SOLOMON

Ayla hasn't woken up in two days. And we still haven't found Kendrick. He ran away during the war. But I'm not worried about that. I'll find him...and when I do, he'll wish he was dead. 

I was cleaning up my room to make it nice and fresh for Ayla. We had all moved back into the pack territory. It felt good being home. I hadn't realised how long it has been since we've been back until I saw the place. We had been gone for over a year. I couldn't believe it. 

As soon as I started recognise the familiar surroundings, I felt happy. It reminded me that there was no war anymore. However, that doesn't mean I won't have any challenges. I haven't rested at all since Ayla hasn't woken up. 

I would talk to her. I would say what I liked about my day or what I didn't like. But every time I would get the same response...which was no response. I asked Mia to check her again. Her wounds were healing. She told me she is healing fine, but that I will still have to patient. 

I was trying to be. But it's hard when I think that Ayla could possibly die at any moment. A knock sounded at the door. I opened and saw Eddie. 

"What is it? Is Ayla okay?"

Eddie nods his head, "Oh yeah, she's totally. I got a present for you."

"What?" I asked as my face frowned in suspicion, "What is it?"

Eddie nods down the hall, "Follow me." 

I shook my head and sighed as I followed my best friend. He lead me down the stairs and then down to the basement. 

"Dude, what kind of present is this?"

"The kind that you want, trust me." Eddie replied. 

Once we got down there, I saw the metal door. Eddie opened it and nodded inside, indicating for me to go in. I cautiously enter and saw, Xander and Noah standing there. In the middle is Kendrick tied down to the chair. 

Every ounce of anger I had stored is now solely targeted at the man sitting in that chair. 

"We found him, tryin to climb into the window of Ayla's room." Noah explained

And that was the final snap. I launched myself at him and rained punches down on his face, "You sick motherfucker! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

I felt arms come around me and pull me back, "What the fuck do guys think you're doing?!" I yelled at them. 

"Just wait, Solomon!" Xander shouted, "You can't just go an beat him."

I shrug Eddie off of me and said panting, "Why the hell not?"

Noah steps in and frowns at Xander, "Yeah why the bloody not? He abused my Mia. I have a right to get a few punches in."

Xander raises his hands, "Calm down everyone. I get it I really do. Kendrick has abused both of your mates...so I thought of a more efficient way for us all to get a little bit of revenge in this."

Noah and I looked at each other then back to Xander. 

"Eddie!" Xander calls out. 

Eddie enters the room while pushing a tray. The tray was silver and it had a big sheet over it. Eddie pulls the covering off to reveal...weapons. 

Xander steps aside and motions towards the tray of tools, "Take your pick, gentlemen."

I smiled when I saw the whip on the table. Vengeance is truly sweet. 

AYLA

I open my eyes and see the blue sky. It was the bluest I've ever seen. And the clouds were so beautifully white and fluffy. So pure and soft. I admired them a lot. 

I sit up from the hard ground and find myself on a road. I was so puzzled. My brain was trying to find an answer as to why I was here. "Where even is here," I said to myself. I was so confused. 

I stood up and dusted the dirt off of my pants. I looked down at myself and saw how clean I was. My skin looked soft and vibrant. I felt through my hair, it was so soft, it was a lot blonder than I remember it. It was back to it's usual curly and bouncy style, not at all how it was before when I was in the attic. It was so dull and dead then. I lifted my shirt and felt my back. The slashes were gone as well as the scars, leaving a soft smooth surface of skin. 

How is this even possible? I looked around the street. There were people who were just going about their normal day as if nothing was out of the ordinary. But for me, everything was out of the ordinary. 

I tried to remember how I got here, but I couldn't. I didn't know anything. The last thing I remember was...and suddenly chills ran up my spine. Kendrick. Solomon! The chains, the concrete room! That horrible buckling sound of his belt. My legs felt weak as I remembered what happened. Every emotion I felt then, flooded back to me. The shame. The dirtiness. Everything. I felt so worthless right now. Thoughts invaded my head. Maybe I could've fought harder? What if I just toughened up and never ran away, none of this would have happened. I felt guilt. I didn't fight hard enough, I didn't make the right decisions...now look at me. I'm nothing.

I was lying on that cold ground and cried silently as Solomon tried to talk to me. But I didn't feel worthy of hearing his voice, let alone seeing his face. He saw me. He saw what I had to go through for years and I hated it. Everything was going so well, until that night. 

