Chapter 4 - No way out

Amara POV

I hear his gasp at my acceptance to his rejection, that pain not leaving me as Catherine had

claimed it would.

My hand reaches out for the door frame, I need to pull myself back into the hallway, my body

starting to fail me. My heart felt as if it were being broken into tiny pieces, a pain that was

unendurable.

I couldn’t watch any more, the hellish scene forever imprinted into my mind. The scent of a

whorehouse coming from her own bedroom, my own mate betraying me. My own mate rejecting

me.

I thought he loved me, how mistaken was I.

I made it just to my bedroom before my stomach gave out, emptying what little I had eaten last

night into the toilet of my private bathroom.

Anger, anger I had never felt before, not even as they take my blood and repetitively refuse what

is rightfully mine. Anger from his betrayal and from her taking him from me makes my flesh boil. I

should go back, let him know what I think…but I hold my temper back. What was the point. No

matter what she always got her own way.

Long ago I would have fought her for him, but it would only earn me a whipping.

I cling on to the toilet, its coldness helping to soothe that wildfire within me. I couldn’t see a way

out of this, I couldn’t remain here whilst they mated one another. But then I would be refused to

leave as they need me close by.

I had no way out of this.

I was tired, tired of my life, tired of this world. This world that had forgotten me.

I move, my hands pulling me back up as they use the sink for support. The small cupboard

above the sink contains what I need.

What was given to me to ease the pain of my wrist years ago. A small bottle of pills that looked

innocent enough, but I knew what they truly contained.

They were pain relief, but specially adapted to werewolves. Even with my wolf being weak I need

more than ordinary pain relief, I needed these.

But Father told me not to take many, that they could affect my blood which would in turn, affect

Catherine’s heart. But I didn’t care anymore, I no longer needed his approval, I no longer dreamt

that he would wake up one day and remember who I was to him.

I open the pot, the smell of monkshood causing my eyes to sting tears. Our pack grew this plant,

in fact we were the only pack in existence that farmed it. We grew poison for a living…the plant

monkshood more commonly known amongst our species as wolfsbane.

I pour the pills into the palm of my hand, the little purple tablets burning at my skin already. This

was going to hurt, but it would be over soon enough and then I would never be hurt again.

Not by my family, not by my mate, not by the moon goddess who has so clearly forgotten me in

favour for my sister. Maybe this is punishment for my mother dying in childbirth, perhaps it put a

curse upon me.

I needed to break this curse.

I throw the tablets into my mouth only for my bedroom door to burst open and for her to rip the

pill pot out of my hands.

“What have you done?” She hits me at the back of my neck forcing the tablets to expel from my

mouth. Before I register what is happening her fingers are in my mouth, fishing out any tablets

that didn’t eject form her forceful motion.

“Wolfsbane? Where did you get these?” She drops them on the floor as if she had been stung by

a hornet.

“They are mine.”

“Does Father know?” She growls out at me.

“Who do you think gave them to me.” I snarl out at her, for once feeling a small level of victory for

knowing something she doesn’t. It is short lived as she slaps me around the face.

“You selfish bitch, what do you think would happen to me if you died.”

“You’d become the runt of the pack.” I grit out, my jaw tense. With a snarl, she pushes my face

up against the sink cupboard, forcing my face into the mirror. A crack forming in the reflective

glass.

“Don’t you understand it yet. You are nothing, you would be dead if it wasn’t for me. Who do you

think keeps you alive when your own mother died and left you alone…me.” Fury erupts within me

as I push back, trying to move out from her hold but she was too strong for me. She was the

future alpha now.

She pulls me back only to push me back into the mirror, the side of my face cutting on a piece of

broken glass.

“In return all you need to do is give me your blood, to stay alive. Don’t you get it, you can’t die

without my permission. I plan to have you by my side for the rest of my life. I own you Amara. ”

She snarls into my ear, her voice high pitched with anger.

She pulls me back, her hands moving up to my hair as she pulls me towards the hallway.

“What are you doing?”

“Not only will you continue to give me blood, but you will help me cement my bond with Jason.”

“No, you’ve already got what you wanted, get off me.” I pull at her hands, trying to release my

hair from her tight grip. The pain was blinding as she pulled me and I had no choice but to follow

her, almost falling down the stairs.

She was pulling me into Father’s office, no…no I had enough torture for one day and the day had

barely started. I move out of her hold, only for her to grip me by the throat.

As she opens Father’s office, she slings me inside and I fall to the ground as I trip up on my own

feet. I land by a pair of tatty trainers, my eyes moving up to find the rogue looking down at me.

Those amber eyes burning deeply into mine.

Why was he in here again, and this time not only with Father and Stepmother…but with Jason.

“Amara, you’re face.” Jason takes a step towards me only for Catherine to launch herself at him,

his arms clinging to her with a new concern. His attention gone from me.

“Get on with it.” Father roars out, his mood foul as he moves to his desk, pouring himself a glass

of brandy. All eyes turn to me expectantly as I remain a heaped mess on the floor.

“Get on with what?” I start to regather myself trying to stand up but my legs are weak, my body

drained of any energy. Any reason to survive.

A hand extends out to me, the hand of the rogue. An act of kindness that I had never

experienced except from Jason, and that was a lie. No, I can get myself up…besides it wouldn’t

do well for him to assist me when he also was only here by Father’s mercy.

I go to stand, my legs too weak and I start to fall back down. Only for the rogue’s hand to reach

out and grip on to my arm to steady me. I gasp out, an electric shock erupts across my arm from

his touch.

I look down at his hand, before looking back up into those amber eyes. Animalistic eyes of a

predator that growls out at me.

His eyes burn, the amber of his eyes turning a darker colour, almost a crimson red as he glares

at his own hand touching me.

I take a step back from him, my body now out of reach from his touch. His eyes roam the length

of me, down to my wrist as disgust returns to his face.