Mated to the Alpha Twins

Chapter 19

I felt hands wrap around the tops of my arms, and a strangled scream left my throat.

Fear was a powerful thing. I had never experienced it in it’s fullest. Fear cripples the mind and clouds the senses. Fear brings out our most animalistic tendencies, forcing everything that makes us human from our minds in an attempt to escape, to survive.

I didn’t look into the eyes of the person that grabbed me, nor did I want to. A strangled scream tore through my throat as my hands lifted to defend myself. The strength I once had was waning, but I used what was left to its fullest. I kicked, punched, and clawed the person touching me.

I only bothered to look up when the person’s hands left my body and my bottom hit the sidewalk.

Kade and Alec looked absolutely f*****g horrified. Like I was a caged animal who had escaped and was now on a murderous rampage.

I watched the emotion’s shift in their eyes when they took in the state of my face. I had no idea how bad the damage was, but judging from their clear emotions, I was in pretty bad shape.

I peered at them from my one eye, the other was too swollen and sore to bother moving.

H****r, fury, disbelief, agony.

Each emotion played across their face like a movie. For a moment, just a small moment I felt safe. For just a second I contemplated throwing myself into their arms, sobbing my heart out about what happened tonight. I was so close, but Grace’s words ran through my head.

The fear that had left me at the sight of the twins had roared back to life. The fear was a smoldering ember buried within me, looking for anything to rekindle the flame.

Kade was the first to move, leaning forward to help me from the ground.

“G- Get away from me!” My voice was hoarse, stammering and sounded nothing like my usual self.

I scrambled backwards, stumbling to my feet in what I’m sure looked like a horrendous and slightly drunken effort.

“Aurora-” Alec opened his mouth, his eyes practically glowing in pain as he struggled to find the words to say.

“Leave- Leave me alone.” I hissed, “P-Please just leave me alone.”

I gathered all the remaining strength I had left in my body and propelled myself the only way I could. I darted through the grass inbetween houses, barreling into the woods. Alec and Kade wouldn’t follow me this way, and I was sure I could still find my way home.

I didn’t look back as I ran, nor did I listen for anyone following me. All I paid attention to was my uneven gait and the searing agony spreading through my booted ankle.

That other side of me, the one that sent strength flooding through my muscles, urged me to return to the twins.

‘Go back to them. They can help us.’

The voice didn’t sound like my own, but it was impossible to have someone else in your head. The voice was just my inner thoughts or conscience. There was no other plausible option.

‘No. No one can help us. We got hurt because of them.’ I argued with myself, proving my insanity was reaching it’s peak.

‘We’re safe with them. Can’t you feel it?’ The voice in my head was growing quieter, more muffled.

‘No! No! I am not doing this! I am not arguing with myself!’ I screamed in my own head.

My thoughts grew silent, incredibly silent. I could no longer feel the irritating itch in my mind, nor the strange voice lingering in my head. The brick wall in my mind was solid, standing tall.

The sound of my uneven steps echoed through out the forest. Branches whipped against my skin, but my long sleeve shirt shielded me from the pain. My pants were still unbuttoned, but I didn’t dare stop to fix them.

I slowed my sprinting pace to a jog when I emerged from the woods and found myself on the main road.

Relief thundered in my chest and I resumed my fast pace. I stuck to the forest line, using the brush and shrubbery to conceal me. I didn’t know who would be driving down this road, and I didn’t need to be spotted.

I was hyper aware of everything my body was feeling. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, while my muscles pumped and contracted to propel me forward. My ankle radiated a sharp pain, while my eye throbbed and my lip ached. My rib cage was a thundering mass of pain as I ran, slamming into the porcelain tub had done me no favors.

I felt like my entire body was practically falling apart, and yet I had never felt so strong. I took Carson down with more strength than I had ever thought possible.

My house was just in sight and for the first time in my life, I was f*****g ecstatic to be back with Melissa and Frank. I didn’t care what they thought of my face or the boot on my foot. They could think whatever they wanted, none of it mattered. It wouldn’t make Melissa magically care, nor would it fix our demolished relationship.

