"It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane"
-Philip K. Dick

Alice

The room was silent. The only sounds came in the form of my labored breathing and the growling of my stomach. A thin layer of of cloth separated me from the frigid concrete that I lay on.

I didn't move. I didn't dare. I felt that if I moved I would provoke him.

I knew my fear was completely irrational considering he was upstairs. But I couldn't see a thing in the darkness that cloaked me, I had no idea of knowing if he had come down the stairs. For all I knew he was standing two feet away, waiting to strike.

I don't know how long I've been here. Trapped in a tiny, damp room, with nothing but the roaches to keep me company.
Everything felt numb. My limbs were either frozen or asleep, I couldn't decipher which. I think the bleeding has stopped. I didn't have the energy to peel back my eyelids so I could make sure.

I drew in a ragged breath. The musty air burned my throat, my vocal chords torn and battered from screaming.

Suddenly the light at the top of the basement stairs flickered on. The unsettling buzzing sound sent nervous shivers down my back. He was coming.

Heavy footsteps pounded down the wooden steps. Closer. Closer.
My eyes peeled opened just enough to see his worn brown boots come to a stop right in front of me. His legs bent, crouching to look closer at me. The sneer plastered on his face was one that I had seen frequently throughout these past days. It was different from the sweet smile that I used to see.

"Hey baby, ready to have some more fun?" His voice scratched at my ears like nails on a chalkboard. He shifted closer, his clammy hand finding its way to my thigh, working its way up. "I know I am. I've been so deprived upstairs. Just waiting to get my hands on that tight little body." I wanted to vomit. I didn't want this. Who in their right mind would want this?

I tried to protest, to open my mouth and make just one sound of objection. Nothing left my mouth.

He knew I didn't want this. I know that he knew. Before my voice abandoned me I had screamed, cried, pleaded for him not to do this. I had no more tears left. I was helpless.

One of his filthy hands slithered its way between my legs, squeezing my thigh painfully. The other crawled up my shirt, grabbing hold of my breast.
I couldn't move.

He groaned when his disgusting fingers came into contact with my skin, pushing aside the thin fabric of my underwear.

Small stabs of pain went through me when his nails dragged over the cuts on my stomach. The cuts he had inflicted.

If I could talk, I'd scream. If I could move, I'd run. But I couldn't do anything. My body was unresponsive as his hands continued their assault. I don't know how long this went on. Minutes? Hours? I was too numb to even cry out my frustration.

I couldn't count the number of times his slimy lips ran down my neck, leaving painful bites on the sensitive skin as he went.

Finally, he withdrew. My barely open eyes saw him stand over me, the tent in his pants clear as day.
"See you later baby, I've gotta go take care of this little issue you're causing me," his hand found the front of his jeans, he groaned and rubbed at it. I shivered at the disgusting sight.

He sneered at me before turning to the stairs, leaving me alone in the darkness once again.

"No, please! Don't do this, please! Please!" I shot up, screaming, panting, and shaking from the nightmare. I thought that the nightmares had finally left me. It's been weeks since the last one, I had gotten my hopes up.

All of a sudden the door banged open, nearly flying off the hinges. The room flooded with light. And a monstrous growl ripped though the room.

"Alice! What happened, are you alright?" Penn stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a pair of black sweat pants. He had a death grip on the doorframe and I swear I heard wood splintering. I also could have sworn that I locked the door before I went to sleep. His wild eyes shot around the room before finally landing on me, where I was cowering on the bed.

In that moment I was so incredibly grateful. Because It was Penn that showed up at my door, and not him.

~~~

Penn

"Penn?" She spoke softly as her beautiful blue eyes remained trained on mine.

"Yes sweetheart?" I gripped Alice tighter where she sat on my lap.
"Kiss m- "

"No, please! Don't do this, please! Please!" A piercing scream ricocheted off every wall of my house, startling me out of my dream.
Alice.

I ripped the comforter off, barreling through the door and down the hall. I was ready to kill whatever it was that hurt my little mate.

I nearly ripped her door out of its frame, my wolf growling at the prospect of someone hurting his mate. Even though he has yet to meet his mate, he's already grown more attached and protective over her than even I have. I know that he would kill to keep her safe.

I didn't see any threat in the room. The only thing I found was my little mate, shaking on the bed, eyes wide with fear.

"Alice, what's wrong? What happened? Are you alright?" I took a step closer to her. I would never have anticipated her next movement.

She scrambled across the bed, stumbling when her foot caught on the blankets. Her tiny frame finally made it to the foot of the bed before she leapt off and ran for the door. Or more specifically, where I was standing in the door.

Alice hit me with all her weight, which wasn't much, but the shock of her touch made me stumble before standing straight again. She clung to me. Her arms had a death grip around my neck, her face was buried in my shoulder. I was bent down a bit so she could reach me, I was a head taller than her after all.

"Alice, what happened?" What happened to make my little mate react like this.

I felt it the second the question left my lips. Her hot tears hit my shoulder as she let out soft whimpers onto my skin. It was heartbreaking. It took every ounce of self control I had not to let my wolf tear forward at that moment.
He wanted blood. Whatever had hurt our mate, he wanted it dead. But he also wanted to hold his mate, to comfort her. Either way, he wanted out.

I turned my attention to Alice. I don't know what had caused this, it killed me to see her like this, but she needed someone to be there for her right now. I wrapped my arms around her body, pulling her flush against me, taking a second to relish in the feeling of it, before snapping back into the moment.

I held her tightly until her sobs died down. At one point my back began to ache from bending down. At that point I lifted her so I was standing straight, her feet dangled above the floor and I don't think she cared.

"Alice, sweetheart, do you want to talk about it?" She's been silent for a while now. My answer comes in the form of her head shaking back and forth on my shoulder. No.

"Are you tired? Do you want to lay down?" This time her head nodded yes into my skin.

I put one hand under her bare thigh and helped her wrap her legs around my hips. She didn't protest. I lay her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, standing up to leave when a hand grabs my wrist.

"Please stay," her broken whisper is all the convincing I need.
"Okay." I cross over to the other side of the bed and pull back the covers, sliding in. She stays where she is, curled into a ball, facing away from me. I can't help but want to reach over and pull her to me. But I felt there was a boundary there that I shouldn't cross.

I stayed still, staring at the ceiling. I would fall asleep easily knowing my mate was at my side, just an arms length away.

My breathing slowed to match the rhythm of her steady heartbeat. I fell to sleep minutes later, hoping that my Alice would sleep soundly tonight.