The Alpha's Burning Flower

Chapter 10

TRIGGER WARNING: abuse and attempt at r**e. the whole chapter. 

One Last Attack 

Annabella POV 

I wake up Monday morning feeling refreshed for the first time in years. I am leaving this hell hole today. I take five minutes to get ready then I pack everything I have left into my small black duffle and hide it back under the bed. I smile while making breakfast. I switch the coffee maker on and when I turn around I am greeted by the back of Sarah’s hand. 

“Hit her back,” my inner voice growls loudly. But I don’t, I just advert my eyes to the floor in a show of submission that makes my skin crawl and my voice growl louder. 

“What are you smiling about girl?” 

“I just had a good dream last night is all,” I tell her, lying easily. 

“Well your selfish happiness is making you slow. My breakfast should already be ready.”

You say that every morning you b***h, and I have it ready at the same time every day. I think, rolling my eyes in my head. 

“Yes ma’am, it will be done very soon, I'm sorry,” I say instead, keeping my head down. 

Just get through four more hours. 

She nods and goes away. I finish breakfast and serve it at the table then go back to clean the kitchen. Before I do, I throw a piece of bread in the toaster and set the timer. Two minutes later, it pops out and I quickly butter it. I take a bite and sigh. I didn’t get dinner last night because Austin’s friends came over, made a huge mess, and ate all the leftovers. I take another bite. 

“And what exactly do you think you are doing?” I hear Sarah’s voice ask. 

Shit. 

I don’t move or respond I just stand and wait for the blow to hit. She yanks my hair back as her fist comes forward, making contact with the same spot she smacked earlier. 

“b***h, b***h, b***h, b***h,” my inner voice seethes. 

“You do not get to eat our food before we do girl,” another smack lands on the other cheek. She’s gotten good at hitting me with both hands. “You do not deserve to eat our food,” this punch knocks me down.

Fuck, I'm about to get it now. 

“You,” kick, “don’t,” kick, “get,” kick, “to,” kick, “eat!” She yanks me up by my hair and I swallow the need to vomit and the urge to pummel her. “Now finish cleaning this kitchen!” She screams delivering a final punch to my cheek. I stumble but don’t fall down. She turns to leave and vomit into the sink. I wipe my mouth and wash it all down the drain, spraying bleach then Febreze. I make quick work of the rest of the kitchen before heading back upstairs. 

I walk into the bathroom to clean myself up. I have blood on my face and neck and need to put ice on my ribs. I wipe up the blood and wash my face, careful of the new cuts, before putting Neosporin on them. 

Twenty minutes later, I hear the garage door open and close and I sigh, thankful I will never have to see her again. the twins didn’t come home last night and don’t plan to come back tonight so I am home free. I pull my bag out from under my bed and pull my small jewelry box from it. The necklace, charm bracelet, and ring from my dad are still the only pieces I own and I slip them on. Hannah got them all cleaned for me as a birthday gift one year so they sparkle nicely still. She also got me two new charms: a silver one of two girls holding hands and a black sparkly graduation cap. 

I walk downstairs wincing at every step. I pull an ice pack out of the freezer and carry it to the downstairs bathroom, leaving the door open. I grab an ace bandage from the closet and pull off my shirt. I place the ice on my ribs and begin wrapping the bandage around my midsection. As I am, I hear the familiar shwoosh, slam of the front door opening and closing. I freeze. No one is supposed to be home! Hannah isn’t supposed to be here for another hour and a half! I stay silent, praying that I won't be noticed. I hear heavy footsteps coming towards the bathroom.

“Annabella?” I hear Austin before I see him. 

“s**t,” I mutter under my breath. He walks into the bathroom and his eyes rake over my body. Why couldn’t he have gone to a college further away so he would move out?

“Let me help you,” he says grabbing the bandage out of my hands. 

“Don’t trust him!” My inner voice yells. 

“Um I can do it but thank you,” I say reaching to take it back but he yanks his hands away and steps behind me. My heart rate picks up. His hands wrap the bandage around me once, twice, thrice. On the fourth time, he takes the metal clamp and fastens it to my body. He doesn’t move, so I don’t. I feel him lean in real close to my head. 

“I never realized how beautiful your body is,” he whispers in my ear. My heart drops to my stomach. 

“Run.” And I do just that. I throw my head back against his then sprint out of the bathroom. 

“You can run Annabella, but I saw those bruises, you won't make it far,” he yells through the house. I whimper because I know he’s right, I'm already slowing down because of my ribs. I make it to my bedroom and slam the door shut, locking. Not ten seconds later, Austin is banging on my door. 

“Go away Austin! You do not ever get to touch me like that!” I shout sounding braver than I am. He slams against the door once and I hear a c***k. The wood won't hold together a second time. It doesn’t. He hits the door, it splinters in two, and he steps inside. 

“Come on baby, just one good f**k, you're still a virgin aren’t you?” Why does he have to be so crude? He walks towards me.

“No Austin.” He reaches me and pulls me off the ground, pinning me to the wall. 

“What was that?”

“I am saying no! If you keep going it will be r**e! And I'm still a minor!” 

“No one will know,” he shrugs then crashes his lips onto mine. He swipes his tongue against my bottom lip asking for entry which I obviously deny. Then he smacks me in the ribs causing me to cry out. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth then shoves his knee between my legs when I try to kick him. All my damn training and he has to put me in the one position I can't get out of. So I do the one thing I can think of, I bite down on his tongue. Hard. 

“AH!” he screams and drops my arms. I bring both of my elbows down on the top of his head and run out of my room. “You b***h!” He reaches me at the stares and shoves me down. I pull my arms over my head to protect it as I roll down the long staircase. I land in a heap but quickly try to squirm away. 

“Please don’t do this Austin,” I beg. 

“Oh baby, I do love to hear you beg. But I will take you. Right here, right now.” He then proceeds to shove one hand up my shirt and one down my pants. I cry out at the foreign feelings and his tongue is back in my mouth. All I can do is whimper and wiggle as his hands grope my body. 

But then several things happen. The front door flies open, something growls quite loudly, then Austin is ripped off my body and thrown into the wall, knocking him out cold. Then Hannah’s hands are on me.