by Alicia Banks
Reyna looked at Amelia with sad eyes and sighed deeply.
“And do you want to go back right now?”
“For my son, yes,” Amelia said, “I can’t imagine what he’d do to him if I’m not there.”
“I understand,” Reyna nodded, “but you have to make me a promise, okay?"
Amelia nodded.
"If ever your husband abuses you again, or emotionally manipulates you or hurts you, you'll call me, okay? You'll ring Marco or me up right away."
Amelia suddenly felt warm. There were people in this universe who cared about her condition and wanted to reach out and help in whatever way they could. She smiled at Reyna and nodded again. "Okay."
Reyna punched in her number in Amelia's phone and returned it to her.
“Thank you, Reyna,” she said.
Amelia hugged her and walked past the curtain, and Marco rushed in.
“Look, Amelia,” he said, crouching down beside her. Amelia couldn’t meet his eyes. His gaze did things to her that she wasn’t even aware of before now. “You don’t have to do this. I can get you out of there.”
“You don’t even know me,” she said, feeling a little annoyed. Now she just felt victimized and pitied.
“He’ll kill you,” Marco insisted.
“Well, I’m still here.”
He fell silent. Amelia thought he understood she wasn’t in the mood to be rescued.
“I need to return your money,” She reminded him, getting up carefully to look around for her bag. She remembered grabbing it on the way out. Marco’s hand appeared in her vision with her purse. She reached for it, but he shifted it away from her. She frowned and reached for it again. He pulled it towards himself.
“Mr. Farkas,” Amelia sighed.
"Marco. Just Marco." He shot her a charming smile, and she instantly looked away, cheeks flashing red.
"Umm, Marco, please let me pay you back. There is a lot I’m indebted to you for now, and this is the least I can do.”
“You won’t even look at me,” he said, almost playfully. “Don’t I deserve a dignified conversation at the very least?”
“I mean,” She looked at herself in pajamas and felt embarrassed, “I don’t think I’m in any position to make that call.”
“Hey,” he said softly, slipping his hand under hers gently, holding her fingers, “maybe if you’d let me take you out for lunch? I’d like that.”
Amelia was beyond startled and turned to look at him. Was he serious? Did he want to go for lunch? With her? And it almost sounded like he was asking her out on a…a date. Was he? She couldn't possibly tell.
“Just a simple and innocent lunch.” he said hurriedly, “Nothing more than that, I promise. You deserve something nice for the day.”
“I-I can’t…” I coughed out, “Kyle would be upset.”
“He doesn’t have to know,” Marco said, "I'll make sure that you return home soon, and that your tale is believable." He smiled like a kid.
“Marco,” Amelia breathed deeply, “I barely know you. Do you think I’ll trust a random man who paid for my stuff two days ago? And suspiciously enough, you were in my neighborhood, too! You don’t look like someone who’d need pass by it.”
His gray eyes looked lost and nervous like a puppy would at this moment. Marco was far from cute and innocent, though. His face was majestic and sharp, contoured by God himself. But the eyes that made her heart skip a few beats did belong to a puppy. Maybe in another life that followed him into this one, but not now.
She considered accepting his offer.
“I guess…” he trailed off quite helplessly, “you could take a leap of faith this once? We did save you, after all.”
He had a point, Amelia thought. She looked away from him, weighing her options. The last time she got beaten up, Amelia didn’t come back until dinner. She didn’t think Kyle expected her back anytime soon after the beating he gave her. He probably wanted her dead.
“I’m already indebted to you.” She said softly.
“You’re not,” he insisted, “I just want you to have a good day, I promise.”
“Not today, though,” I decided, “In fact, let me think about it. I can’t even form words right now. I'll let you know later."
She looked at him, greeted by a soft smile that melted her insides. She didn’t know why she expected him to be upset. This was a new response.
“I’d like that,” he said, still smiling.