I thundered up the steps to the front porch and barreled through the front door. My heavy steps sounded like a freight train, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t force myself to give a c**p about Frank or Melissa. Frank had never hurt me as bad as Grace did.

I slammed the front door behind me and practically collapsed against it. The last sliver of my strength was responsible for keeping me on my feet. My chest heaved and I sucked in deep breaths selfishly.

Only when my lungs stopped burning did I realize Melissa and Frank were still in the living room. Frank was snoring loudly in his recliner, a half finished bottle of beer still resting in his hand.

Melissa stood frozen in the kitchen, her eyes locked on my face.

She had a look of h****r similar to Alec and Kade’s. Any other time my heart would clench at the thought of her looking at me with so much concern. After the night I had, I was beyond caring. If I just had more money in my bank account, I would leave tonight.

Melissa’s mouth was parted in shock, her eyes lingering on my swollen face. I stood p*******d as her eyes flickered from my face down to my unbuttoned jeans and down to the chunky boot on my foot.

I didn’t wait for her to say anything. Instead of longing for my Mom, the look of concern in her eyes pissed me the h**l off.

I darted from my spot against the front door and launched myself up the stairs. I didn’t stop running until I found myself safely in the bathroom, the door locked behind me.

I looked into the bathroom mirror and stared into the familiar stranger’s face.

She looked just like me. Chocolate colored hair down to her waist, only there were twigs and leaves poking out at odd angles. Her face was similar too, but was swollen horribly. Her once heart shaped face was now a lumpy oval. The deep chocolate colored eye she once had was swollen shut, her blue eye looked much too pale with a milky film hanging over it. Her full lips were much too full now, swollen and crusted with blood. She was me, and yet I didn’t know her.

I turned the sink on and cleaned the blood from my face, my gaze never left the milky blue eye in my reflection.

Once I was finished I stumbled back into my room. The strength I once had was now completely gone, and I felt scared and so very tired.

I collapsed onto my bed, a strangled squeal leaving my lips at the sound of a loud ringtone.

The phone Tori had gotten me had somehow stayed in my back pocket. The screen was scratched from my fall, but it was still intact.

A photo of Tori flashed on the screen, accompanying the blaring ringtone.

I hesitated, but ultimately answered the phone.

“Oh my g*d, Aurora.” Tori practically screamed on the other end, and I cringed away from the phone. “What the f**k? I got you a phone and you can’t even answer the d**n thing! I didn’t know what to think, I didn’t know what to do!”

“I’m sorry.” My voice was hoarse, “The phone died.”

How could I tell her the truth and protect myself? I couldn’t. Plain and simple. This wasn’t about getting back at Grace, this was about surviving so I could leave. F**k graduating highschool. The second I had enough money I would be gone. Grace, Melissa, Frank, Alec, Kade, Autumn and everyone else long forgotten. My heart squeezed at the thought of leaving Tori, Alec and Kade behind but I couldn’t dwell on the things I couldn’t have.

“The phone died?” Tori sounded calmer, but I could tell she didn’t believe me. Not one bit.

“Yes.” My hands shook, “I just got home.”

“Did you see Alec and Kade?” Tori responded, “I couldn’t figure out where the party was so I asked them. They said they’d show up and make sure you were alright.”

My heart lurched. My lips couldn’t physically form the words to explain what happened to me. A sob wracked my chest and I gave up trying. She’d find out tomorrow at work just by looking at me. There was no way I could bail on work now, not when I was so close to leaving.

“I saw them.” I kept my answers clipped and short, fighting the tears that finally made their way to my eyes.

“O-Okay.” Tori sounded unsure, nervous.

“I’m gonna head to bed now.” I murmured, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you, Aurora.” Tori replied just as I hung up.

The tears finally came, and I fell back onto the bed in a broken mess.

I cried until I fell into a blissful and dreamless sleep.