woman. He furrowed his brow. He couldn't understand me. My eyes burned with a new wave of tears. It looked like he felt bad that he couldn't understand me. He pulled pout his phone and walked over to me, handing it to me. I shrank back away from him. "It's okay. I want to know what's wrong. Use my phone to type it to me." 

I snatched the phone from his hand and typed out my message. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" I threw the phone back at him. He caught it and he looked hurt again. 

"Who do you want to help you?" He handed me back his phone. 

I snatched it again and typed another message. "LEAVE ME THE f**k ALONE!" I hesitated for a second but typed a but more. "Causing trouble gets Master and Mistress angry. Please, leave me alone." I threw it back at Jacin. He read the message. I saw his eyes go dark. My fear spiked at the sight and I ran. 

I ran through the halls. I realized now that I was in a hospital. I kept running until my bare feet hit the cement of outside. I looked left and right before running to my left. It was darker that way and smelled worse. They wouldn't be able to find me. When I felt like I was far enough away, I hid behind a dumpster and opened my link to Demeter again. "Please Demeter, I need you." I felt something then nothing. 

"Leto." Demeter called out. She sounded so scared and disoriented.

"Demeter, please, let me shift."

"I can try." I closed my eyes and felt the shift. It has been so long since my first shift. I wasn't allowed to shift after that. It hurt like hell. I wanted to cry out, but I couldn't make anything more than a measly squeak. I laid there panting for a moment when I heard something. It sounded like claws clicking against the pavement. I whimpered and took off. My black and gold fur wasn't good for hiding, but I was fast. 

I risked a look behind me. I was right. There was a dark gray wolf running after me. I whimpered again and put on speed. Father's wolf form was dark gray except for his solid black tail. I couldn't see this wolf's tail. I ran straight to the forest. There had to be somewhere I could hide in this forest. 

I found a small hole at the base of a tree. I dove into it and kept my eyes open. The forest was too dark to see much. Dark colors are hard to see here. I heard a rustling not far away. I pushed myself as far back as I could. I was trembling again. I hate being so damn scared all the time.. The rustling came closer. My tail tucked between my legs. The dark gray wolf popped its head in. I growled and it whimpered inching closer. I flared my teeth at it, but it kept coming closer. I growled again, warning them to stay away. "Leto." Demeter's weak voice spoke. "Mate." Again she fell silent. There was something wrong with her. 

The wolf, who I knew now was actually Jacin, inched closer. He was halfway into the hole now. I snarled at him, but he wouldn't stay away. He kept getting closer. I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened then, he was right in front of me. out snouts almost touching. I felt panic rising into my chest. I yelped and snapped my jaws at him. I had no intention on actually biting him, but I did. I could taste his blood. He yelped and jumped back, taking that second, I ran again. I ran until I couldn't run any longer. My legs were burning. I was panting heavily. I fell over. My eye were so heavy. I closed them for just a moment.  

I opened my eyes slowly to the rising sun. I looked around. I was still in my wolf form, but I wasn't alone. Jacin was laying a few feet away, watching me. My ears went flat and I stood up, my tail tucking between my legs. He stood and shifted. He watched me with worried eyes. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander over his naked form. His chest, his stomach. My eyes wandered down a little farther down. My eyes widened. I had no clue that a male could be that big. He wasn't even hard either! I gulped and forced my eyes back to his face. "May I come closer?" I looked around quickly to see if I could get away, but I was in a clearing. I couldn't hide anywhere. "I'm going to take two steps forward." He did as he said and took two steps and stopped. 

He stood there for a few minutes. I was shaking, but I took one step forward. Jacin smiled slightly. "Two more." Again, he took two steps and stopped. I wasn't shaking as much anymore, so I took a few steps forward. Jacin blinked a couple times at my brazen move, but I think he noticed that I was shaking. He was no more than five steps away from me. "I'm going to take three steps. If that's too mush at once, take a step back." He took his steps. I felt my fear rising again. I went to step back but a twig snapped behind me making me jump and cower behind Jacin's let. I smelled him before I saw him. Darrian. 

"Leto." Darrian had opened him link to me. 

"Darrian.. W-what are you doing?"

"Help me.. Please Leto." He sounded like he was hurt. I whimpered and slowly walked closer. I sniffed the air, I could smell blood. I stepped through a patch of tall grass and saw Darrian laying in his wolf form bleeding out. His breath was labored. I whimpered and shifted back to human form. "H-Help!" My voice was a harsh whisper, but Jacin heard me. He came through the grass. 

"What the f**k?" He knelt down next to Darrian, checking how bad his wounds were. "These are bad.." He looked at me. "I don't think he will make it back to the hospital." 

