The Contract (My Perfect Mate Continued)

An Intruder

I knew that I wouldn't be alone for long. I needed to get as far away as possible. When I finally made it into the hallway, I heard a booming voice behind me.

"Thea!" I heard my dad screaming my name. When I ignored him, he screamed louder. "Thea! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Again, I ignored him. "STOP!" I could hear his anger increasing with every word that he spoke. I had finally reached the stairs when he screamed for what would be the final time. "You insolent little cunt! You will not walk away from me!"

I stopped at the top of the stairs and whipped around to face him. "You cannot do this to me! I will not continue to be your pawn for power, and I am done being your punching bag! I knew you were a monster, but I will not stand for you selling me off to the highest bidder!"

Dad had finally caught up with me, and we were now nose to nose. I dared him to raise a hand to me again, it would not go as he planned. "Do you think I want to w***e you out? No, I would much rather keep you at home, where you belong. You are the one that decided to go against your purpose. You are supposed to marry someone of the highest rank and produce heirs. That is your one job, and you can't even do that right! If you do not intend to stay here, then you will come home and mate with someone of my choosing, without rebuttal."

He was spitting out every word and my patience was wearing thin. I don't think that I have ever been this mad before. I have taken my fair share of abuse from this man, but I have had enough. I lowered my voice to a steady tone and I could feel my body go rigid.

"f**k you."

Dad blinked at me, registering what I had just said. "What did you just say to me?"

I stared blankly at him, "I'm sorry, let me speak up. I said, f**k you!" I punched the last two words.

I watched as he brought his arm back and prepared to strike me, make it good. I said to myself, this is the last time he would ever lay a hand on me. Just as he went to follow through, there was a loud growl coming from behind him. His movements paused and we both looked at Alpha Andy.

"That is enough!" He barked, "I clearly see how you treat your women, and you will never lay a hand on her again. You have one hour to collect your things and leave my territory, or I will remove you myself."

Andy's words came with impact, he meant every word he said. I think that dad was more afraid of Andy's vantage point, one swift move and dad would tumble down the stairs.

My father turned around to face me, "Fine, stay here and be the Alpha's w***e!"

I heard Andy growl once more, but I beat him to it. I slapped my dad as hard as I could and proceeded to spit in his face. "I would rather be his w***e than withstand any more of your abuse."

Dad was in utter shock that I had actually hit him. Without another word, Cade appeared and began forcibly removing my father from the stairwell. I took a few steps up the stairs to stand beside Andy. I chose not to listen to the words he was screaming as he was being hauled away. I zoned out, I couldn't focus on anything besides getting the f**k out of here. If I had my way, I would have put an end to my father permanently, but that would mean a harsh punishment for Silver Moon.

"Are you alright?"

I turned to face Andy, I didn't mean the annoyance that came with my words, "I'm fine, thank you, but this doesn't mean that I am yours to save."

I didn't wait for him to respond. Now that the coast was clear, I headed down the stairs.

*****

When the fresh air hit my lungs, I let out the loudest scream I could muster. Everest was so close to the surface that she was begging to be set free. I took off running towards the trees and didn't look back. I ran for as long as I could. Eventually, I felt like my legs were going to give out and my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. I collapsed to the ground and struggled to catch my breath. The sun had already begun to set between the trees and twilight was quickly settling in.

I shifted back to my human form and slumped down on a nearby log. All of my stress overwhelmed me and I doubled over in pain. I was inconsolable and peace was nowhere in sight. I let the damn break and was gasping for air once again. After what felt like an eternity, I was finally out of tears.

I collected what was left of myself and pushed off the log. I took off towards the guest house, shrouded in darkness. I honestly didn't care if anyone saw me, I just needed to get to a safe space. The entire territory was outlined in the depth of the forest. I was able to line up perfectly to the side entrance of the building. My room was on the third floor, so I didn't have much farther to go. I slowed down just enough to ensure that no one was around. It was nearly dinner time, most of the residents would be downstairs in preparation for dinner. I made it to my room rather quickly and pushed through my apartment door.

I took a sigh of relief and slid down to the ground and rested my head against the back of the door. I wasn't upset anymore, but I was numb. I slowly rose from the floor and went straight for the bar cart at the far side of the room. I decided to skip the glass and went straight for the bottle. I took a large gulp and wandered down the hall to my bedroom. I chugged a little more of the bottle and set it down on the top of my dresser. I pulled on a pair of black sweats and an over-sized gray, crew-neck sweatshirt. The neck was cut out, so it exposed the top of my shoulders. I flipped my head over and tied my hair up into a messy bun. I swiped the bottle from where I left it and headed back out into the living room.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him standing in the doorway to my apartment. I was startled and dropped the bottle of whiskey in the process. I gasped as it shattered at my feet.