The torrential rains pelted against her window shield. The electricity lighting up the sky, displaying white hot flashes against a dark background. Reneé raced down the black street, unshed tears stinging her eyes, making her vision blurry. Each time she vowed she would never go back, to never look back, to finally smell the freedom she so greatly wanted. But once her little brother called her crying hysterically, begging her to come back to protect him, Reneé had no choice but to postpone her escape. She couldn’t believe how selfish she had been, leaving her brother in that hell hole by himself to endure their punishment.Reneé swerved into the gravel driveway, bolting to the front door of the house, leaving her car running in case a quick grab and dash was necessary.

“RYAN, BABY I’M HERE WHERE ARE YOU?!”, Reneé screamed throughout the eerily quiet house. The house expelled the sound of television on, with her grandmother sitting front and center laughing boisterously at Family Feud, and her father usually drunk off his ass snoring in his reclinable chair.

The silence sent Reneé’s anxiety skyrocketing, each step she took, each empty room she looked in, every empty hiding place Ryan usually hides in, brought a new batch of fresh hot tears.

“RYAN!”, Reneé screamed as loud as cracking voice permitted her.

“Sissy?”, She heard the weak voice call out to her. It sounded as though it was coming through the walls. Reneé pressed her ear to the spot closest to where she heard her brother. Reneé then remembered there was a small crawl space in the walls behind the living room couch, where they usually keep him for his routine “time-outs.”

Reneé ran over to the sofa flipping it over, and Ryan was sticking his little fingers through the makeshift peephole. Reneé wasted no time in taking the covering off his prison and engulfed him in a tight embrace.

“Oh Ryan I’m so sorry, I promise never to leave you like that again,” Reneé cried clutching her little brother to her chest. Reneé held her brother at arm’s length to survey his body for any bruises, her eyes immediately zoning in on the purplish bruise developing on his milk chocolate skin, forming over his right eye, and a small scratch on the left side of his face.

Anger engulfed Reneé as she observed her brothers bruised face. She couldn't understand how they people that were supposed to love you unconditionally could also be the ones to cause you the most hurt.

“Come on little bro, go pack your stuff where going on a little mini-vacation,” Reneé said with a small smile, watching his dark brown eyes light up with excitement.

“Okay sissy, I’ll be back faster than you can say abracadabra,” Ryan laughed racing off to the shared room of theirs. Reneé let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Her eyes glazed over once again with tears, as the thought about the possibility of not having her little brother with her. Ryan was all she had left in their fucked up world, and it would kill her if she lost him too.

Shaking the sad thoughts from her head Reneé, walked to the bathroom to make herself presentable, she didn’t want noisy people all up in her business, trying to "help her" or pretend like they "care." Reneé attempted to smooth down her unruly tightly curled hair, frustrated when it wouldn’t cooperate she decide just to let it be. Reneé then proceeds to splash water on her face, her once milk chocolate skin, now a dull ashy brown. Those once lively brown eyes full of mirth and youth, now an empty shell void of any signs of life.

“I’M READY SISSY,” Ryan screamed from the living room with his Superman suitcase messily packed. Reneé laughed at her brother's silly antics, grateful he didn't seem too terribly traumatized this time around. Reneé took one more glance in the mirror, making sure her appearance was decent, before leaving the house to load her brother's things in the car. She decided they would crash at a motel. Any place was better than this place they called, Home.

Alec’s POV

My wolf was acting crazy for some odd reason, with me being the Alpha overall Alphas. I naturally had superior control of my wolf, but that wasn’t the case today, I could feel my wolf on the verge of forcing a shift.

” Bosätta sig för Guds skull.”

I pulled up to the closest motel I could find, with sleepiness, and my wolf's unnerving presence was rapidly taking hold of my body. Motels weren't my typical choice of place to reside, I preferred more of a sophisticated hotel or my home, but It didn’t matter at the moment I just wanted a pillow in my face.

“Room for one please,” I told the motel clerk, who was looking at me his eyes were roaming me suspiciously, probably wondering as to why a man like, would want a room at this dingy motel.

Mate..

Mate...

MATE….

“Would you please calm down godammit, and what is this nonsense you keep spewing. Our mate would be nowhere near this vicinity”, I snarled at my wolf mentally, angry at him for almost causing a shift in front of the already suspicious motel clerk.

“Vad I helvete är det för fel på dig?”, I questioned him. That was when I smelt it, the most pleasant smell to ever grace my nose. The aroma of Japanese Cherry Blossom, with a hint of citrus. My usually violet eyes glowed a bright gold as they focused on the entrance of the motel. My natural instincts ready to claim the no doubt magnificent creature they had garnered my up most attention.

“Come on Ryan, sweetie,” I heard approaching the doors. Her voice was like honey, rich and sweet, ready entrap anybody who dared to listen. My wolf was begging to be released, my control on him nothing but a piece of thread.  I could feel the shift beginning; my canines started to protrude, the nails on my fingers lengthening.

The motel door swung open, and there she was in all her glory. May the Moon Goddess give me strength for I couldn’t help the guttural sound that came from the base of my throat.

“MINE.”