Chapter 5
Even though Marco insisted on dropping Amelia home, she hardly seemed comfortable with the idea. She looked hurt and exhausted. Hence, Marco didn't push. It tore him enough to see her in such a wretched state. He stood at the threshold of Reyna's apartment, body leaning against the door frame as she strolled outside and stepped into a cab. Her head was bent low and eyes were heavy, lost in thought.
Marco wondered what she was thinking about. He felt almost tempted to peel open her mind and slip into her thoughts – the very final verification if she was really his mate but held himself back. Marco wasn't ready for this. Strangely enough, he wasn't sure he wanted to know right now. He didn't want to know he was wrong all along. He gulped.
“Are you sure you're alright, boss?” Mason looked over to him from the front seat. Marco was too tired to drive.
“Yeah, I'm fine. Just annoyed, I suppose." Marco let out a deep sigh.
“Annoyed?" Mason arched a brow. "May I ask why?"
"Must feel so shitty having such a douchebag of a husband. I want to hit him in the balls right now, Mason, knock some sense in that asshole about how to treat women. How to treat her." His mouth curled into a grimace, and Mason and Reyna instantly exchanged bemused gazes.
For a few seconds, they rode in silence and soon found ourselves out of the dim neighborhood, heading towards the city lights.
“So…” Reyna started, and Marco almost groaned in exasperation, “do you mind filling us in about your fascination with a married mother?”
“I don’t know yet,” Marco admitted abashedly.
“She’s human, Marco.”
“I believe so.”
“Wait, so…” Reyna trod carefully, “you can’t tell?”
“I mean,” Marco rubbed his head, “she has the scent but just…I don’t know. I don’t think she’s one of us.”
“A shifter?”
Marco let out a low guttural sound of warning. Reyna only rolled her eyes, “Come on,” she shrugged, “we can’t lie to ourselves about what we are. It’s not like we’ll ever forget. We’re just staying in the city temporarily, remember?”
“It’s been over a year, Reyna,” Marco gave her a deadpanned look. “How long is temporary for you?”
“Touché,” she said, “but we can’t pretend to be human and eventually fall for that lie. That’s going to backtrack us right into extinction. You know better than anyone how terrible it is to feel alone. Like you’re the only one like you out there.”
Marco looked away and leaned his head against the window, taking a deep breath. Reyna was right. It was foolish to believe they could ever fully integrate with humans. They were so different. Too selfish and self-centered and invested in technology and other frivolous things. Shifters are also attuned to nature to keep up with such a disconnected community of people.
But Amelia…Marco believed she was different. He just knew it.
“So,” Reyna started a little more confidently, “back to the question. What is it about Amelia?”
Marco had to give it some thought before answering. The last thing he needed was to be invalidated, considering how his actions so far have been impulsive regarding her. He knew the Rouge twins had never seen me like this before.
“I just…I don’t know!” He threw his hands up in the air, “It’s what I want to figure out myself.”
“And it needs to be on a date?” she teased.
“It’s not a date,” He grumbled.
“You wish it were, though,” Mason chuckled. Marco shoved h
im, sending the car steering off course for a few seconds and giving them both a heart attack.
“MARCO!” Mason yelled, “I’m driving!”
“Then stop talking.” He huffed at him and focused on the road, “Take the highway shortcut.”
“Huh,” Reyna piped in curiously, “You usually want the longer routes to finish your song.”
“I just don’t feel like it tonight,” He shrugged. He hoped he would be better in the morning, though. And so would Amelia…
She looked so peaceful as she slept as if she didn’t have a care in the world. In a world like hers, maybe sleep was her only refuge. He remembered thinking he wanted to lie down next to her and hold her, and maybe have the chance to feel the peace she was feeling. He wanted to feel her body against his, the softness of her skin, and the scent of pine and river engulfing him all around, taking him back to when the pack had a good reputation, and they were safe.
