Chapter 27: : Chapter 26

Something’s wrong.

She can feel it in her bones as she readies in the morning, covering up the mark on her cheek with concealer. Doctor Porter has been driving her every day, and the car rides have been pleasant. She kept the incident with Gerard from him, in case the truth comes out about what she’s been doing with Erik.

But today feels…off.

The sky rages, the gray clouds a thick blanket over the earth. The wind howls louder than usual, and the air is thick and gloomy.

She can’t ignore the feeling of dread in her chest.

And she hasn’t seen Erik in days.

He doesn’t send any texts. He doesn’t call.

And that should be a good thing, but it’s not.

It’s like she’s in the eye of the storm, waiting for whatever awful consequences Erik will give.

To Gerard. To her.

She doesn’t know.

And to make it worse, her cramps are back with a vengeance, slick staining every liner she brought. She struggles through each painful blow, doing her best not to focus on the desperate longing in her soul.

Alpha Alpha Alpha

The frantic knocking at her door startles her. It’s the normal time Doctor Porter picks her up, but his panicked pounding is not.

She opens the door to see his face, pale and stressed.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, fear pulling at her chest.

“Gerard’s dead.”

She freezes.

Oh no. Oh no.

“What?” It’s barely a whisper, but the doctor hears her.

“He hung himself. I found him this morning,” he says, his expression pained.

Her mouth opens and closes, unable to process what she’s heard. “He killed himself?”

“Yes, in the security room. With a power cord.”

“Oh my God.”

“We haven’t told the inmates yet. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me. I’m sure they heard the sirens, but I haven’t broken the news to them yet.”

“I…yes, we should go,” she stammers.

She doesn’t want to go. She wants to run away screaming from Green Woods forever.

But Doctor Porter has been nothing but kind to her, and she won’t leave him to bear this alone.

Please, please don’t let Erik be behind this.

In the brief car ride, she prays to every deity and God she knows, begging for him to not be involved.

“I’ll talk to Erik myself,” she says, walking towards the double doors. A police car is still in the parking lot, and Doctor Porter nods as he looks towards the officers.

“Wait inside. I’ll be in shortly, Ellie.”

A cramp hits her, but she breathes through it, walking as quickly as she can through the double doors.

His scent surrounds her, calling to her, but rage overpowers her need.

She doesn’t wait for Doctor Porter.

Instead, she rushes down the hallway, down the stairs and to his cell, breathing heavily.

She doesn’t have a key, so she just stands outside the door, tears blurring her vision.

But to her surprise, the door unlocks from the inside. It swings open, and he smiles at her with a crooked grin. Her pussy clenches, but she forces herself to remain focused.

“Gerard’s dead.” She spits. “But you knew that already.”

He raises an eyebrow and opens the door wider. “I missed you too, baby,” he purrs. “Come on in. Make yourself at home.”

“Did you—” But as she glances around, she freezes. His bed is nothing but a musty cot, with a ratted blanket on top. Books pile on the floor near the door, and a black cell phone sits perched on top of one of them.

There’s not even a toilet.

“You’ve been living like this…for three years?” She whispers, turning around slowly.

He only smiles wider, showing off slightly crooked white teeth. “Don’t worry, baby. They’re kind enough to give me a shower and bathroom break every day.” He reaches out a hand and gently touches her cheek. He moves it away when she winces. “Fuck. I was hoping he didn’t hit you that badly.”

She takes a step back, putting herself in the open doorway. “You knew what he did.”

“Of course,” he replies. “He touched what’s mine.”

She backs out of the doorway, and he follows her steps. “He killed himself.” The statement comes out more like a question, and he smirks.

“With a power cord, too. Interesting.”

“Oh, God,” she whispers. “No. No, you didn’t, please.” She’s frozen as he reaches out to cradle her face.

“Baby, you don’t need to be scared. I took care of him for you.” His lips are dangerously close to hers, his minty breath washing over her. “I’ll always take care of you, sweetheart.”

His lips touch hers, briefly, and she drowns in the sensation. He kisses her fiercely, his tongue invading her mouth, and she moans into the kiss.

She could do this forever.

Alpha cares for us. Alpha protects us.

He’s the one to break the kiss, his mouth finding her neck. She puts her hands in his hair as he kisses down her throat, nuzzling at her gland. “I’m leaving tonight,” she says, shakily. “I quit, today.”

That stops him, and she can feel his lips curl into a smile. “With what car?” He murmurs into her neck, as goosebumps appear on her flesh. “I made sure it wouldn’t power on.”

She shoves him away, rage replacing her arousal. “What?”

He shrugs. “Your model of car has always been the easiest to de-program. Lucky for me.”

The room spins. She’s going to pass out.

“You didn’t.” She whispers. “Please. Please tell me you didn’t.”

“I did what I had to do, baby.”

She closes her eyes, unable to look at his face as she stammers out her next words. “And the fifty thousand?”

“It was actually a hundred thousand, altogether. Had to get that extra set of keys.”

Too many emotions flood through her at once, and she lets out a choked sob. “You’re insane,” she says through the tears. “I can’t be a part of this anymore. This is done. All of it.”

But as she looks at him, he just stares back, amused. “Sorry, sweetheart. This is a two-person decision now. And I vote no.”

He takes a step closer, arms outstretched, and she shoves at his chest with all her strength. He barely stumbles, but she staggers back at the force of her movement.

“I’m done. You’re fucking crazy,” she snarls. “This was a mistake. Stay away from me.”

Footsteps come near, and she turns and runs down the hallway towards the sound, almost crashing directly into Doctor Porter.

“Miss Winters?” He asks, confused. “What are you doing down here?”

“I have to leave Green Woods. I’m so sorry.” She takes off running, ignoring the doctor calling after her.

She has to get out of this town, consequences be damned.

* * *

Lita doesn’t answer her phone.

She’s losing signal as she stands awkwardly in one corner of the cabin, desperate for help.

She contemplates calling the police, but she knows they wouldn’t give her a ride back to Los Angeles.

And the cramps are unbearable.

She ends up spending the day soaking in the bath, ignoring the calls from Doctor Porter.

By evening, her head is so foggy she’s barely able to answer the phone. She only wants to crawl into bed, bury herself under the covers, and sleep away the pain.

But before she can do that, Lita calls her, and she answers almost immediately.

“Can you come get me?” she croaks, her fevered mind panicking. “Please.”

“Oh shit, Ellie. What happened?”

“I can’t…I need to leave,” she whispers. “Please. Please help me, Lita.”

“Are you safe?! Do I need to call the police?”

“No police,” Ellie chokes out. “No. Just you, please. My car broke down.”

“Absolutely,” she says. “I’ll leave in an hour. Stay safe for me, okay? Promise me.”

She could cry with relief, knowing she’ll be away from this monstrous place in a few hours. “Yes. I’ll be safe. I promise.”

She packs her bags and waits in bed for Lita, eventually drifting off into a fitful sleep.