WINTER'S BROKEN MATE

EPISODE 8

Casey woke up with a dull ache all over her body, her head hurt, and the morning light seeping into her room was stinging her eyes. She was sleeping on the cold floor in a corner for the months she’d been trapped wherever the hell she was. Her heart ached and her stomach churned; a reminder of the previous night, the side effects she had to endure every time her mate took another to his bed. She dragged her feet to the large bathroom she’d been accorded; she stared at herself in the mirror, she had large dark circles around her eyes, her red hair looked dull and unkempt, her lips were dry and her eyes were sullen and lost.

She had not known that it was this easy to lose oneself. Whatever it was that was staring in the mirror was not her, at least not the her she’d been for eighteen years, but now she’d believe it was her, the husk of a human that stared back at her every time she looked in the mirror. Yeah, she could see how that would be her now; it surely mirrored how she felt inside. Casey sighed; she tore her eyes from the mirror and got to freshening up. How did she even get here? Memories dragged her painfully to the past…

Casey woke up that morning feeling like her body had been hit by a truck carrying other trucks. Her mind allowed her a moment of reprieve, before the memories of the previous night assaulted her. It couldn’t be right, she thought. Her mate didn’t just forcefully mark her, did he? Casey tried to touch the sweet spot above her breast, her hand was sore and an instant passed where she didn’t know why, then it came to her.

He had dropped her and she broke her wrist, then he dragged her by the hair and marked her without her consent. She could feel the silent tears run down her face. He must be a monster, why else would he do this?

Casey tried to get up, but to no avail. Her body screamed bloody murder. But she couldn’t just lay there helpless, what if he came back? The thought had nauseated her, so she could feel the bile rise. She shot up and ran to the bathroom, and retched herself silly. Not much came out, she couldn’t remember when last she’d eaten, but her body seemed not to care. It had decided she would retch out her emotions if it wasn’t food, her throat was raw.

There was a knock on the door which made Casey involuntarily hold her breath, was it him? It couldn’t be, he wasn’t the kind to knock. Should she be relieved or all the more terrified? The knock came once more, before the door opened slowly.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, but are you alright? I brought you some soup.” On the mention of soup, she was over the toilet again, hurling out whatever. The girl quickly walked to her and held her hair up. She also ran her hand up and down her back in soothing movements until she felt better, well as better as one could be in such a situation.

“Who are you?” Casey asked incredulously.

“Maia, I’m an omega. I’ve been assigned to be your aide. Luna.” She said sweetly.

“I am NOT your Luna,” Casey retorted in her alpha voice, the girl visibly shook. Casey hated herself, she could tell that Maia had been through the wringer in this lifetime, and here she was scaring her senseless.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to, it’s just… please call me Casey.” The girl gave her the slightest of nods.

“Let me help you get ready; he is waiting for you.” Maia offered.

“Where are we?”

“Damien Winter pack lands.”

“In New Orleans?”

“No, that’s a couple towns over.”

“My sister! I have to get to my sister; she must be worried sick. Oh, my poor parents, I’m positively sure they are terrified. I can’t be here; I need to get back to New Orleans.” Casey all but cried.

Casey clearly saw the pity in Maia’s eyes. She had an even worse feeling about this day than she had last night. Knots tied in her stomach, threatening to have her keeled over the toilet bowl again.

“You said he’s waiting for me, who is he?”

“Damien Winter, of course.”

“Surely not, THE Damien WINTER of the royal family.”

“The one and only.”

That’s when Casey caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, the mark above her breast, above her heart. The name she was sure was branded on her bones, not just her skin. Casey just stared, Damien Winter, the words across her chest read. Her mate was Damien Winter, a royal, a lycan, a monster.

“Oh God, NO!” She murmured. Maia’s eyes caught hers in the mirror, this girl understood her.

“We need to hurry; you don’t want him getting mad. He’s been waiting for you for some time.” Maia pleaded. She then went ahead and helped Casey get ready.

Casey was quiet through it all, she didn’t utter a word. Her body had run cold with terror, and her eyes were still. Maia quickly got Casey ready, once she was done, they headed to his office. Casey felt like an observer in her own body. She was cognizant of what was happening, but she didn’t feel like she was actually there doing it. It felt like she was watching a scene from a horror movie, one where she involuntarily played the star.

Maia and her had stopped at a large wooden door; where Maia knocked twice and encouraged her to walk in before going about her own business.

Casey opened the door and her insides twisted. There in front of her was Damien with another she-wolf; dirty blonde hair, void blue eyes with legs that ran for miles. She froze. Surely, they heard the knock on the door.

Did he orchestrate this so that she would find them together? Casey knew very little of the man who was her mate, but everything she knew made her want to crawl out of her skin. She’d heard the stories of the Winter boys all through her life, not Damien specifically, but the lot of them. What she heard had made her shudder, but she’d hoped not everything was bad about them. They couldn’t just be monsters, could they? Having spent less than a day with him, she understood; they could just be monsters. Damien’s eyes had met hers, he’d whispered sultrily to the woman on his lap. She moaned, then pouted, then up and left when he smiled at her, although the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. The she-wolf walked past her like she wasn’t even there, which was fine by Casey because she wore the most dreadful of scents. How could he not smell that? she’d only just passed Casey, and she wanted to race into the nearest bathroom.

“Have a seat,” Damien said, his voice raked her skin. Her mind remained paralyzed, but her body seemed to move of its own accord. Before she knew it, she was seated and staring at the man across from her. Casey looked at him for the first time, really looked at him.

