A Mate And A Betrayal

"It's funny how sometimes, the people you’d take a bullet for are the ones behind the trigger."

Pain.

It was the only thing that was telling me I was alive.

Cold air filled my nostrils, and my chest ached with every breath I took. The metallic stench of blood hanging in the air suffocated me. Cracking my eyes open to the utter darkness, I tried to take in my surroundings.

It smelled like trees and soil, but everything was eerily calm in here. No crickets chirped. The owls didn’t hoot. I felt no sign of the night creatures. The sound of my ragged breaths became the only sound that kept me company.

With the sky void of moon or stars, I could see nothing but black. My eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness yet. My brain felt dizzy, and I breathed through my nose, trying to regain control of my numb body.

The cold breeze brushing across my face carried a sweet pungent odor that was fresh and sharp—a scent I recognized very well. It was the storm scent just before the rain. The wind picked up, and I had to hurry. My lungs screamed in pain with each breath. Breathing through my mouth, I lay there for another moment, analyzing the extent of my injuries.

Exhaustion washed over my frame—it tired my mind. Breathing itself became a difficult task, and I didn’t know if I’d make it. I couldn’t tell if my legs had moved. I sure tried to move them, but I couldn’t feel the lower half of my body.

My eyes wanted to close and send me back to sleep. They fluttered close despite my struggles to keep them open. However, a wolf howled in the distance, sending shivers down my already bruised spine. I had to get out of here, and the wolf’s howl kept me from dozing off.

I tried to move my hands and was glad they did. Closing my palm, I felt something sticky, and upon inspection, I confirmed it was my blood. How did I end up here?

Finding a hard rock beneath my hands, I tried to sit up and swallowed a silent scream at the acute pain that shot through my body. What if the wolf is near? My head, my back, my chest—every inch of my body hurt.

A hot burning sensation spread through my body, and I whimpered, biting my inner cheeks to keep myself from making any noise. I then noticed my blood-soaked clothes, which only made me dizzier.

Another howl resonated through the trees, and somehow, I got my legs to move and pushed my body up by holding onto a nearby tree. I tensed when I felt something heavy on my back and relaxed when I realized it was only a backpack, which clung to my shoulders.

I wasn’t sure if I would live through this, considering the severity of my injuries. But I sure didn’t want to die at the hands of a wild animal. Wolves. Even in this muddled state, my brain registered the danger they posed to a mortal like me.

Lightning struck from the sky, illuminating the dark rows of trees. I should hurry, but I didn’t know which direction to move in the darkness. I could run to the very thing I am trying to run away. Who am I running from?

A loud honk of a truck sounded somewhere to my right, and I realized I was closer to the road than I had thought. I should move now, or else I might miss my only chance of survival.

Taking shallow breaths to ease the pain I felt inside, I clutched the nearby trees for support and moved towards my right like a crab. I felt grateful for the trees that were so close to each other.

My entire being ached, and my vision blurred. I coughed and tasted blood. I ignored the mixture of blood and saliva that came spurting out of my mouth as I concentrated on keeping my eyes straight because they were trying to roll back into my head.

One step at a time. You can do it, my mind chanted like a mantra. I continued towards the road after a moment, neglecting the pain that made it hard for me to move and focusing only on my destination.

I was not ready to die yet, and I didn’t want my life to end in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t remember how I got here, but the mortal wound on my shoulder—the size of my forefinger—didn’t feel normal. My instincts were screaming of an impending danger.

I climbed the slope before me when I heard another howl, this one too close for comfort. My instincts screamed bloody murder, and with the sudden rush of adrenaline pumping through my brain, I pushed myself faster, only for my legs to give up, and I collapsed face first in the middle of the road.

Drops of water fell on my face as the petrichor filled my weak lungs that fought to keep breathing. The last thing I saw before welcoming the darkness was a bright light, which was moving further away from me with every passing millisecond.

Years later…

~Clara:

“Sunrise, sunrise, Looks like mornin' in your eyes, But the clocks held 9:15 for hours.

Sunrise, sunrise, Couldn't tempt us if it tried Cause the afternoon's already come and gone.”

Norah Jones’s voice floated through the air, making me smile. I liked the song, and hearing it during an early Monday morning made my insides light up. My hips swayed to the song as I inhaled the strong scent of coffee.

“Mommy.” I whipped around to face my six-year-old son, Benjamin, who was standing at the kitchen door, trying to rub the sleep off his eyes.

