"He's not a monster! Elik is my mate. The holder of my heart. He's a protector. He's my protector."
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Penelope thought her life was over when she was taken. The abuse lasted months, and there was no light at the end of...
I'm running, but my legs ache. They want to give out so badly. They didn't sign up for this, and neither did I.
Tiny branches slap at me, and shouts and leers echo around me like a painful mantra as they chase me relentlessly. I pant heavily. I'm not in good shape, never have been very athletic, but my life depends on any fitness I can scrounge up. I have to call upon my deepest endurance. I regret never working hard for it when I had the chance.
I can make it. I just have to keep pushing.
My body rebels, my muscles screaming at me to stop. I'm so tired, so very weak. I've barely eaten anything in weeks, it's so hard to find food or a nice place to sleep. I've been alone, but I though I was safe. Clearly, I haven't been as safe as I thought I was. Those things were the least of my worries all along.
I stop for only a moment, leaning on a tree, the sharp bark coarse against my hands and scratching my palms. I use it for support as I catch my breath, but the noise of yelling bouncing around the forest has me moving once more. I'm reluctant to put my faith in any direction, I saw how many men they had with them, this could be a trap.
For some reason, I never thought something like this bad could happen. A little voice in my head tells me I cannot let them get to me, or something bad will happen.
Footsteps shutter behind me, thumping the dirt like heavy bricks as they catch up with me. I scream before I'm even tackled. I go flying along with the heavy body on my back. My face smashes into the unforgiving forest floor, scraping on pebbles and leaves as I'm pushed down.
The man in question puts a firm hand on the back of my head. He shoves me down to keep me from squirming as his labored breathing continues against my ear.
"I got her!" He screams victoriously, followed by howls of excitement as they gather around. I've never seen this many men before, I thought they had almost been wiped out. Why are there so many of them? What do they want with me?
When a knife presses to the delicate skin of my cheek, and I whimper. Tears pour out of my eyes as my heart leaps wildly like I'm a small, trapped animal, which isn't too far off from my situation. I scream when the bastards starts to dig in, terrified that I'm about to die.
"She's a pretty one. I know just what we're going to do with you, cutie." Someone whispers in a hoarse voice. His weight doesn't leave me, but I hear cheers as the tell-tale sound of a belt buckle being undone reaches my ears.
That's when I know that being killed isn't the worst thing they could do to me.
Two large hands take me by the arms, shaking me gently but firmly as a heart wrenching scream pierces the air. My name flies around my head.
"Penelope! Female, wake up! Please." The voice is tortured, brimming with fear as the screams continue.
My eyes fly open, expecting to see the men from my memory standing around me, but it's just Elik. Wonderful, handsome Elik who's cradling me in his big arms as the screams come to a raging halt, and soft sob follows. I guess I was the one screaming, maybe that's why my throat hurts.
I'm still afraid, so afraid of people who can't even hurt me anymore, let alone try. Why do I have to remember every night of my imprisonment? Why do I have a perfect memory of every word, every ounce of hurt, every moment of terror? It's not fair.
I close my eyes as Elik pulls me into his chest, sighing and rubbing the back of my head with his fingers. I clutch at him, worrying that he'll disappear, terrified that it's all one amazing dream that will leave me wrecked.
Those men, they made me feel so worthless, so empty. I don't know if I deserve Elik or not. He's too good to me, too special to want someone as ruined as me. I'm not pure. I'm not clean. I've been touched by dirty hands, forced to endure wicked things.
But Elik doesn't see that, or he doesn't know the full extent of it. He just holds me, murmuring soft words that I don't even hear because I'm too panicked.
What if he found out everything? If he knew, would he dump me with someone else and then leave? Would I ever be able to see him again? I cry harder, lost in my own mind as it tries it's hardest to drown me.
"I wish I could go back to Earth and track down every one of those filthy males so I could rip them apart and bring you their hearts that I tear from their fragile chests." He growls with so much ferocity that I stop crying. As morbid and disgusting as that sounds, I'm blown away that he would do that for me.
He really cares. For some reason, he doesn't think that I'm worthless and broken. He actually wants me to be happy. I sniffle against his chest. My eyes close, my limbs stretch before curling up into a ball.
Elik is so warm, and I let myself get comfortable. I could lay here for the rest of my life and be content, I just hope that he'll let me.
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A surprise chapter, because I think we all deserve a pick me up right about now :)
