4

**Valerie's POV**

 I couldn't get over the thought that the hot guy I am fantasizing about, is our Alpha's son. Alpha Gerrard! My blood was boiling. He asked that my Uncle be executed. I didn't know how to fill it all through the day in class. I had to even leave immediately after the school over bell rang. I didn't want to talk to anyone, not even Damien. I just wanted to go home and stink my head in my pillows. Crying preferably. The money heart longs for is the same person I want to take revenge on his family for what they did to me and my family.  

I manage to help myself get home, to find my Mom dozing off again as she waited for breakfast which has turned to lunch. Ava would help Mom out to make food even though she knew she was ill. 

The yelling voice of Ava came calling from the kitchen and snapped me. I instantly sensed that something wasn't right at the moment with her voice in the kitchen though it is never different from how she yells at me most times, so I rushed off to meet her.

“Coming Aunty” I shouted back. As I left my Mom's room I took on a last look at the mirror. I literally, had gotten obsessed with looking at myself in the mirror. I hear everyone say to me you look gracefully adoring but I seem not to see everything they say. I stood in the mirror, maybe I hadn't looked into the mirror enough. I pouted.

“What took you so long here, Valerie. Arg! The wheat is scorching on the fire quickly fetch a little water with a cup let me add, I can't get my hand off the pot. I have to keep blending it. Shhh." She moaned. 

I went into the kitchen store to the dish shelf to pick up a cup. The first cup my eyes sighted, I snatched it and ran to the drum to fetch water from it. I hurried back into the kitchen. A slip and I tripped off the floor on my left foot, seeing that I was close to hitting Ava.  I forcefully pulled the whole weight off my body, onto my way left foot, and stood still, staggering a bit.

I was afraid of getting Ava pissed for anyone reason.

“This is the cup of water,” I said panting

My gaze fell below and I noticed a lower portion of her dress dripping.

“Argh! I didn't mean to…, I slipped” I stammered

“Ha-ha! It is fine just pour a little into the pot and return the cup of the dish shelf”

I did pour a little water into the pot as Ava asked and left instantly to keep back the cup at the side shelf inside the kitchen store.

I am trying to be as helpful as possible as I can be to Ava because I love her, just the same way I love my Mom.

I hear clumping footsteps, it reminded me of the hunters in the pack when they are getting ready for a massive hunt. I eek

I sensed the clumping footsteps, seem to be closer behind me as I stretched my hand above the dish shelf to drop it off the cup. Suddenly the smile I had had all day faded.

I turned to see Ava behind me. A slap on my face. kick. slap. kick. It went on until I fell knackered on the floor.

“I was still angry that you fetched water for me with the wrong cup, then you spilled water on my dress. How dare you, brat!” 

I lay wriggled on the floor, sobbing from glitching pains. I am trying to forgive her actions on me immediately because Dad has said that Ava has the right to chide me even when I offend her or get naughty. But the last word I heard was more than the beating I had just received for a reason that could be shrugged off. I never did it Intentionally. 

“I feel like strangling you sometimes now.” She spat as she left me.

I wiggle up from the floor, weeping tears from my socked cheekbone, chin and dusting the floor dirt off my dress. I stroll cold-blooded out of the storeroom inside the kitchen and slammed the door. Then I saw my Mom coming out of her room and approaching me.

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

After yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking of a way I could completely avoid Ava in the house. The days weren't getting any better look on me, I am bothered, and the painful part of it all is that she now creeps behind me to whack at me and make me feel worse being born into this family.

I rose from my loft bed, hit off my blanket with my both legs. I did my morning stretch and got ready to take my shower. my Mom had thought me to do so every morning when I wake up. I stood still a bit thinking of what dress or color combination I am choosing to put on today.

I usually love wearing just my favorite blue-colored dress the whole week when I get back from school but Mom always chid me about that, she always reminds me of the beauty I possess and how I must have to maintain it especially with how I appear every single day, "People address you the way you look" she would say to me. 

I stroll to my wardrobe and jolt the clothes on the hanger, a flashback of all that happened yesterday with me and Ava in the kitchen pierced my heart like a hot iron going through my skin.

I had only sobbed the way I did when uncle Jasper was killed, not even when my Mom yelled at me or spank me. I had to try as much as I can not to let my Mom hear me wailing from her bedroom last night.