At the back of his mind, he had this matter to worry about, too. He knew any day now; his pack would need him. And, he'd have to go back. He had to do something about the occasional riots. He had his men stationed there all times, updating him about the constant on-goings, and luckily, nothing severely upsetting had turned up. But Marco had been experiencing a peculiar feeling lately. Like the dawning of a miserable event. Marco felt his head throbbing.
No, not right now. Marco shrugged off the thought, eyes returning to the road.
***
As Amelia slid into the backseat of the cab, Marco's face hovered in her head like a fragment of a beautiful memory. She was still overwhelmed by emotions that she wasn't sure she fully understood. She pressed her forehead to the windowpane and heaved in a huge sigh. Her eyes were trailing across the series of scars curled around her fingers, fresh wounds still burning red.
Some part of her hoped that this would pass. That one beautiful morning, she would wake up with Kyle's arms coiled around her waist, his head buried in her hair and his fingers caressing her neck. That she would catch his hazel eyes stealing a glimpse of her, gaze dripping with unwavering love. The same way they did the day he dropped to his knees and proposed her. That was when she couldn’t imagine saying anything but yes.
But somewhere along the way, the string tying their hearts together split. And with every passing day, Kyle drifted away, leaving her world shattered to bits. She spent long nights, staring vacantly in the arms of the shadows, pondering over her doings. Where did she go wrong?
Yet her reasoning always failed her. While Kyle's rage only grew worse.
And here she was today, head in her hands, caught in the aftermath of yet another episode. Her thoughts troubled by a man who wasn't her husband. She pulled herself closer together, and her mind wandered off to dear Alex – two bulbous tears escaping her eyes. No. Right now, her son needed her more than an intimidating man she had accidentally stumbled upon.
The cab came to a stop.
Handing the driver cash, she headed out towards the coffee shop. Mark was already there. Her face lighted up as she caught sight of him, and she pulled him into a tight hug, chin nestled in his shoulders. He patted her back, and after a few long moments, withdrawing her head from the embrace, she said,
"I'm so glad to see you." She tried to have a grip on her emotions, but it was too hard. The ache in her chest was sharp, and she broke into a rush of tears.
"Hey, hey." He held her face in his hands, wiping away the tears that cascaded down it. "It's alright, Amelia. I'm here for you, okay? We'll figure this out. Here, have a seat."
He helped her into a chair.
"I – I can't go on with this anymore, Mark. I'm so tired," She said amidst stifled sobs. "He refuses to reason with me and only lazes around at home. He doesn’t give a fuck about the bills or the grocery – heck; he doesn’t even care about Alex!" She bit down her lip, her hands shaking terribly under the table.
"Amelia, it's high time to ask for a divorce. That guy is a fucking douchebag. I can't see you like this anymore; it honestly kills me." Mark took her hands in his and brushed her fingers gently. She kept her head low, trying to get her thoughts together.
"But what will happen to Alex? I don't want him to grow up without the anchoring support of a father."
"An abusive father, you mean," Mark reminded her coldly. She flinched at his words. "You can get full custody, Amelia. Trust me; he's better off having no farther than coming home from school almost every day to witness his mom ruthlessly treated by a monster."
"But- but," She gulped, as she gathered the words, "sometimes he really tells me that he loves me, Mark. And, for that moment, I can forget all the instances he has wronged me. I know he loves me." Her voice was heavy with tears. "I didn't marry a monster."
Chapter 6
Amelia quietly latched the door. The hallway was pitch black, and she regretted being a little too late. Carefully, she made her way towards the lounge, when a man's hand gripped her from the side. She let out a yelp.
"Where were you, huh?" Kyle's hoarse voice echoed in her ears.
She scrambled for the lights, and Kyle's face came into view.
"I-I," She stammered, “I was just meeting a friend. I'm sorry I didn't keep track of the time."
"A friend?" Kyle's tone was sharp. Her heart had stopped beating for a second. "You fucking whore." He pinned her against the wall, his nails digging into her skin, his grip too tight around her wrists.
