15 years ago
"Run Celena, run!"
"No Anya! I don't want to leave you please!"
Celena looked frantically into the dark woods surrounding them, breathing heavily, dread overtaking her heart when she heard the heavy sound of footsteps approaching.
"They won't stop Celena! They will never stop chasing after us, please take her and go! Make her your own and protect her! Please, Im begging you!"
Celena sobbed and held the two years old sleeping girl in her arms tightly . She looked with pleading eyes at her best friend, hoping for her to change her mind.
But she knew _deep down_ she knew that she made her decision and that nothing will persuade her against it.
With trembling lips, Anya pecked her daughter's head softly and hugged her and her bestfriend a last time.
Looking back into the woods, she nodged them to the opposite way and turned to face her fate.
"Now Celena! Go please, they're coming!"
Celena, then, ran with the little girl in her arms, tears streaming down her face for Goddess knows how long. Until she heard loud growls, then a horrible high-pitched scream.
She stopped, her knees almost giving out, and fought to hold her sobs and stay quiet. She looked with sorrowful eyes at the innocent girl's face and started running again with all her strength, until she safely entered her pack's territory and could finally mindlink her mate before collapsing from exhaustion into the ground .
********
Laila's pov
Today
I hissed in pain when the disinfectant made contact with the torn flesh on my back. I had countless scars of old and healed wounds, and at least a dozen of new bleeding ones from today's whipping.
My brother Brandon found me half an hour ago, passed out on the bathroom floor.
I've tried crawling into the shower to wash away the blood myself, but lost consciousness before I could reach it.
My father, the beta of our pack, punished me for serving him a cold meal this evening. It wasn't my fault _ it never is. He was late attending a long meeting with the alpha regarding some alliance they've been working on for weeks. I wanted to study for a while for my online exam tomorrow so I left the food on the table and went to my room in the 1st floor.
I thought it could stay warm for another five or ten minutes until my father arrives, but he was late and the food ran cold.
I jolted from my desk when he yelled my name and started cursing my existence. He grabbed my odd silver-purple hair that he hated so much the second I came into the livingroom and dragged me down into the basement for my punishment.
I have enhanced healing abilities, all werewolves do. But I heal much faster then the norm, and I very rarely have scars. When my cruel father noticed, he started coating his whip and claws with silver to delay the healing process and keep me in pain longer. And of course, to leave scars.
"I'm so sorry Lai.. I promise you it'll all be alright once I become the beta. You just need to hang on for a few more months baby. "
My brother Brandon whispered apologies and promises to me while trying his best to clean my bloodied back in the gentlest way he could. But nothing will make my father's voice and cruel words go away. Nothing will take the stench of the basement floor or the scent of burning flesh from my nose.
"Useless freak.."
Crack
"You should've died instead of her"
Crack
"You are an abomination!"
Crack
The heartless words my father threw at me with each strike of his whip resonated loudly in my head, overlapping with my sweet brother's voice, tuning me out from it.
" I promise Lai! " Brandon said in a firm voice, snapping me back to the moment .
" Once I become the beta, we will leave him and I will take you with me to live in the packhouse. Xander and Zane won't mind. I will talk to them and explain. You will stay with me, mine to care for and protect! "
I always thought Brandon was being dramatic with his words. I am supposed to be dead. How could the alphas-to-be believe that I am still alive after 10years of me being dead? Plus, I am this freak with lilac eyes and silver-purple hair, no wolf has ever been seen with these colours. I would be a burden for my brother, as I've always been.
One day _hopefully soon_ Brandon will find his mate. She will then be His to claim, and His to protect and care for. I doubt she would accept to be associated to a pariah like me,and I would never stand in the way of my sweet brother's happiness.
And once the truth is out anyway, my father will only hate me more, and he will find a cruel way to punish me for ruining his reputation.
I will not let Brandon do this to himself or to me. I will watch him realise his dream to be sworn as the beta of our pack, and then I will simply leave.
I will start over somewhere far from here, I will buy those colored lenses the humans use on their eyes to hide mine, and I will just dye my hair with an ordinary color and just .. blend in.
Yes, I will live amongst humans, it'll be harder for anyone to find me there.
And I have a plan.
"Here baby! We're done, the bandage is secured, you can put your t-shirt back on and lie on the bed to rest. I will check on you in the morning " Brandon said softly.
He then tossed the blood-stained materials in the trash before tidying up the first-aid kit and putting it back under the sink.
He helped me stand and go lie on my bed. He then tucked me in before kissing my head and leaving the room.
I dosed on and off for hours from a restless sleep until it was time.
I climbed out of my bed with stiffened movements and headed for the window.
I opened it quietly and stepped out of it before closing it again. I looked around to make sure I was alone. Seeing no one, I jumped down into the backyard.
I stood still for a moment, hissing from the stinging pain in my back until I was able to breathe normally again. I stripped off my clothes to shift into my beautiful silver wolf.
The second she took form, she started wagging her striped tail in anticipation...
and then we ran .