C22 CONFIDENT AND DOUBTFUL II

"Alpha Kevin?" I asked and looked at Cameron.

"Yes, and Luna Jenny." He said and smiled towards me, "Aeron thought it would be good for you to learn from Luna Jenny- didn't he tell you this?" He asked.

"No, he didn't," I said as fear raced through me.

My heart quickened its beat as I looked around the house, "No, he didn't tell me anything."

Cameron grimaced as he looked away for a moment. His face was fearful as I growled,

"What else don't I know?" I said, raising my voice. I paced back and forth in the kitchen as I tried to calm Liya down.

'We need to run. We need to leave. We can't have them here.' She said, I growled in agreement, The snow was heavier than before.

Some days the snow melted, and other days it froze. I walked towards the kitchen window and looked at the dark, muddy ground. Closing my eyes, I hid my face from Cameron. I didn't want him to see how I felt, so I quickly dumped the soda and grabbed some water. "I'm going upstairs," I growled loudly.

Cameron didn't reply as 1 walked towards our room. But when I opened the door, I knew I wouldn't be sleeping in this room tonight.

Instead, I grabbed my clothes from the closet. I held onto the hangers and walked to the guest room and placed the clothes in the closet. I grabbed my favorite blanket from the bed. It was a very large, dark blue fuzzy blanket. Since I found it, I haven't been able to depart from it. I carried it to the cold room and threw it on the bed

Walking to the bathroom, I grabbed my hair brush, my toothbrush, and walked back into the room. I locked the door and turned off the light. I curled into the cold bed as I wrapped myself in all of the blankets. Liya purred and agreed with my actions as I pulled the blanket over my head and allowed my exhaustion to take over. Since I didn't have Aeron's scent around me, sleeping was dreadful, and my dreams were filled with memories of the room and the cell. Sometimes it was switched. I would be in the room, but it was my uncle who was whipping me. Or I was in the cell, and the men were abusing me. My fist rested on my chest as I tried to sleep throughout the night.

But sleep never came for me. Hours went by, as I lay in the darkness. Looking at the red numbers on the clock, I could see the number one and rolled in the bed. Has Aeron always come home this late? It was as if he heard my question; I could hear a howl fill the night sky.

The howl of my mate. The front door opened and closed as my eyes started to shut. Even if I wanted to keep a distance away from him, knowing he was in the house made me feel better. It made me feel safe as I closed my eyes. I held the blanket closer to me as I listened to my mate shuffle in the house. But before he made it to the stairs, I was asleep.

My eyes felt heavier than usual as I slowly opened them and stretched in bed. I could hear my shoulders and back pop as my leg pushed out until the muscles grew tense and then relaxed. The sunlight filled the room as I yawned. My muscles ached as they strained against my movements, wanting to be stretched just like my leg. Slowly, I sat up and rubbed my back as I looked at the mattress that was the cause of my ache. Slowly, I got up and yawned as I walked towards the door. After I unlocked the door, I opened it up and was surprised to see an angry Aeron staring at me.

Purple bags were under his eyes as he leaned against the wall. I haven't seen him in such a long time; it was refreshing to see him. But, instead of embracing him, I walked past him to the bathroom down the hall. His beard had grown out, and his hair was longer. I could hear his heavy steps follow me to the bathroom.

"Why did you leave our room?' Aeron asked before I closed the bathroom door, "Little Mate." He said after a moment. I went to close the door, but he grabbed the wooden door and stopped it before it fully closed.

"Let go," I said and swatted his hand away.

"I will rip this door down." He said and frowned at me, "I thought we were okay."

"You," I said in an angered voice. I could feel myself getting worked up, "Did you forget me?" I asked him and squinted my eyes. His eyes widened as he looked at me,

"Nothing. No talking. No seeing." I said and waved my hand out, "No plans, no in-inform-formation." I said and breathed heavily, "It's like the hospital again." I said and frowned as my eyebrows pushed together, "Do you not want to be my mate? Are you as-sh-ashamed of me?" I asked as I struggled to remember my learning. I closed my eyes and softly pushed his hand away as I closed the door.

"That's not even close," Aeron said and sighed,

"Can you come to my office when you're done?"

He asked.

A growl filled the back of my throat as I walked away from the door and leaned on the counter.

After a few seconds, Aeron left without a reply.

Once he was gone, I turned on the water and brushed my teeth. I looked in the mirror and glared at myself as I ran the hard brush over my teeth. Once I was done, I spit in the sink and then brushed my hair out and kept it down.

When I was finished, I walked out of the bathroom and rushed back into the room. I locked the door. I knew it was pointless, but I still did the action as I sat on the bed. I wrapped the blue blanket around my body as I took a deep breath. There was no stopping what tomorrow would bring. I knew better than to hope Alpha Kevin didn't recognize me. And I also know, my only hope of surviving would be to tell my mate the truth. Liya whimpered as she spoke, 'Will Mate be upset with us?' I nodded my head and lay on the bed.

Do you think he will hurt us? I asked as I remember how violent he became when Cameron wouldn't tell him what had happened to me. What should we do?

'Mate won't hurt us.' Liya said with confidence and softly growled, 'Alpha Kevin will hurt us. We can't be near Alpha Kevin, or his men.' She said, I nodded and sat up.

Then it was settled. Tonight, I had to tell Aeron the truth before Alpha Kevin arrives and tells him. Very slowly, I reached around my body as I felt the lumps in my back. I didn't want to be hurt anymore. Fear coated my skin as I slowly got out of bed and pulled on a pair of black tights and a tank top. Brushing my hair once again, I turned towards the door and lifted my head.