Obey.

17

Hunter snapped and went ballistic on me.
"You smell like him!" He shouted so loud my eardrums felt they were going to burst. Hunter was vibrating with rage like I've never seen before.
I just wanted to shrink and shrivel up into myself as my heart slammed over and over against my rib cage trying to break free but just like me, unable to.
"Baby, please, what can I do?" I cried.
Today I did something bad with Cayden after our tutor session. Something I knew could have gotten every bone in my body broken if Hunter found out.
And still I did it: because it felt right and it had felt worth it in that moment.

Today we had hugged goodbye.

It was a warm and gentle hug, During the moment, I had told myself, it was totally worth any punishment I would get from Hunter. But that had been a braver me, now I was shaking in fear, crying and begging the man before me to spare my life over it.
"I'll ask one more time bitch. Why do you smell like him?!" He was practically spitting in my face as our noses were almost touching, I could feel his hot breath fanning my face.
Obey, a growl came into my mind and I broke down and told him we hugged goodbye.
"You let another man touch you?" He started to laugh, it was a sound I learned to fear as much as his yelling. "The only people who are allowed to touch you is me," he thundered out. "Nobody else!"
"I'm sorry I couldn't help it! He did so fast," I cried out as I was backhanded, falling to the floor, hitting my head against the edge of the bed and momentarily seeing black spots. Moaning, I went to rub the sore spot but Hunter was yanking me quickly back up so our bodies were pressed together. "You slut! Of course you can help it. You're in charge of who touches you."
Wow am I really? I wanted to sneer but swallowed the comment knowing he was beyond pissed off and looked about ready to snap my neck.
Is today the day?
Is he going to kill me?
He slapped me again, but held tight onto my shirt front so there was nowhere for me to fall to as his eyes became murderous. Suddenly, I felt very aware of my situation all over again. Knowing he could kill me and no one would even blink an eye. And what could Cayden do? Nothing. So why even risk it and let him touch me?
"You cheating bitch," he growled nearly tossing me across the room.
Whimpering as I scrambled to my knees, making sure I kept my eyes on his every move.
"Follow me," he simply said after a moment of pacing and me watching. We went downstairs as he started furiously typing away on his phone. He shoved me into the g-wagon and speed off.
"W-what are we doing?" I hiccupped as he pulled into a wooded area. My heart was now thundering in my ears as every horrible possible outcome for today was playing through my mind.
Would anyone show up to my funeral? Would I even have a funeral or would they post me up as a missing person?
Instead of answering me, he got out of the car, going into the trunk before coming around to yank me out. It hurt as he gripped my arm and pulled me out of the car like I weighed nothing. My ankle bumped painfully against the door and my face felt swollen from hits and tears.
"Please baby," I nearly peed myself as he dragged me into the woods. "Please I'll attack him before I let him hug me again I just didn't know what to do." I clung to him for dear life. Willing him to not kill me. To not hurt me, I cried and begged as he held a bundle of chains in one arm, his eyes emotionless, the gaze of a killer as he dragged me deeper into the woods.
"Oh you'll know what to do next time you whore," he shoved me away from him, causing me to fall on my ass. Quickly, I got to my knees and begged some more, nearly hyperventilating as he started to unwrap the chain.
"Baby I love you, please, I love you so much. I'm yours. Forever. Baby please, I love you, I love you, I love -oof" I was cut off by him booting me in the stomach. Sucking in a deep gasp and I laid out looking like a fish out of water trying to breathe.
With a cold look in his eyes as he stared down at me, I knew this was it. He was going to kill me. My eyes widened and everything in me told me to just cling to him, to hold him tightly. Get him to care, even just enough to spare my life. Crawling forward, I started to beg again, "please," I whispered as I looked up at his stony face, his eyes seemed to darken as I wrapped a hand around his ankle.
"You've gotten too comfortable. And that's okay. I just need to remind you of who you belong to." His words sank my heart and twisted my gut. My face felt frozen as I stared up at him in horror as tears blurred my vision. "I need to remind you, without me, where your life would be," and with that he wiped out the chain and struck me with it.
