The Secret One

8

Chapter 8

I am still trying to gather the fact that some people like me. I have almost been here for two months and haven't been hit once. Jake doesn't force me to talk when I don't want to. He carries around a marker board just in case. My reality of life is changing. Learning how to eat real food is hard. After returning to Jake's house, Ayna and Jake helped me unpack. I am in the house alone while they train in the morning fog. I wander around the dimly lit house. The floor is old, so it creaks under my weight. Making my way to the other white door on the left of me, I walk over to it and slowly push the door open. Jake's smell overtakes my nose. His room is plain. There's nothing in it. Besides a desk, on the desk, there is a notebook.

I approach it and pull out the seat under the desk. I plop down and open the notepad to see the drawings. Nothing really to come of them. Just some scribbles. They are almost like doodles. So I pick up the pencil and flip to a clean page. I never lift the pencil from the page, so all the lines connect. Losing thought, I finish, place the pencil back down, and swipe the page clean of the eraser shards. What I drew was a girl.

She is holding a dead flower, yet the sun shines behind her. She has a quiet smile on her face. I huff and slam the notepad closed. I place my back on the chair and rub my face. "You know, anytime you would like to come in here, you can," Jake speaks, making me jump from my chair, afraid. I looked at him, "I didn't mean to invade," I muttered, playing with the hem of my new sweater, fearful of what he might do. I hear his footsteps get closer as tears drop from my face, knowing what's coming. This is where it all starts, "Ruth, why are you crying?" Jake asks softly, like if he spoke louder, glass would break. "I am in your room; I didn't ask," I cry.

"My room is your room. This house is safe for you," He tells me as he hugs me. I wrap my arms around his waist, and he holds me, "You never have to ask to come in here," I nod, showing I understand. Jake turns around with me in his arms, and we see Anya standing here, leaning against the doorway. "Movie day?" We all let out a small laugh and walked to the living room.

Jake grabs me a blanket as he makes himself comfy. I sit in between Anya and Jake. I turn to my left and right, trapped. My breathing picked up, making Jake put his hand on my thigh. I turn too fast, making my head spin, "You are fine," Jake reassures me. I slowly nod and get back comfortable. After thirteen years of hell- here I sit. I wipe the stray tears that fall.

This causes Jake to pause the movie. I look straight ahead of me and bow my head, "I am broken," My face falls numb, " I can't even tell you what my mom's voice sounds like anymore. I can't even tell you what my favorite color is. I can tell you how long it takes to get hit with a belt by the strength of an alpha to make your skin break. Or how long does it take me to lose myself in a dark room with no light or sound?" I chuckle while crying. "I didn't get to grow up in my teens happy and going out to parties, losing my virginity. Instead, I got thrown inside a cell and showed no nicest you read about in books. Not the happy and loving boyfriend. I got Waylen. My body is broken. A boy was supposed to break my heart while I ran to my mom, eating ice cream till three in the morning, cutting up pictures of him and me. No, I only have memories of mans face in my mind. I was never good enough for him, so he moved on. I tried to end it all. I did. When I lost my wolf. I gave up," I numbly say not to anyone in general.

"Waylen will be stopped," Jake's voice breaks through. I laugh, "That's the thing. He holds a title. I am one of many," I look at Jake, and he looks broken. I know my face doesn't show anything much better. Anya wraps her arms around me. "Ruth, I know that is not all of it. You have been through a lot. Here is the thing: you didn't give up. You kept waking up because something in you wanted to fight. You got out of there."

I look up and take a breath. "I don't care about me. I care about the little boys and girls going through what I went through. The Dark Shadow pack was horrible. So, knowing they are younger than ten getting treated is why I kept waking up. I want to help get them free. I am starting with the Dark Shadow pack. I am not fully free. Waylen owns me. Till he no longers breathe- that man owns me,"

Anya and Jake both gasp. Anya's lips thin into a small line, "We will stop him," Anya smirks. I chuckle, "You don't get it. You can't." I get up and head to the front door. Screw movie day. Jake and Anya get up to follow me. I grab the doorknob to the front door and swing it open to see a man about to knock on the door, "Um, I'm Jason," He softly says out. I step back and blink. Jason, Beta Jason. I swallow and look at Jake, "Jason will not hurt you. You have already met Jason," Jake tells me, walking over to me. My mind flips thinking of how I was treated. Opening doors to find new people behide them everyday I woke up with Waylen. I take a breath in and start to cough. I bend over, trying to catch my breath. I grab my head, doubling over in pain. Jake and Jason both reach for me. I fall to my knees, screaming. My hearing intensifies, as does my smell. Gagging, I hear Jake cry something. Pain courses through me. I break through the screams with a laugh. I finally feel her. I fall entirely to the ground. Defeated, I look at everyone around me, "What the hell, Ruth!" Anya yells at me.

"My wolf, I can feel her," I say while looking at Jake, making him smile. Lifting myself to my feet, I look around. Every tiny detail is back. I scrunch my nose and look at Anya, "You are a vampire? When we were at the mall, Steven called you a bloodsucker, but I didn't think of it," I scuff out, making them all laugh. "Damn, who would have thought me standing in the door while Ruth swung it open would make her come back," Jason happily said. "Sorry, buddy, but I think it's where Ruth got heated talking about setting everyone free. That is what triggered her wolf," Anya bites back.

I swallow and say, "I haven't had my wolf in years. I can't talk to her, but I can feel her!"