Adjusting - 14. Chapter 13 - Pain

"Why do you ignore me, Adrian?"

I was breathing hard as pain lacerated my body. Bites, bruises, cuts, blood, and spent white seed decorated my once pale skin.

I couldn't stand to look at myself. I kept my eyes shut as often as possible.

"Adrian..."

My muscles were tense as my breathing labored through the pain, sweat dripping from my pores to try to cool off my overheated skin.

"You know that I wouldn't let them hurt you if you just accepted me, Adrian."

Tears began to seep out from my tightly shut eyelids at Alex's words. I had been ready to try with him, to attempt to get over what had been done to me in the past.

I was such a fool.

No one can be trusted enough for that.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I whispered, completely defeated. "I thought you cared about me."

Alex chuckled as though I were simply a curious child. "Oh, Adrian," he said as he began to pet my greasy, blood-matted hair. "I do care for you."

With a finger, Alex began to trace the contours of my face.

"Rogues have to be controlled. When I found you, we were so close to other pack members that I couldn't bring you here straight away. That would've been much too suspicious."

He had added the rest of his hand, now, and ran it down the length of my neck before resting it on my bare chest.

"I couldn't just let you die, either. You're much too pretty for that."

He began thumbing at my nipples, twirling his fingers around them to circle them in blood.

"I knew that once everyone saw how we were together, they wouldn't suspect me."

A small smirk appeared on his face as his other hand joined in the fray and he began to rub them up and down either side of me under my arms. I let out a hiss of pain when he rubbed them up against some of my cuts.

"This way, you can be with me. We can be happy together."

"If you want me to be happy, let me go," I begged, having completely given up on getting my dignity or pride back.

Alex just chuckled as his hands dragged further down to my hips. He dug his fingers into the bruises there, causing me to let out a cry of pain.

"Adrian, you don't listen, do you?"

Alex leaned down so his mouth was right next to my ear before digging his nails deep into the skin at my hips. I cried out again and tried to jerk away, but his grip just tightened as blood began to trickle from my hips.

"I already told you," he whispered before licking the shell of my ear. "Rogues need to be controlled. You don't know what's best for you--I do."

"You'll be charged with treason," I whispered, my body shaking in fear. "You've killed your own pack members!"

"I just sent the order," Alex smoothly replied as his grip relaxed and he began to lave at my neck, making shivers of disgust shoot through my system. "Besides, once I'm Alpha, they won't be able to do anything to me."

"You'll never be Alpha," I sneered. "You aren't next in line. You have no Alpha blood in you."

Alex's hands shot up from my hip and gripped my throat, slamming me against the bed with a tight grip. I tried to grab at his hands, but the steel chains held me back.

"I will be Alpha," Alex growled with murderous intent in his green eyes. "Even if I have to take all the rogues in the world and slaughter every pack member, I will have that title, not my pathetic, childish excuse for a brother."

Stars began to flash behind my eyes as I gasped for air, trying to force my limbs to go still to conserve oxygen. Before long, my vision was going dark entirely and I began losing all my fight. Just before I black out, however, Alex released his grip, letting me gulp in air desperately to save myself.

As I gained the ability to think of something other than my oxygen-deprived body, I noticed that Alex had left the room. I scooted over as far as I could so I was on the right side of the bed. My left arm was stretched out and immobile, but my right arm had a much larger range of motion now. With my right hand, I reached over to the bedside table and opened the first drawer. Inside was a mass collection of useless stuff--AAA batteries, a half-used package of On-The-Go Kleenex, crumpled up papers, broken pencils, dried up markers, and all sorts of different types of cords. Sifting through the trash as quickly and quietly as possible, I looked for something--anything--that might be useful.

Just as I started to hear footsteps in the hallway again, I found my diamond in the ruff--a lone paper clip, shining like a beacon in the mass of old receipts and candy wrappers. I hastily snatched the paper clip out of the drawer, slammed the drawer shut and shoved the paper clip in my mouth. Immediately after doing so, the door burst open and smashed against the wall.

In the doorway stood Hades, wearing nothing but a pair of black skinny jeans and a sinister smirk.

"Alexander says you're being naughty, pet," he said as he walked over to me. "Is that true?"

I turned my face away from him and tucked the paperclip into my cheek, praying to any god or goddess that might hear me that it wouldn't fall out.

"Answer me, bitch!"

