A white haired girl was lying on one side, motionless. Her breath was fast and shallow, her deep purple eyes barely open. On her light sparkling pale skin had red marks from struggling agaist the handcuffs. The girl's clothes were messy and exposed the unusual marks on her naked back: bite scars on her neck and shoulders, long narrow scars on her upper back and lower back and a giant black tattoo between her shoulder blades.
Elliot didn't dare to step closer. He stood on the spot like he was glued to the floor as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.
' For God's sake, just what sort of life had she? How could someone do that to her?' screamed he in his mind.
Elliot clenched his fists. He tried to calm down and looked again at her. She was the most beautiful living being that he had ever seen.
Her eyes widened slowly and locked with his.
"I'm sorry you have to see this. I'm a liar and a freak." Her voice was weak and hoarse.
"I understand if you want to go. Nobody wants ... something like me." Her voice was full of loathe and shame. She glanced away shortly as she tried not to cry.
"Don't say that, Irene. We have talked hundred times about this. You are not what Damien told you were. Not anymore. You made mistakes and trusted the wrong people. Everybody does that." Brian spoke with a soft and consoling voice.
"Can I come closer? Please Iri, I want to at least hold you once in my arms."
Elliot wished he could just hold her in his arm until she had entirely forgotten her past.
"It's ok, I'm only a little tired. And I will look like this for while, don't mind that. If my pheromones are too strong, just say it. "
Irene was glad that Elliot wanted to at least hear her out. I she were a ordinary beta, they would be surely already married. He was the kindest and gentlest Alpha she had ever met.
Fred emerged nonchalantly from the kitchen.
" Man, that was intense. How are.... "
He freezed as he saw Irene.
" WHOA, HOLY C*AP! "
Brian smacked his shoulder.
"Pssssst, get yourself together!" he said through his teeth. "This is their moment." he added.
Elliot sat beside Irene and offered her a hand to sit up. As their hands touched one another, he could feel his blood boiling and his mind became clouded with lustful toughts . He let her hand go and she looked at him, ashamed.
" I think I understand many things now."
Elliot held her hang again, to prove her that he wanted to help her.
"We will figure this out together."
'We will figure this out....' The phrase echoed in Irene's mind. Her mother said the exact same phrase 10 years prior. Nothing had changed and her life was still a mess.
A light touch on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Now all three young men were sitting by her. Brian was taking off the handcuffs.
"No one here hates you, Iri. We are just very confused and surprised."
Elliot was smiling at here, encouraging her to open up.
"And we want to beat the cr*p out of this Damien guy." stated Fred and laughed.
Irene smiled weakly and sighed.
"If only it were so easy. You don't know him."
She fidgeted with her hands.
"Come on Irene, he can't be immortal, can he? Damien, Damien... What a ridiculous name! Like the name of that Pharma Concert Damien O'Conner tycoon... What a wannabe gangster!" said Fred with a mocking tone.
Irene looked down.
"Damien. O'Conner. Drug scandal. Womanizer. Slave trade."mumbled Elliot absentmindedly.
His eyes widened with wrath.
" Please Iri, tell me that your Damien isn't that Damien. Please tell me that... That horrible, sadistic, manipulating, dominant Alpha criminal didn't lay his hands on you!!! "
Fred covered his mouth with a hand.
Irene nodded.
Heedless of the effects of Irene's lingering heat, Elliot hugged the girl as tight as he could. Both their hearts were thumping like mad as they holded the hug until it became unbearable. Then they parted, panting and sweating.
"You can't take the strong heat pills because of him, am I right?" asked finally Elliott.
"Yeah, I myself don't know yet if my condition is reversible. When I was with him he made me take so many different substances that now I can't both control my Omega pheromones and take drugs to help with that. My body rejectes them and in the worst case I could die."
Irene looked in the room while Elliot tried to formulate his thoughts as sensible as possible.
" But you are a smart and intelligent girl, how could you let him fool you? "
" You can accept anything for the love of a dominant Alpha. In particular when you are his fated mate. Or he lets you believe that you are."