Chapter 2: In the Dark

Chapter 2:

The rogue stares at me for a long second before surging forward. I squeal in fear as I narrowly dodge his clawing hands. The man growls in annoyance as I move around the kitchen table, doing my best to keep the large wooden furniture between us. Beckham moves to make his way to me but the other man jumps in front of him, blocking not only his way but my view.

-Rogue attack!- I shoot through the mind link to anyone who will listen and hope someone comes to aid us.

I am useless as the guy wanting to kill me tosses the table to the side and makes his way to me. I sprint toward the asshole who has his hand on my baby brother’s neck as he pummels Beckham in the face. In fury, I drop my shoulder and throw my whole body into the man’s spine, relishing the yelp of pain it elicits. 

My victory is short-lived when the guy I had been running from yanks me back by my ponytail. He then takes hold of my throat and lifts me into the air, holding me up high. I gasp for air, clawing at his hands, sputtering as I kick to no avail. He moves me to the marble countertops and I brace myself for the pain that will undoubtedly riddle every inch of my body.

“Til!” Beckham hollers.

My eyes dart to him in time to see him knock the daylights out of the guy restraining him. He isn’t fast enough as the room blurs and the sound of rushing air hits my ears before a pain unlike any I have ever felt rocks my body. 

I bounce once before my body goes slack, a gross solid thud echoing off the walls. My vision explodes from red to stark darkness and I can hear nothing but the pounding of my heart in my ears and the wheezing from my lungs as I try, and fail, to suck air into my lungs.

I can barely make out the sound of doors slamming and shouting as I try to cling to consciousness. But as I have been told time and time again, I am weak and the darkness takes me to a sweet reprieve from the pain that encompasses my being.

When I wake up, I panic, my vision still not what it should be after what I assume was at the very least a skull cracking slam. I can hear Anna murmuring beside me and I can feel a bandaged hand encasing mine. Beckham.

“I-i- can’t see…” I whisper and the hand squeezes mine. 

“Shh, it will come back soon. You are healing fast. You always have been the fastest healer out of all of us, little sister.” I’m taken aback by the voice of Ty. Supreme asshole, who is never kind and has barely ever spoken more than a sentence to me in my life.

“Hammy?” I croak, my throat aching with a sob that so desperately wants to break free.

“He is fine, he is talking to my mom,” Anna says and I can feel my tense muscles relax knowing she is near.

“What time is it?” I ask, and I can hear movement around the room, as no one answers me. But Ty is still here, holding my hand. 

“I disagree,” he growls. His hand snatching away from me and I immediately search for it with my fingers. It’s scary here in the dark.

“Ty.” my father grunts.

“What? What doesn’t Ty agree with?” I hear Beckham saying. They must be using the mind link to discuss what to do with me or the situation. Since Beckham doesn’t have a wolf yet, he isn’t able to mind link.

“Beckham” My father yet again grunts in his firm, ‘Don’t question the men’ tone and if my eyes were working, I’d roll them damn hard. Typical dad.

“I am with Ty. I disagree. She can’t go in this condition,” Anna says, speaking up. 

“That’s not your decision, Anna,” Alpha Jeremiah says. He may be her father, but he is a hard ass, just like mine.

“Yes, father, I am well aware of that, but it’s no one else’s decision either. She is over eighteen. She can decide her—”

“She will be going.” My mother snaps. A hand is back on mine and I don’t care whose it is, I cling to it for dear life. “She is clearly a liability here. She needs to be trained, and she is beyond our help. Beckham could have been seriously hurt.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Beckham roars.

“Watch your mouth boy!” my father growls

“She saved me! Is it so hard to believe that she actually fucking saved me? I’m not lying! Tyler!” Beckham says, his voice growing louder and I can only assume he is looking at me. “Dylan! I swear! She actually threw a fucking spoon at the guy and then, when I was getting beat, she tackled him.”

“And then she got caught and crashed through my marble countertop.”

“Sorry about your marble counter,” I croak. And the room grows silent.

“Matilda, that’s not how I meant it–”

“I’m going Hammy.” I say. “I know where I’m not wanted.”

“You are wanted here.” Anna says. I shake my head, my eyes stinging from tears, and I squeeze my eyelids shut tight, hoping that when I open them, I will see clearly.

I scoff. “To everyone but you and Hammy, I’m already a rogue. You are the only two who can’t seem to accept it.” I sniffle. The silence in the room is deafening as no one tries to deny the truths I just laid out. It’s just further proof I don’t belong here. I never have. 

“What time is it?” I ask, changing the subject. 

“Quarter to midnight,” Dylan answers from across the room and I nod my head.  

I’ve been out for a solid chunk of time, and we have a good six-hour trip to the Warrior’s Elite training center. Hopefully, I will at least be able to see by then. I pull my hand out of the person next to me and then I try to ease myself up from the bed. I wheeze a pained breath in shock at the level of pain I feel through me.

“Sit.” Ty growls, but I ignore him. 

“Hammy, help me up.” I insist, but no one moves.

In annoyance, I take a deep inhale, the long wheeze of my intake doing nothing to fool anyone. I’m in rough freaking shape. “Help me or I will do it myself.” I hiss and a hand clasps on my upper arm, lifting me. I gasp and dry heave as the pain shudders through me in waves of nausea.

“Can I at least drive her and I there so she can rest? We won’t make the meetup, anyway.” Anna asks, her voice pointed away from me. 

