Chapter 6 : Fight and Flight

*Valeria*

A gasp of pain escaped me, ripping me from sleep.

Before the pain had a chance to fade, the tears were already leaking down my face and onto my pillow. The salt in my tears burned the sensitive skin almost as much as moving in my sleep had.

A sob started to rise in my throat, but I forced it back down.

It hurt too much to sob.

Managing a turn of my head, I saw the light starting to fade ever so slightly.

Three days.

It had been three days since Declan had stopped being the man who I knew and loved: three days since he had first hit me. Three days of enduring nothing but more hits…repenting for the sin I had apparently committed.

I still couldn't believe it. Declan had never treated me poorly at all in six years, let alone hurt me in any way, and yet now he seemed to bask in the hurting. It didn't seem to phase him one bit each time his hand hit my body.

Each time I cried out in pain.

Some mate.

I couldn't hold it back any longer. The sob broke free, causing more tears to join in the pain that followed.

There was no way that Declan could have changed overnight, which made the reality even worse: I never realized or knew what kind of person he truly was in his heart. He had put on appearances for six years…and I had fallen for it.

On day two I tried to leave, but that had been unacceptable, resulting in even more hits. Now I laid in bed, aching all over, trying to think of some way I could make my way out of this. Because it was clear that I couldn't stay.

My doorknob started to jiggle and I hurried and closed my eyes, hoping that if Declan found me asleep he would leave me that way.

The lock clicked, and the door opened quietly. There was no noise, but I stayed as still as possible, still hoping for a positive outcome.

"I know you aren't asleep," a feminine voice spoke into the room.

Melissa. Great.

I continued to feign sleep, despite her words. Partially I was hoping she would leave, and partially, I didn't want to talk to her. The girl had already taken everything from me, she didn't deserve my words or my time.

"You know, this is all your fault, Valeria," Melissa kept talking, and her voice sounded closer than before. "You deserve this for trying to get me kicked out."

I clenched my fists under my blanket, but I still didn't make a move.

"Really, I guess I should say thank you though," Melissa said, her voice still moving around the room. "Declan has never wanted me so often, and now I am openly his lover. No more hiding is pretty nice…"

This news didn't even hurt as much as I thought it would. Anything that kept Declan occupied and away from me was a blessing at this point. The bed dipped in the corner and there was a slight squeaking noise.

"He and I won't be as mean as you though, we won't kick you out," Melissa's voice took a cold edge. "I thought we might send you off for a bit though, you know? Give me the chance to fully replace you and become Luna, but Declan insists that he won't reject you…annoying right?"

Somehow, I kept my breathing even, my clenched fists the only sign of the internal turmoil going on.

"You really are asleep, aren't you?" Melissa said with an annoyed sigh. "How sad."

The bed moved again, and I heard her walking across the room. There was silence again, and I realized that she must have paused. Was she feeling guilty? Is that why she hesitated?

Before I could come to a conclusion, I heard the door open and click shut.

I wouldn't put it past her to be faking it though, so I remained still, just focusing on my breathing and thinking about everything she just told me.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

How could I have been so dumb? Sure, it was young love, but I had been so stupid. Declan had declared that I was his mate and explained how that meant we were bonded for life. How he would always put me above anyone else, including himself.

What a joke.

Though King Dominic had said something about that too…something about the bond being weak…

The door creaked again and I had to force myself to breathe as the instinct to hold it kicked in. It clicked shut just as quietly, but I stayed still.

"Valeria?" A whispered voice cut through the room.

"Rosie!" I exhaled in relief, opening my eyes in the growing darkness of my room.

"Oh, Val!" Rosie ran forward and hugged me, renewing my cries of pain and tears. "I'm so, so, sorry. I tried to get to you sooner, but he's kept the door locked. I've been trying every night. I was planning on breaking in tonight, one way or another!"

She tried to pull away when she realized my pain, but I gripped her tighter, relishing in the only positive contact I had in three days.

"What can I do?" Rosie asked, her voice cracking. "How can I help you?"

"You can't," I croaked out.

"Don't think like that!" she said, pulling back and examining me. I could barely see her through one swollen eye, and she seemed to focus on that as well. "We have to get you out of here. You need to escape."

"I can't," I practically sobbed again, letting her help me into a sitting position. "Declan is Alpha and a powerful one at that. If I leave, he will just find me and drag me back…then hurt me worse for defying him."

