The Lycan King’s Abused Mate

6.

***

Summer was usually Bella's favourite season. She looked forward to it every year, because it was the only time when Luke allowed her to roam around the grounds without any supervision. She was free to walk around the gardens and sit underneath the apple tree, preferably with a book or two and sometimes with her feet dangling in the pond.

Summer was the time when he had his annual pack meeting. All his allies would troop in and out of the manor, and he would be stuck in his study for days on end, never having the chance to supervise her. Sometimes he would have Brandon watching her, but mostly she was left to her own devices.

Today, Bella sat by the pond and tucked her feet underneath her with a book on her lap and her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She had brought out with her some leftover pasta which she had heated up and a soda which she had snuck out. She leaned against the trunk of the apple tree for a long time, relishing the warmth of the sun and basking in the light. Somewhere deep inside her, their connection barely noticeable, her wolf stirred and licked the air expectantly.

Bella had never shifted. She never knew how to do it, and before she had someone to teach her, Luke had swooped into her life and taken her as his prisoner. Now, she was stuck with no formal training, and no proper understanding of the bond she was supposed to have with her wolf. Of course the constant a***e didn't help as well, and now she could barely feel any presence in her mind. Besides, Luke would never let her train for fear that she would somehow grow strong enough to facilitate her own escape.

But today was not supposed to be a gloomy day. She was supposed to be enjoying her freedom, for the short while it lasted. Luke was holed up in some dark corner of the manor, and she was free to listen to the birds chirping overhead and the soft humming of the wind. The trees danced with a frivolity and vigour which resonated with her, and she found a slow smile creeping to her face.

"Something on your mind?" a dark voice said, and she looked up to find Brandon standing over her. Her heart immediately stopped in her chest, and the day turned just a little bit darker. Bella drew her knees up to her chest, terrified by his presence and wishing that she could be anywhere else but here.

Brandon was standing with a nonchalant grin on his face. His arms were by his side, and he was looking at her in the same way he usually did, with a mixture of disgust and slight curiosity.

"You haven't answered my question," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Or did you not hear me?"

"N-nothing," Bella stammered, struggling to look as impassive as she could manage. Maybe if he thought she wasn't up to anything, then he wouldn't disturb her. But there was only a slim chance of that actually happening. And sure enough, Brandon sat down next to her and folded his legs.

"Colleen Hoover?" he asked, gesturing to the book on her lap. "I didn't know you enjoyed his work."

Bella bit her lip and waited. This was the part she despised the most, the pretence and the methodical attempt at getting her to open up a bit. She was familiar with the tactic, and she hated it because it made her feel stupid. Worthless, even. She realised that it was all just a game to them, and she was the pawn which they could use whenever they wanted.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, to which Brandon's grin widened even more. His gaze traveled all over her, and Bella felt her skin crawl as she looked at him. His eyes went over her mouth, lingering for a while at her breasts, and then down the rest of her figure.

"Do I really have to tell you why I'm here?" he asked. "Can you not figure it out already?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, trying to stand up and head back towards the house before he could make any advancements towards her. But as soon as she tried to stand, Brandon reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Bella," he said. "Are you still angry with me because I told Luke that you were trying to escape? You know I had to do that."

"I'm not angry with you," she lied. "I'm just really tired and I have to go."

But Brandon was not ready to let her go. He pulled her back to the ground roughly, and Bella lost her balance and fell onto his lap. The book fell out of her hand as she exclaimed, but Brandon held her in place as his hand came up to her breast and squeezed. His breath was hot and heavy on her neck as she struggled to pull away, but his grip on her hand was tight and his tongue flicked over her exposed skin.

"Why do you resist?" he asked. "Why do you make this harder than it is? You don't have to make this difficult for the both of us. You and I both know that you want this."

"I don't," she cried, fighting as hard as she could to get away from him. "Please, just let me go."

