Bound in Silence

Chapter 7: Familiar Hands

Lillia

This is officially the worst day of my life, and I have had some pretty awful days.

He clawed me, and ripped my sweater, the one Rimi gave me.

So I ran. I can only hope he’s angry enough to not come after me. He’s ruined my day enough already, crushing my birthday can.

There are currently 22 cans in my backpack, and today I needed to add the 23rd.

I started the yearly ritual when I was 5. At first I would dump the cans in the sink, but I started drinking them around age 12. Only for the sake that it felt wasteful. It took a long time for beer to not taste nasty anymore.

It was a way for me to keep track of my age, but more so a simple way for me to feel like I had a new possession each birthday. Something my mother didn’t care enough about to take away.

Cassian took it away.

So I ran, and I’m still running. I have no idea which way to go, but I’m hoping that if I can find my way back to that mall, I could find Rimi, and beg her to take me in.

I don’t get far, because of course he’s not going to let me run away.

He looks even angrier than before, and I’m reminded of the punishment I’d received from my mother when I had tried to leave the club.

Would he do the same to me now?

I stand still. Knowing I’m no match to outrun him, and I prepare for the blow.

It doesn’t come, and I crack an eye open. Instead of wrath, his expression is more concerned.

Blood is still dripping from my arm, though it’s easy for me to ignore. He gently pushes my sleeve up to look at the slices.

“Come back inside, Lillia, we should clean this.”

I’m so astonished that his anger has faded, I let him lead me back in. But I still haven't forgotten what he did to my birthday can.

He finds a first aid kit in one of the kitchen drawers, sits me down on the counter barstool, and starts tending to the wounds.

He clicks his tongue. “Why do you heal so slowly?”

Then one of his friends busts into the kitchen, almost equally as tall and muscular as Cassian, but maybe an inch shorter. He has black hair, and laughs at everything, as if you’re his personal form of entertainment.

“There you are, Cassian, what’s taking you so long?” The friend questions.

I know exactly who this man is.

“I’ll be back in a minute, Lincoln.” Cassian replies without looking up from the bandage he’s wrapping.

Lincoln’s eyes land on me, knowingly. “Who’s this?”

Cassian’s reply comes quickly. “She’s just a new pack member.”

My heart sinks.

Lincoln rounds the counter, coming closer. “Oh yeah? Where's she from?” He’s smiling, and his eyes don’t look away from me.

Cassian is oblivious. “I don’t know, she just needed refuge, and I let her in.”

“You mind if I borrow her for a bit?”

Cassian looks up from tending to my wound immediately. “Borrow her for what!?” He snaps.

Lincoln gets defensive, “Woah, chill, I just want to talk to her.”

Lincoln came often and paid my mother extremely well. Though he was one of the kindest to me, I wasn’t expecting to ever see him again after coming home with Cassian.

“She doesn’t talk,” Cassian deflects.

Lincoln watches Cassian skeptically. He must be thinking that he should know where I came from, but Cassian never knew about the option of purchasing time with me. My mother expected that he would ask too many questions and shut her down if she offered it to him. Lincoln, on the other hand, had specifically asked if she had those types of services. Then I soon became his favorite pastime.

Lincoln laughs suddenly, causing Cassian to shoot him a glare.

“You have to be kidding, right?” Lincoln muses.

“What?”

“I’m not stupid, Cassian, that club sits on our shared border.” Lincoln snickers, “I thought you didn’t like taking the entertainment home with you.”

Cassian jumps up, and grabs Lincoln by the neck. “She wasn’t a part of the entertainment.” He growls.

Lincoln puts his hands up to the side, obviously not wanting to get into a fight right now. “Dude, what is your problem?”

Cassian releases him and steps away, he inhales, and storms out the door.

Now, I’m alone in the kitchen with Lincoln.

“Damn, he needs to chill out.”

Lincoln steps closer to me, and I watch him warily, wondering what he has in mind.

“Did Cassian take you from the club, kitten?”

I nod. He always asks yes or no questions, and he always calls me ‘kitten’.

“He wanted you all to himself? Is that why?”

I nod, because, technically yes, but I wish I could explain it further.

“Hmm, that’s not fair, is it?”

I don’t respond, I can tell when Lincoln’s questions are rhetorical.

Before he can ask more questions, the other visiting Alpha comes in through the door from the dining room. Thankfully, I’ve never seen him before.

“What’s taking you guys so long?” He asks, then his eyes scan the room, inspecting me, and looking for Cassian.

“Sorry Dante, I think Cassian ditched us.” Lincoln replies.

Dante huffs in annoyance. “That’s not like him.”

Lincoln moves to stand behind my back, and starts playing with my hair, and brushing his fingers across my shoulders. I tense slightly— not because I’m scared of him, but because something primal in me is telling me that this is not my mate.

“It’s alright, he left us with someone to keep us busy.”

Dante laughs, “I’m good on that, Linc, my mate wouldn’t be so happy if I joined in, but you have fun. Khet already left, so I’m gonna go home.”

With that, he leaves, and I’m alone with Lincoln again, and now it’s clear what he wants.

I’ve gotten used to accepting this fate, and Cassian must be fine with it, if he left me here with him?

Lincoln spins my barstool around so that I’m now facing him, “You know I’ve missed you, kitten, I’m surprised to find you here, but I’m glad I did.”

I nod. He likes it when I agree with him.

He glances at my arm, the one Cassian just left claw marks in.

“Tsk, was Cassian unhappy with you?”

I look down and to the side, keeping my gaze on the floor below.

“He’s certainly on his high horse, isn’t he? Thinking he can take you from your mom and have you all to himself?”

I shake my head, because if there’s one thing I do like about Cassian, it’s that he took me away from my mom.

My response causes Lincoln to c**k his head, and narrow his eyes at me, but he doesn’t get frustrated like Cassian would have, because he already understands I’m incapable of explaining further.

“Well, I’ll stop asking so many questions.” He smiles, then picks me up and places me on the kitchen counter, and stands between my legs.

He pulls my sweater up and over my head, exposing my bare chest.

His thumb brushes lightly across my n****e, and he watches me for a few moments while I sit still. He’s always taken his sweet time. My mother loved that, because it meant he was paying extra.

He trails his fingers down my waist, and undoes the button on my shorts.

But before he can finish undressing me completely,

Cassian comes back in.