Never Give Up

Chapter 1 - Taylor

Silence… That’s all I hear. It’s dark and smells of stale piss. I’m sick of waking up in this place. I feel like I’ve been here six f*****g years and no one has come to look for me. I hate the fact I can hear them all outside, I hate that each by turn they enter this room and steal my innocence. Each claw that marks my skin, every lick and bite into my once flawless flesh adds to my nightmares. I’m changing, every second I live in this hell.

They take turns, each one wanting to make me scream, make me suffer. I don’t though, I’m no longer me, I am no longer here. Nothing but his stale cigarette breath whispering into my ear, telling me what he plans to do next, why no one will save me, and how I am his. Like I am the winning prize in a competition I had no intention of being in, his growls send ripples of fear. Only then will I react, only then do I understand the severity of my predicament.

I curl up on the mattress on the floor of my dark room. I haven’t let myself believe this is my end. I know someone is out there waiting for me and will eventually come to save me. I just don't know when.

I’ve gone from a shy and awkward young girl, I’m now a young woman who will fight back. There have been times Alpha really thought he could break me, but I’ve gotten stronger…Barely. There was no other choice. All the emotional baggage I was dealing with was tearing me apart.

I must have closed my eyes and lost myself into some kind of slumber at some point, it wasn’t until I started to feel someone touching me, moving my hair from my face. The gentleness of the hand doesn't feel right, but it does at the same time. This place was messing with my emotions and if someone was here to get me the hell out I was game.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach. What the hell? How can this feel so good when this asshole could be the one who took me? Was possibly one of the idiots who has used me as some kind of s*x puppet. Anger fills my veins as blood rushes throughout my body, readying me to fight. I am no damsel in distress and this prick is about to find that out the hard way.

Not wanting to let whomever it is know I’m awake, I stay statue still. It is only when I sense they have moved do I open one eye and take a quick look around. Oh, my god. Who is that? He’s leaning again the wall, his head hanging down in… What? Shame? He is wearing jeans, which hug him in all the right places, and a grey t-shirt stretched tight across his chest and broad shoulders, tattoos running down his arms. This is the sexiest man I have ever seen.

Wait. What am I thinking? This man captured me and took me from my home, but now I think he’s sexy? Lord, shoot me now so I can get these ridiculous thoughts out of my damn head.

I hold my breath as he raises his head to look at me. I’m paralyzed from the intensity of his green eyes.

“Reece?”

What did he say?

“Reece, baby, are you awake? Are you okay?”

“Erm… Yeah, I’m okay, but why are you calling me by my twin sisters name? Is Reece ok?”

Oh, my God I’ve been thinking about myself and ignoring the fact my twin and Mom are still out there. “More importantly, who the hell are you and why am I here?”

I can’t shake the anger from my tone. Hell, I’m beyond angry. I’m ready to tear people up for the way I have been treated. Who the hell do these people think they are?

“What you mean? You’re not Reece” I shake my head

I can hear the confusion and sadness in his voice, see the look of concern in his eyes as he stays glued to the wall, holding himself back from coming near me.

Easing myself up on the grubby mattress, I look into his beautiful eyes. My god, what’s wrong with me? What is going on? Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I mentally scold myself. Come on, Taylor. You got this. Don't let him see that you have any weaknesses.

“I know who I am, dickhead,” Yeah there goes my whole restraint, “but who the f**k are you?”

“I’m confused” Lord almighty above, please give me some strength.

“Look, please enlighten me. I have been stuck here for God knows how long, my head is throbbing, and I feel like s**t. I just want to know why I’m here.”

I sigh in defeat. I just can’t hold it together anymore. He clearly knows me, but I have no clue what I’m supposed to have done for him to take me and lock me up like some caged animal. Tears start to roll down my face as my stomach rumbles, echoing throughout the room.

I’m not strong enough for this. I am so confused as to what is happening. Also, my body is reacting to him and I don't understand why. The way he looks at me is as if I am broken glass, ready to shatter at a moment’s notice. It’s not far from the truth, either. I am broken. I am emotional. I’m eighteen years old and I have been taken away from my home and my life. And so far all I have got is I’m going through hell on the behalf of Reece, and although I am not the most popular girl in school, I would rather be there than here.

Now I’m in this closet-sized bedroom with a strange man, who looks like he’s just walked off the Calvin Klein ads, mistaking me for my sister and Alpha will be here soon to take even more of my soul. The tears sting my eyes as I try not to let any fall.

“Please, just let me go. I will not tell anyone who you are. I just want to go home, hell I’ll even go back and repeat the whole of high school. I miss my Mama, and I miss my puppy. Please…” I can no longer keep them at bay as each tear is followed by the next.

“Zane!” My eye’s open as wide as saucers when I hear his rage.

“Oh, God” I whisper, “please don’t let him in here.”