I remember a time before anything got complicated. When everything was simple. My biggest drama was whether I should tell Solomon I liked him. It was laughable. I remember a time when I was pure and good...I scoffed at myself. Now look at me. I am just a broken reflection, a knock off, a smashed mirror of that little girl.

 I wanted it all to stop. I was so tired of feeling EVERYTHING. Kendrick was always in my head, tormenting me as well as tormenting my body physically. I was sick of feeling so broken, so out of control of my own thoughts and feelings. I hated it. I wanted it all to stop...and it did. 

But then I woke up here? What was here? I saw a newspaper on someone's lawn. I picked it up and rolled it open. 2 of September 2003. 

"What the hell?"

I looked around and recognised that some of the cars looked a little older...and some of the houses look a little older too. 

Then is clicked...I'm in my subconscious. Why would my subconscious take me back to 2003? 

"Ayla! Make sure you're careful on the road!"

My head whips around as a heard a voice I haven't heard in years, "Mom," 

But she wasn't looking at me. She was looking at a little girl with bright blonde hair. My breath hitched and my heart pounded. The little girl sat on the grass, holding her knees to her chest as tears fell down her face.  She was me. I was her...This was me when I was eight years old.

https://youtu.be/SyBmXmfi4Ew

I need soundtrack music for my stories so.....

I looked at her...she was like a stranger to me. I didn't even recognise this girl anymore. Strangely, I felt this feeling of guilt inside of me as I watched her. I think through my trauma and my brokenness...I separated myself from her. I felt so disconnected from Ayla. I know that she is me and I am her. But because of what happened to me, I feel like we were completely different. We totally separated. And after the horrible things that happened to me, I stopped loving myself which resulted in me, abandoning that little girl inside of me that made me...ME. I put up this wall between both lives. I am absolutely terrified that I may have killed that little girl inside of me. Because if I did...I wouldn't be Ayla anymore. I wouldn't know who I am.

I took a deep breath as I approached the girl and paused. I lowered myself to the ground, without breaking breaking eye contact with this beautiful pure and fragile little girl. She senses me and raises her head from her knees. As soon as I saw her eyes, everything inside of me crumbles because that look in her eyes...it was something made of purity and goodness. I can't believe I forgot her. I can't believe I was horrible enough to shut this girl out. 

"Hello, Ayla," I said to her. She looks at me patiently while I tried to muster all of my courage to speak to her, "Ayla, you are so beautiful and so kind and loving."

She frowns at me and pouts, "No I'm not. I'm not a good person."

I shook my head and took her hands in mine. Tears built in my eyes as I shakily said to her, "Yes you are. You are brave and you have such a big and strong heart. A heart that is filled with so much love for people and for life." I press my hand over her heart, "You are so beautiful in here. And some day, someone is going to love you unconditionally, actually two people. They will give you a love that you absolutely deserve."

"How do you know?" She asks me. 

"Because, little Ayla, I've lived it. I know exactly what you'll go through. Just promise me something okay?"

She nods her head. 

Tears fall from my eye, through my small cry I said, "Promise me you won't feel guilt for anything that may happen to you. Promise me you won't blame yourself, because it's not your fault. None of it is. You're just a child. Even 18 year olds are still kids.  It's not your fault that life is harder than it should be. And as much as you might want to forget things or feel horrible things about yourself, I need you to remember every single moment. You need to remember who you are despite all of the bad. The bad does not define who you are. They are just things that's happened to you. You need to accept that who you are...and what happens to you...are not one is the same."

I lean in closer as I said, "I know this won't make sense right now. But Promise me that whatever happens in the future, it won't define or separate you from who you truly are. You have to hang on to what makes you Ayla...Because there is only one Ayla in the whole wide world."

She smiles at me brightly and says, "I promise."

I smile through my tears and hugged her to my chest, "I will never let go of you Ayla. I will always have you in my heart. You will never ever be alone ever again. You will never feel at loss of anything. I will hold you and carry you with me through life."

I lean in and press my lips on her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Ayla...You're not used goods. You're a survivor."

SOLOMON

I whip Kendrick again. He was all slashed up. Every put of skin was stained with blood. I turned around to face him. I grabbed his hair and pulled his head back to look at me in the eyes, "You took my Mate from for five years. Five fucking years. She was at your mercy...and now...you are at mine."

I had beaten him in every possible way. His face wasn't even recognisable. I still had so much pent up anger inside of me. It was still boiling. 

