Broken Bones Broken Spirit

10

I sat at the breakfast nook on one of the kitchen stools. My crossed arms propped up against the marble counter and I watched Jessie and Samara as they talked away.

"Wait- Did you just put vanilla frosting on the cupcakes?" Samara said pointing at Jessie.

"Yes?" Jessie questioned. They held a cupcake in one of their hands and a butter knife covered in white frosting in the other.

"No! Why didn't you use chocolate?" Samara whined, wiping flour off her apron.

"Because we already have chocolate cup-"

"Exactly! Fully chocolate cupcakes are superior! Right, Adira?" she said turning to me. Some of her hair was put up in a tiny ponytail while the rest was too short to hold in the hair tie; including the front pieces with powdered sugar in the strands.

"I actually don't like chocolate. Or cupcakes. Or sweets in general," I admitted. I watched as they both stared at me in shock.

"Who hurt you?" Samara squinted and said lowly. Jessie smacked her shoulder.

"Bitch," Jessie said communicating with their eyes that Samara shouldn't have said that.

"It's fine," I waved. "I just don't like the taste. I only like peanut butter cookies and vanilla ice cream."

"With whipped cream right? And sprinkles?" Samara asked.

"No-"

"What the hell!" Samara flung her arms up in the air. I smiled, holding back my laughter at her dramatic reaction.

"I just don't like the taste! And I don't like sprinkles because when I'm eating creamy cold ice cream, I don't want weird flavorless bits in it. I'm weird with textures." I said laughing.

"Sprinkles are for serotonin, Adira! They are pretty!"

"And plain vanilla ice cream is my serotonin!" I retorted back. Samara groaned and then Jessie placed a bowl of plain vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cookies on the side, in front of me. I looked at them and she smiled softly.

My eyes grew teary. Samara and Jessie looked at each other in shock before sitting beside me and rubbing my back.

"What's wrong, girl?" Samara said brushing some strands out of my face.

I point to the ice cream.

"Did I do something wrong?" Jessie asked.

"I think she's upset because of her plain taste," Samara whispered to Jessie jokingly and I chuckled while blinking away my tears.

"No, it's not either of those things," I sniffed. "It's just that it was so sweet. And back at the pack house, they never did anything like this for me."

Jessie hugged me and I grew more emotional.

Pull yourself together, Adira. Don't bring down the mood. You're crying over ice cream. But as soon as she heard that I liked it, she got me some.

Never mind that.

I sat up and blinked away my tears once again.

"Sorry," I said.

"Don't apologize. Do you want to talk about it?" Samara asked.

I remained silent for a few seconds. "Levi Beckett was my first mate."

Jessie and Samara gasped quietly. I picked up my spoon and scooped some of the vanilla ice cream into my mouth.

"And he was rejected?" Jessie said. I shake my head.

"I was," I said. "I saw him freshman year and at first he was sweet but distant because I was fourteen and he was twenty-one. He was cold to me at times but I assumed it was because we were in public. Later on, I get knocked out and wake up tied in silver chains. He kidnapped me and took me back to the pack house. I was tortured. One day he took me out to a field that was surrounded by his pack, whom which they have all took turns torturing me for years. And then after Levi gave them a little show of him stabbing, hitting, and kicking me; he rejected me. In front of everyone. On top of the pain I endured from my wounds, I suffered from the infamous broken heart from the broken mate bond. I wanted to die so badly, but I knew that I couldn't allow myself to die there."

I grabbed a peanut butter cookie and snapped a piece off, chewing it before I continued.

"I started to plan for my escape. I was caught then faced the worst beating I have ever gotten. After that, I didn't want to try again. But then one day, Levi and his beta and gamma were away. Nobody was at the pack house except me in my cell, and some guards. They came in and each took their turns.."

More tears streamed down my eyes as I kept them hung low. Samara rubbed circles onto my back and Jessie held my hand.

I sighed and continued. "They took their turns raping me. They did it for what seemed like forever. And then they grew tired and fell asleep while keeping guard outside of the cell. I noticed a key fell next to me and hid under one of the chain links. So I used it and it thankfully unlocked my shackles. Then I creeped over to the door, grabbed the ring of cell keys and found one with a number that matched my cell. Then I slipped out quietly. After running for ten minutes, they noticed I was gone, chased after me for an hour, and then well.."

I said signaling that they knew the rest.

"That's when Xavier and Keanu found you," Jessie said to confirm. I nodded. "God. I am so sorry. I know it can't do much but I am seriously, so sorry."

"It's okay, I am here now with you guys," I said quietly. They both hugged me and wiped away their tears while I wiped away mine and finished my ice cream.

"And you have Silas too," Samara said nudging me with a smirk before getting serious. "And real quick, I just want to make sure you know that he will never hurt you or let anyone touch you. And he sure as hell won't reject you. Ever since we first learned about mates when we were pups, he has always wished to find his."

My heart quickened at the thought of that-- him desperately looking to find me. Why couldn't he have been my first and only mate? Why did the moon goddess do this to me? Why did she put me through all of this instead of making Silas my mate in the first place?

"Each day, my trust for him has grown. And my love for him has grown," I paused. "I'm falling for him already."

"Awe," Jessie cooed. "This whole mate shit is really something, isn't it?"

Samara and I both nodded and grinned as we each thought of our own mates.

"Ew okay enough about you falling for my stupid brother," Samara joked. "Let's watch some movies!"

"Have you watched Harvy Porter?" Jessie asked.

My eyes beamed and my heart filled with excitement. "That's my favorite!" I said excitedly.

"We are having a marathon! And that will include Fantastic Beasties!" Samara said from the pantry. She shut the door with her foot because her hands were full of snacks.

"Let's watch it in my room!" I said as I sat up. I grabbed my empty bowl and rinsed it out before we all headed upstairs to watch the movies.