"I'll only be gone for a day, I promise." Aden and Eden both gave me similar pouting faces, and I knew if I turned around to look at Bane, he would be making the same face. It killed me to lie to him, especially after getting him back so soon. I knew if I told him, he'd never let me go. I had to lie.
Bane had driven me to the airport in silence until we reached his private jet.
"Is this really necessary? Can't Sophia hold down the fort for a little longer?" he growled.
"Papers need my signature, people need my face, and my company needs to be settled before I can move it. Montana isn't exactly the trending fashion scene." Leaning in i waited for him to kiss me. Knowing for a fact he wouldn't pass it up. What I didn't expect was the full on deep, passionate kiss i received. He nibbled on my bottom lip, making me gasp so he could gain entry to my mouth.
God damn him and his kisses. He was trying to get me to stay, and it wasn't going to work.
I bit his lip and he jerked back in surprise.
I smirked picking up my bag.
"Goodbye Honey, take care of my babies." I threatened.
He was still looking at me in shock when the jet door closed.
The pilot looked up at me in confusion when I walked into the cockpit. "Miss?"
"I need to change our course, and I'd appreciate it if Mr. Lykos didn't know about until we got back." He looked a little confused and nervous about going against his boss. "I only have enough fuel to make it to New York."
"That's fine, I want to go to California."
The pilot didn't have any excuse after that, and we took off without a hitch.
Landing in California was a different matter. Being back home sent chills racing down my back. It was as if my wolf understood we weren't supposed to be here. This wasn't our home anymore.
I picked up a rental outside and headed down the familiar road. The same road I disappeared from so many years ago.
My parents house look untouched by time. The grass was a plush green and cut, the door was a bright red, windows were spotless. I sat there in my car just staring at it.
I caught sight of my mom in the window. Her black hair had been cropped to just below her ears, and she looked thinner.
I glanced into the car mirror and put my brown contacts back in. Pulling out my make up bag, I quickly applied some to my face. Make up was a miracle. It could cover up anything, except my scent. Which was what the perfume was for.
I applied a little extra just for safety.
Walking up the sidewalk and to the door was the longest trip of my life, and possibly the most nerve racking.
The door swung open before I could even knock.
"What are you doing here?" My mother hissed standing in the doorway.
I held my breath, staring at her.
"Oh,.mom...what has he done to you?"
I had been right before. Her hair was cut, but it had been done with some rustic scissors. Strands were all different lengths and they looked dull and lifeless.
I had also been right about the thinner part. She was bone thin, i could see her collar bone poke out from her shirt, and her cheek bones poked out of her face.
Dark blotches and bruises cover her arms and neck.
Tears threatened my eyes and anger burned inside of me. How dare he touch my mom.
I felt like ripping his throat out right now, and ...ahhhh. I snarled looking away from her.
"Alyx, what are you doing here." my mom looked close to tears now.
"Where's dad? Is he here?" I barged into the house searching for him. Outside the house was perfect, but on the inside it was a complete disaster. It was dark, and cluttered. There was broken glass on the floor, and rips in the furniture. It looked like someone had shifted and tore up the place.
Mom cowered in the dark.
"Where is dad, mom?"
She pointed up the stairs.
"He's healing."
I sprinted up the stairs and burst into their room.
My dad lay on the bed, wrapped in bloody sheets. The healing process was taking a lot out of him, because he was knocked out cold. Like my mother he was stick thin, and bruises covered his body, along with scars. Blood still seeped out of the gashes on his stomach and chest.
"Daddy?" I fell to my knees beside the bed and gripped his hand. I could hear my mom in the doorway behind me, watching us. "Why didn't you tell me?" All this time, every phone call, she always asked how I was doing, how well the Twins were doing. Never did I ask how she was doing. She never let anything slip.
How could I not know?
How could I have left them here with that bastard.
"We didn't want you to come back. You were safe. Why, why would you come back?"
"For you!" I instantly regretted yelling when she shrank away from me.
"Oh mom." I hugged her tightly. She sobbed into my shoulder and I held her until she pulled away.
"You need to go, now, before he comes back."
"What, no, I'm not leaving without you."
There was a loud crashing sound as the door swung open down stairs. My mother froze solid in my arms for five seconds before she shoved me into the closet.
"Be quiet." She hissed closing me in, but there was a small crack in the door. She stood in front of the bed, facing whoever was standing in the doorway.
"Who's here?" Kane, it was him. My nails lengthened into claws at the thought of him being so close to my parents.
"No one..." my mother whimpered.
"Are you stupid? I can smell her. Someone has been here." He snarled. "A saleswoman came by..she tried to sell us magazines."
"You let her into this dump?"
My mom didn't answer his question. Kane passed in front of the door as he walked around the bed. My stomach twisted at seeing him again. I felt like puking and ripping his guts out all at the same time.
This one being had ruined my entire life.
And I was not about to let him get away with it.
He leaned over my father and gripped his chin, letting his claws scrape against his cheeks. My mother whimpered as he hurt her mate again. This was a woman, who has always been one of the strongest people in my life, and she was diminished to a whimpering mess.
"Oh, shut up Elizabeth." Kane snapped letting my father's face go.
He walked over to her in three strides and pressed her against the wall using his body.
No.
His fist tangled in her hair and he forced himself onto her.
OH HELL NO.
Barging out of the closet I grabbed him off of her and threw him across the room. His impact left a hole in the wall before he fell to the floor. Grabbing the closest thing to my hand (a lamp) i smashed it against his surprised face. The sound of footsteps running up the stairs stopped me from clawing out his eyes. He was unconscious anyway.
Claire ran into the room looking almost worse than my mother. Her lip was already cut and bleeding, and her eye was swollen shut.
"Claire?" She faced me warily.
"Who are you?"
"Did he do that? Did he touch you too?" Anger boiled in my stomach at the worthless little..
"Alyx," my dad groaned sitting up. He was still bleeding, and in obvious pain.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"Is your car outside?" He said gruffly.
"Yes."
"Let's go." I didn't even have to explain anything he just knew. Mom and I helped him down the stairs and into the back seat of my car.
"Is it really you? Alyx." Claire stood in the middle of the street just looking at me. Hoping.
"Yes. Now get in the car Claire."