‘Aww…’ I swooned at his cuteness. My baby looked adorable with his disheveled hair when he did that. My heart melted at the sight of him, like it always did. I had nothing to compare that feeling with. I bent down, hoisting him into my arms and smothering him with kisses. His happy giggles were music to my ears.

"Why didn't you wait for Mommy?" I asked, kissing the tip of his nose.

"I smelled the bacon," he replied in his baby voice, making my heart swoon again. Ben’s ocean blue eyes crinkled with laughter as I brushed his soft light brown curls with my fingers. He loved it when I did that.

I sat him on a chair. “Did you brush your teeth, Ben?”

“I did.”

“Good.” I ruffled his hair before placing a plate of his favourite breakfast—bacon and scrambled eggs—in front of him. I admired his strong sense of smell. Sometimes, he could smell food from miles away. I helped myself with a serving and sat beside him, watching in satisfaction as he dug in.

He ate a lot for a normal child in his age, but as long as he was healthy, I had no qualms about it. He never fussed with food. Ben was well-behaved, and his skills with utensils amazed me. Abigail, my friend, had taught him table manners well.

Ben’s IQ level was high, and he had been put in an advanced education course at a very small age. The doctors said his brain functioned like a ten-year-old’s. I watched him eat like a pro and thought about how there was something only I and my son knew of.

My baby didn't just have a high IQ and a strong sense of smell. Ben was faster than any child his age, so I had to forbid him from participating in any sports activities at school. He had the strength of an adult male. He could lift heavy things with so much ease, it scared the hell out of me, and he could see through the dark.

My son is special. It was a miracle he was even alive with all the trauma I had gone through when I was pregnant with him. I loved him more than anything in this world. He was all I had, and he understood this well, so he never went against my commands.

I would do anything and would go to any extent to protect my son.

***

It was time for school. The bus would be here in half an hour. Quickly cleaning up, I led Ben to the bathroom. It didn’t take long before I kissed him, making sure he got on the bus.

Heading towards the bathroom, I washed away the remains of this morning’s breakfast from my mouth. Though I loved coffee, I didn’t like the taste it left in my mouth afterwards.

I cleaned the mist on the mirror and looked at the foreign face that stared at me from the other side. I didn’t recognize the brown-haired girl who stared at me with soft brown eyes. There was nothing familiar about that face.

“Who are you?” The girl in the mirror did not answer as I traced her face, asking the million-dollar question I asked myself every day. I looked in the mirror every day and tried to memorize my looks.

My eyes always held sadness in them, and I couldn’t fathom why. Exhaling, I braided the messy brown locks that framed my oval-shaped face. The length of them bothered me at times like this, but I loved my hair long. Securing the ends with an elastic band I took out from a cabinet below the sink, I then pulled out the few cosmetics I owned.

Makeup was something I rarely used. It was a time-consuming task, and it wasn’t like I had someone to impress. Not that I had to dress to impress. If they couldn’t see the beauty in me, then it was better they stayed away.

I walked to my built-in-closet and pulled out a plain white button-down shirt with full sleeves and a matching pair of khaki pants. Choosing clothes for the day was easy because my choices were limited when it came to a wardrobe.

The small wall clock ticked to nine as I picked up my phone from the table where I had left it to charge last night. I should stop plugging it overnight. My shift didn’t start until ten a.m., so I had time. I liked to prepare for the day at a relaxed pace. Hurrying at the last minute was something I hated with a passion, and it would only make me tense and forget things.

“Hey, Clara…” My neighbour Leila waved at me while I locked the door, and I noticed Brad’s car leaving her driveway.

“Good morning, Leila.” I waved back at her, adjusting my bag as I walked. “When did you get back?”

“Oh, we arrived last night. Brad’s office called.” Her smile turned into a frown. “How is Ben?”

“He is great!” I beamed at the thought of my son.

“I can see you’re in a hurry. See you later, then.”

“Sure.”

“Bye, Clara.”

“Bye, Leila.”

I noticed the bus arriving at the stop and ran the rest of the way, all the while waving to catch the driver’s attention. Usually, it was Mr. Harroway, who worked the morning shifts. He always waited for me if I ran late.

“Good morning, Mr. Harroway,” I greeted and occupied a free seat.

“Good day, Ms. Miller. It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise.” I smiled at him and turned my attention to the world outside.

