Escaping from the Villainous Brother

Kamrynn

"I'm not sure which hurts more-his hands or his words. Every time he touches me, it's another reminder of how far I've fallen... and how much he despises me."

The bedroom is cold, dark, and suffocating. Calvin's room. No. The Alpha's bedroom. His territory. I'm on my back, staring at the ceiling, willing my mind to drift somewhere else-anywhere but here-while Calvin rams into me, his movements harsh and punishing. He doesn't care about my pain. He never has. He's lost in his hatred, every thrust a reminder that to him, I am nothing but a tool for his vengeance.

His breath is hot on my neck, ragged and full of anger. My body lies limp beneath him, taking it, just like I always do. His hand tightens around my throat, and I know what's coming before he even says it.

"Look at me, you filthy slut." His voice is ice cold, full of disgust. "Don't you dare try to escape in your head. You're not going anywhere."

He slaps me hard across the face. The sharp sting pulls me back to reality, the bitter taste of blood filling my mouth. I'd gotten too good at pretending not to be here, at drifting back to a time when things were... better.

We were so young back then. Back when Sherelle, Calvin, and I were just children, running through the fields behind the packhouse. Calvin would always laugh as he tried to catch me, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight. He was my best friend. Back then, I loved him, even before I understood what love was.

His grip tightens around my throat, snapping me back again. His hips move faster, more brutal, and I bite down on my lip until I taste blood to keep from crying out. My tears would only fuel his anger.

"Murderer," he snarled, slamming deeper into me. "Jealous, disgusting whore. You took her life for this!" He motioned to himself with an angry gesture, his body trembling with rage. "For my dick, is that it? Did you think you'd take her place? Did you think killing her would make me love you?"

I freeze. The mention of her always makes it worse. The rage in his voice deepens, and his fingers dig painfully into my skin.

"Don't act innocent, bitch." He pulls out of me, roughly tossing me aside like I'm nothing more than trash. I gasp, the sudden emptiness only a momentary relief before he yanks me by the hair, dragging me off the bed and throwing me to the ground. "You deserve this. Every. Single. Thing."

My body hits the floor with a hard thud, and the next moment, his boot slams into my ribs. I cough, tasting blood, but I don't move. There's no point. It only encourages him.

"You think you're above punishment?" he spits, pacing around me, his eyes blazing with fury. "You think you can kill my mate and my heir and walk away? You think I'd let you forget?"

"I didn't-" I choke out, barely able to speak.

Another kick, this time to my stomach. I double over in pain, clutching my abdomen as nausea overtakes me. I try to curl into myself, instinctively protecting the parts of me that haven't been broken yet, but Calvin's hands grab my arms, pulling me up so I'm on my knees in front of him.

"You don't get to speak, bitch. Not after what you've done."

His fist crashes into my face, and I feel the crack of bone. My vision blurs with pain, but it's nothing compared to what I've been through before. This isn't the first time he's broken me.

"I should've killed you the moment I saw what you did to her," he sneers, lifting me by the hair. "But no. I'll make you pay for the rest of your life."

His words pierced deeper than any of his blows. Tears welled up, but I bit them back. Crying only made it worse. He hated when I cried.

"I'll make your life hell until the day you die," he snarled into my ear, each word laced with venom. "You'll never know peace, not after what you did to me, to Sherelle, to my unborn child."

He throws me back to the ground and shoves into me again, his nails biting into my skin as his body takes me roughly. The pain is overwhelming, crashing over me like waves, drowning me in its intensity. His promises blurred into the background as darkness edged my vision, the world around me fading as my mind drifted away...

***

We were children. Back then, everything was easy. Calvin was my best friend, always ready to take my hand and pull me into his world of adventures. He'd smile that brilliant smile of his, and I'd follow him wherever he led.

I had loved him for as long as I could remember. But that love shattered the day I confessed, when he told me he didn't feel the same. And then, not even an hour later, he found out my twin sister, Sherelle, was his mate. I had smiled through the pain, wishing them both happiness, but my heart had crumbled that day.

They'd looked perfect together. Calvin and Sherelle, the golden couple of the Pack. I forced myself to be happy for them. Forced myself to move on. But the day it all ended would haunt me forever.