"Kyle, please, it wasn't anything." But he was indifferent to her soft sobs corralling the dining room. His hands pushed beneath her blouse, legs slamming her back as he pulled her shirt from over her head. He moved towards her bra, and she struggled out her hands from his grip in vain.
"Kyle," her voice dripped with agony. "I don't want to have sex right now."
His lips curled into an evil smile as he unhooked her bra and squeezed hard on her nipples.
She let out a painful scream.
"Kyle, please," she pleaded, "You’re hurting me."
He led her away from the wall and slammed her body on the couch. He pulled her pants from under her, throwing his boxers on the floor before he began to fuck her. He wasn’t wearing any protection, she realized in horror.
He sat atop her stomach, and licked at the bare skin, his tongue only traveling up. And they came to a stop at her nipples. The edge of his tongue traced her nipple softly at first, and then he sucked on it hard. His incisors rubbed against the soft skin, and her stomach dipped inwards as a pang of pain shot up her spine. She cried out in agony.
“Kyle, Kyle! You’re hurting me, please…stop!’’ she begged.
His eyes filled with lust, observing her face in pain and agony. He started thrusting harder, grabbing the edge of her hips for support. She protested by clenching his thighs. He aggressively held her arms and tied them behind her back. There was no way out.
She groaned and wailed as his shoves grew faster. He was panting harshly as he squeezed her breasts and pulled on her nipple. He pressed them between his index finger and thumb, increasing the pressure as she screamed higher.
“Stop,’’ she said, as tears rolled out of her eyes.
“You like this, don’t you?’’ he whispered as he dug his fingers in her waist and turned her around. He shoved her head in the cushion, raising her ass to face him. Entirely driven by her pain, he spanked her harder, more and more until her ass had an imprint of his hand.
“You don’t like it? Your ass does,’’ he said.
He shoved two of his dry fingers inside her cunt, fidgeting them around the walls of her pussy, ignoring her defenses.
He spread her cheeks and spit on her asshole. She knew what was coming; she closed her eyes as he shoved his cock inside her anus. Her tears streamed across her face.
“Stop!’’ she screamed.
“Shush. You’re ruining this for me.’’
He shoved himself deeper inside her tight anal wall, lubricating it with his spit. He grabbed her hips as he pushed his dick inside of her. He pu
lled on her ponytail to thrive himself in her even deeper.
He pushed his finger inside her vagina while thrusting in her anus, utterly ignorant of her cries for help. He slapped her vagina underneath her legs, and she flinched upwards.
He then pulled her by the hair and dragged her on the floor from the sofa; He pushed her jaw open and shoved his member inside her mouth. He held her hair and pushed her head towards his body, feeling himself inside her throat. She coughed as she began to choke, but he did not release it, loving the feeling of saliva lathering up his dick.
He allowed her to breathe for a bit and forced himself in her mouth again.
“Suck it!’’ he ordered.
Her eyes were red with suffocation, but she kissed the head of his penis and sucked on it. She released her tongue and trailed it from the head of his penis to his shaft, taking multiple rounds from top to bottom and all around it. He looked down and pushed her chin upwards, forcing her eyes to make a contact with his.
He pushed her body on the ground, hovering over her to spread her legs so he could force his cock in her. He dove in as fast as he could, securing her mouth with his palm to prevent her screams. He shoved in harder and faster.
“I’m going to cum’’ he whimpered.
He quickly used her ponytail to guide her mouth and he finally released. He was shoving his cock right in her throat as she swallowed it. He loudly moaned as he loosened his grip around her hair, releasing her.
He stood there, observing Amelia’s limp body, her hands clutching the velvet of the sofa. He wiped away the sweat from his forehead and walked towards his bedroom.
"Mom?" Alex stood in the doorway of his room.
Kyle's head spun around. "Go back to bed!" He growled, and Alex hurried back inside, his eyes moistened with tears. She felt the world burn to dust around her. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel to a child to wake up in the middle of the night and find his mom lying naked on the couch while his Dad fucked her like some wild heathen.
