Mated ✓

01

Chapter One

This is where everything starts.

 “No, please! I won’t do it again, please…”

    His eyes turned into slits, flashing a sinister grin that Rean was quite familiar with. She could smell the booze coming from his mouth as he trotted near her. The man always has something in his aura that had always made her fear life itself and by at first, she thought nothing of it. However, she realized that she was too naïve to believe this kind of man. Her image of a father was destroyed because he had existed.

    She rather not have any father than to have a man to brutally made her body seem nothing but a punching bag. For years, she had to live with it. However, Rean was already close at turning 18 by this year and she feared that he will finally do the most remorse thing a man can do to a legal age child. Her fear of being r***d her her own father was not overthinking it. Rean had heard the man scream his name whenever he does the deed and if people had no interrupted him before, she would have to physically look at him while he satisfies herself.

    It will not be long before she had finally turned 18 and she fears the worse.

    The quivering along with the whimpers was his own amusement. Seeing her pain is the form of his daily dose of vitamin and she hated it. His hand grabbed hold of her hair tightly, releasing yet another set of pain to escape from her mouth. His amusement grew while Rean’s fear for my own life was flailing to the air like magic.

    “You better be.” He breathes out.

    One single blow to her face and he was out in the room, leaving the child on the floor like some rag doll that he had finished torturing for the day. This was a normal occurrence in this household—her father beating her almost beyond recognition and Rean, cowering in nothing but fear. This one, however, seems much less brutal than the other time that he would lay a hand on her. Despite the bruises on her face and the blood dribbling from her nose… she hated the fact that she sees this as not a bad thing.

    The normal beating would require that Rean would be swimming in her own blood rather than having fresh tears with streaks of blood.

    Her idea of having a “normal” life was deflating by the years go by. She had hopes that someone would listen and whenever that would come out from her mouth, it was always automatic that she looked at the glazing moon.

    Hoping that one day… it will finally listen to her, please.

    Her life was never normal—never did it touch a radius of that context.

    The one whom she thought would guide her, protect her from all evil and love her for who she was—her very own father, beats her on a daily basis. He was a very horrible man and having children be near him in public events makes her want to yank that kid away from such danger of a man. Watching her quiver in fear and covered in nothing but blood amuse him.

    It brings him joy.

    Who in the right mind would do that to their own daughter?

    Probably only him, as she was well aware.

    One single movement and Rean groaned, pushing all the light violence aside. He clearly did some serious damage on her hips, not granting her the desire to move freely or even mend her bruises. Rean cringed from the pain that’s slowly circulating through her whole body as if it was slowly draining her out.

    “No,” she muffled, trying her best to control her body, “I can’t pass out. I needed to treat these wounds or he’ll hurt me more when people notice. Please.” She begs, knowing the circumstances of her action.

    Her eyes grew heavy, darkness starts to cover me and she welcomed it with open arms.

    “Oh my goodness,” A voice squealed, pushing her out of rest before a body rest beside, nothing but complete horror flashed before her eyes and Rean frowned at that. One single touch from my hip and a groan of pain escape through her bruised lip, making the woman flinch, “Rean, oh no. This is just getting worst than before.”

    “Nothing that I am not used to. I’ll be fine,” her eyelids felt heavy, resulting it to flutter close as she tried to calm my breathing. In need of aid, Rean continues to grumble some words, “Is there an available medic that can get out of his grid? I needed to treat this soon or he’ll hurt me more when he found out that I slacked out.”

    Rosie rubs her hand in a soothing manner, “Listen to me, you need to escape from here.”

    “That’s impossible, Rosie. I couldn’t. I’ll get caught.”

    “He’ll be out by night since he was tangled into some things that he needed to do.” She stated, patting her head in a soothing manner. “I’ll be easier to escape with some help, trust me.”

    Searching for her eyes, Rean saw it glisten with determination. Rosie has been with her since her darling mother died—to all the pain in her life, Rosie was nothing but the light that had always kept her sane. She has been the only adult who took care of her since she was but a child.

