Hold Me Forever

Prologue

A hand wrapped around my neck and pulled me up, breaking the surface of the water. My eyes snapped open and I gasped for air as water trailed down my face and into my mouth, making me choke. I felt my body being pushed backwards again and I screamed but it was cut off by the rush of water that filled my lungs. I closed my eyes again and brought my hands up to my neck, to try and pry Aaron's fingers from my body.

I forced my eyes open again and watched frantic little bubbles float to the surface of the water. My breath was slowly slipping away. I kicked my legs and used all my strength to try and wiggle out of his hold. My mouth formed an 'o' shape and I tried to savor my breath.

My heart was pushing against my chest trying to jump out and save itself, but it was trapped, just like me. The bright pink wallpaper was all I could see other than his blurred silhouette leaning over top of me. I grabbed the side of the bathtub and once again tried to pull myself out of the water, but although I was strong, I didn't compare to Aaron.

"Ari! Aaron, please! Ar-" I tried screaming his name but the sound was muffled by the gallons of water that had invaded my lungs. The string of thread that remained of our bond was pulled tightly and pain began to form in the pit of my stomach as I desperately tried to hold the strings between my fingers. I had to let him go, but I couldn't bring myself to doing so.

'Clarity. He's going to kill you.' that pestering little voice spoke in the back of my head spoke. That simple fact scared me shitless but it was as if my brain was wired to think he could do no wrong. He was perfect; absolutely perfect. The way my fingers fit right in between his and molded perfectly, the way he clenches his jaw when he's nervous and ran his hands through his silky brown hair when he was pissed off.

I felt my eyes drifting closed and my muscles become weak leaving my limbs laying lifelessly, like they were no longer attached. You're already dead.

I was lifted quickly from the water and placed on the tile floor. My heavy breathing echoed in the tiny bathroom bouncing off of every wall and back into my ears. I was wheezing and every time I inhaled fresh air, I could feel the water that I hadn't already coughed up, jiggling inside my throat.

Thick arms wrapped around my waist and a body was pressed against my back as I continued to struggle with my breathing. "Breathe Clarity." a soft whisper traveled through my ears sweetly and my heart swelled and I felt revived.

The once comforting hug turned sour as his arms tightened around me. I found myself at a loss of breath for the second time today."Its a shame how cute you are." his voice was laced with liquid insanity and dripped with sticky sweet anger and hatred.

"I could never love you."

His giant hands reached upwards and grabbed the sides of my head. Pressure. That's all I felt as he squeezed my head and whispered goodbyes into my sensitive ears.

I sat up quickly, gasping for air and clawing my fingernails against my chest, expecting to feel the heaviness of water in my lungs. My eyes snapped open and met the darkness of my bedroom and my legs shifted against the comforting sheets of my bed. I hunched over with my hands sitting on my outstretched knees and tried to control my breathing. Sweat was stuck to my limbs and my hair had fallen from the ponytail I put it in and was falling messily down my back. I put my head back so my face was towards the ceiling and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to erase the memories of my dream.

Footsteps could be heard outside my door and I listened closely to who it was. "I honestly just don't know what to do with her anymore Micheal. Ever since this situation happened with Aaron, Claritiana hasn't been the same." My mother spoke before I heard her bedroom door being opened.

I laughed bitterly to myself because for a moment it sounded as if she actually cared.

Confusion was the only thing that coursed through my body at the moment, I felt like the blood in my system was at a stand still and my heart was broken. Its shards were cutting my other vital organs.

Relax, I told myself, and I felt my body become numb. That was the best feeling in the world. Not many people can just shut off their emotions, most are eaten up inside slowly by the monsters in their heads. Luckily my monsters were demons and fed on my insides quickly, leaving me with nothing but an empty soul.

Back when my parents cared, they would tell the usual bedtime stories but with their own little twist, one that fit in with us. The simple Cinderella story would be transformed into one in which the prince was her mate and their was an undeniable attraction. The goodnight moon story would be changed from the moon saying goodnight to all the children, to a wolf howling into the night sky instead.

There was one story that captivated me every time. It was the life story of a little girl named Annabel. She was just like us, unique and different; a werewolf. It went through intricate details about the way she grew up and how she bloomed into a beautiful young women. She met a guy who claimed her as his and whenever she would look at his smile, butterflies would erupt in her stomach. They were mates but the guy was involved in bad things. Things that scared his mate. One night, a large group of men invaded their home and he did everything he could to protect his mate but he was out numbered. The group of attackers left that night with the man laying on the floor covered in blood. The girl cried and cried for hours, never once leaving his side. He was gone and she had nothing left in the world. Annabel leaned over his face and kissed his lips for what she thought would be the last time, but when a tear that held all of her love and emotion touched his face, the fates gave her back her mate. She was special. She had a destiny.

The story always ended that way; with you wondering why she was so special, but unlike my brothers and sisters, that wasn't the part that caught my attention. It was as if i already knew it would turn out the way it did, like I'd seen it happen before. I was most captivated by the fact of mates. I used to yearn for my mate, for a relationship like Annabel's... that is until I got exactly that.

Mates were supposed to love each other and your mate is supposed to make chills run down your spine that were so bad that you couldn't resist not being in their arms for more than two seconds. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Where one of their hearts is shattered and their world cover with the darkest cloud of depression. I was supposed to be happy. We were supposed to be happy... together. Look at us now.

{Kenny}