My hands automatically flew up to cover my face and the end of the chain stuck my hands, causing them to burn. Looking down I realized my whole palm had been sliced open, skin hanging, from the end of the chain where it had been cut had a jagged edge.
"Ple-" I tried to cry out as I saw him pull back ready to swing again. I would no longer be able to talk as he started beating me with the thick chain, I ended up in fetal position trying to protect my head as he caused pain to every inch of my body. Slicing and bruising me. Causing my whole body to feel as if it were on fire.
But finally, it stopped.
And finally he dragged me against a tree as I sobbed so hard it felt as if my head was about to explode.
That warm, comforting hug from Cayden would be the last warmth I felt from a human being. I knew that now. It had been stupid of me.
He wrapped the cold chain around my throat and fastened it to the tree, my whole body shaking as he came to crotch down in front of me. I could see the once shiny silver chain was now bloody, my blood leaking down, even from my head into my eyes.
"I want you to remember this could be your life. Homeless, sleeping in the woods, beaten up by stronger wolves, no relief. And if you're still alive by tomorrow when I come for you, I hope you realize how good you have it with me."
And he was storming away as I shook from pain and coldness. My body was sticky and wet from dirt and blood and snot and tears and it was uncomfortable position with the chain around my throat. Everything in me screamed to shift. If I shifted I could run off and be done with Hunter. He had made a mistake, leaving me out here alone.
For once it was possible. I could shift, heal and run away for good.
But to where? If I was in wolf form running around alone... it could end up badly for me. Either another pack would find me and drag me back, or another pack would, smelling my weak wolf and doing who knows what. Hunter used to paint me vivid pictures of what would happen to me if others got their hands on me.
So I didn't shift, knowing if either chain around my neck were broken, then he'd surely kill me. And he was very capable of that, he just showed me how cruel he was, beating me and leaving me for dead in woods that could have the regular bears and wolves that would smell my blood and come tear me apart.
I whimpered, shaking from the cold and pain until I fell into a sort of sleep. Or more like passing out.
It was a miracle when my eyes cracked open at the first sign of light.
Somehow, I hadn't died. And for some reason that thought actually made me cry harder as some part of me hoped when I drifted off .. that it would be the last. The last of my suffering and pain.
And the crunch of leaves told me someone was coming.
Cayden, my heart sang, please, smell my blood somehow with your strong wolf scent, and come save me please.
But it would be impossible for it to be him. How would he even know where to look or the fact that I was even missing? I hadn't even called him yet to give him my number.
And so, Hunter came into view and it wasn't surprising. Of course, in real life, saviors didn't pop up during the rough times. There was only me and the situation I managed to get into, that I had to get myself out of.
Pulling a small key out of his pocket, he unlocked the chain around my neck and I sobbed as I truly believed this was it. Because he unlocked the collar around my neck. He was going to kill me now for good. It was why he was stripping away the evidence of me.
Shift, he growled inside of my head and so I did. Feeling the bones in my body bending into a new shape as hair sprouted out all over. For a second I was filled with joy at finally being a wolf again, I could already feel every bruise, scar and cut healing.
But then I heard, shift back! Inside of my head.
And so I did, once again becoming human, my wounds only closing and some old scars faded away and bones reset back in place. But still I saw the angry welts on my hands and arms.
"I'm sorry, I'll never let anyone touch me again. You're my life. I'm so grateful for you," my voice was broken up as I told him what he wanted to hear.
Hunter didn't answer me as he placed the gold necklace around my throat, more tightly than usual before locking it back into place. Already I felt choked.
We left the bloody silver chain at the base of the tree as he dragged me towards his car.
"Just be lucky you can't miss school anymore."
Ah, so that's why he allowed me to shift and heal somewhat.
"Remember who you belong to," he whispered into my ear when school ended. I rushed to the library. Wanting so badly to see Cayden. After everything I went though last night, I shouldn't want to be near him. But it was because of what I went through, that being in his presence, how he made me feel safe, was where I wanted to be.