Sold to the Alpha With Silver Eyes - Chapter 57: Chapter 57

*Eden*
“You have got to at least eat something,” Travis whispers, shoving a plate of bread and cheese in my direction. My stomach wants it desperately, but I turn my nose up, looking toward the wall, refusing to touch it. He has no idea how long I can starve myself without giving in.
“How can we help you honey if you don’t speak to us?” My mother’s voice is filled with tenderness and it only hurts all the more. It’s salt to the open wound that being here has created in my heart.
They rushed to aid the asshole who relished breaking me, shoving me off rough enough to crack the back of my skull that has covered my hair in a thick sticky mess of blood. How sweet of them to just assume I am going feral.
There has not been even a whisper of apology to me, but rather utter panicked apologetic words filled with fear toward that coward of a man they call a friend. A friend who abused me. The very friend who did took sick pleasure in playing with me mentally until I broke.
The door to the dimly lit, smelly room creaks open and Patrice enters, a sullen look on her face. She may fool everyone here, but I’ve seen the look in her eyes when she is about to pull some bullshit. And here she is, coming to make things worse for me.
“Oh, Patty, how is he?” my mother asks, standing and rushing to her, taking her thin hands into hers.
“Did she say why she did it? What the hell was she thinking?!” she growls, looking at me. “You’ve nearly torn his arm off. How does that make you feel?”
She leans forward, saying the words with such venom she wets my face with her spit.
“That’s a bit dramatic,” Travis frowns as she scoffs and turns her anger at him. I see her hands clench as she yanks them away from my mothers and all I can think of is how hard she strikes. I fly against the makeshift bars they have, hissing and stepping back as they burn my skin.
“Don’t you dare touch him, you bitch!” I roar out, trying to grab at her. My claws come out, my wolf angry and my chest pounding. I’ve seen how freely they let their hands fly. If she touches him, I will gnaw her scrawny wrists and separate her hands from her arms.
“Why would I ever hurt him?” She rears back like I am an untamed monster and then clutches her chest, shaking her head. “I know she is your daughter, but she is rabid. She can’t stay here. I am sorry, but this needs to be addressed with the elders. She is dangerous.”
My mother’s face goes white and Travis meets me with a sorrowful gaze.
“Please…just…let me try to reason with her.” My mother begs and Patrice scoffs.
“You think you can reason with crazy? It’s impossible. How can you trust anything she will say? I bet she will claim it was because she felt threatened and accuse my sweet Jerome of terrible lies to save herself.” She throws her hands in the air and Travis stands, looming over her.
“Enough.” He clips out, looking toward my mother who seems to be barely holding herself together, “Mom, leave and take her with you. Now.”
Patrice throws a fit, muttering and mumbling as my mom ushers her out the front door, pushing at her back before she looks at me one more time and closes the door.
Travis stares at me, pacing back and forth before he stops, reaches out for a stool and pulls it to him, plopping on the circular top. He drags his hand over his mouth and then he frowns at me.
“I can not help you if you don’t talk to me.” He says.
I blink at him, feeling hollow, all sass and retaliation gone. Too much has happened, too many lies and revelations surrounding my darkest years. Where does one even describe the horrors I have seen and felt?
“I didn’t ask for your help,” I whisper, pressing my head to the back of the wall, where I slump against it.
“We are family, you do not have to ask,” He whispers and I can’t stop the sarcastic bubble of laughter that bursts forth.
“I could have used a family two years ago,” I mutter.
“You are the one who didn’t meet us at the rendezvous point later.” He snaps like he has a right to be mad at me.
“Hard to follow instructions when I was never given them.” I scoff, laying down on the ground, realizing I would much rather sleep than discuss anything to do with my so-called family and the lies they created to make themselves feel better for abandoning me.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Travis asks.
I roll my eyes, hugging my arms closer to my body. There is a scraping of things across the ground and Travis exhales deeply behind me.
“Fine, you won’t talk to me. I will talk to you.” He says, his stubborn, defiant nature on display.
“You could just leave.” I feign exhaustion, forcing a yawn, but he ignores me.
“Not sure if you notice, but I have my wolf now. Youngest to ever get one.” There is pride in his voice, and I fight the urge to congratulate him.
None of this is his fault, and it is clear he was told something very different about why I wasn’t with them than what happened. He pauses, waiting for me to take the bait, and I groan, turning to face him.