Noah had his turn with him from the start. I wanted to be last. The very last. Noah and I agreed that we will both end him. For our mates. 

Seeing Kendrick as this puny weak wolf was so satisfying. He was so degraded that it was shameful. But it only gave me joy. 

I turned around to talk to Noah when I heard Kendrick try to talk. But he was so badly beaten that he couldn't even form words properly. 

"A-A-A-Ayla i-i-is a whore....a-a-and will always b-b-b-be one."

I laughed without humor. I turned around and pulled my fist back and slammed it down on his bloodied face. He yells in pain. 

I stood there fuming, "Noah....it's time."

Noah stood there he reflected the same emotion I did...at LAST we get to kill him. Noah and stood at either side of him. After eight hours of this, we can finally end this bastard's life. We both took either of his head. We raised our heads and looked at each other and nodded. 

We both pulled his head back until a loud snap echoed throughout the room. It was amazing, the weight of anger and rage, it was instantly lifted from my shoulders. 

I released a long held breath and I think Noah did too. 

We both stood back silently and looked at Kendrick's lifeless body. It was surreal to know that after years of him abusing the innocent...He was finally gone. 

Noah and I looked at each other. I admit, we have had our differences. We've fought over everything. We have never actually really liked each other, we were always civil. But experiencing something like this together, I think we may have more in common that we thought. 

I walked up to him and I reached my hand out. Noah takes it in a tight grip and shakes it. There were no words, just one simple act...but we understood each other. We were all goods now. 

The door bust open to reveal a panting Eddie. His eyes zoom on me, "Soul, It's Ayla. She's awake!"

I instantly ran out of the room and up the stairs to see Ayla. But then I looked at myself in a passing mirror. I was covered in blood. I growled in frustration and impatience. I quickly race to my room and get cleaned up.

I had a shower and let the hot water and clean the anger from my body. I know that when I see Ayla, she may not be herself. I know that she will have a hard time, getting over what happened. But I will be there every step of the way. She may try to push me away, but I will always be here for her. She may not want to talk and that's fine. She may want nothing to do with me, and that's fine too. But I will not leave her, I won't abandon her. I will make sure to love her through the good and bad. 

I get out of the shower and quickly dry and get changed. I raced to her room, but stop at the door. I was nervous. I racked my fingers through my hair to push it back. I took a deep breath to prepare myself for any kind of reaction Ayla might have. I opened the door, and my breath hitched. My heart stopped. She was beautiful She sat up in her bed, looking out the window.

As soon as I walked through the door she turns her head and looks at me. We stood there looking at each other. Her eyes shined with unshed tears. She raised her arms towards me, wanting to reached. I rushed around her bed. She grabs my shoulders and pulls me. She wraps her arms around my neck. I sighed in relief. I embrace my little wolf fully. I felt so happy. She was okay. I made sure I wrapped my arms fulling around her, securely. Almost like I'm making sure she felt safe with me. 

She pulls back and looked at me breathless, "I'm sorry," 

"What? Why?"

She looks down at her hands, "I was awake when you called out for me."

I sat in my chair next to her, "You were awake? Why could you not respond, Little wolf?" I asked softly. 

She didn't look at me and I saw her bottom lip quiver, "I felt so...ashamed...and so humiliated in front of you."

I took her hand in mine, "Little Wolf, why would you feel that?"

She sniffs and shrugs, "Y-You saw me. You saw how dirty I am and how...broken I am. I was so afraid to see you disgusted by me and by how used I am."

I was astounded by her way of thinking, "Little Wolf?" I gently put my finger under her chin and lifted her beautiful gaze to me, "I could never think that of you. I wasn't thinking anything of the sort. All I wanted to do, was kill Kendrick. None of this is your fault, Ayla. You have to understand that. This isn't who you are."

She smiles and laughs. I was taken back by her quick shift in mood. She looks at me and nods, "Yeah...I think you're right." She leans in towards me and she says with a grin, "I talked to her Solomon. I talked to her and told her everything."

My brows pulled together, "Talked to who, Ayla?"

She smiles but her lip started to quiver, "I talked to the girl in here," She placed her hand over her heart. 

She told me about what happened while she as still in a coma. She told me how she talked to the little girl, the little girl that was her. She told me everything. And once she finished I looked into her eyes and for the first genuine time in years...I saw Ayla. The true Ayla. Her eyes were bright and full of life, despite the bad that had just happened. She was my Ayla. And knew at that moment...she was going to be okay.