Chapter 32

Terra's POV

I woke up to the sound of laughter. My mate was laughing and that made me smile. I really loved my mate. He was my everything.

At least, I thought he was. I was so conflicted, part of me yells out for Simon, but part of me yells out for Forest, and the part that yells out for Forest, feels more real. The part of that calls for Simon feels artificial, fake, forced, and yet, if he isn't my mate, the life I've just began to except as real, may not be real.

"Hey, Terra," Even my name seemed fake. What's wrong with me? "Are you awake?" I blinked open my eyes, smiling up at Simon, he smiled back but, something seemed off, my wolf didn't call out to his the way she usually did.

"Simon," I smiled at his, not liking the way his name sounded on my lips, something wasn't right. "Do we have any plans for today?" He thought for a minute before shaking his head.

"Don't forget to take your pill," He said, handing it to me. He always made sure I had my pills, he said it was for my own good, and I did always feel better after, everything seemed clearer. I nodded, smiling before throwing it back.

Something didn't feel right, it was like a web in my mind, stopping the truth from getting through, stopping the thoughts from escaping. I needed to get away from here, nothing was right, I was confused, I needed air. "I'm going out," I blurted out, walking to the door, Simon stood in the doorway, a murderous expression on his face that chilled me to the core.

"Did you ask," He said, glaring daggers at me, looking at me as if I was below him, my first instinct was to bow my head, act submissive, he was my mate, wasn't he?

My wolf howled out to me, she was trying to tell me something, but the thoughts wouldn't form in my mind, I hadn't been able to communicate properly with her since I woke up, Simon said it was because we hadn't communicated it 6 months, but now I thought it might be something more.

I hated the way he talked down to me, always talking as if I was dirt on his shoe, most of the time I passed it off as his right, I was his mate therefore I was below him, but today, today something in me thought back, I didn't want to be below my mate.

"No, I didn't ask. If I want to go outside I will go outside, I don't belong to you." I didn't belong to him. I was his equal. Wasn't I? My emotions were fighting each other, one side said I was right, I was my mates equal, I only belonged to him as much as he belonged to me. But another part of me said I was his. I belonged to him completely.

"You do belong to me, you are mine. You don't talk back and you don't do anything without asking me first. You go outside with my permission and my permission only. You belong to me. Don't forget it." He shouted, slapping me in the face.

I was sick of it, I didn't belong to him. If I wanted to go outside I would. I ran out the house before he could stop me, jumping into my shift and tearing into the woods.

I didn't care where I ran as long as I ran away from Simon, he wasn't my mate, my mate wouldn't treat me like that, I was sure of it.

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I ran for ages, my wolf enjoyed the freedom. I loved the wind in my fur, the dirt beneath my paws, the smell of the trees as I ran through them.

If Simon is lying to me, would that make Forest real, but I saw Forest, he was called Aran, he didn't remember me. Was that a trick, was it real, maybe I still haven't woken up from a dream, maybe I'm still in a coma.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't see the wolf in front of me until I was nearly on top of him.

He was beautiful, a soft brown colour, with striking green eyes.( I recognised him. He was Forest's wolf, it was Forest.

He wore an ear splitting grin on his wolfy face and he yipped at me as he bounded around me.

But I didn't recognise his scent.

I know what my Forest smelled like, this wolf didn't smell like anything. I nudged the wolf with my head and didn't feel the tingles of the mate pull. It wasn't Forest, Forest wasn't real.

Then it hit me, of coarse Forest wasn't real, he was a dream, he didn't exist.

Simon's my mate, my one and only. I should get back to him.

My wolf howled in defeat as I ran back, she tried to tell me something but the web around my brain had formed bigger, stronger, she couldn't get a message through.

I threw myself on my bed. I was so confused.

It was Forest, not Aran, Forest, I recognised him, not his scent, but they kidnapped me, of course they had a way of blocking his scent. I ran away from him. Why did I run away from him?

Simon said it was all a dream. It didn't feel like a dream.

I was so sure of everything a few minutes ago, in the woods I was so sure I knew who was my mate, I was sure it was Simon, but now I'm leaning in the opposite direction.

What changed?

It hit me like lightning, the pills. Every time, after I take the pills I am certain Simon is my mate, the longer it's been since I took a pill, the weaker my resolve is, and it's easier to see the truth.

Simon may still be my mate though.... So I just stop taking the pills, I will have a clear mind and I will find the correct answer. Who my mate actually is.

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I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house. I didn't particularly want to, but it kept my mind of the imminent confrontation, and would appease Simon so he may not mind me not taking my pills.

Simon came home really angry, he'd had a stressful day at work and had a very short temper, a ticking time bomb I was almost definitely going to set off.

"Terra," He called from the kitchen, "Come and take your pills." I went through to the kitchen, where Simon had his arm outstretched with a circular pill resting on it.

I shook my head, "No," I saw his eyes darkened, but I was going to finish what I started, "I feel better, I don't need the pills anymore."

Simon tried to convince me to take it, "You may feel better, but you need to take it, Nathaniel said you need to finish them, so you're fully better," I shook my head.

"Come on babe, you need to take the pill," I shook my head again, "Terra, take the damn pill," He shouted, but again I shook my head.

He smirked. "Well, I tried the easy way, I guess it's on to the hard way, the hard way works better any way."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out the house, he dragged me into the woods, never slowing down or stopping when I tripped on tree roots or the uneven ground.

We went deep into the woods, I tried to escape but he was too strong, we went deep into the woods, deeper than I've ever been before, where the sunlight didn't reach, the deepest part of the woods, where no one goes.

In the middle of the woods, in between the trees, there stood an abandoned building.

It was crumbling and damp, it had no glass in the windows or a door in the frame. Simon pulled me into the building and down some stops, he pulled up a trap door and threw me in.

I fell down some more steps while Simon closed the trapdoor above me, it was completely dark, I couldn't even see my hands in front of my face, if I closed my eyes, it was lighter than with them open.

I couldn't see anything, until one, small, faint light bulb spluttered to life. The light it offered was dim and didn't do much, but it was better than complete darkness.

I suddenly realised I wasn't alone in this room. I turned around to see Simon, Nathaniel, Tyler and my Dad.

I thought they came to get me out of the dark, so I went towards them, but soon stopped when I saw the murderous expressions on their faces, they looked murderous, and excited.

Nathaniel looked me in the eye, "Stay still," He said, his eyes flashed as he spoke. I tried to move, but I couldn't, "Don't saw a word, don't make a sound actually, you can scream, we want to hear you scream."

I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't make a sound.

"Now the fun begins." Tyler said, smirking at me, "You should have just stayed on the pill, we could of convinced you that way, but now we have to use, alternate, methods to make you cooperate. I hope you like pain,"

Simon walked forward, smirking, "Soon, you won't even remember your name, let alone your mate, I hope you weren't too attached to your old life,"

I tried to growl at him, I tried to shift and attack him, I tried to escape, but I couldn't move. I was stuck.

They all advanced on me, armed with knives, whips, and other torture devices.

And the woods surrounding, absorbed my screams like a sponge.