Walking on Broken Glass

-Chapter 11- Everything was Planned

            Vivian grabbed me by my arm. I reached over and grabbed a clean, dry long sleeved shirt that would cover my wrists. I pulled my arm away and put it on quickly before she noticed. She pushed me down the attic ladder and told me to go to the basement and wait for her. I sighed and did as I was told. I walked down the stairs into the main hall and then through the back door kitchen, which led to the basement.

            The basement wasn’t as dark and dreary as many other people’s basements. It was carpeted at least and had two windows that showed the grass beginning to pop up. There were a few dusty shelves full of old books and papers. There was a rocking chair in the far corner that looked like a sad disobedient child sent away from its toys. I walked over to it and felt my fingers softly caress the tan colored wood. The chair was made beautifully, with red detailing on the inner back strips. I walked around it to sit in it, my hand never leaving the wood. I slid into the smooth, cool wood and felt totally at peace.

‘I should come down here more often.’ I thought to myself. I heard Vivian coming down the stairs into the basement and stood up from the chair quickly. I knew that if she saw me taking an interest in it that she would break it in front of my eyes.

“Everything was planned Gabriella! Everything was planned! Alpha Lucian and I had an arrangement that if Emery hadn’t found his mate by his next birthday then he would marry Camilla and they would rule the pack as Alpha and Luna.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I mean yeah arranged marriages were common amongst unmated werewolves, but Emery had a mate, me! I looked at her completely calm without emotion; too afraid to set her off.  “You are no longer allowed to speak to Emery, no longer allowed to see him, No longer allowed to have any connection to him.” Had these words really left her lips? Was I really going to have to stay away from my mate after I had just gotten him back?

“Vivian No- I-I can’t-“

“You can and you will! And if you tell anyone that you are his mate, I will make sure to it that everything your father left you is destroyed, including your college fund.”

“No! You can’t-“My anxiety was making me shaky. Could she really do this?

“I can do as I please, the house is mine, the money is mine, and you are mine!” She screamed as she gave me a hard slap across the face. Her nail gave me a cut that ran along my cheek bone. I began to cry. For the first time in my life I began to show weakness in front of this demon. She started laughing at me as the tears fell like waterfalls down my red cheeks. Vivian took one of her long Virginia slims from her bra and lit it, blowing the smoke in my face.

“Gabriella, you can never escape me. I will always own you…. Your father would be so disappointed in you…”

            I stayed in the basement long after she had left. I curled myself up in a ball and just cried; there was nothing else to do at that point. I kept playing her words over and over again in my head. I heard a small tapping on the window. I turned over to see Emery pointing down to the lock. I stood up and ran over to the window. My numb fingers fumbled over the lock as I forced the rusty metal upward. I used all my strength and broke the lock, pushing the cold glass up to let him in.