The last sentence was hard to admit, but I knew it was true.

"That's true…" Rosie said slowly. "Don't get mad, but I've had a couple of days to think about it, and I think we have only one option…"

"What?" I asked, hating how desperate I sounded. "I'll do anything."

"Who is the only one who Alpha Declan bows down to, who scares all Alphas?" She asked.

"No," I shook my head. "No, not King Dominic. I can't."

"I know they have a bad rep, Val, but how could it be any worse than this?" Rosie asked. "I think it's our only option, and if it keeps you safe, then I am willing to do anything."

"It's not that," I said slowly. "I mean, yes, their reputation is intimidating and scary, but there is another reason I can't ask the King…"

"What is it?" Rosie pressed, looking more curious than ever.

"Well, I never got the chance to tell you with everything going on…" I said. "But, the King kind of cornered me and told me that we are mates. Well, second chance mates, whatever that means…"

"What?!" Rosie exclaimed, then looked around in horror at how loud she spoke. "No way! That's even better then! If you are mates then he'll have to save you!"

"No, it's not like that." I could feel my cheeks flush, which hurt worse than I let on. "I can't be his mate, I can't accept him. You heard what he's like…and I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"Okay, okay, so make your position clear," Rosie said with a shrug, though her relaxed demeanor seemed faked for my benefit. "Either way, I think it's our only option…and…well…"

"What?" I asked.

"I kind of, sort of, already bought us the plane tickets to him," she said with an uneasy smile.

"What??" I asked again.

"You didn't really expect me to be sitting around the last few days doing nothing, did you?" she asked, her smile turning sad. "Even if I couldn't see you, I knew what was happening…If I have to drag you out of here myself, I will get you out of here."

Tears blurred my vision as I grabbed my best friend's hand.

"When are we leaving?" I asked.

Rosie's face looked relieved. "In an hour, once it's truly dark and everyone's asleep. I even arranged a car to pick us up and take us to the airport."

"Then let's get on it," I said, trying to smile.

Rosie moved around the room, throwing a few belongings of mine into a small backpack. We didn't have time to pack everything, and that would just slow us down.

Once that was done, she, very slowly, helped me get out of bed and into a set of clothes that would fit for travel. The more I moved my body the less stiff it was though, so that was an added bonus.

Finally, we were quietly making our way outside and standing at the end of the driveway, waiting on the car.

I was shocked at how well it was going. We hadn't seen a single person yet, which was great news. Yet, my stomach was still in knots, even as we loaded in the car and made it to the airport.

It was almost too easy.

We checked in for our flights, got to our gate, and were just sitting there, waiting to board. The minutes seemed to crawl by.

Too easy.

"I'm going to go get us some food," Rosie said as my stomach gurgled again.

I didn't even have the heart to tell her that it was just nerves and that I wasn't hungry at all (despite hardly eating for the past three days). Instead, I just nodded and let her go.

More and more time passed by and the boarding time was getting closer. And yet Rosie had not returned. Lines at airports could be pretty long though…or maybe she had to go to the bathroom?

The flight was starting to board.

As if on cue, my phone started to ring. I found it in the pocket that Rosie had packed it in earlier and was relieved to see her name on the screen.

"Rosie, where are you?" I asked as I answered. "They are-"

"Rosie will be dead if you don't get your ass out here in ten minutes," the male voice growled through the phone.

"Declan," I breathed, the panic rising from my stomach to my chest.

"I don't know where the hell you think you are going," Declan continued, hatred in every word. "Get here now, and I won't punish Rosie for helping you."

Lies.

“You are mine Valeria, you think you can get away like this?”

Wait. If he wanted me to come to him, then that must mean that he didn't know what flight I was on. If he did, he would already be at the gate, hauling me off. And Rosie must not have told him either.

But I couldn't just leave Rosie…

"Val, run!" Rosie's voice screamed in that instance, and I hardened myself.

I heard the underlying meaning of her words. Run…and get help.

I could return now, but I knew that neither Rosie nor I would be spared from Declan's new wrath. The only way I could save myself, and save my friend, was with help.

"Babe," Declan seemed to be trying a new tactic. "Come on, just come out and we can work this all out. I'm sorry."

I looked up at the stewardess about to announce the last call.

"Goodbye, Declan."

I hung up the phone and boarded the plane.