Freeing the Warrior's Deceived Mate

Chapter Eight: An Escape

Amelia POV

I hadn’t hurt this much since before my father died.

My face was already beginning to swell, and my ribs ached with every rise and fall of my chest as I breathed. I dragged myself to my bed and dropped into it. I didn’t have a first aid kit. When father was alive, after a beating, I would drag myself to Dale’s trailer and he would patch me up. Now, I couldn’t even do that much, as Alpha had locked me in again.

I closed my eyes and wondered how many days it would take this time. I’d gotten off easy with three days after my last infraction, so now, I was bound to be in here for months. My fridge hadn’t even been restocked, meaning Dale would probably have to bring me meals.

At least that meant one interaction with another person a day.

I wanted to sleep, but the pain of breathing was keeping me awake, and lying on my back had gotten stiff and uncomfortable quickly, but rolling onto either side proved painful, so I stared at the ceiling, uncomfortable, unhappy, and afraid.

I heard the rattle of keys next to my door and didn’t bother to stir. When the smell of stale cigarette smoke entered the trailer, I knew it was Dale, here to check on me. “Amelia?” he asked, knocking on the wall of the trailer before he opened the curtain and entered. He whistled, “Alpha really did a number on your face, girl. Sit up. I brought the kit.”

I obeyed, not because I wanted to, but because I knew he wouldn’t leave me alone until I complied. He poured some rubbing alcohol into the cap and dabbed it up with a cotton ball, then pushed it to the broken skin.

I hissed in pain.

“Well, that’s the consequence of actin’ a damn fool,” he said. “The minute that wolf approached you, you shoulda ran for Kyle. Now he’s gone for what? You to get cozy with a stranger?”

“Dale, why did Birdie call him my mate?” I asked. “He’d called me that before, too, but… what does it mean? Why is it a big deal?”

Dale took a deep breath. “When a male wolf calls a woman his mate, it just means he’s looking for a quick f**k,” he said. “That’s all you are to him, you hear me? It may feel different, but he just wants to bed you and make you carry his pups. Is that what you want? A stranger’s pups?”

“No,” I replied, though something about the explanation felt off.

“Now, we’re going to try to keep him away from you, because we don’t want that for you either,” Dale said. “But if you ever see him again, I want you to look him in the eyes and say these words: ‘I, Amelia Gold, reject you as my mate.’ Repeat that, girl.”

“I, Amelia Gold, rejec-” the pain was blinding, immediate. I put my hand over my chest and curled into it, crying out with pain.

“Don’t be such a baby,” he said, though there was a tenderness in his words. “It’s just your ribs. But that’s good. Don’t forget those words, now.”

“I won’t,” I whispered.

Dale finished cleaning, medicating and bandaging my face, then sighed. “Alright, girl. Lift your shirt. Let’s see the real damage.”

I obeyed, lifting my shirt and tucking it into my bra. It was his turn to suck air in through his teeth. “That looks like it smarts.”

I only nodded.

“You might want to lay down for this one. It’ll need stitches.”

I groaned. This would be the fourth time in my life getting stitched by Dale. It was never a pleasant experience. He took a flask out of his pocket. “Since you’re such a damn adult all of a sudden, take a swig of this.”

I did as I was told, then coughed and sputtered at the taste, handing it back. “That’s disgusting.”

“It’ll numb the pain a bit,” he said with a shrug. “Now brace yourself.”

He proceeded to clean the wound meticulously, each poke and prod with a cotton swab stung worse than the last. He got the needle and thread out, and I fought the urge to vomit, looking pointedly away from him and holding my breath.

While it hurt, the suturing process wasn't as bad as I’d expected, and I allowed myself to relax a bit. After just a few minutes, he leaned back up. “Alright. All done,” he said, packing his supplies back into their box. “Don’t do anything so stupid that I’ll have to keep doing this, okay?”

I felt numb, but nodded.

He stood and looked into my fridge, then clicked his tongue. “Alpha’s saying this is going to be a two-week stay, but we’ve got to move out, tomorrow. I’ll fetch you some food so you don’t starve in the meantime.”

I wanted to thank him, but my heart plummeted. If we were moving out, I’d never see Tiberius again.

Or Kyle, for that matter.

Dale left, and I heard the keys turning in my lock, taking away my freedom once again. My mind and heart raced. Maybe one exit was closed, but I knew of another.

And I was confident that if I just talked to Tiberius, I could free Kyle.

