Chapter 1: Faith

Faith walked home from work late at night with her heavy bag slung on her shoulders. Angry tears collected in her eyes as she took heavy steps on the gravel road. Her phone was almost dead and do was her patience for her brother Sol who was supposed to pick her up two hours ago. 

What was the use of having almost a dozen siblings if none of them were available to her aid? 

Sol was the only one who owned a car and was always lying at home, which was why she had called him. Others were too busy to come get her. But Sol betrayed her trust yet again. 

But Faith was not even surprised that Sol did not show up. It was his tendency. He liked to leave her hanging on many occasions and come to her with her favourite snacks and say a sorry. As if that was the cure to every problem in the world. 

Only Faith knew how tired she was after working the whole day at the ice rink. Her feet were sore! 

Huffing out a white cloud of breath, Faith hiked up the road where her house was. The bag she was carrying was getting heavier with every step! 

"Oh god!" Faith shrieked as she stepped on a stone and her ankle twisted painfully. She slid the bag off her shoulder and sat on the side of the road to assess the damage on her ankle. 

Being a werewolf did come with it perks, like the wound on her ankle was already on it's way of healing. The mechanism in their body was just built like that. But it did not help ease the pain that came with the wound. Faith had to press her hands above the ankle to numbe the pain as it healed. Even the healing process was painful! 

She made a mental note not to accept any snacks from Sol this time. She was seriously in need and he did not even think before leaving her hanging. 

Once Faith's ankle was somewhat healed, she stood up again. Her phone's screen flashed with a call from her mother, Dea. Faith gulped and pressed answer. 

"Mom." She mumbled in fear.

"Where are you?! Do you know what time it is?!" Dea exclaimed loudly on the phone making Faith cringe away. 

Dea always scared Faith. 

She was a good mother, it was no doubt. She birthed and raised eight kids who grew up with their own set of problems. But for some reason Faith was different to Dea. Faith was treated strictly, she was not told night stories like her siblings, the extra cup of milk was given to Brandon even though she liked it a lot and asked for it. 

During the years as Dea cared less and less for Faith, she grew a fear in her heart. But that fear was only in her heart until Dea hit her for the first time. Faith was only six years old and the slap was because Caren broke crashed into her and broke her favourite doll. Since then, hitting Faith did not just remain a fear but became a reality. 

Even now as she spoke on the phone, Faith's legs walked at a faster pace. Who knew what was awaiting her at home? 

"I - I am on my way. I had called Sol -" 

"Shut up! Come home now!" Dea exclaimed and disconnected the call. The angry tears now turned full of fear and her lips trembled. 

Wiping her dyed pink hair away from her sweaty neck, she started sprinting up the road to reach home early. She would only have herself to blame if she got into trouble today. She should not have relied on Sol at all! 

Now Dea was mad and Faith could do nothing but reach home and endure whatever happened. 

Her tears flew with the heavy wind. With the heavy wind came heavy droplets of water out of the blue! Faith did not stop even as it poured heavy rain. She pushed herself and only took a breath when she saw the house at the end of the road. 

The Sundre house. 

Her house. 

The house that was never a home to Faith. Where she was forgotten more than she was remembered. Where she was only one of the many people living among the walls but somehow less significant than others. 

Only a dozen or so houses were built in that specific area of the town. It was more of a private settlement. So everyone knew each other very well. Faith was drenched from head to toe, her bag felt a few pounds heavier due to the rain. Her neighbours gave ger pitiful glances, knowing what was coming for her. 

Faith ignored their glances and looked down as she approached her gouse. It was no secret how faith was treated. No matter how beautiful she was, how much everyone admired her beauty, for her own family she was no better than an extra mouth to feed. 

Since she was a child, her mother did not try to be discreet about how differently she treated Faith and her other children. The reason was unknown and faith did not have the courage to ask. 

Entering through the wooden set of doors she mumbled, "I'm home."

She kept her eyes downcast, waiting for her mother to say something. 

"So now you know you have a home?! Where were you?!" Dea's hand came down on her head. The impack knowcked Faith off her feet. The heavy bag slipped off her and fell next to her. She was already exhausted and getting hit on the head had only added to her bad condition. 

"Mom, I am sorry." She said through tears. Her fair skin streaked with fresh tear stains. Her dyed pink hair was wet and sticking to her face. 

"What's the use of your sorry?! Look at yourself! How pathetic you look right now! Don't you care for your family's reputation?!" She yelled at Faith who curled herself into a ball. Cold and afraid. 

"I - I had called Sol to p - pick me u - up. But he d - didn't show up." She stuttered out.

"Of course he did not. He has better and important things to do. You are insignificant compared to those." Dea said without a hint of guilt for demoralising her own child, "Now get up from there and make yourself presentable! We are having guests over! Try to look your best!" 

With that said Dea went inside. Faith sniffed and wiped her cheeks with the palm of her hand. Slowly she got up from the corner she had fallen in and paddled her way upstairs where her room was. All the while wondering who the guest was and why she had to get ready and look the prettiest.