Runaway

twenty

twenty

I can't stop shaking, why is this happening to me? Natalie had reported me to the principal for harassment and even though everyone knew she was lying they still chose her side, they always did.

I bite my lip watching as a tall figure enters the room, his eyes flick towards me. Instinctively I coil back, why me?

"Omega!" His voice rings through the empty room, "why am I here today?"

I gulp, he knows exactly why, and it's because of him. My stupid father he made me this victim, I bite back my words. "Y-you're h-here because I w-was harras-sing Natalie." The words fall out of my mouth nervously. There was a time when I would've refuted the claims and explained that Natalie is just a jealous bitch but that never ended well. I guess I've learnt my lesson, being submissive is the best way to survive.

My father strolls towards me, his green eyes never leaving mine. I look away, holding eye contact with a beta for too long can be seen as a challenge to the beta's status.

After what feels like an eternity he finally reaches my desk rage dancing in his eyes, "YOU ARE WORTHLESS!" My father cries, raising his hand, I close my eyes waiting for impact.

I scream, sweat dripping down my forehead. It takes a minute before I remember where I am.

"It was just a dream." I murmur to myself.

"Isabelle!" I look up my eyes meeting Xavier's. "Are you okay?" He says softly taking a step into my room.

Instinctively, I coil back wrapping myself up in the light duvet. "Y-yes, s-sorry to w-wake you." I stutter, madly aware of Xavier's lack of clothing.

His green eyes trail over my shaking form, "how about I get you something to drink?"

My heart skips a beat, "y-you want to get m-me a drink?" I whisper still in disbelief.

"I'll be right back." Xavier replies a small smile dancing on his lips.

I hug my knees to my chest, that dream that stupid dream. I thought my dreams had stopped, I thought I was getting better, I guess I was wrong.

Xavier returns holding two mugs, he sets one down on the side table and hands me the other. "It's a hot chocolate, I thought you could do with something sweet."

I take the mug in my hands, staring into the milky brown mixture. While I had made a lot of drinks no one had ever made me one before, I wasn't with Theo's pack long enough to experience the small act of kindness. "Thank you," I say taking a sip. The warm liquid slides down my throat warming my insides.

"Isabelle, do you have nightmares a lot?" I look up at Xavier his soft green eyes meet mine, there's a kindness in his tone I've never heard before.

I open my mouth to speak, then close it again. "I-. Umm, i-it's j-."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Xavier soothes, "but you can't keep doing this to yourself Isabelle, sleep is meant to be peaceful and if you're dreams haunt you then there is no escape."

His words send shivers down my spine, giving a voice to all the thoughts in my head.

"Within us there are demons and there are angels, some nights the demons win." I whisper softly, when I was young I read about angels and demons. I always saw the world as a balance of good and bad, without good there is no bad and vice versa, angels and demons. Some days the angels win and some nights the demons take over, that's just life.

"Isabelle, just because there is both good and bad does not mean everyday should be bad, it's not an excuse or a reason for bad things to happen. No one deserves the bad, yes it is necessary to grow, but your life should not be all bad."

I stare up at Xavier letting a tear run down my cheek. His words are too real, am I that easy to read? Does he? Can he ever understand?

Slowly, Xavier reaches up to touch my cheek, "you don't deserve anymore bad," and suddenly I can't control my tears, all the walls, all my coping mechanisms come crashing down with those 5 simple words.

For a while Xavier says nothing, holding me as the tears fall. We sit in a comfortable silence and for the first time no one calls me weak for crying, no one yells and no one hits me. 

I fell Xavier shift as my tears finally come to a stop, he offers me his hand, "I want to show you something." Against all my instincts I take his hand sparks racing through my fingers.

I watch Xavier's eyes flick over my bruises that failed to heal, "hold on." he says leaving me once again alone, now standing and very very cold.

Within seconds he's back holding a large jersey, "it's cold outside tonight."

I take the jersey sliding it over my head, inhaling his scent. I gasp as my stomach starts to turn. The jersey sits just above my knees and smells of heaven. Just like that my brain kicks into overdrive, Theo's scent never smelt this good, yes it was heavenly but not the way Xavier's is. But Theo is my mate, isn't he? My mind starts churning out questions as Xavier leads me out into the night.

"W-where are w-we g-going?" I ask half expecting to be slapped for even questioning Xavier, instead I'm met with a gentle smile as we continue to wander through the woods.

Letting Xavier's hand guide me, my eyes start to wander, I've only ever been in the woods to run from something, someone. Never enough time to take in the raw beauty, and the quiet, all you can hear is the sound of leaves crackling beneath our feet.

Finally we come to a stop before a beautiful lake surrounded entirely by trees and tucked behind thick layers of bush. I stare in awe of the crystal like water, something so untouched by the outside world, reflecting the soft glimmer from the stars.

I shut my eyes and  for a single moment, relax. The forest is silent, the lake still, the most beautiful place to escape the world.

"Ever since I was little I've had really good hearing, better than the best wolves and while it was always seen as a gift. Having such great hearing made it hard for me to focus on anything, I couldn't sleep because I heard everything. The late-night arguments, all the things people do with the cover of night to protect them, I heard it all. For a long time I just thought maybe I was never meant to sleep maybe part of having such a gift meant sacrifice and sanity was mine."

Xavier pauses for a moment, his eyes locked on the lake's surface. That's when I see it, the darkness hidden behind his green eyes, if only for a second.

"One day, I went out for a run and got hopelessly lost, I wandered around the forest for hours listening for anything, for anyone. That's when I found this place, after that I started coming here at night. It's so peaceful here, and as a kid it was the only place I found where the only noise was my own thoughts."

Xavier's next words catch my breath, "I know you don't have amazing hearing, but I get the feeling you have a lot of noise going on inside your head. I just thought maybe somewhere so quiet would help you listen to your thoughts as more than just noise." He turns to me his green eyes sparkling.

I stand stunned by Xavier's words, his uncanny ability to voice my own thoughts and feelings is starting to scare me. "T-thank you," I say in a whisper, my feet brushing over the soft grass. If I thought the forest was quiet then this is what silence sounds like, not a single noise.

In the most ungraceful way possible I move to sit on the soft grass leaning against one of the trees. Within moments Xavier was beside me once again his arm wrapped around me and for once I don't recoil from the touch, I lean into it.

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I hope you all enjoyed a brand new chapter twenty!! My updates are honestly so sporadic and I'm so so sorry for that but I can promise you this book will be finished this year (I said that least year but this time I'm for real).

Love you all very much,

Decoriswords