Reclaiming His Abused Mate

The Most Painful Night

Rain was still falling fast and hard as we reached the foreboding two story Tudor house my husband had chosen as our family home. The only light could be seen coming from my daughters window on the second floor. Still, not a word had been spoken between us. My heart pounded out of my chest, my breath was coming in short pants already.

He shut the truck off, slowly opened his door and stepped out into the rain, slamming it behind him with enough force to send the truck rocking. I didn't move, just sat there, frozen, trying to stay as still as possible.

A few moments passed, and there were no sounds save the rain pounding down on the metal. I could barely breathe, with the fear choking me as it was.

Suddenly, my door was ripped open, ripped right off of the truck. I screamed, involuntarily, for the last thing I wanted would be for my pups to wake up.

He grabbed me, breaking my arm instantly and dislocating my shoulder as he dragged me from the vehicle. I could feel my dress andy skin scraping and tearing as he dragged me along the tar driveway, toward the bulkhead to the basement.

Most of my beatings happened in the basement. Normally, I was calmly told at the dinner table, in front of the children, that he wanted some time with me "downstairs". I knew what it meant, but had to answer calmly and obey, as the children would be present.

This, though, this pure rage, scared me more than any beating I had ever received. This was a monster who had lost all his calm control.

I must have hit my head pretty hard on the first step of the bulkhead stairs, because the next thing I knew, I was on the pool table, bleeding from multiple wounds and hurting everywhere. At first I didn't realize where he had gone but then I felt him rip what was left of my dress off of me and drag my lower half to the edge of he table. Most of my beatings ended with him taking my body, so

I knew what was going to happen next. He forced himself inside me, and I closed my eyes tightly and did my best to block it out, though it lasted for some time. At one point, he pulled my broken arm back behind me, causing me to cry out again, and then he snapped my wrist as he continued with his main goal. Finally, my head got smashed into the slate table just hard enough, and I thankfully lost consciousness again.

This time when I came too this time, he was really gone. I was laying in a heap on the floor, and I kept still and tried to take stock of all the injuries, just grateful I was still alive. The pain was excruciating.

I was naked and covered in blood. Nothing moved when I tried, so i lay in the same heap I had woken up in. My body had been used and abused in every possible way, and all my limbs had suffered at least one break, with one arm having several, and one leg being broken in two different places. Blood was everywhere, from too many cuts and scrapes to count. My head was bleeding in two different places, my nose was broken, and only one of my eyes would open.

I frantically called my wolf.

I heard her voice in my head as she answered me weakly.

The pup is okay. we sleep now, to heal.

And with that, I lost consciousness again.

I don't know how much time passed, just that sunlight was shining through the tiny cellar windows when I next woke. My Wolf had healed most of my injuries, so it had been at least a day.

I hesitantly tested my limbs and stretched through the tightness. Dried blood flaked off of me in places , as I began to move. I called my wolf forward, and asked her if our pup was okay. she said yes, and sounded stronger and more alert than before.

we must run now, while we can. She urged me anxiously. I knew we must, yet it would be tricky. I couldn't abandon my pups. My daughter Raine already faced her father's wrath much more often than I'd like. The twins were mostly just ignored.

I knew this basement well, as most of my mistreatment since the birth of Raine has happened down here. I walked into the laundry room, and used the laundry room sink to clean myself up as best as I could. I pulled my clothes from their hiding spot behind the dryer and dressed myself carefully. My Wolf had healed nearly all my major injuries, but everything was still tender and sore.

I pushed through my mind, searching the pack link for my children. Flashes from them told me my daughters and son were at school, and all was well with them.

Perfect, my Wolf, Ava, said excitedly. we can take a car, pick them up from school, and just go. go far, far away.

I nodded, agreeing, though the thought of leaving without Devin hurt us both.

he won't come with us Ava said sadly. He won't take his pups from their mother.

I hurried through the basement to a little bookcase on the further side. I had money, extra car keys, and copies of our IDs and stuff well hidden in a flower pot. Digging them out, I then sprinted to the bulkhead door. I had always waited in the basement for his return, so he was completely unaware I knew how to escape.That is how it had to be, so he would casually leave me down here until he was ready to either hurt me again or was certain I had learned my place. Years ago, tho, I had secretly broken the lock on the bulkhead, so it would feel locked from outside, but could be opened from inside with a quick turn in the wrong direction. Just as I had "lost" the spare keys to the garage, and "misplaced" the spare key to the older plow truck. I had always known someday I might have to run, or die.

I didn't even bother with the house. Once I saw daylight, and that his truck was gone, I ran to the garage. Once there, I opened the doors, and grabbed the backpacks I had packed for my kids and myself.

I tossed them in the bed of the truck, and then climbed in.

She took a minute to start up, and panic rose in my throat for the first time as her ignition sputtered and didn't catch. Finally, on the fifth try, she roared to life.

It was too soon to celebrate yet, tho. I would need to keep alert and on my toes until my children were safely with me and we were out of town.

My husband had a lot of powerful friends in this town, but his reach didn't go far from Dresdon Falls. If we made it to the county line, we could easily disappear.

It was then, as I eased the old truck out of the driveway and onto the main road, that I felt the pain though my mate link.

He has Devin! Ava yelped in my head, suddenly wrestling me for control. She almost won, and the truck swerved all over the road, narrowly missing the guardrail.

He was torturing my mate. I couldn't just leave.

Slowly, I gathered all my strength and courage, and turned the truck around.

My mind was clear, and for the first time I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I was going to kill Eaton Lane.