POV: Echo
Slow, steady footsteps on the basement stairs jar me from my sleep. My bed, if you can even call it that, is nothing more than a thin foam mattress on the damp basement floor. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I flip onto my back, focusing on slowing my racing heart.
Reminding myself that there is no way it can be him, it’s absolutely not possible. He is away for meetings in another pack and isn’t due back for another couple of days.
My eyes dart to the long, narrow window above the laundry machines. The half-moon shining high in the sky tells me it is nowhere near morning yet. I turned my head and looked toward the door; the steps still coming down.
I quickly glance around the basement, and even though it’s too dark to actually see anything, I have the layout of the room committed to memory from long hours spent down here. Industrial-sized washers and dryers, the massive laundry folding table, multiple shelves filled with folded clothes and linen, varying sorted dirty piles, and baskets of folded laundry.
Although I already know there is nowhere to hide down here, I can’t help looking for one every time. Unless I count my measly bathroom, which I don’t, it’s carefully laid out, so that there is nowhere for me to go.
However, I do seriously debate hiding in the galvanized steel trough that they call my bathtub, but it’s quickly vetoed when the panic of being held underwater until I pass out floods over me. That idea backfired horribly the last time I tried it, and I had no desire to repeat the near drowning.
I froze when I heard the footsteps stop just outside the basement door. The sound of the door being unlocked, and the doorknob turning, shattering the abrupt silence, and snapping me back to the matter at hand. Sucking in a deep breath, I force my body to remember how to breathe, desperately wishing I could just disappear.
‘Please be someone looking for clean sheets… Please don’t be him, please don’t be him.’ I mentally chanted while listening to the door slowly swing open, as though whoever opened it was in no hurry to enter the room.
My body reacts immediately, trembling like a leaf the moment his scent drifts across the room. The mix of cedar and vanilla filled me with a nauseating dread. He is back far too early for it to be for good reasons.
Listening as he stepped into the room, I noticed right away that he was now light on his feet. Firmly shutting the door, he locks it with his personal key, one no one else has a copy of. I know no one will interrupt whatever he has planned for tonight. Straining my ears, I continue to listen for his movements but can hear nothing after he puts the key back in his pocket.
This is what he enjoys, prowling in the dark while leaving me trembling in my bed, waiting for his wrath. Not able to stand it anymore, I raised my head and squinted through the dark, silent basement, needing to know where he was. I shivered, still fully clothed, so tired I hadn’t even pulled my thin blanket over myself before falling asleep.
Sitting up fully, I strained my eyes and ears, scanning the surrounding darkness, trying desperately to locate him in the dark. I scoot back on my mattress until my back presses against the icy wall, grounding myself to keep the panic at bay. Taking several deep breaths, I try to figure out a plan of action.
The only thing I can think about doing is getting to my flashlight so that I’ll be able to see where he is. Being a werewolf, I shouldn’t even need the help of a flashlight to see in the dark, but my heightened senses have been weak at best, and almost non-existent at worst. Currently, I’d say my sight is probably worse than a human’s with how long I’ve gone without food now.
Stretching my hand to the right, I feel for the shelf that holds everything I own in this world. A couple of faded t-shirts, and even more worn-out leggings. Socks with holes, stretched-out bras, and panties. Several ponytails, a hairbrush that’s missing more bristles than it has, a toothbrush that’s well past its prime.
Skimming across my belongings with my fingertips, I search for the spot where I tucked the forbidden object away for safekeeping. I hesitate when I find it, knowing that using it now will, without a doubt, cost me dearly. The aura of unbridled rage that came rippling across the room like a suffocating wave made the choice for me, as it slammed into me with breathtaking force. His meeting did not end well, and I must have been his first stop after returning to the pack. Unable to wait in suspense anymore, I slipped the flashlight out of its hiding place.
Breathless and on the verge of complete and utter panic, I snatched the flashlight from the shelf and clutched it to my chest. Flicking it on, I blinked in the sudden harsh light. As soon as my eyes adjust, I scan the room for the wolf that is stalking through the dark.
Sweeping the light in a wide arc around the room to the left, I saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. If it wasn’t for his scent burning my nostrils, I would truly believe I had dreamed of his arrival. Continuing past the door, I sweep over the shelves full of clean sheets, moving toward the bathroom, where I finally find him. Leaning against my bathroom doorframe, only a couple of feet away from me, his eyes fixed on me in a deadly glare.