“How did you end up getting it early?” I ask him, pretending to just play along. His lips twitch in a small smile before he leans on his knees where he sits on a stool and rubs his hands together.
“That’s the crazy part. It just…happened. It took me nine months to heal up.” He points to his face. “This was far worse, if you can believe that.”
“Did you have your wolf during your healing or after?” I ask, feeling a twinge in my stomach thinking about the pain he must have suffered for so long.
“After.” he chuckles. “Convenient, right? I overheard mom and dad mention you a year ago. They let me think you were dead for a whole year, but when I found out you were alive, it flipped a switch. Quite literally, my wolf came out and suddenly my disgusting scars started to heal after a year of looking like melting plastic.”
My eyes grow wide and tear up, listening to him. His hope in finding me is what helped him shift early? His wolf is healing his old scars slowly? It’s hard to believe, but what does he have to hide from me? Aside from all the secrets of my family and reasons why I wasn’t good enough and got left behind.
“Why would they keep it a secret from you if they knew I was alive?” I ask, frowning, and he matches my sad disposition.
“They knew I would come back for you.” He shrugs.
“I wish you had,” I admit, and he tilts his head to the side, questioning my statement. “Mom and Dad have no idea what I went through.”
“Then talk to me, tell me.” He rushes out, moving his stool closer. I choke out a dry laugh.
“Like you would believe me.” I shake my head.
“So quick to judge, but not to trust.” He says, and I know he is trying to convince me to tell him.
“I haven’t had the luxury of trust in years. All I trust is myself. It’s the only way to ensure I stop being disappointed.” I level him with my sincerity.
“Even me?” He asks, eyes wide like he used to do when we were back home and he wanted an extra serving of dessert and mom said no so I would sneak him my portion.
“You knew!” I raise my voice, my anger growing and my heart aching. “I was left in the dark and I dont know what mom and dad told you but they fucking lied.”
“What do you mean?” He asks, confused.
“I had no idea what you three were doing, what you were involved in. I was forced to think I lost all three of you, injured, trying to save you from the fucking fire that they apparently knew was going to happen.”
I rise to my feet, stalking toward him as my anger, and hurt consumes me.
“Do you know what it is like to be left barely alive, alone, and branded as the daughter of traitors? I was tried for our parents’ betrayal and sentenced to being a fucking maid in Alpha Jeromes’ pack, where I was mistreated.” I hiss the words at him.
“Mistreated how?” He asks, a flash in his eyes and I freeze, realizing how much I am giving him.
What does it matter what happened in the past? I was supposed to be over it, moved on. Yet, here I am snapping and giving him everything as if he were a therapist I was paying to solve my issues.
“Forget it,” I huff, dropping to my butt, feeling defeated.
“Never.” He growls, “Mistreated how, Eden?”
“All you need to know is that Jerome and Patrice are lying fuckers who would be better off dead. How mom and dad have not been able to determine that yet just shows their lack of connection to the real world they claim they have.” I offer, refusing to go into too much more detail.
“That is why you attacked him,” He whispers before he stands and walks toward the door. He spins to look at me. “Did he ever…hurt you?”
He looks so cute and serious, the innocence still in him despite the rough two years.
“Yes.” I admit, “It was his favorite thing to do. He convinced himself he was breaking me of bad habits, like asking to eat or take a break from maid work.”
“Maid work?” He rears back, confused. “You were supposed to be living like a normal pack member.”
“Do normal pack members go into manic phases and attack their alpha?” i scoff and he presses his lips together in anger.
“That fucking asshole is going to pay, once mom and dad find out—”
“You will not tell them.” I roar. “They don’t get to know what my life was like. That I was beaten daily, starved and made to submit because they enjoyed it. They have no right to know the shit I lived through because they shouldn’t care. What parent leaves their child behind and never thinks about them?” I sneer.
“They love you, and missed you so much…” He offers and I snort a fake laugh.
“Oh clearly. I felt that love so keenly over the years at the hands of their so-called precious friends. Fuck them and fuck Jerome and Patrice. They can all have each other.” I tell him, turning my back on him once more.
“At Least eat something to gain your strength back,” he offers, clearly conflicted about what he needs to do next.
“I’ve gone much longer without food, so I think I will pass for now. Thanks.”