Getting Away
1716 Words
Kayla's POV
It had been three years. Liam hadn't sexually touched me since that night, but he still hit me. Every now and then, pack members would come to join in — leaving me black and blue, or burning me — all trying to get a reaction out of me. It never worked. I kept my eyes blank.
I had resorted to urinating in a cup in my room. Sometimes he didn't feed me, and I had to drink it to stay alive. I used to be healthy. Now I was nothing but skin and bones. My long, straight, raven-colored hair was matted together in knots. I caught a glimpse of myself in a passing mirror once — dark bags under sunken eyes, my once-bright green eyes now completely lifeless. Each day passed by, and with each one, I felt a little closer to death.
Dr. Lauren had spent the last few years doing what she could for me. She still treated my wounds and healed me as best she could, though every wound left behind a deep scar. She was the only one here who truly knew the extent of my injuries. Without her, I don't think I would have had even the small amount of strength left that I did. She reminded me daily to keep going, telling me I was beautiful. I didn't believe her, but I held onto her words anyway.
I had just come from the bathroom when I saw three men walking out of the Alpha's office with Alpha Derek behind them. I tried to get back to my room, but they caught me.
"Hey, Liam, your wife looks all used up," one of them said.
"She's useless. She doesn't even respond to my torture anymore," I heard Liam say.
"Let us have a turn with her," one of them said. I tried to walk past them, but one grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. I went limp and passed out.
When I came to, they were all standing around me without clothes, holding weapons, and my clothes had been removed. All except Liam — he was simply watching. When one of them grabbed me and began slicing into my skin with a knife, the pain snapped me back to reality, and the full horror of what was happening sank in.
"Help me!" I screamed at Liam, but he just kept watching. He finally smirked and shook his head.
I had been silent for years through everything he had done to me. I wasn't crying — he had lived off my fear and had been denied it for so long. But now I was screaming. I could hear footsteps pounding on the stairwell, and pack members poured into the room, pulling out their phones and taking photos. Laughing. Pointing. I was hysterical. I kept screaming, but no one did anything. The entire pack was watching. One of the men punched me in the mouth and told me to shut up. Another cut deeper. I was bleeding out.
When they were finished, Liam threw me back into the closet. I felt myself slipping away. I hoped it was death. I prayed that it was death. Please, let it be death. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the door opening and Dr. Lauren's face.
I woke up in a dark room, lying on a bed. I didn't know where I was. I didn't want to know. I just wanted to die. Someone had washed me and put clothes on me. Why? Why was I still here? When the light came on, I saw Dr. Lauren. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She was packing a suitcase. I looked around — we were in her hubble, one of the small houses on the pack grounds for families and widows. When she finished packing, she knelt in front of me and looked me in the eye. My vision was already going cloudy again.
"Kayla," she said. "I'm leaving. I'm going to my cousin's packhouse to work on their land. She has already spoken with her Alpha, and he has agreed." She paused. "Kayla, I'm taking you with me. I'm getting you out of here."
I couldn't speak. I was sure I was dreaming. She had to be a dream.
"Kayla, stay with me," she said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "The Alpha thinks you are in a coma in the hospital. We need to be out of here in fifteen minutes. Can you walk?"
"Dream," I heard a voice say, feeling myself sway. Had that come from me? I watched her carry the suitcase outside, then come back in and lift me into the car, buckling me into the seat. She got in, started the engine, and we were moving. Lights rushed past the windows. I couldn't make out anything beyond them. Then I heard her speak.
"I, Lauren Bush, reject Liam Green of the Green Bay Pack as my Alpha and declare myself a rogue."
Then everything went dark.
Aiden's POV
My lycan had been restless in my mind all day — pacing, on edge, like something had him nervous. When I asked what was wrong, all he would give me was: you'll see. Fine then.
I spotted my brother Ethan heading toward me.
"Is your wolf acting strange too?" he asked. I nodded.
"Something is going to happen today," I told him.
My brother and I are the first two male Lycan celestial hybrids to have existed in over a century. Our powers are legendary — as is our name. Our father is Alpha King Roland Black, who rules the North American Region. Our main pack is based here in South Carolina, and he currently serves as its Alpha as well, until my brother and I turn twenty-five. At that point, we will take the throne as High Alphas and assume control of his business holdings as the new CEOs. Our mother, Luna Elena Black, is a reincarnated hybrid of the moon goddess herself, and her lycan is one of the oldest to have ever walked the earth.
"Do you think it's our mate?" Ethan asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"That's the only explanation I can think of," I said. "But we'll see."
Ethan's POV
I hoped it was finally time. Don't get me wrong — I love my twin — but the thought of having our mate to spend our lives with had always been a dream of mine. Along with becoming Alpha, of course, which was a role that was fast approaching.
In looks and personality, Aiden and I are identical. We are kind and considerate to those who mean no harm, but for enemies, we are something else entirely — relentless, calculating, willing to do whatever it takes to get to the truth. Those who fear our father fear us just as much. They call us the Twin Torturers. My brother loves that name. I couldn't care less about it. What I do care about is not scaring our mate away.
My wolf had been pacing nonstop. Every time I asked what was happening, all I got back was: soon. Strange creature. Aiden and I decided to train while we waited for our wolves to settle. If our mate was truly on her way, I wanted to be ready to meet her.
Kayla's POV
When I woke up, I was thirsty and aching all over. The light was painfully bright, and my head felt thick with fog. I was still in the car with Dr. Lauren, and it was daytime. We were still driving. I looked out the window and saw nothing but a dense wall of trees lining a back road.
Dr. Lauren noticed I was awake and handed me a bottle of water and two Tylenol.
"Take them — they'll help with the soreness," she said.
I nodded and did as she said. I wanted to thank her for getting me out of there, but I couldn't form words. I tried, and it felt like my throat was locked shut. I pointed at my neck, and she explained that I had had an anxiety attack in the middle of the night. She said it was a mental response, and that my voice might take a few days — possibly a few weeks — to come back. That was fine by me. I didn't want to talk.
"I know what they did to you," she said quietly. My expression darkened.
"I still can't believe Liam allowed it. I was told the entire pack was watching." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Kayla. If I had been there, maybe I could have done something."
There's nothing you could have done, I thought. I reached over with my bruised hands and rested them on hers, managing a small smile. She picked up her phone.
"Serene?" A pause. "Yeah, I'm pulling up now. Make sure they let us through." Another pause. "It will take some time, Serene, but yes." She ended the call and glanced at me. "We're here," she said, her voice lifting slightly.
We pulled up to a line of guards who appeared to surround the entire property. A long path wound past what I assumed were family homes. As we drove further in, a wave of dread washed over me. Most wolves hated humans, and Dr. Lauren had just brought me to another pack.
Dr. Lauren parked near a large vehicle and came around to open my door. I stepped out and immediately leaned against the car, dry-heaving. She came to my side and held me by my shoulders.
"Breathe, Kayla. Breathe," she said, steadying me.
I looked past her and saw two men approaching. For a moment I thought I was seeing double. I was close to passing out again. My legs gave out and I slid down the side of the car, landing on the ground — but I didn't care. Dr. Lauren knelt beside me and rubbed my back while the two men drew closer. Something stirred faintly in the back of my mind, but I chalked it up to delirium as I looked up at the two figures now standing over me.
MATE.
That was all I heard before everything went dark.
- Writer