“Yes, of course.” Luna Margo murmurs, a tinge of sadness in her voice though I'm certain it’s more one of pity.  

“My bag is in my room.” I say breathily. 

“I’ll go get it,” Beckham says “But this is fucking bullshit,” he growls.

“Your words!” My father bites out.

“Oh right. I should be silent and grunt like you. How could I forget?” He mutters, his footsteps retreating. 

“Dylan, get your sister’s bag. Beckham living room. Now!” My father roars. I can hear the room empty completely except for Ty, who still holds me up. 

“You don’t have to do this Tilly.” He mutters quietly, and I laugh. I instantly regret my burst of satirical laughter as a breathy groan breaks free of my lips.

“Please, it’s the moment you all have been waiting for. Don’t forget to throw a party when they make me a rogue.”

“Don’t say that.” My once strong and always stern brother sounds almost pained. 

“Why? You finally grow half a heart and feel bad for your baby, sis?” I quip and he doesn’t respond. “Just get me out to Anna’s car. I don’t need your kindness or goodbye. It’s weird and creepy. Like a fucking funeral for the living.” I scoff.

“Look Matilda, I know I haven’t always been the best brother…”

I snort a laugh as he helps me out the door. “You’re forgiven Tyler. Does that make you feel better? Because it doesn’t do shit for me.”

Ty moves me through the house in silence. The more I move around, the better my muscles feel. The ache is buried deep inside, but at least it feels more bearable. When we make it to the door, I swear I can see light behind my eyelids and I have hope that my vision is healing. I don’t need anything working against me at this stupid fucking camp.

I hear Anna’s car whip into the driveway and Ty sighs heavily as he escorts me closer. The stoney drive crunches under Anna’s feet as she comes running around the front, taking my other arm. 

“I’ve got her Ty, thanks” she says, but Ty makes no move to release my arm. In fact, it feels like his grip gets tighter. 

“Get in the car, Anna. I am more than capable of helping my sister.”

There is silence again, and then I can hear Anna muttering under her breath as her footsteps recede. 

“I’m not as bad as you make me out to be, Tilly.” he murmurs.

“Sure, Ty.” I say, giving him a fake smile. “Your never ending kindness makes me believe you.”

“Fuck, Til. When did you get so bitter?” He asks like he is shocked with my sarcasm and I scoff. 

“Maybe it’s the fact that someone tried to kill my baby brother and I nearly failed him. Or it could be the shitty parents who think I am worthless. Or that I am being sent to this fucking place so the pack can be rid of me.” I pause and wiggle out of his grip. “The near death apology is real sweet, big bro, but it’s unnecessary.”

I take a step forward, my hands in front of me, feeling for the cool metal of Anna’s car. When I touch it I sigh in relief, needing a nap after a major conversation with my best friend about whatever the hell is wrong with Tyler and his sudden caring. I grab the handle and yank the door open just as the house door flies open behind us and footsteps come rushing toward us. 

“Til.” Beckham calls out behind me, and my anger melts away when I hear the distress in his voice. This is going to be hard for him. My leaving, and my inevitable failure that will keep us apart for a long time. I turn toward his voice, hating that I can’t see his sweet face once more before I go.

“Well, give me a hug, Ham!” I say, grinning at what I hope is him. 

Big arms wrap around me, gently tugging me close.

“I do love you, Tilly. I mean it,” Ty says, surprising me. Then I’m pulled into a somewhat smaller person’s embrace as Beckham all but crushes me, and a small stutter in his breathing tells me he is trying like hell not to cry. Lord knows our brothers won’t be kind to him if they see his tears. 

“Pull your shit together, Beckham.” Dylan says from somewhere.

“Yeah, Hammy. No emotions allowed. The stone walls live here. If you laugh or cry, they will send you away,” I mutter, and Beckham chuckles into my hair.

“Please try to finish? For me?” he whispers and I give him a nod as he breaks our embrace and guides me into the passenger seat. Then he buckles me up and my seat flies back into the lying position as I squeal in surprise. 

“Get some rest before you get there. Being beaten up on your first day will only make you worse,” Dylan grumbles. 

Nothing like a good ol’ almost dying moment to make my brothers get all emotional in their own way. Funny how neither of my parents came to say goodbye, though. The door is shut, and the car moves away. Anna and I sit in silence before she breaks it with soft music and a sigh. 

“You scared the shit out of me,” she says. And I chuckle.

“I have very few talents, but scaring you is one of them.” I remind her with a forced grin.

“I mean it.” She says seriously. “Ty got into the house before me and he lost his shit when he saw you. He killed the guy instantly. We thought you were dead.”

She pauses, letting the words hang in the air between us, waiting for me to respond or ask a question maybe, but instead I just sit in silence. 

 “Don’t worry, I got the one who hurt your Hammy. Mom said she was going to interrogate the one I wanted to kill. Ty is in trouble, though, for killing the other one.”

“Since when are we not allowed to kill rogues?” I ask with a small scoff. Of course, they would be mad about someone killing a rogue trying to kill me. Am I that fucking worthless to them?

“We are allowed to kill rogues when they are fighting. The rogue surrendered when he saw Ty. Ty ignored him.”

“Well, shit…” I whisper, sleepiness taking me over. It’s strange how living in darkness makes you so sleepy. “Let’s talk later?” I mutter.

“Get some rest.” Anna agrees, and the music gets louder as I drift away.