Chapter One

Izabella’s POV

 The front door to the pack house slams, making my head snap up at the sound. I got distracted from the task at hand which is scrubbing the floor, now the knees of my too small pants are soaked. Everyone is getting home. I have to get dinner started but if I don't finish this, I will definitely be hurting in a little bit. 

 I quickly finish and dry the floor, running down the stairs as quickly and as quietly as possible. I step into the kitchen and start pulling stuff out of the fridge. I am running so behind tonight so this is going to have to be something fast. 

Grabbing the hamburger meat from the bottom drawer. I pull spaghetti noodles from the pantry along with an onion, the pasta sauce, and the garlic from the shelf. 

 Spinning around to face the kitchen I walk straight into the one person that has hurt me even more than my father, my mate who rejected me. Andrew Marks!

 My heart breaks everytime I see him, but he is in love with another. I try to push all of my feelings aside. I step out of the pantry, up to the table. Reaching over and turning the burner on the stove on high. I pull a skillet from the hanging rack and toss in the meat letting it get started cooking. Putting some water on to boil and drop in the noodles.

 I realize then that he still hasn’t left the kitchen, so I turn to see him watching me. He has a look of disgust on his face and I know what is coming once I get done cooking. I refocus on my task, cutting the onion up. 

I drop it into the meat and add the sauce to it. Once everything is done I strain the noodles and sit it all on the table and grab a stack of plates.

Everyone starts walking in as I place them on the table. I quickly turn and grab the container of forks, and try to get out of the kitchen as fast as I can. I almost made it out the door, but of course I couldn't get that lucky. 

A whimper leaves my lip, as I am ripped back by my hair. I feel my hair actually leave my scalp. My head hits the floor with a sickening crack. Stars dance in my vision, and my ears ring.

 I can vaguely hear everyone laughing at me, apparently this is the only form of enjoyment they get. Before I can process anything I feel a steel tip connect with my ribs. It takes my breath making my eyes water.

 I try to stay quiet, I know that if i make a sound they won’t stop any time soon. My wolf Caslin, she likes to be called Cas, is talking to me. She is trying to help me get through this, she is always there for me. She’s the only one. 

I’m not allowed to leave the pack house unless it is to take out the trash, or clean up after one of their stupid parties. At seventeen years old I should be hanging out with friends. I should be being loved by my mate. I should be able to let my wolf out, I haven't shifted in over a year, poor Cas. 

My father is Derick Hale Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. He was good to me before mom died, everyone was. I was almost nine and the pack was attacked by rouges, I was out back climbing a tree when mom screamed for me.

 As quickly as I could I climbed down and started running. I was almost to the back door when I heard my mother growl fiercely. I froze and she jumped over me shifting as she went. She fought hard and won too, but she was so injured that she couldn’t heal.

By the time dad got back to the house her heart had stopped. That was the first time he hit me, I was nine and he punched me so hard that I was knocked out cold. 

Since then I have been locked in the house. I am only allowed to have scraps or what the others leave over. Which most of the time is nothing. So I have to wait until the house is completely empty before I can sneak food. 

 I haven’t been allowed to attend school but I can sort of read. I did go to school until that day, plus I had mom. She always took time to work with me. I’m smart and pick up on things quickly, and Cas, well lets just say, she has a very big vocabulary. Most of which are curse words, and various insults. But she is my girl, my other half.

 My wolf is the most beautiful color. She is a light gray fur with red and orange tips. When there is a full moon she is really amazing. The gray glows white, and the red and orange literally glow like fire. She is something special, and I know it but I don't know what that special reason is yet. 

If I can make it out of here alive, I'm going to set her free from the torture that we have been through. Nobody in the pack has ever seen her, they just assume I don't have a wolf. If they want to make assumptions, I would let them. 

I will be eighteen in two days. I just had to make it until then, and I was going to run. I can hear Cas agreeing with me. 

“We will make it Izzy. Just believe in it.” She keeps encouraging me.

 Lost in my head trying to ignore the pain as they keep kicking me. Most of my ribs are broken now, as well as my right arm, nose, and I am pretty sure my right eye is swollen shut.

  I taste the iron richness of blood in my mouth. I feel it all over my face. Someone picks me up by my hair, and throws me from the room, and I slam into the wall on the other side of the hallway. I feel my shoulder dislocate and I bite my tongue to keep from screaming. I can feel the tears running down my face. 

 They shut the door, I could hear the laughter, and giggles from 

the other side of the door. I see red. My vision is clouded with the pure rage I feel. Slowly getting to my feet and spitting blood from my mouth. Cas is livid only fueling my rage, but she is more calm. 

 I hear her telling me to go to my room and grab my go bag. She is ready to run. Slowly I am able to push aside my rage, with Cas’s help. I can still feel it running under my skin. Almost as if it is its own entity. I Have been pissed before but never this bad. 

Most of the time I throw up a wall, and think back to mom. That is the main thing that has kept me going is I know I have to live for her. The way my body has been violated and abused, nobody should have to go through that. 

At first I would fight them when they tried to rape me but after being beat into submission and being held down. You learn that if you don’t fight, it will be over with faster. So you comply and just stay still. I try to block it out and sometimes Cas will pretend to be me to give me a break.

I felt bad when she took over because for some reason she agrees with me that they do not need to see her. So we keep her a secret. For the sake of both of us. This time i would not comply, I am running as soon as it hits midnight. That is when almost everyone is asleep.

I take my time walking up the stairs. I stop in the bathroom that I'm not supposed to use, to wash my face. I use paper towels so that I can take them to my room. Once I am done I check to make sure the coast is clear and the only scent I can pick up is mine. I make a beeline for the set of stairs that runs to my room. Aka the attic.