He grins menacingly as the scent of my terror permeates the air around us. It feels as though all the air has been sucked from my lungs; the light bouncing violently in my shaking hands as I desperately try to think of a way out. Coming up empty, I merely stared at him, frozen by the panic flowing through every part of my body, waiting for him to make the first move.
“You shouldn’t have that now, should you?” His voice is quiet, some would say charming even. But I know better. I can hear the untold threat of his words. I know what it means to have something in my possession that I’m not supposed to have. Know what the consequences will be.
Jerking my head from side to side, I blink away my tears before they can fall. He’s there instantly, jerking me into the air, with my feet dangling, struggling to breathe as he lifts me by the throat.
My flashlight shatters as it skitters across the floor, thrusting us into darkness. Unable to see or breathe, I lose all reservations about my actions and I grip his hand with both of mine, thrashing around, trying to break free of his grip.
“Oh, Echo, the scent of your fear is delicious!” he growls, yanking my body closer. He moves forward quickly, slamming me into the wall behind us and pinning my body with his. Loosening his grip on my throat, just enough to allow me to breathe again, he runs his nose along my collarbone, stopping where my neck meets my shoulder. Inhaling deeply, he scents me, purring at the smell of my panic.
Gasping, I clasped the hand around my throat tightly, allowing my mind to go blank as I tried to think about something else. I have a well-built safe place designed for nights like tonight, letting me numb my mind to the pain of the violence he was about to inflict on my body.
His free hand skims its way under my shirt, icy chills sending shock waves of disgust throughout my body everywhere he touches. I focus on letting go of it all, but am interrupted before I can, as he sensed I was not mentally present. He drags a claw across my ribs, drawing me back to reality abruptly and forcing me to be a part of this twisted game he likes to play.
Unable to hide in my safe place, my body reacts instinctively. My hands released the hand around my throat, one grabbing and halting the wandering hand under my shirt, and the other pulling back and slapping him as hard as I could. My shocked apologies are cut off as he tightens his grip around my throat, drawing his hand from under my shirt. He wipes the tears from my eyes as bright white spots dance across my sight. Kicking my legs feebly, I cannot loosen his deadly grip.
“I am going to have some fun tonight.” He breathes, running his nose along my jaw, nipping sharply at my ear. I shudder, a whimper caught in my throat as the lack of oxygen plunges me headfirst into nothingness.
Pain. Extreme, scorching pain drags me back to consciousness. An intense burning sensation that radiates from my back all over my body. Swallowing the whimper building in my throat, I remain still as I listen for any signs he hasn’t left yet. Lying face down on the cold cement floor of the basement with the back of my shirt shredded, my body was wracked with involuntary shivers. Hearing nothing, I slowly opened my eyes, staring in shock at the fresh red stains on the surrounding floor. I drew in a sharp breath, nearly gagging at the thick scent of my blood as it combined with cedar and vanilla. “You’ve finally joined me,” he sneers wickedly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I kept myself busy while I waited for you to wake up." His finger traced across my back, near but not quite touching the source of the burning. I can’t help but flinch away from it, sending another wave of pain shooting from my back. Feeling his intense gaze on my face, I close my eyes in defeat, not wanting to know
POV: Echo I bolt upright with a screech of shock and pain as the frigid water splashes over me. Wiping my sopping wet baby curls off of my forehead, I shiver violently in my now wet clothes. Glancing around, I see the last two people I ever want to wake up to see standing next to my bed. Magnifying tenfold, the increasingly throbbing pain in my back steals my breath away, leaving me gasping for air. Flailing, I try to, and fail to keep the strangled whimpers and cries from passing my lips. Alpha Brady and Luna Embry smile maliciously as they watch me inch my way back toward the wall behind me. The small amount of movement is enough to make the room spin, and my body futilely attempts to empty the non-existent contents of my stomach. It results in excruciating dry heaves for several moments, causing tears to pour down my face. The violent movements had stretched the wounds on my back in a way that drove the excruciating pain deeper into my body than I thought possible. Collapsing on
POV: Echo “Eat!” Brady demands, as he places the fork firmly in my hand. Trembling, I looked at the plate in apprehension, wondering what kind of torture he'd come up with now. Grasping the fork so tightly my knuckles turn white, I scoop some eggs onto my fork and bring them to my mouth. I hesitate for a moment before placing them in my mouth and chewing. Waiting again after I swallow, expecting it to be laced with silver or wolfsbane. When no pain comes, I dig into the meal. Only a quarter of the way through, I had to stop. Slowly sipping on the glass of orange juice, I savour its sweet flavour. Having had nothing but water for so long, I’d forgotten how deliciously sweet that juice was. My stomach feels full and slightly painful, as I have eaten as much food this morning as I typically see over a period of days, maybe even upwards of a week. I feel absolutely stuffed. The Alpha has been watching me this whole time, and I have avoided looking at him, trying to pretend he wasn’t the