Pain slashed through the side of my stomach where Hades had punched me with all his might. With all the strength I had left, I focused on keeping the paperclip in my mouth and keeping my lips shut.

I had no way of telling how long Hades remained in that room with me, beating on me and eventually taking me against my consent. I couldn't tell if it was ten minutes or ten hours--nor did I in any way try to keep track. All of my willpower went into keeping my paperclip in my mouth and keeping me from blacking out.

When Hades had finally been sated, he pulled his jeans on and buttoned them up, wiping up all the blood that had gotten onto his skin with the comforter of the bed. Before he left, he kissed my forehead and gave me another smirk before finally sauntering out the door and shutting in behind him.

After giving myself a moment to breathe, I scooted over to the right side of the bed again, holding in my whimpers of pain. Once I had more movement in my right arm, I brought my hand up to my mouth and spat out the paperclip into the palm of my hand. I then carefully opened up the paperclip with my fingers and teeth.

With the open paperclip, I tried to reach over to my left cuff with my right hand—but it was no use. My chains simply weren’t long enough; I had about two inches of space between each hand. Forcing back my tears of frustration, I moved the paperclip back to my mouth, gripping the still-curled part tightly with my teeth and lips so the part that had been opened up stuck out. Then I carefully turned my head to my right and brought my right hand up to my mouth, gripping the cuff in my hand so the lock was facing me.

Ever so slowly, I pushed my makeshift lock pick into the cuff and began pressing around inside of it. At one point, I just about dropped the paperclip, making panic pump through my veins. Adrenaline began to seep into my blood as my movements became sloppier and more desperate. Tears of frustration started to pour from my eyes, making my vision blurry and causing me to panic even more. Then, finally—

Click!

The cuff open and fell to the bed, freeing my hand from the metal. My tears increased, this time from joy, and I had to fight against myself in order to not whoop out in happiness. I hastily switched the paperclip from my mouth to my right hand and began picking the lock on my left hand, making much shorter work of it. Before long, that cuff too fell to the mattress, leaving me free.

I sat up on the bed, feeling joy fill up my stomach. I knew I didn’t have long, so I quickly got scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up.

Unfortunately, I almost immediately fell back down. My legs were weak, and so I crouched on the ground beside the bed, gathering my strength. A few minutes later, I stood up, ignored my lightheadedness, and walked over to the door I had seen many of my abusers grab fresh clothes. I quickly opened up the closet and snatched up a pair of sweats and a black long-sleeve shirt, shrugging them on with a slight hiss as the fabric rubbed against my injuries.

Once dressed, I snuck out of the closet, shutting the door quietly behind me, and tip-toed over to the door that opened into the hallway. I then turned my head and pressed my ear up against the door, barely even breathing. When I didn’t hear a soul, I took a deep breath and gently grabbed the door knob. With another deep breath, I was turning the knob and opening the door.

I had to move quickly. After glancing down either side of the hallway, I saw a flight of stairs to my left and began moving toward them as quickly and quietly as I could. Once at the stairs, I glanced down them again and listened intently. I could hear voices along with a sitcom playing on the TV, meaning only one thing--downstairs was not safe. I turned around again and glanced at some of the other doors in the hallway.

Just as I began losing all of my hope, inspiration suddenly hit and I hastily made my way back into the bedroom where I was held captive. Closing the door gently behind me, I walked back to the bed and climbed on top of it with a grimace at the different liquids that stained the comforter and sheets. I quickly made my way to the head of the bed and ripped aside the curtains behind it--revealing a large window.

After flipping both locks, I shoved the window open and popped out the screen, letting it fall down and hit the dirt. Glancing down, I thanked every deity I knew the name of when I realized I was only on the second floor.

I hastily clambered onto the window ledge when I heard footsteps echo through the hallway. Panic erupted in me and I jumped out the window and shifted mid-air, landed on the ground on all four paws. Pain shot up through my limbs, but I ignored it and shot off toward the forest. I heard shouts and curses behind me, but I didn't look back. I stuck with the instincts I'd gained ever since I found my mother and father lying dead on their bedroom floor--I ran as fast as I could, dodging trees and bushes, foxes and birds.

Of course, it wouldn't be me running away if I had any sort of luck whatsoever. Because right when I thought I truly escaped, I heard it.

A wolf's howl, followed by the sound of running wolves behind me.