Lightning & Thunder

Chapter Two

Present Day

His hand raised back. Her body stiffened in anticipation for the slap.

She was not disappointed.

All the air left her chest as she fell backward, repelled by the force of the slap. She fell to the floor, her hand on her left cheek.

There would be an imprint left on it tomorrow.

She kept her eyes averted. If she were any younger, if she were any less experienced, she would have challenged him. Looked him directly in the eye.

But she had plenty of experience. She knew him. So her eyes stay glued to the floor, even as dirty grey shoes entered her vision. Even when she could feel the heat of his skin, of his steeley gaze on her own. A powerful hand tangled itself within her blonde hair.

The tug stung, but it was dulled in comparison to the current pain she felt.

"What did I say about talking to other men, bitch? I made myself clear, didn't I?"

In the corner of her eye, on the marbled floor, she could see spit collect. She watched the brown of his chew settle on the marble.

Her clean marble. The one she spent the past hour cleaning.

Anger burned within her chest. She wanted it out. She wanted to unleash it. Her body held still as image after image floated through her mind.

Would it really be so bad? To try and fight back? Give him a piece of her mind, then run away from this place, this marriage, as if it never happened? Let it all go to the past?

Yes, yes it would. Fear gripped her. It outran, outburned her anger. It's what controlled her body. What controlled her mouth. She would have to wait. She couldn't do it right then and there.

"Yes sir." She whispered to him. Nothing else. It was like a little game to him. The rules were as followed; He said whatever he wanted, and she simply replied with yes sir.

Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir.

Her entire life was a bunch of fucking, "yes sir's." From her father, who controlled every aspect of the house she previously lived in. He controlled every aspect of her mother, who was conformed to every word of her father and hadn't smiled a day since her wedding.

Not once.

That damned wedding. It wasn't even hers.

She should have known when she was unable to stop crying the entire day. Should've taken the hint about her life, instead of roling with everyone else. Her whole life, everyone has told her what to do.

Everyone.

She couldn't even feel a proper ache in her chest anymore. She hadn't seen her brother since he was nine. How old was he then? Probably thirteen or fourteen.

Long gone were the days of crying over every memory of her old life. Long gone were the days where she even felt anything.

Anything proper, at least.

Anything that didn't include anger or fear.

Her hand wiped over that stupid piece of spittle on the floor. The side fabric of her dress was swiped with her hand. Bessel was no longer near her in the kitchen, staring down at her with his emotionless, black eyes. He was no longer near her to hurt her.

Movement rustled around the living room, the room connected to the kitchen. She could hear him stomping, rustling and muttering to himself about different items.

Eventually he found them.

Then the front door slammed shut with the force of ten thousand men. She stood still, the only unmoved item within the quaking house.

Then she sighed, the relief entering her.

Her husband wouldn't be back for another couple of hours, if at all. She knew his schedule like the back of her hand-it was the first thing she learned in their marriage.

It promised her temporary freedom.

She needed full freedom. She needed to be free from him completely. It wasn't fair for her to live this life. To be confined as a toy, a beating bag for him and anyone around her.

There were no friends to help.

No one could help her but herself.

She was going to be the one to write her freedom.

And that began tonight.

She had a limited amount of time. It was a guess whether or not Bessel was going to be home tonight. She would have to wait it out, to be absolutely sure whether or not he was going to come home.

She could only imagine the amount of trouble she would be in if he found her leaving. Fear compressed within her chest, causing her breath to quicken.

It was okay. Everything was going to be okay. Bessel was not going to find her. Not until she was far, far away from the house.

From the pack.

She was never going to come back.

Swiftly, she walked to the tree in the backyard. Hidden underneath the roots was a small box she kept hidden. Over the past few months, she would hide her change money in the box. It was a small amount of money that he wouldn't question, and hadn't noticed.

The money wouldn't get her far, but it was better than nothing. She'd be damned if she left empty handed. And tonight was time.

His handprint still stung on her cheek. She touched the spot, still crouched and clinging onto the tree, staring at the dollar bills shoved into the box.

Ten...fifteen...She had sixty dollars total.

It wasn't much, but it had to be tonight. The full moon was coming. She couldn't handle another one. Her body would survive it-but her mind wouldn't.