    However, she only grew knowledgable of the bruises not that long from today. The staff of the house used to be far away from her own room so they wouldn’t hear her screaming in pain—that was when she was in the age of 5. Rosie had learned the true colors of the man she served only a couple months before this.

    She never knew that Rean had to suffer pain and suffering from the man for almost 18 years of her life. Not only does Rean fears that he would r**e her—but Rosie fears for that thing too. It was the reason why she wanted to have the child out of the home as soon as she could.

    When she reached a young age of ten, Rean had learned to hold in my tears and cries which usually get her out of trouble. Rosie only got suspicious when she has seen one of the bruises on her shoulder. It was never there where she took care of the child and despite her being clumsy—Rosie doubt it’ll be in that condition.

    Rean was quick to deflect that and she did not question much.

    However, after that suspicions, more came by. It then came into the point where she Rosie had physically seen her being whipped. Thankfully enough, her father didn’t catch her.

    “Rosie,” Rean sobbed, clutching her hands as my tears continuously flow, “No… what if you got caught?”  

    “That is not the issue here. You need to escape, you hear me?”

    Rean nodded, wiping my tears away, “Okay.”

    Then come the night which she has conflicted emotions about. Sounds of people chattering coherent words as the small roar of the motor were the only sounds that were familiar in her ears. The motor ignited, before it faded completely, making her heart into beating faster than it should be.

    Rean can escape—hopefully.

    “Rean,” Rosie whispers through my dark room. “It’s time to go, sweetie.”

    She nodded my head, hugging the woman tightly as she could. Rosie is the only family that she manages to have from the array of people that her father had over the course of years. People don’t really see her as anything but a lady to serve, the daughter of their so called hero. Rosie, however, saw behind that façade and manage to become the lady that she needed most—a mother figure.

    “Now, hurry now. Less security is placed now, they’ll return by 11, which gives you ten minutes to escape freely. The staff is all retired to their bed space. Good luck, my sweet Rean.”

    Rosie moved first, securing the place for her. Everything was easy, as Rosie has instructed. Nobody can see her as she creeps through the halls. Being quiet and having such light footsteps helped perfectly. Many people would let her through, actually. But she didn’t want them to get in between the dispute of her father’s abuse towards her.

    Nobody deserved to be treated like she was treated.

    Upon seeing the trees and the blooming forest, her feet did its damage and run. Rean has always seen the forest as her safe haven, a place where she feels like everything is at ease. Having that thought doesn’t help her in any way. However, it does give her mind some peace.

    Her father hated the forest, saying that my nightmare lives in here—all the monsters and evil creatures lurk in here by night. For years, she faced the idea that her mother died with the werewolves. As idiotic as it sounds, her father does sound believable through every story but remembering how he could easily manipulate people into thinking he’s good—she thought that it’s the same on his stories.

    Everything was nothing but a lie.

    Only did he know, that he was her nightmare, and he lived all along with her whole life.

    Rean’s feet continue to face forward and she could feel my feet aching. The pain in my hip was slowly making its comeback and her eyes were getting droopy. She was clearly tired and out of juice to continue running away—but she needed to go more further than she did or she’ll be found out soon enough.

    However, she didn’t have the stamina and strength to even do what she wants to do.

    Rean stopped in the middle of the forest where there is a path for a car to go through. She was aware that this is where some foreigners would travel and hardly a way where her father would go through. That being said, she stopped and panted like crazy. She was trying her best to beat herself up from feeling too woozy.

    “Uh… miss?”

    She shrieked, startled by the voice and nothing but an alarm. When she finally noticed the person in front of her. The woman, Echo, only cringed when the woman seemed to have elicited too much noise that had hit her right in her supposed strength. Being a werewolf does have its b***h moment at times. 

    On the other hand, Rean seemed to notice that the woman before her looks like someone in her age range. Her hair is tied in a bun, looking at her with nothing but an emotion that Rean doesn't really understand. 

    The lady in front of her carefully kneads her ears.

