As I stood in front of the large and rather foggy mirror in the bathroom I carefully examined my body. I wanted to make sure that when I ran tonight, I wouldn't die as a result of any residual injuries still healing.

I was not a pretty picture that was for sure. Bruises in various states of healing littered and discolored my skin and the few flesh wounds were only just beginning to scab up. While my body was accustomed to this kind of treatment since I was often accosted within my own pack, I'd still never managed to get used to the sight.

I left the bathroom and fished out underwear and clothes to slip on from the meager cardboard box of my things. When I finished changing, I dug through the rest of the box to figure out what I could and couldn't take with because I knew whatever I brought needed to be light. I was already significantly slower than other werewolves which meant I needed every bit of help I could find.

Using the backpack Matteo had originally intended to be used for our trip, I shoved a few changes of clothes and some toiletries from the bathroom packing only the necessities for when I ran. I stared down at the bag with a furrowed brow, it was strange how suddenly all of my earthly belongings fit into such a small pack. Not allowing myself any real time to delve into those kind of thoughts, I quickly tied my wet hair back in a braid before I made my way over towards the door to the room.

I wasn't stupid and I knew Matteo was not either, he would have posted a guard at my door. But since there was no window in the room, the door was my only option. I could do this. I could totally do this.

With that, I flung the door open and put on my best petrified face which in reality was fairly easy considering I had been in a constant state of terror since last week. When I stepped into the hallway I was immediately face to face with none other than Eyeless or I guess I need to start calling him by his name now, Asa I suppose. I wanted to instinctively back away from his hulking figure but if there was any chance of me surviving this, I knew being intimidated would do nothing for me.

I was speechless for a moment before I gathered myself and pointed inside of the room. "Th-th-there's someone in the bathroom!"

Asa stared into the room past me completely puzzled, he was no doubt suspicious of my declaration. "A man!" I clarified rapidly, "There was a big man in the bathroom watching me."

With that final bit of information, Asa wandered cautiously into the room and I followed behind him. He stepped into the bathroom and checked behind the door, he stopped in front of the shower before roughly shoving the curtains aside. There was nothing there, he frowned immediately and turned to look over at me but I was already slamming the door locked shut.

"You crazy b:tch, unlock this door right now!" Asa roared out but I wasn't paying him much mind as I scrambled to throw my backpack over my shoulders and leave the room as quickly as possible. Time was of the essence now.

Ignoring his constant strain of curses directed towards me I slipped out of the main room, locking this door behind me as well. That would mean two doors he would need to break through before he could alert anyone, that would buy me at least a few minutes of a head start.

I didn't care about being quiet at this point as I tore down the stairs of the third floor, the only thing I could think of was how close I was to being free. When I reached the second level I could see the front door and just the sight of it alone almost made me want to cry out of pure joy. It was like I was running with blinders on as I reached the bottom of the staircase, I couldn't see anything other than that beautiful exit.

I couldn't see anything, including the muscular arm that had propped itself across the bannister and the wall blocking the way.

My neck collided squarely with the limb, sending me flying down to the floor at the foot of the stairs. It successfully knocked the breath out of me, leaving me gasping like an idiot on the floor as Matteo leered over me from above. He scowled down at me, I moved my knew to try and get up again but with a roll of his eyes he simply poked my shoulder and sent me back down.

Asa came running down the stairs looking like a nervous wild man as he took in the scene before him. Matteo looked up from me, he narrowed his eyes up at Asa for a split second it was as if he was trying to decide who he should deal with first. Incompetent brutish henchman or attempted escapee mate? With a small, dismissive wave of his hand Asa retreated back up the stairs.

Attempted escapee mate it was then.

Just as I managed to sit up Matteo crouched down in front of me, his orange eyes scanning over every inch of my face like it was the very first time he was ever seeing me. His hand reached out and I flinched expecting a hard blow but he softly traced the side of my cheek.

His fingers ran down the side of my neck stopping at the spot where it connected with my shoulder. I realized that at some point during my fall my shirt had shifted considerably, leaving my shoulder and a lot more of my chest than I would have preferred visible. It was also the first time Matteo was seeing me not freshly beaten to a pulp or in a hospital gown.

His eyes darkened as he traced my collar bone but when Matteo continued lower, I was harshly pulled out of the haze that had temporarily shrouded us and I slapped his hand away. His black eyes blazed into mine as if he was daring me to challenge him like that again. My breath hitched when suddenly Matteo leaned even closer to me, my back pressed painfully against the last star and suddenly his lips were grazing my ear.

"I want to hurt you so bad right now." He rasped against my skin, his entire face practically engulfed in my hair from his close proximity. I involuntarily gasped and a dark chuckle rumbled lowly from his chest, he suddenly lightly bit down on the shell of my ear and I felt a strange sensation resonate into the very core of my being. "It would be easy, you are so fragile.."

With one final deep inhale, Matteo pulled away from me and I was finally able to breath again. My chest was rising and falling haphazardly, I didn't understand what had happened or what I had felt. It had all been so foreign to me.

He stood up and tugged me to my feet by pulling on my backpack and planting me on the steps of the stairs. With defeated hopes of escaping and bizarrely unstable legs, I got his message and trudged back up the stairs. Matteo followed me the entire way up, watching me intensely even as I stepped through the broken wooden remains of the door back into the confines of the room.

Once I was inside I expected him to post another guard and call it a night but Matteo leaned his back against the opposite hallway wall and stationed himself directly outside of my room. He pushed his dark hair off of his face and smirked upon seeing my shocked reaction, he crossed his arms and settled in for the night.

"Sweet dreams."