Bound in Silence

Chapter 2: Regrettable Decisions

Now that her mom is gone, she’s back to the opposite side of the couch, away from me.

We sit in silence for a while, and she watches me while I think.

Maybe I can keep her, but find a respected mateless woman to act as my mate for appearances? Or I can just pretend I never found my mate.

I look at her, finally joining in on her staring contest. She’s small, but beautiful. If I had to guess, she’s probably in her early 20s, with long brown hair, and those big brown eyes that make me feel like she knows all of my secrets.

It’s getting late, almost 2am, and the club is about to close. I have to make a decision.

“Alright, let’s go.” I say, getting up.

She looks confused again, and doesn’t move right away.

“I know you can understand me, I said let’s go.” I repeat.

She slowly gets off the couch, I open the door and wait for her to go through. She’s so infuriating, I wish she would just do as I say, and do it faster.

I hold out my hand for her to take, and she doesn’t fight me on it this time, thankfully.

The club is beginning to clear out, it’s much less crowded, and there’s only a few strippers left that are still entertaining.

But when I pull her toward the main entrance she pulls back. Not trying to slip out of my grip, but trying to tow me toward the back of the club.

“What? The exit is this way.” I say.

She pulls on me again, and points to the back.

It doesn’t seem like she's trying to run away, so I let her take me where she wants to go.

She leads us to a back room with a small mat on the floor, and a thin blanket, where she grabs a yellow backpack.

“I see. Are you ready to go now?”

She shakes her head, and pulls me back out to the main floor of the club. She immediately knows where to find Rimi, and tows me along.

Rimi’s concerned look changes to a smile when she sees that Lillia is the one pulling me this time.

“So he’s your mate, then?” She asks.

Lillia nods, and gives Rimi a big hug.

Rimi hugs back, and a single tear falls onto her cheek. “Be good, and be strong.” She whispers.

With that, Lillia finally follows me to the exit, where we wait outside for one of my guards to get the car. It’s awkward, standing there, holding her hand quietly, but I have no idea what to say to her.

My black SUV finally comes around and I open the door for her. She willingly gets in, though she looks scared.

“Put your seatbelt on.” I say from outside the car door.

She doesn’t move.

“Seriously? Are you deaf too?” I grab her seatbelt and reach over her, buckling it for her, then I go around to the front passenger seat.

“Home,” I tell the driver.

After about five minutes of driving, I realize I hear heavy breathing from the back seat. I look back and she’s clutching the seatbelt and her eyes are darting around nervously.

She’s acting like she’s never been in a car before. Or is she just nervous about going home with me?

“Pull over,” I say to the driver.

I get out and move to the back seat with her. She looks at me curiously, but lets me take her hand.

When the driver starts moving again, she grips my hand ridiculously tight, and grabs my arm with her other hand.

Yep. Never been in a car before. Fate is laughing in my face about the mate I was given.

I’m 31 years old, I’ve waited longer than anyone to finally have a mate, and this is what I get?

We make it home, and she has no idea how to unclick her seatbelt. I slap my palm on my forehead and take a huge breath.

After helping her with it, I grab her little backpack for her and lead her into the house.

My house is relatively small compared to what the other pack’s Alpha’s have. It’s only 2 stories, and the only other people that live here are the ones who hold jobs in the house, like the maids and cooks. I like it that way, it’s more quiet.

She seems impressed anyway, her mouth gaping while she looks around. I bring her upstairs to a guest bedroom that’s across the hall from mine.

She walks in, and sits on the bed, seeming unsure of what to do next.

“You should change out of your crusty sweater. Do you have clothes in here?” I zip open her backpack.

There’s no clothes.

Just a backpack full of empty beer cans.

That's what she desperately couldn’t leave the club without?

Great, so I’m mated to a mute, alcoholic, trash collector.

“Um, I can throw these away for you, if you want?”

She screams. A vocal, shrilling screech escapes her mouth and she pounces on me, clawing me with her nails, and ripping the backpack out of my grasp.

“Holy s**t okay calm down, you f*****g weirdo”

She sits back on the bed, clutching her backpack of cans to her chest, looking down.

Is this even worth it?

At the same time, she's my mate, and something in me makes the thought of losing her unbearable.

I sit down next to her on the bed, and she grips her backpack tighter, watching me in case I try to take it from her.

“I’m not going to take it, okay?” I say calmly.

She relaxes her arms a bit, and I can hear the cans settling in the bag.

I take a deep breath, and take her hand again, which she seems to like. I can hear her heart rate slow, and her breathing steadies.

It’s nearing 4am. “Do you need to sleep?” I ask her.

She nods, but doesn’t move.

“Your sweater is kind of gross. I can ask around and see if any of the maids have something that might fit you?”

She doesn't react to my suggestion, instead she just strips her clothes off in front of me, fully naked, and climbs into the bed.

I would have enjoyed that view, except her body was covered in bruises, and scars.

“Who did that to you!?” I demand.

She ignores my question, and sinks further into the blankets.

“Lillia?”

She doesn’t stir, all I can see now is her long brown hair sprawled across the pillow, with the blanket pulled all the way up to her cheek.

I turn off her light, and leave the room. I can still hear her sobbing through the door after I close it.