Breaking Free

Chapter 7

I could feel my veins turn to ice as I stood suddenly and ran to the window. He'd actually found me! I should have known he would; that I'd never be safe!
"Milo, what do we do?!" Violet screeched from behind me and I knew I had to keep them safe from my brother at all costs. They know about our kind and my brother could kill them just for that simple fact. He'd get away with it, too!
I could hear him in the distance closing in. I had no choice, I had to give myself up...
"It's me he wants. Stay inside and don't come out!" I warned them and rushed outside hoping he would just take me and leave them alone. I could see him emerge through the trees in werewolf form. He must have been around 10 foot tall; I wouldn't stand a chance! I could hear him laugh under his breath as he knew he had me and I was going to pay dearly for trying to escape.
"Milo, you're stronger now, you can fight back!" Violet shouted from the porch as Jake tried unsuccessfully to bring her back inside. Once they both clapped eyes on my brothers dark, hulking form, they froze just like I had moments ago. They had underestimated his size and now he had seen them.... He would kill them!
"Did you really think you could escape little runt?!" Maze laughed evilly in his gruff werewolf voice. (Yes we talk).
"Ple.. Please, leave them be!... It's me you want!" I spoke up confidently watching him looking Violet and Jake over, probably deciding what to do with them.
"You told them about us?! Stupid boy!" Maze growled and lunged forward towards me, knocking me straight down to the floor with such force I felt as though my lungs had collapsed. He swiped his long claws across my torso ripping my clothes to shreds and drawing blood. I winced in agony.
"No! Leave him alone!" Violet screamed rushing out only to throw a fork at my brother. He looked down to see what had hit him and roared with laughter.
"Oh you'll have to do better than that!" He bellowed and before he had the chance to hurt her, I pleaded he just take me and leave. With that he laughed again.
"No, you've come too far Milo, you don't have to let him win!" Violet screamed again. Maze lashed out and leaned in to grab me by the throat. When he did, my arm flew out, claws bared and scratched his face, forcing him back suddenly. It was only a small scratch but it took him by surprise. And me! He seemed perplexed at the sight of my claws, something nobody has seen in over 10 years! He growled menacingly and smashed his large, hairy fists down on top of my body and pummelled me into the ground.

By the time he had finished I could barely breathe. Jake pulled a hesitant Violet away and out of the reach of my monster of a brother before he began pummelling away at them, too. I had almost forgotten what it had felt like to feel broken and in so much pain. Almost.
I felt my body being lifted up and slung over his broad shoulders as he carried me away, running off into the forest. I was barely conscious for the journey, but awake enough to have the realisation hit me that I was going back to that place. Back to being tortured and beaten and starved. But I was glad it was me and not them. If going back meant Violet and Jake would be safe then I was okay with that. At least for a little while I had the taste of what a real home could feel like. And real friends.

My body slammed down hard on a cold dirt floor and the sound of voices began to fill my ears.
"If my eyes don't deceive me... You found him!" I heard a mans voice say.
"Where the hell was he?" Another mans voice said. Both sounding like an echo, like they were in a tunnel of some sort. But as I came to properly, I realised there was no tunnel. I was back and the two voices I had heard were that of my brothers closest friends. They took turns kicking me in my broken ribs and laughing like a couple of naughty kids.
"Father! Look what I managed to catch! Held up in a cabin with two pathetic humans!" Maze began to tell our father, now back in human form, but my father didn't look as happy as I thought he might. Sure, he doesn't want me here, but he doesn't want me gone, either.
"You mean to tell me humans know about us?..." My fathers ice cold, bitter voice put goosebumps on my skin. Maze took a step back and lowered his head slightly.
"I think so, yes. I mean, they saw me. But they weren't as surprised as they should have been. The runt told them!" Maze tried to make himself sound more confident than I could tell he was. Our father looked down at me, lifeless and broken like a stepped on worm. He then turned back to Maze and told him to finish it. To finish the humans!
"No!..." I coughed out holding my aching chest.
"If they know about our existence they must be wiped out! I will explain to the council that we had no choice." My father gave the order and Maze disappeared out of my line of sight. He was going back to kill Violet and Jake! Tears ran down my bloodied cheeks as I was dragged along the ground and dumped once again into the spot where I laid not long ago after being dragged behind my brothers car and strung up like a puppet. A female voice I recognised as The Mistress made me shiver and she grabbed me by my face and squeezed hard, digging her nails into my flesh.
"You have been a very bad little boy!" She grinned wickedly. "And do you know what we do with bad little boys?" She asked but I had a feeling she would tell me anyway. I knew it wasn't anything good!