    “Careful, sensitive hearing.”

    “S-sorry. A-are you lost? T-the city is that w-way.” Rean shuttered as the cold is now engulfing her body like a second skin. Her hands were quick to hug her body and thankfully enough, due to her baggy clothes, it does help a lot. “The exit should be at least… not that far. About five to ten minutes, I think.”

    “Oh you poor thing,” She mumbled before looking at her car who seems pretty occupied because of the stuff that she bought. As if having an internal battle with herself, she finally had the courage to continue her words as she looked at Rean. “Listen, do you have a place to stay for tonight?”

    Rean shook her head, aware that she had nowhere to go for food to fend herself. Food is the last thing in her mind for she needed to be away from this place and fast. She noticed that the woman before her had shifted her face into what seemed like a mortified one. 

    Confused, Rean couldn't even comprehend to why she was affected by that fact. Usually, she doesn't easily trust people that she didn’t know, considering that people were never really aware of what is happening to her and she hated another to feel the wrath of her father. Speaking to other people is a very different thing now since she was usually inside the house.

    Her hands covered her mouth as she heard another clang of the thunderstorm. To her mind, she reasoned out that the woman would be leaving anytime now as she had given the directions she needed. 

    However, Echo Blithe could only frown as soon as she felt her wolf whimpering from inside her. she couldn't even guess why the wolf was whimpering. Although, she does find the situation understandable when she realized how terrible life was to the poor girl before her. There is a bad storm coming and judging by her look, she seems rather cold. 

    In this state, she could get a fever or something.

    She was clearly debating inside her mind. Despite her rank in the pack, she couldn't just bring any human in the pack as they easily shift into their normal forms there. It was against the rule and her father would be clearly disappointed for her not obeying such rules.

    Despite the unfairness of it, it does hold merit as a human has always been the kind that hunted them down. But... does this little child even have the strength to defeat any wolf? 

    Echo does not understand the behavior of her wolf too. She knew that if it was the one who was in control, it would be howling like crazy. It makes her question what the hell was going on with her, wondering what just level of hell did she dipped herself in. When a loud crash from the thunderstorm erupted and she heard another whimper - she knew she was a goner. 

    The girl in front of her is utterly terrified and damaged.

    Echo looked at the girl carefully, scanning for something that might scream threat. The woman was well aware that she was naive and she wanted to make sure that this isn't some scam that a rogue had a plant in order to infiltrate their pack. Then again, she does know that her wolf would notice and smell her if she was a rogue. 

    “Uh…”

    Rean raised her head and for a moment, seemingly surprised to see that the woman was still there. Through the time that she was gaining some strength, she swore that she heard someone had slipped on by. There were no words coming out of her lips. Echo only smiled at her warmly, which cast her off of her trance.

    “Oh, you possibly didn’t get my direction because of the stuttering.” Rean gulped her words as she forced herself to speak straight. “The city is straight ahead.” She carefully instructed as she sniffed through the cold, “Then you would see a sign that needs to turn right.”

    Echo shook my head before chuckling, “No, dear, I'm nowhere near lost. I live here all my life. I just want to lend you some other place to stay for tonight.” 

    “W-what?” Rean gasped and Echo just couldn't help herself but to smile at the reaction that she was giving her. Despite the thick cover of the foundation in her face, the woman seemed very soft for someone who could put danger in their pack. Then all of a sudden, her lips twitch and Echo could only frown for she knows that the woman doesn’t trust her, “I don't want to intrude. I'll be fine. Thank you for the offer though.”

    Echo shook my head, "Nonsense, the forest can get chilly. Judging by the way you’re already freezing at this rate, I don’t think you can survive the night.”

    “But…” she trailed as she looked around, probably looking for some place that she can point at to say that she indeed has a home. Then as she found none, Rean uttered a soft sigh. “I…”

    “Come on,” Echo chuckled before gently grabbing her hand and pulling her in the passenger seat.

    Well then. Seems like she will be having a guest then.