He was wearing a suit, well-fitted as it may be; she thought he’d look more at home in a pair of slacks and a t-shirt. His hair was long and a kind of black, that when it caught the light a certain way, it shimmered blue. His lips looked soft and inviting, but his mouth seemed always drawn in a thin line. He didn’t seem like a man who smiled often, his jaw was strong and unwavering, and he had high cheekbones. His eyes made her heart stop; hard, cold, with a whisper of storms in them, the gray of his eyes was alluring. He truly looked like a god, an evil god, but a god nonetheless.

“We have to discuss the rules. They are quite simple, 3 little rules; if your life with me is to be smooth, I believe by now you have figured out who I am.” Casey did not respond, but Damien continued anyway.

“I do not need a mate, nor have I ever wanted one. To be mated is to be trapped. If you ask me, mates are the only thing the moon goddess did wrong. However, since you are here and I cannot kill you, for my beast will be weak. I am forced to keep you around. Like I said, the rules are simple: 1. Do not talk to unmated, unknown or unmarked males from anywhere that will not sit well with my beast. 2. You are to not have any contact with your previous life; no family, no friends, no one. 3. I will keep you around, but not as a mate and definitely not as Luna. I will have my relations with other women as I always have, you are NOT to interfere with any of them. I believe having you close in proximity with satiate my beast enough for me to function.” He stopped and took a deep breath.

“Like I said simple rules, follow them, and your life here will go as smoothly as it can. Now you may leave, I have to get back to my day.” Damien said with finality that only irritated Casey more, she sighed. Truly, he did not believe her to be a daft ninny who would just follow his ‘rules’ blindly, she was obviously going to fight for herself, for her family, for her life. She realized she did not want to merely exist in the world; she wanted to feel joy, pain, anguish, laughter and most of all love. He would never love her, she understood, but her soul was already in pieces, poked and prodded until it couldn’t take anymore. She knew instinctively what she must do.

“I Casey Lannister Farrington reject you Damien Winter as my mate.” Casey believed she’d falter or stumble upon her words that he wouldn’t take her seriously, but she was clear and her words strong.

For a microsecond; Casey thought she saw pain in his storm gray eyes, but it flitted by so quickly she was sure she’d imagined it. He gained his resolve and chuckled darkly.

“I am Damien f*****g Winter darling, your pitiful words cannot get rid of me that easy. Reject me? You have lost your mind, now get out of my office before I get mad,”

“No!” Casey said firmly, the hairs on the back of her neck rose, warning her she was treading in dangerous waters, but she refused to be ignored. He didn’t want a mate? Fine, she didn’t want to be his mate!

“No?” Damien asked incredulously, his eyes hardened if that were even possible, and the air in the room chilled. Before Casey knew it, Damien was on her side of the table, his hands round her neck, wringing the life out of her. The thought of death taking her brought her a sense of peace she welcomed. Then just as suddenly as he had started choking her, he stopped and she fell on the ground: a coughing fit ensuing as she struggled to get air into her lungs.

“My temper is rather dreadful, darling. Don’t make me hurt you again. Now run along and do as you're told I wouldn’t want to inflict worse agony.”

Casey hadn’t gotten a hold of herself when she heard a knock; then saw Maia walk in, regard the alpha with respect, and literally carry Casey out of the study and back to her room.

Maia was tending to Casey’s wounds with gentle hands.

“I need to escape,” she murmured hoarsely, more resolved as she faced Maia, “I need to get out of here, help me.” She pleaded with Maia.

“Sshhh,” Maia quickly said, her eyes darting to the door. “Don’t let him hear you say that. Ever! And you can’t escape, there is no way out.”

“There must be a way out, help me find it.”

“He will kill us,”

“I rather prefer death to this existence.” The response was snarled.

“Maybe not you, but he would definitely kill me, he would probably find a way to make you suffer much worse.” Maia whispered inaudibly.

“He said he would inflict worse, what could be worse than staying with him?” Casey questioned.

“He could find your family, the lot of them, hunt them and kill them for sport. I’ve seen him do it.”

Casey’s eyes widened bewildered; he couldn’t ever think of harming her family; they had done nothing to do with this.

“But they have nothing to do with this!” she protested aloud.

“He wouldn’t care, since he cannot kill you as you are his mate. He will find the best way to hurt you, and I mean shred your being. The last person who went against him...” Maia shuddered at the thought.

“What did he do?”

“Maybe I shall tell you another time. For now, rest, your throat is raw and you haven’t eaten anything.”

“Do you suppose I could starve myself to death? Escape this reality?”

“I do believe having him spoon feed you is not a pastime you would enjoy.” Casey shuddered.

“Him? Spoon-feed? He’s more likely to shove the food down my throat. "Eat or I lock you in the dungeon," he would threaten.” Maia giggled.

“I’ll let you get some rest. I’ll check on you later.” And with those words, she stood up and headed for the door.

“Maia?” she turned to look back at Casey, “We’ll be friends, right?”

“Thick as thieves.” Maia replied with a smile before she left the room. Casey had a friend, she thought. And Maia, she didn’t know yet, but would hold her together for a long time, coming just as her sister did when she lost her parents.

Casey remembered everything so vividly, she missed her family terribly, but she refused to put them in danger to save herself. She’d gladly remain a prisoner all her life if that meant they would be safe. She looked at herself one more time in the mirror, he was killing her, she mused; not physically, even she didn’t think he had the strength, but inside, Casey felt dead. He was killing her on the inside, slowly but surely, she’d be dead soon enough. And without a soul, could the body truly survive? Casey took one last look in the mirror; it wouldn’t be long now.