POV: Echo Working with the laundry has never been so uncomfortable in my life. I quickly emptied the dryers and then ran the washers again to rid the clothes of the stale damp scent clinging to them from sitting wet for three days. The pain in my back twinged every time I reached too far into the machines for the clothing, resulting in me having to almost crawl inside the massive dryers to get everything out. As I do so, I can feel Brady watching my every move with a purely animalistic gaze of desire. He stands just behind me, his eyes darkening with his wolf, making me desperate to get out of the basement before he acted on his desire. I thanked the Moon Goddess when I finished, and he simply gestured for me to head up the stairs in front of him. Not wanting to provide him with the time or opportunity to touch me or change his mind, I scrambled up the stairs as quickly as I could. Three steps into the kitchen, I paused, stifling a horrified gasp when I saw the state of it. In thre
POV: Echo The jolt of being tossed onto the soft mattress brought me back to my senses, just in time for him to move to the edge of the bed in front of me. Before I can react, he grabs me by my ankles and drags me until my legs hang off the bed and I’m lying on my back in front of him. Trying to control my emotions, I attempt to force my fear back, and replace it with calm. Repeating in a loop in my head, I tell myself that someone is going to interrupt him. Either his Luna coming home or a mind-linking pack member needing his help. Someone is going to stop this. Despite my best efforts, even I could smell the waves of complete panic rolling off me the moment he dragged a fingertip down my thigh. He sucks in a deep breath, smirking, and I can smell his arousal instantly. My wholebody trembles as he takes my hands and gently pulls me into a sitting position. Running his hands over my hair, smoothing it down, he slowly shifts it to the side so he can access my neck better. Aware that
POV: Echo The harsh sound of the dryers buzzing, signalling the end of their cycles, startles me awake. My joints scream in protest as I slowly dragged myself to a sitting position. I’d passed out in the same crumpled heap I’d been tossed in, and my whole body was stiff and sore. Sitting for a minute, I waited for the aching to fade away. Attempting to take stock of my injuries, new and old, I frowned, raised my shirt, and gingerly touched my ribs, before cautiously stretching. My ribs don’t even so much as ache, which is odd given how many were broken prior to my tumble down the stairs. Curious, I inspect my other injuries and find they are also absent. Undoing my finger splint and pulling it off, I see my finger has also healed entirely, which surprised me because its healing had been slowed considerably before. Jumping up off the floor, I rush towards the bathroom, pulling off my shirt as I go. Quickly removing the bandages from my back and letting the gauze flutter to the floor
POV: Echo I rarely I allow myself to take a trip down memory lane. It’s even less often that I think back on that day. After passing out, I had woken up in the basement and that’s where I stayed. No one ever explained what happened other than that my parents were killed trying to escape as they were responsible for their Luna’s death, and that I was to be punished in their stead. Apparently, their deaths weren’t punishment enough. I wished nothing more than to have ignored my stomach and turned in the other direction. If I had, I may have been fortunate enough to find myself in a neighbouring pack, one who didn’t hate my very existence. Or I may have just died from exposure. Anything would have been better than my life right now. Sighing, I gave the pants I just picked up an extra vigorous shake. All the hopes in the world wouldn’t take me back to make a different choice. I needed to focus on the giant piles of laundry around me, and on having my wolf. My parents made their choices
POV: Echo I made it to my spot by the door just as it swung open. Immediately assuming a servant’s stance, hoping to the Goddess that he doesn’t notice how hard I’m breathing, I focus on calming my pounding heart. I watched his feet move forward a few steps as he took in the sight of all the folded laundry on the table and in labelled baskets on the floor. “Hmm…” he hums, his feet turning back towards me and stopping just in front of me. He watches me try to and fail at containing my panting breath. I don’t think I have ever moved that fast in my life. I owe my speed and ability to mostly complete an impossible task to my wolf. She lent me what little energy she had to spare. I know I am screwed when he stiffens, raising his hand to my damp hair. I’d done my best to give it a solid rinse with the water I was provided through the single cold tap to my trough tub. However, I didn’t have time to wash it with soap, as I’d literally had two minutes to bathe, dress, and be on my spot.