Sisters By Chance - The Dawn (Book Two)

Imprisoned

The Beta's eyes burned from rage, telling me he wanted to beat me bloody. And I wished he would have done it! If not because of my behavior, which has been unforgivable, beastly, and unworthy of any man. At least I would have had the excuse to punch him back in self-defense. I should never have opened my mouth! I wasn't planning on hurting her with my words. Her statement of not belonging to anyone turned a light on inside me and invited Kayden to try his luck. I just wanted to make an excuse for him not to touch her, and the words just blurted out of me. It was bad enough that she lived with the Beta, clearly sharing his bed. Now another one had his eyes on her.

Why wouldn't he?

Why wouldn't anyone? She's gorgeous!

Despite their want for her, no man could ever desire her as I do - she's perfection! I thought she was the most beautiful being alive at the hospital. She held my eyes with her dark gaze, and I was trapped, a complete prisoner under her spell and divine scent; Sun warm raspberry and lemon balm - the perfect summer blend. I didn't even know she was a witch, let alone that witch! Yet I knew I couldn't live without her.

Thor was the one who broke me free from my staring, howling, and snarling, letting me know she was straddling another man and that we walked in on them. It took all my strength to suppress him and walk away from her. He kept howling, whimpering, growling, and pleading as I locked the door behind us and slid to the floor. He hated me, as did I.

I should have claimed her then and there, but I couldn't. She being a witch was the least of my worries. First of all, she had chosen another man. Secondly, I have witnessed firsthand what the mate bond can compel a person to do: The amount of your own personality and values that can get lost in the pursuit and the need to protect a single person from harm! I knew when I saw her, felt her scent along with the bond nestling into my brain and heart, that I would do everything!

Anything, to make her smile!

To make her smile. And it scared the s**t out of me!

The sounds of River raping the pleading and crying girls as Olivia sobs at him that it's alright; are permanently engraved in my brain. I can't seem to drown the sounds out, whatever I do. They keep on tormenting me. Day and night. What good is it to have physically escaped and survived if you bring your prison with you in your head?

I had never imagined myself to have much self-control. And I nearly lost it tonight. Seeing her practically naked with those triangular mesh patches hiding nothing from view. Her round mounds were peeking into the air, looking straight at me, begging for attention. Her long silky hair cascaded down as a waterfall onto the floor as her perfect face looked at us. Even the deadly glare she gave the Beta turned me on. And Thor, who had been quiet for days, was back in the blink of an eye!

Pretty as a picture didn't even begin to describe her, a picture could never capture her beauty or do it justice.

*

I keep still on the balcony, observing as everyone else leaves.

Harry carries her sleeping against his shoulder, and Thor's agonizing howls fill my mind making tears form in my eyes. Every ounce of energy drains from my body and soul. I slowly sink to the floor and hold my head between my knees.

A panic attack sneaks up on me: I feel it build in my chest as if I'm losing control of my breathing and am being sucked into the dark prison that is my brain. I force air down my lungs, slow and steady, attempting to avoid the dark pit that haunts me.

Entering here tonight was like being back. The sounds, the flashing lights, and the thick darkness all came crashing down on me. And I froze!

It was the scent of raspberry that woke me and brought me back. Then I saw her. She came stumbling through the masses as a lost little bird, looking for something or someone.

She is both darkness and light!

A curse and a blessing, all wrapped up in one magnificent person. Thor took over, and he stepped in. Help her and took her away to take care of her when I couldn't. She saw him. She talked to him, and he purred internally to be in her presence until I took over. And her demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. At least now Kayden knows, and he'll back off.

*

Someone harshly shoves my shoulder as I focus on my breathing, keeping me away from blacking out.

'Are you drunk, nephew?'

I shake my head at Elias without looking up.

'Something the matter?' He wonders while sliding down the rail to sit beside me. He's a big man, and I imagine it to look comical. To grown-ass men sitting here on the floor. One pathetic and the other concerned. The thought almost makes me chuckle.

When my only response is to sigh heavily, Elias puts a large arm over my slumping shoulder.

'Come on, tell me. Maybe I can help?'

'You can't.' I huffed, defeated.

'You don't know that. I'm not completely useless!'

I inwardly groan. I don't want to display my failure by saying it out loud. But Thor has shut himself off, leaving me to deal with my pain without him.

'Thor hates me!'