I growled and shifted. I tried to get Darrian onto my back, but I ended up getting help from Jacin. I took off back to the hospital. I know he is my biggest tormentor, but he doesn't deserve to die like that. He only ever picked on me, so, I'll make him  deal when he's all better. 

Jacin had shifted and was given some clothes to wear, but I remained in my wolf form. It still hurt to shift. "I have no idea what you are thinking, but I do hope you know that I do not trust him." I glared at him. I knew what I was thinking and I had a plan.

"He's right. What are you thinking? You know who he is and what he's done to us." Demeter sounded angry.

"I know what I'm doing. I have a plan." I huffed.

"And what's that? Let him kill us when he recovers?" She growled at me. 

"No. I plan on making a deal with him. He works for us for a year or I kill him myself."

She growled again and closed the link. She was pissed. "Leto, please tell me something. I want to know what is going to happen." I looked at him then shifted back to my human form. I watched his eyes travel over my body. His cheeks went pink. He pulled off his shirt and handed it to me. I hesitated for a second before I took it. Our fingers brushed together. I gasped at the tiny sparks that exploded across my skin. He blushed a bit darker. "That's normal for fated mates. At least, that's what my father told me would happen." 

I felt heat rising in my cheeks. I was beginning to blush like he already was. "Do you uhh.. Do you accept me as your mate?" He was a brighter shade of pink now and it reached his ears. I slipped his shirt over my head. It was way too big for me. The hem of the shirt landed mid thigh. He wasn't a big guy, but he was tall and had muscles, where as I, small and too skinny for my own good. 

I took a breath to calm myself and went to give him an answer, but the doctor came out. "Alright, I have good news and bad news. What do you want to hear first?" The doctor was looking right at me. I opened my mouth to answer, but all I could get out was a squeak. 

"Let's hear the bad news first." Jacin spoke up.

"Well, his injuries were too severe. He will not make it." I whimpered. "The good news, is that he will not be in pain when he passes and, he is a wake. Would you like to see him?" I nodded. The doctor led me to his room and I pushed the door open. 

Darrian was laying on the bed, blood already seeping through the bandages. I opened my link to him. "Darrian?" 

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "Leto. Come here." I stepped closer. Darrian took my hand gently. I flinched at the touch. He was gentle. Something that never happened. Something I was not used to. "I'm so sorry, Leto. For what I've done to you. How I treated you. I know I will never have your forgiveness, and that's okay. I don't deserve it." I knew he was speaking out loud for Jacin. My eyes burned. I blink to keep the tears away. "I know I'm going to die here."

"Shut up." I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. Sadness crossed his eyes and he touched my cheek. I flinched at his touch again. Gentle was still something I never knew. I don't think I'll ever get used to it either.

"My sweet and gentle Spring. I wanted you as my mate. I told your father so many times that I loved you, but he never allowed it. An Alpha's rule is absolute. I had no choice but to treat you the way I did." A faint smile pulled on his lips. "I want to give you something. Something I know you like. I know you took extra time to put my fur back to the way I like it. I made sure to keep my fur extra soft, just for you." Tears rolled down my cheeks and Darrian used his thumb to wipe them away. "I love you, my sweet Spring." He smiled and began to shift. I heard the snap of his bones and reform themselves. Soon enough, Darrian's wolf form was laying in front of me. "I will always watch over you after I die."

"You stupid idiot." I ran my fingers through his fur. His breathing became labored again. Sobs ripped through me as  I felt his breathing become slow then all together stop. He was gone. My body shook as the sobs rippled through me. Jacin placed his hand gently on my back as I buried my face in Darrian's fur. 

"Come, let's go home. I'll have him sent back to his pack for burial." I let Jacin pull me away for Darrian's body. I know he was never gentle like that to me. I know that he had no choice because of my mother and father, but I still don't think that he deserved to die like that. I don't know what happened and I doubt I'll ever know. Same as no one knows what happens at the river. No one will ever know. "You'll be alright, Leto. I have you. I promise to keep you safe and give you anything you want." 

I reached my link out to Darrian again, but there was nothing. He was completely gone. I took one more look at him. He looked like he was sleeping. I stopped at the door. Jacin looked at me, but I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at Darrian. I walked back to his body. "Leto?" Jacin sounded worried that I was going to do something stupid. It may have looked like it, but I wasn't. I grabbed a pair of bandage scissors. "Leto, what are you doing?" I ignored him and took  a handful of Darrian's fur, cutting it away. I turned back to Jacin who had a confused look on his face. 

I tired to speak again, but I still could only make a squeak. He pulled out his phone and handed it to me. "This way he can find me and protect me like he should have while he was alive." Jacin smile slightly and nodded.