But Brandon did not seem bothered about her. All he cared about was getting what he wanted, and as he stuck his hand underneath her shirt, cupping her breasts and pulling her against him, he felt like he was in heaven. So what if Luke would never have allowed it? So what if she was his property? Brandon had taken his liberty with the other w****s he kept in Congdon, so why should Bella be any different? Why should Luke get to keep her all to himself while he stood by the side and watched him? It wasn't fair. And as long as he didn’t find out, there was no harm done, right?

Not for Bella, unfortunately. The trauma of having to deal with Luke was enough to weigh heavily on her mind, but dealing with Brandon as well was terrifying. She wished that she could fight back, but he was too powerful for her. He held her in place, unwilling to let go even for a second.

“Please, let me go,” she begged, tears welling up in her eyes as she desperately sought to get away from him. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Brandon pinned her arms overhead and slipped his hand into her pants.

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” Ava’s voice suddenly came from behind, and Bella’s eyes sprang open while Brandon froze at the sound. He immediately pulled his hands out of her pants, and turned around to stare at her with a brazen smile.

Relief flooded through Bella’s veins when she saw Ava making her way towards her. The tears were spilling from her eyes already, and she was shaking all over. As soon as she felt his grip loosen, she pulled away from him and put as much distance between them as she could manage, standing beside Ava who was glaring at him with murder in her eyes.

“Ava,” he said icily. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing, you piece of s**t!” she snapped. “What do you think you’re doing groping her like that?”

“That’s none of your f*****g business,” he spat, rising to his feet and glaring down at her. He tried to walk away, but Ava stepped in front of him and she stared pointedly at him.

“That’s not the answer I was looking for, Bran,” she said. “Now, tell me what the hell you were doing, or I swear to God that you’re going to regret it?”

“And what exactly are you going to do about it?” he growled. “Do not forget your place, Ava. You might be the Alpha’s sister, but that is all you’ll ever be. Do not mistake your position as one which holds any authority over me. I do not answer to you.”

He walked away quickly, and Ava turned her attention to Bella who was still shaking with terror. She wrapped her arm around her, and pulled her into a warm embrace while she smoothed her hair and shirt.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Everything will be fine, Bella.”

“No, it won’t,” Bella sobbed into her shoulder. “I can’t do it. I wish I was like you. Then maybe I would be able to stand up to them.”

“You can do that,” Ava said to her. “You just need to remind yourself that they aren’t any better than you. No one has the right to do this to you unless you let them. Don’t let them hold any power over you, Bella.”

She continued to weep however, and Ava’s heart broke at the sound. She needed to get Bella out of here, and it was imperative that she did it quickly. The longer she remained here, the more her brother and his delinquents would continue to a***e her and make her feel worthless. Time was of the essence in this.

She took Bella back to her room, a perfectly good summer afternoon ruined by Brandon’s idiocy. She stayed with her for a while, smoothing her hair and telling her that everything would be fine. Only after Bella slipped into an uneasy slumber did she leave the room.

Her blood was boiling as she marched down the hallway and towards the study where her brother was having a meeting. Ava did not care as she pushed the door open and stepped into the room, ignoring the dozens of stares which immediately shot in her direction. Her brother was seated on the other side of the room, one eyebrow raised questioningly. The man she sought was standing beside him, trying to look like he didn’t realise why she was here.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Luke demanded as she made her way around the table.

“Don’t mind me,” Ava said as she came to stand in front of Brandon. Before he could say anything, she punched him right in the face, then drove her knee right between his legs and knocked him to the ground. A grunt escaped from him as he toppled over, and Ava kicked him in the gut just for good measure before she turned around and headed for the door. She could feel the burning gaze of her brother on her back, along with everyone else in the room. But she didn’t care; someone needed to teach him a lesson.

“Ava…”

“Maybe you should ask him what he did first,” she said, cutting her brother off. “We’ll see if you wouldn’t do even more than I have.”

And then she slammed the door on her way out.

***