*Danika*
A piercing head pain sizzled through my head, and I winced, tossing to my side on the bed. I waited for the pain to abate, my mind still groggy with sleep. Then, slowly I yawned and stood up, stretching my hands out.
The head trauma returned with my exertion, and my face crumpled as a result of it. Sitting down there looking into space, gradually memories of last night came trickling in.
I deliberately reached my hand to my butt area and touched it, instantly feeling pain shoot through my veins, causing me to fall to my side once more. Indeed it had happened and as if the ass pain wasn’t enough, my headache was evidence of my subsequent sob after he smacked the door on his way out, not caring one bit about leaving me in severe pain after spanking me.
It was hell and torturous for me. With each whip that came down my butt, I had to bite down hard on my lower lip in order not to cry out, as that seemed to double the number of the whips, as he had said. I felt bad for Muse as she kept whimpering in discomfort at what our mate was doing to us. Now she knows the kind of man he is.
Five, rubs.
Ten, rubs.
Twenty, rubs.
Then he finally stopped, with a continuous ass rub. My water pot broke as I sobbed quietly at the humiliation. It reminded me of everything I had run away from. Everything I thought I had overcome. Everything I thought I had in control. It reminded me that I was still that helpless weakling, if not more.
The recollection, brought tears that I thought I had exhausted last night to come down again. I hate myself. I hate myself so much for being this cursed. This weak. This good girl-even though I wanted to fight them. The only man that had to look at me with love, is not my mate and right now he is far from me. Leaving me alone with a monster.
A knock came on the door and I sharply wiped my tears, pulling the fluffy bed duvet to my chin and snuggling deeper in.
“Come in,” I croaked out, hoping my face doesn’t give out what I was feeling inside.
A young Omega nearly looking like Mary, came in. Her hands were in front of her, and her face was on the floor.
“Good morning, ma’am,” she bowed a little, making my insides cringe. “The Alpha requests your presence downstairs for breakfast.”
“Tell him I don’t feel too well and would like to stay indoors.”
She seems to hesitate before nodding and rushing out of the room. I exhaled and pushed off the covers. I have to go to the infirmary. I haven’t gone since yesterday which doesn’t show good manners. Not that it was my fault… Yeah, it is.
“Muse?” I called, still on my side, not wanting to upset my butt. I don’t know how I would cope with going to the infirmary because as it is, my butt still felt sore from the whiplash.
I paused, realizing Muse didn’t answer me. I just hope after last night she doesn’t go AWOL on me. She promised not to leave me!
There was a knock again. I thrashed my legs about, making an angry face before muttering a ‘come in’. The same girl waddled in, stopping in front of my bed and maintaining her former position.
“I’m sorry, Ms. The Alpha said you are to come down immediately for breakfast after which the doctor would come to check you up,” she informed me, stuttering on her feet. I knew it wasn’t her fault, we are almost in the same boat.
My chest was beginning to heave in rage. He did this to me and yet he makes it compulsory for me to join in some stupid breakfast? What is wrong with this man? He hates me, yet, he doesn’t want to avoid me.
“Fine, I will join them shortly,” I said. She didn’t move. “I said-”
“Please, Ma’am you have to come with me. He threatened to kill me if you don’t-”
“Fine!” I blurted harder than I intended, tears starting to sting my eyes. I just want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask for? Why can’t he just let me drench in my misery all by myself without having them stuffing trash on my face?
True to her words, she waited for me to quickly take my bath and wear a gown that she had brought out for me before I was done bathing. Then we left the room to the dining hall.
When we reached the dining entry, she left for her business, leaving me alone to face the hounds. I stood at the doorway for a while, gathering the courage to walk in. This gown suddenly appear too tight on me, as all eyes at that moment chose to turn to me.
“Danika!” shrilled the recent bane of my life, Paisley.
I looked up at her, not bothering to force any smile. I’m not in the mood for fake niceties. I’m pained, and the best everyone should do right now is to fucken mind their business.
Alfred stood to uproot a seat for me, and I honored him by going to sit on it.
“How are you doing, Danika? The Omega said you weren’t feeling too well?” Theresa started saying.
“Yea, I’m a little… down the weather,” I uttered, accepting the plate of waffles that was handed to me by Alfred, and giving him slight gratitude.
“I understand. It’s always like that when you are far from your mate,” she clapped her hands probably to remove bread crumbs, picking up the teacup gracefully. “I just hope he returns early. Talking about the mission, what mission did you say he was going to again, son?” She flipped her hair away to sip from her cup, her eyes tacked now on Alonso.
“Mother, I told you I hate talking during breakfast. You cultivated that behavior in us in childhood, what suddenly changed?” Alonso towed, his countenance seemingly parched.
“Urgh!” she rolled her eyes, “You are the least of all the people that abide by any rules. So spare me that tattleduck. Anyways, if you don’t want to share like always, it’s fine.” She dropped her cup to grace me with a charming smile. “Maybe you are expecting,”
I choked on my tea, letting out a spree of coughs. Alfred abruptly handed me a glass of water which I accepted, my cheeks getting very hot. Expec-this woman is a joke.
“Sorry, dearest. Me and my wide mouth,” she went on to say, followed by chuckling elegantly.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. It has nothing to do with that,” I assured her, not knowing why I had to clarify that. Maybe it’s better they thought that.
“Pardon me. I know it’s not my business, but I think my mother-in-law is right. Surely you and Lance engage in coupling, so-”
“Enough!” Alonso thundered, the others whimpering and bowing their heads immediately, his Alpha aura too powerful for them. As for me, I remained, staring wide-eyed across the table at him, his aura not having any effect on me.
His face was distorted into a stony outlook, his hands balled on the table. My heart was beating. They don’t know anything about me and Lance, but I know henceforth that whenever they speak anything concerning coupling between us, I will always be guilty, and my mate’s hatred for me would soar.
“Excuse me, I want to pick up something from Lance’s house,” I stood up immediately we finished eating.
“What about your healt-”
“I would be back shortly,” I didn’t let Theresa finish, not wanting anything to stop me.
Alfred stood with me. “Can I accompany you?”
I was about to respond, when Alonso beat me to it, “No. She goes alone,” he glared at his brother. “And make sure you are back as soon as possible,” he finalized, his eyes back at me, his tone indisputable.
I nodded vigorously and scurried away from the dining hall. When I reached outside, without another thought I began running, cursing the Omega for bringing out a gown for me rather than trousers.
I wanted to clear my head far from this confining place.
Everything was getting out of hand for me. I had to sit there and watch another woman beside my mate while acting to be the missy who was missing her pretentious mate. While at night, I suffered the worst humiliation of my life, and might continue henceforth.
How long am I going to continue like this? I am still eighteen, for how long?
I ran into the forest allowing my wolf to take over. I was like the wind, the only difference being my lack of navigation.
Muse took control, taking over completely as we dashed through the forest, my body experiencing the pain that came with full transformation. Fire raged through me, mixed with venom and fighting to explode through my veins.
My mind went back to what my mother had said to me that night in my dream. She wants me to better myself. She said I should never end up like her!
She died for a man who on a scale of ten, didn’t make one. He wasn’t worth any of it. Maybe I am like her. I allow Alonso to treat me poorly just the way I had allowed Liam to trample on me until I had lost it. All for what? I didn’t want to hurt people. The same people that don’t give a shit about me. My power is laying dormant inside, wasting away!
Who knows what next I might do if I don’t wake up. But first of all, I have to leave this place. I have to go to a new place and start a new life, away from this hellhole.
If I can’t have a man like Lance by my side, then I don’t want any other.
With that, I ran for my freedom.
…