Elias whistled low, 'That sucks! What did you do?'

'Nothing!' I growled defensively.

'Our wolves don't hate us for no reason. You must have done something!' He presses on, not buying the explanation. Nevertheless, it's true. He hates me for doing nothing when I should have done something.

'I was awful towards someone, and I don't know how to fix it!' I say vaguely.

'Why?'

'Why, what?'

'Why were you awful, and why don't you know how to fix it?'

I sat back up, making him withdraw his arm, and leaned back against the rails with closed eyes.

'I know you've been through a lot!' Elias ensures me, making me growl. He knows nothing of what I've seen or done! Nothing!

'And, I know that I don't know, okay? However, you need to let people help you deal with it and not turn into a crappy person. Do you get that?'

'I'm not a crappy person!' I snort angrily.

'If Thor hates you because you've been awful towards someone, then I'd say you're on the way to getting there!' Elias growls harshly, making me visibly flinch.

The lights turn on around me, and my breathing eases up. The tight knot in my chest evaporates, and I can let go of myself.

'Fine, I'm a crappy person! Thanks for nothing!' I said as I abruptly stood to my feet. This talk didn't help at all! All he did was sum up my behavior in one word. I step over his legs and stride towards the stairs.

'Tim, stop!' Elias barks. 'You're not crappy, not yet! Just find the person and tell them that you're sorry!'

I ignore him as he yells after me.

I'm done, and I'm out of here!

I storm down the stairs with a simmering rage below the surface. I need a run! Even if Thor has shut me off, I need to run.

A hand is firmly placed on my shoulder as my feet hit the dance floor. A sharp pain, like an explosion, shoots from my shoulder to my whole body, making me roar with rage and anguish. The room disappears before my eyes. I'm sucked back into the pit in a heartbeat reacting on instinct. I grab the hand, pulling it forward across my chest. I drop my knees down before using his own bodyweight against him, throwing him over me - slamming him onto the ground and twisting his arm. I hear the pop from it dislocating, expecting screams. Instead, a massive growl reaches me through the darkness. Without checking my surroundings, I swung around and straddled him on the floor, raining blows on his head and face. I need to take him out before he takes me. Kill or be killed, that's it! There is no in-between. Through the haze, I hear someone scream. I can't make out the words. It's as if I'm underwater.

Someone grabs my arms from behind and pulls me back. I throw the person off in a blind rage and return to pound furiously on the man under me. The attacker came back, successfully grabbing just one of my arms, and swiftly twisted it up high on my back before pressing me down on the floor with a knee between my scapulas. I roar and thrust on the floor, trying to get loose. But in vain. I feel my energy drain until I embrace the darkness and the inevitable death I have been evading until now. Tears flow unhindered from my eyes as I see the full lips I never had the pleasure of tasting, the dark eyes I never had the opportunity to make smile, and the woman I never got to hold for real in front of me. Thor takes over as I give up, it darkens completely, and I slip away, letting him out.

*

*

*

There is a dropping and dripping sound followed by tiny splashes. It's echoing between stone walls, and I twitch each time a drop lands in what sounds like a puddle. I'm surrounded by darkness all around. It's thick, damp, and cold. I know I'm naked, and I'm sore. My hand pounds and burn as if they have their own puls. They lay on the wet ground, as am I, being cooled down by the moisture below.

The smell of blood registers, along with mud - an all too known combination, except the air here feels fresh. A shiver travels down my spine, sending goosebumps all over my skin. My memories are all too clear. I wished I could have woken up in the bliss of not knowing. But, no such luck! She hates me. The Beta hates me, and Elias should hate me for what I did to his face.

The only part I have no memory of is how I got away. Thor was livid, the same as me. We couldn't have stopped even if we wanted to. Fight or flee! That was all it was. We needed to survive, even though we should have known we weren't in any danger. And now we're rolling in self-pity, embarrassed, and alone.

'We need to go back!'

'Just a little longer.' I beg him, not ready to face what I have done.

'We need to make things right,' Thor sighs. 'We need to make her forgive us!'

A tiny part of me wants to leave and never go back. Tobias was rogue for his whole life and survived. Why wouldn't we?

Thor growls at the thought. 'Of course we'd survive! But we're not running away and hiding from our pack, family, or our mate! We're going back!'

Thor's words are final, and I know he's right. We need to go back and fix this.