Chapter 4: The Brief Rest Before The Storm
Avery
"You don't get to say no to me. You never did."
His mouth crashed against mine, teeth biting my lower lip hard enough to draw blood. One hand tangled painfully in my hair while the other fumbled with the button of my pants.
"Stop!" I gasped when he pulled back for air. "Kevin, please—"
"Shut up," he snarled, yanking my hair harder. "You belong to me. Even if I rejected your pathetic ass!" He screamed crazily. His expression was madly ugly...
His fingers dug into the waistband of my jeans, starting to pull them down. I could feel the hard press of him against my stomach, his breathing harsh and hot against my neck.
Something inside me snapped.
My hands were still clutching the cleaning basket. Without thinking, I swung it upward with every ounce of strength I possessed. It connected with Kevin's head with a sickening crack.
He staggered backward, momentarily stunned. Blood instantly began pouring from where the basket's edge had split his scalp open.
"You fucking bitch!" he roared, touching his head and staring at the blood on his fingers in disbelief.
Time seemed to slow down. I watched as his eyes shifted from shock to murderous rage, the black irises bleeding into the whites. His shift was beginning—triggered by anger and pain.
This is it, I thought with a strange sense of calm. Today is finally my death day.
Relief washed over me like a cool wave. After years of torment, it would end. No more pain, no more humiliation, no more needles and bruises in the dark. The thought was almost... comforting.
Kevin's face contorted, bones beginning to crack and reshape beneath his skin. Blood still streamed down his face, painting half of it crimson. His lips pulled back to reveal lengthening canines.
"I'm going to tear your fucking throat out," he growled, the words distorted as his jaw began to change.
I didn't run. What was the point? Instead, I stood there, oddly peaceful, waiting for death to claim me at last.
Thank god, I thought. My days are finally over. Thank god I'll die today.
I closed my eyes, but the expected pain did not occur. The move in front of me stopped. One moment Kevin was raging like a predator after its prey, and the next, he froze mid-stride.
Not by choice—I could see that in the rage still burning in his eyes—but by command.
"ENOUGH!"
The roar that boomed down the hallway wasn't just loud; it carried weight, authority. Alpha voice. I recognized it immediately as my brother Trevor's.
I clutched my shirt tightly against my chest, tears welling in my eyes. The cleaning basket I'd been carrying lay on the floor, bright red blood—Kevin's blood from where I'd struck him—staining the white cloth inside.
Trevor strode toward us, his face contorted with irritation rather than concern. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kevin? Have you forgotten what day it is? I won't let your stupid ass ruin my plans!"
Thank God. If Trevor hadn't used his Alpha voice to command Kevin to stop, I might be dead right now... or missing a hand, maybe a leg. The thought made me tremble harder.
Kevin's head dropped like a scolded puppy, but his eyes—those black, soulless eyes—still held defiance. Worse, there was something else there too: disappointment. Like he was annoyed at being interrupted before he could finish what he started. The thought made bile rise in my throat.
Despite being my brother, Trevor never once looked directly at me. His eyes stayed fixed on Kevin, his nostrils flaring with anger.
"This is the day we secure our alliance with Tempest Howlers," Trevor continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "And you're out here chasing your dick instead of preparing."
When he finally finished reprimanding Kevin, Trevor turned and shot me a contemptuous sidelong glance. His nostrils flared slightly as he looked down at me huddled on the floor.
"Put this bitch in the dungeon," he said, his voice light and dismissive, like he was ordering someone to take out the trash. "We'll deal with her after we've finished our business..."
Kevin immediately moved toward me, his hands already reaching out. I flinched, pressing myself harder against the wall. But Trevor held up his hand, stopping him.
"You don't need to take her yourself," Trevor said. "I need you beside me when I negotiate with the other Alphas." He gestured to two guards standing nearby. "You two, take her."
If I didn't know better, I might have thought Trevor was protecting me from Kevin's brutality. But I knew the truth. Trevor wasn't saving me from anything—he was just postponing my suffering for his convenience.
The guards grabbed me roughly by the arms, yanking me to my feet. I didn't resist. What was the point? After Trevor and Kevin finished their meeting, I'd face whatever punishment they deemed appropriate. This was just the calm before the storm.
As they dragged me away, I caught one last glimpse of Kevin's face. The hunger there made my skin crawl. He wasn't done with me. Not by a long shot.
The "dungeon" was really just a glorified closet—a small, windowless room where no light could penetrate once the door closed. They didn't need chains or shackles to contain me. The darkness itself was prison enough.
"Enjoy your stay, wolfless bitch," one guard sneered, shoving me hard enough that I stumbled and fell to my knees on the cold concrete floor. "Maybe this time they'll leave you in here to rot."
"Fucking waste of space," the other added, spitting in my direction. "Should've drowned you when they had the chance."
The heavy door slammed shut behind them, plunging me into absolute darkness. The sound of their laughter faded as they walked away, leaving me alone with my worst fear.
I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. The darkness was so complete it felt like a physical weight pressing down on me. My breathing quickened, panic rising in my chest.
I crawled blindly until I found a wall, then pressed my back against it. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my legs and made myself as small as possible. Maybe if I was small enough, the darkness wouldn't find me.
The cold from the concrete floor seeped into my bones. My body ached from Kevin's attack, bruises already forming beneath my skin. Without my wolf, without the ability to heal, every injury lasted so much longer than it should.
I closed my heavy eyelids, though it made no difference in the pitch blackness. At least with my eyes closed, I could pretend I was choosing not to see, rather than being unable to.
Exhaustion pulled at me, dragging me down into unconsciousness. My last thought before sleep claimed me was that maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't wake up this time.