HIS ROYAL LOVE CHILD (Book Two of the LOVE CHILD series)

Chapter Eight "RUNNING"

Liams POV……………………

Video..... Imagine Dragons - Demons. Speaks to Liam's inner struggles.

I woke up suddenly, sitting up and gasping out loud at the aches and pain coursing through my battered body. As the memories of the days events came at me, I flinched away from them mentally. I pushed them back, I wasn't ready to face them, I'm a coward and I know it. But one thing has become clear, I can't stay here, not anymore.

I get up from my bed and head towards my walk in closet, but I'm pulled up short by the sight of my father, Hunter sitting in a chair in the far corner of my room, silently watching me. How is it that I hadn't noticed him being there? How is it that I hadn't sensed the presence of someone as powerful as my father next to me. I shook my head, dispelling the disturbing thoughts.

We stared at each other, the silence in the room prolonging until it became oppressive. Yet neither one of us made any move to break it. Finally I broke eye contact with him and just walked away. I wasn't about to let him stop me from doing what I was about to do. Entering my closet, I grabbed my duffel bag and started throwing some clothes into it randomly. I didn't really care about what I was putting in the bag, all I needed was a couple changes of clothes and I would be fine. My father hadn't followed me and I was gratefull for that. I went into my bathroom to grab my stash, ane I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror. My face was still battered and bruised, but someone had cleaned off all the blood. I frowned at myself. I should have healed completely already, what was going on with me? After staring at my face for a long minute, I shrugged it off and opened the bathroom cabinet, I froze. My stash was gone.

I didn't need to ask who had taken it. I slammed the cabinet door closed and stormed back into my bedroom. My father was still sitting right where I'd left him. I growled low in my chest. "Where is it? I want it back now." He wasn't phased by my show of bravado, he knew I was no match for him. Instead he gave a sigh of deep disappointment, which struck me like a physical blow. I flinched reflexively, before masking my emotions. I refused to let him see how his disappoinment in me hurts.

He slowly opened his hand to reveal the four syringes filled with what looked like blood. "You mean these? This is what you're looking for?." He queried in a soft voice. It would have been better if he had shouted at me in anger. That I could deal with. But his quiet disappointment, left me floundering and I burned inside with shame. I gritted my teeth and hardened myself against the feelings coursing through me.

"Yes. Give it to me now." I gritted out. I watched, my eyes going wide, my mouth opened on a scream that wouldn't come as my father suddenly snapped his fist closed and crushed the four vials, in the same breath he was standing infront of me, gripping me by front of my shirt, hauling me up to face him nose to nose. He didn't have far to pull me. His rage washed over me and I met it with my own.

"No!!" He snarled in my face, "can't you see what that drug is doing to you?! It is killing you! It has turned you into a monster that is capable of attacking his own mate!"

"I don't fucking care! I need it. And I'd rather be dead than spend my life afraid to close my eyes." I raged at him, wrenching out of his grasp, tearing my shirt in the process. "You have no idea what it's like to be me. What it's like to be afraid to go to sleep at night. To hear the voices in your head, telling you that you're nothing but a worthless piece of shit. Telling you that you're good for nothing except to bend over and take it up the ass by as many men as they could find!!! That is my life old man. That is my every waking and sleeping moment!!"

I watched as my words registered, bringing his own pain to the surface. I felt some sick twisted kind of satisfaction at watching him break before me. He held his hands out towards me, pleadingly "son, please, Liam let me help you. Let us help you." His voice nothing but a pained filled whisper.

"Haven't you done enough?! With all the fucking shrinks that you've forced me to see. All that they've been good for is to make me relive it every fucking time. Reinforcing my worthlessness. Reinforcing the fact that I was nothing but a whore for Gerard and his men. That drug is the only thing that gives me any kind of peace!" I yelled at him, watching as my words hit him as if they were physical blows, he flinched as each one registered in his mind.

"Please Liam. We can find another way to help you. The drug is slowly destroying ypur wolf and killing you. Look at yourself, you should have healed completely already. Yet you haven't. And what about your mate? He's downstairs unconscious because of your attack on him". He said, in a last ditch effort to get me to see reason, to get me to stay.

"I don't fucking care about him. I never asked for or wanted a mate. As for my wolf, he and I are just fine." I grabbed my duffel bag and stormed away from him. His words stopped me as I was about to open the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked quietly, sounding defeated.

"I don't know and I really don't care." I answered, not bothering to turn around and face him again.

"Will you be back?" His voice even quieter now, almost broken.

I took a deep breath before answering, "No" and with that I left.

I made my way down to the garage quickly and retrieved one of my many motorcycles. Right now I really didn't care which one. I quickly strapped on my duffel bag to the back of the bike, pausing long enough to get a fresh shirt out of the bag and exchange it for the torn one that I was presently wearing. Then I got on the bike and peeled out of the garage. I had to swerve and come to an abrupt stop as I was met by my dad Cameron, just standing there as the garage doors swung open.

"What the hell dad?" I yelled at him, barely managing not to him and also not to fall off my bike. He just stood there, tears in his eyes as he watched me, the silence between us lengthening. I refused to be the one to break it.

"So you're just going to leave. Just like that". He didn't yell and his voice held no accustations. They weren't questions either. He was just stating facts.

"There is nothing left for me here."  I answered softly.

"Your mate is here. Your family is here." He countered.

I shook my head at him tiredly, I just had to get out of here now, "No dad, there is nothing here that I want or need. Especially not my mate." I started up the bike once again and as I coasted the bike past him, he reached out and grabbed my arm bringing me to a stop. "Will you be back?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know." I answered truthfully, I leaned over and kissed his tear stained cheek. "I love you dad. Don't cry. You know how much I hate seeing you cry. I'll be fine. I promise."

With that I gave my dad one last kiss and a hug. He clung to me in desperation, not wanting to let me go. I gently but forcibly removed his arms from around my neck, I put on my helmet and without another word being said between us I rode away.

I was running and I knew it. I have spent my entire life running. Running from my past, running from myself. Running from the disappointment that I see constantly reflected in the eyes of my parents. Running from the pity in the eyes of my brothers and sisters. Running from the guilt that would consume me if I allowed it.

I didn't know how to do anything else, except to keep on running.

…………………~~~~~~…………………

A/N…… Ok all my wonderful readers. There you have it, chapter eight. Please vote and tell me what you think.

Also just to let you all know that due to my busy work schedule I am only able to write and update on the weekends. So sorry for the inconvenience.

Love you all and thanks for reading and supporting my book.