~*~

There was a hatch in the bathroom floor for plumbers to get access to the underside of the trailer a bit easier. There was no lock, but it did need a pry bar to open. I didn’t have a pry bar, but I did have a can-do attitude- and Dale would have me believe that was all I needed. In the end, I got it open with a ruler that I wasn't even sure why I had. It took a lot of effort, but in the end, I was successful.

The opening was small- it wasn’t intended for people to pass through, but for plumbers to have enough room to stick their arms through and do what needed doing. Luckily, I was small. I was just barely able to squeeze through, though I bumped my ribs pretty hard and had to cover my mouth to keep from crying out.

The next problem was my smell- I would leave a scent if I left as is, and they would track me down and have me back in my trailer within the hour.

No matter, though. I had a key to Dale’s trailer, which was just two trailers down, and I could mask my scent with his cigarette-smelling clothes- though it might prove uncomfortable for me.

Sneaking between the trailers was easy- I was, after all, pretty used to sneaking around Alpha’s back to get to Birdie’s trailer, or to get Birdie into mine. The main problem was waiting for an opening to slip into Dale’s trailer- there was a lot of foot traffic in the center of camp, and it would be risky sneaking in even if the coast was clear.

There were always eyes on you in camp, even if you couldn’t see them.

I tried pushing on the hatch below Dale’s bathroom, but it wouldn’t budge from the bottom. The front door was the only option.

I waited for enough of a clearing and raised the hood of the hoodie I’d donned, then rolled out from under the trailer, grunting a bit as I brushed my ribs against the ground, jogged up the steps, unlocked the door and twirled myself inside.

I felt a bit like an action movie star.

I locked the door after myself and went to his closet. I knew Dale was probably still out getting groceries, so I had time. I slipped on a jacket, which was a bold choice in 85 degree heat, but necessary. I put a pair of jeans on over my shorts and used one of his belts to cinch them onto me. I looked out of place, sure, but I smelled like Dale.

And wolves were more in tune with smells than vision, so as long as I stuck to the shadows and didn’t address anyone directly, I likely wouldn’t be caught.

So, I started walking out of camp, sticking to the shadowy places between trailers and winding closer to the ones with packmates I knew didn’t often receive visitors. I walked past one couple, but they were so entranced in their own conversation, they didn’t even spare me a glance.

I relaxed when I made it to the line of cars and trucks. Kyle’s was still where I’d parked it, slightly askew and off to the side. The keys were gone, though, more than likely with Alpha.

I moved around to the back of the truck and checked the coast- still clear.

Under the tailgate was a small box with a spare key in it. I took the key out and hopped in, starting the truck and putting it into drive. I drove tensely all the way to the edge of the pack boundary, and when no one came after me, I relaxed. I was still struggling to moderate my speed, but keeping it between the lines was easier with a calmer mindset.

I parked the truck at the edge of town at a diner and put the key back in its box for someone to find later if things went south. I jogged to the only place in town that I knew of- the bookstore.

The sign was switched to closed, but I tried the door and was surprised to find it open. The ding alerted the sales clerk, who looked at me with an annoyed glower. “We’re closed.”

“I... I know,” I stuttered, wringing my hands anxiously. “I was just… wondering if I could use your phone.” I lowered my hood, and when she saw my face, the look of annoyance washed away.

She hurried to my side and locked the door behind me, then waved me forward. “Come to the back. You can use the phone and stay as long as you need.”

I nodded, and walked a bit further into the store. When we passed the café, I jolted to a stop, turning sharply and looking at it.

A girl was there, a curly redhead that I hadn’t seen earlier, and she was just as tensed as I was. A wolf.

“Erin,” she said, without taking her eyes off of me. “Let me take care of this.”

I wanted to shake my head and retreat from the store altogether, but the red-headed girl came forward and grabbed my hand, leading me back into the bakery. When Erin was out of earshot, she said, “I’ll start some coffee. It masks scents really well,” she said. “Who do you need to call?”

I handed her the crumpled piece of paper, and to my surprise, she smiled. “Alright. Go back into the manager’s office and shut the door. There’s a lost and found back there- change into some of those clothes instead. I’ll wait with you until he picks you up.”

I nodded again, feeling too anxious to speak. I went back to the manager’s office and shut the door, then sat and dialed the number.

He picked up on the first ring. “Amelia? Is that you?”

“How… did you know?” I said, softly.

“Henley linked me that you’d shown up,” he said. “…she told me you’re injured. Is that true?”

I wanted to deny it, but tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I nodded, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “Yes.”

“I’ll be right there, okay? Stay inside, with Henley,” he paused for a while. “You made the right choice, Amelia.”

He ended the call, and I was left wondering what that could possibly mean.