***

The rest of the ride was uneventful. The rich aroma of coffee beans enveloped me as soon as I stepped into the restaurant. I greeted the cheerful couple Wendy and Jones, who were chatting animatedly with one of their regular customers and went straight to the staff room.

Wendy and Jones were the owners of the restaurant I worked at, and they were two kind-hearted people in their early sixties. If it wasn’t for them, I didn’t know what would’ve happened to Ben and me all those years ago. I was tying my apron when someone hit my butt with a high-pitched “good morning.”

“Abigail, not again,” I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. “You almost scared the shit out of me.”

“Oh! Chill, girl. So, what did you do this weekend?” she chirped.

Abigail was one of my closest friends here. She worked in the restaurant as a waitress along with me and Gigi.

“I took Ben to the park,” I replied, knowing what would come next.

“Clara, for God’s sake, try to live a bit. That guy Liam is all over you, and you keep on rejecting him. What is wrong with him, anyways?” she exclaimed dramatically, making me laugh.

“I am just not interested in him. That’s all,” I replied, helping Abigail to tie her apron.

“Girl, you are not interested in anyone. Come on, you might already have bats residing in that cave of yours. You need to get laid,” she continued with her usual banter, and I tuned her out.

No one except Wendy and Jones knew about my past. I couldn’t risk my son’s life by getting involved with anyone. Not now. I’d come too far since that night. I had steered clear of men all these years, but Liam was hell-bent on making me his girlfriend.

I wasn’t interested in him. If anything, I only got irritated when I saw him. To like him, I needed to feel the initial attraction or at least feel comfortable in his presence, both of which were absent in this case.

“Clara, what are you doing here? The Loverboy is already here and demanding your presence as if he owns this place.” Gigi’s annoyed voice made me cringe at the thought of Liam here.

What is it with him? The guy never understood the word ‘no.’

With a heavy sigh, I pocketed my notepad and a pen, already regretting the encounter.

***

“Hello, sunshine,” Liam greeted me in a cheerful tone, much to my dismay.

He was a handsome guy with a tall frame, broad shoulders, and a pair of mocking green eyes—an absolute charmer, if you asked me. Somehow, that was not enough, and I was not someone to fall for his charms.

Liam wore a pair of black slacks with a grey button-down shirt. His thick blonde hair was combed back, giving him an executive look. His rich cologne overwhelmed my senses when I got closer to him.

“Good morning, Liam. What would you like to have today?” I politely asked our new regular customer.

“You,” he replied in a cocky tone, earning a glare from me. “Scrambled eggs and my favourite coffee,” he replied again with a smirk.

My hands were itching badly to wipe that sorry ass smirk off of his face with a nice smack. I balled my hands to resist the urge. With a nod in his direction, I turned on my heel without a verbal reply.

“He is hot.” Abigail drooled over Liam’s physique as I waited for our chef to prepare his order. “If I were you, I would have jumped his bones already,” she commented, picking her tray up from the kitchen counter.

“You can jump him now, for all I care,” I snorted, rolling my eyes and picking up the tray laid out by our chef, Williams. He gave me a wink at the mention of Liam’s name and continued to cook his masterpiece delicacies.

Abigail huffed, and I walked to Liam’s table. “Here is your order. Will that be all?” I asked with fake politeness this time, wanting him to leave soon.

“No. I want you to go the movies with me tonight. I have booked two tickets.” He waved two tickets in front of my face, which made my blood boil.

How dare he buy a ticket without asking me? I grimaced and thought of a hundred ways of killing him. “I am not interested.” I gritted my teeth and turned to leave, only to be stopped by him. He had gripped my wrist, and it felt like thousands of bugs were crawling under my skin. “Let go,” I whispered, not wanting to grab any attention.

“Only if you say yes,” he replied with the same cockiness as before. His thumb caressed my wrist, and his smile widened. To the onlookers, it would look like a lover’s quarrel, with the way he was acting.

I wanted to punch him in the guts so bad to make him understand once and for all that I was not interested. “Never,” I hissed, releasing myself from his grip. Anger bubbled up inside me like red-hot lava, and my hands shook.

How dare he touch me without my consent? I dashed into our changing room. I couldn’t trust myself to be in control around him anymore. “Next time, I will punch that pretty nose of his, and if possible, I'll break it,” I muttered in between deep breaths, trying my best to calm myself down.

My skin turned reddish, and a burning sensation was spreading through my wrist when Abigail suddenly cleared her throat behind me.

What now?