Chapter 2

Flashbacks to her ex trapping her with a devilish grin on his face came to her mind. She used her other hand to hit his chest until he grabbed that one. He lowered his head closer to her, his body radiating a heat that made her lean into it. No, she can't go through this again. She shifted the gear from Flight to Fight, bringing her knee up and ramming it between his legs. He grunted, releasing her as he dropped to a knee. He may be a Werewolf King, but he was still a man. She didn't hesitate. She did what came naturally. She ran. She ran through the garden, into the house until she was inside her room and locked the door. For extra measure, she positioned a door beneath the handle. She wasn't sure it would truly stop him, but she had to try something. "What the Hell was that?" She asked herself. She finally took notice of her racing heart beat that nearly blasted out of her chest. She rested her notebook and pen on the desk and tried to steady herself. Though everything happened so quickly, she couldn't quite grasp what happened between them. An unspoken need heated up her body, drenching her inner thighs. She bolted into her bathroom, shredding off her clothes and turned on the shower as cold as she dared. She let the droplets rain down on her, pelting her flushed skin. She felt every inch of her was on fire and she didn't know how to put it out. Her fingers dipped between her legs and she bit back a moan. She never expected to react this way after the way he grabbed her. Another flashback came, the silhouette of her ex standing before her with a belt in one hand and the other hand clenched into a fist. Any desire she felt evaporated instantly as she looked on in horror. His image only smirked back at her, the belt raised. "No!" She screamed, dropping to the floor of the shower, her hands up to deflect the blow. Though one never came. Her eyes carefully opened, the silhouette gone. The tears she had restrained streamed freely down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her legs and sobbed. She had managed to avoid Geoff since their altercation in the garden. She felt slightly guilty for how she reacted, but he did deserve it. He hadn't approached her since then, but she can still smell the fresh rain. It was strongest just outside her door last night, but it had faded away into the morning. She didn't dare risk it though, so she skipped out on meals for a couple days until she was sure he had left her alone. She was accustomed to not eating a few days at a time. A few days went by when a text from Penelope came through. You have an appointment with Dr. Marshall. I'll have a car arranged to pick you up in 10. Adelaide nearly forgot about the planned therapy sessions Penelope arranged for her. She had been the only person to care about her this much. Adelaide opened the door to the hallway, taking a careful glance around before shutting the door behind her. It was quiet. Did Geoff leave for the day? She released a breath before walking down the hallway. She checked her pockets for her phone and wallet. She fixed her long sleeve black shirt and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. As she rounded the stairs, the scent of fresh rain hits her as she met Geoff's cold gaze coming up the staircase. He was shirtless with sweatpants hanging low, the curve of his pelvis disappearing into the depths of the fabric. Tribal tattoos licked along his ribs, arms, shoulders and chest. His slightly long black hair was damp and slicked back. He looked so delicious. She froze up. "Where are you going?" He asked her, stopping his ascend. Her fingers pulled on the edges of her sleeves nervously. She wanted to avoid his eyes, but she couldn't get herself to look away. She opened her mouth to speak, but the silhouette played in her head again. He stared at her for a moment, frustration settling in his shoulders. "Fine. Don't answer me." He moved passed her and down the opposite hallway. She watched his back as he walked away from her. She had the urge to chase after him, but she didn't dare budge. He's probably still upset with her from the other night. A car honked outside, bringing her back to her reality. Here goes nothing. Dr. Marshall sat in a rolling chair in front of her desk, her pen tapping the notepad in her lap, but her hazel eyes were on Adelaide . Since she sat down, she struggled to talk to her. Maybe it was the fact that she was a wolf and Adelaide was just a human. "We can sit here all day if you need to, Miss. Mill." She informed her. Right, Penelope was getting charged for this after all. Adelaide balled up her fists in her lap, her eyes downcast as she took several long breaths. "Where should I begin?" She asked her. Dr. Marshall stopped tapping her pen, leaning forward in her chair. "Where you are comfortable." She simply told her. Adelaide took another deeper breath. "It started about nine months ago when I met Jasper. At first, things were going pretty well. He was sweet, charming and it seemed like he cared about me." Adelaide started, her eyes only on her hands. She let the memories take over her as if she was reliving them in that room. "When did things start to change?" Dr. Marshall's voice echoed in the memories. "I didn't notice the changes until he started getting physical with me." Adelaide bit her bottom lip. "But the mental abuse came first, that I do know. He started putting words in my head about my friends and family, how they were plotting against us from being happy." Adelaide 's eyes shifted out of focus. It was as if Jasper was sitting beside her, whispering into her ear even now. "Then it was the emotional abuse. He tore me down about my looks, my weight, even my clothes." Adelaide clenched the edges of her sleeves, tears dripping onto them. "I'd go without eating just to lose weight for him. I just wanted him to be happy. I wanted him to love me." Her voice trembled. "That's enough for now." Dr. Marshall said, but it was as if her voice couldn't reach her. "But then he started to hit me." Her hand covered her mouth. She could still feel the impact of his fists punching her until she was barely conscious. "Adelaide !" Dr. Marshall raised her voice, the image of Jasper shattering next to her and she was alone with the doctor again. Dr. Marshall had knelt in front of her, her short brown hair curled and bounced against her shoulders. Her brown eyes filled with concern. That's when she finally noticed how hard she was shaking. "I'm sorry..." Tears flooded her cheeks and she brought her knees to her chest. She wanted to close up the box again, lock it tight and throw away the key. Dr. Marshall rubbed her legs reassuringly. "You did nothing wrong to apologize for. You yearn for what everyone wants. To be loved." The doctor sat back a bit and pulled out her phone. "We'll wrap up today." She put her phone to her ear. "Alpha, I apologize for calling you, but this was pretty urgent. Can you come to the office and pick up Adelaide ?"