CHAPTER 2 - History

SKYLER'S POV

The next morning, I actually wake up with my alarm. I'm extremely stiff and sore. I'm sure my bruises have bruises. I slowly get up and make my way into my bathroom. I use the toilet, then hop into the shower. Oh, how I wish I could shower downstairs as the hot water doesn't reach the attic. I don't even think the Alpha had the hot water connected all the way up here, just another one of his daily punishments.

If I can get up early enough and be as quiet as possible, I can occasionally steal a warm shower on the next floor down, but that is usually only like once a month, so it won't be this morning. I grit my teeth so they won't chatter as I wash the grime and dry blood off my body as quickly and as carefully as I can, then I wash the blood out of my hair, turn the water off and get out.

I move into my room and sit down at my vanity, the only thing my dad the all-mighty Alpha would allow me to keep from my old room, looking in the mirror my eyes land on the 3 large scars running over my left shoulder, I run my fingers over the scars as tears fill my eyes as I remember how I got them on my 6th birthday.

* Flashback *

"Mummy, Daddy! " I yell and jump up and down on their bed.

"Sweetheart! Why are you up so early?"

"It's my BIRTHDAY!!" I yell

"Nahh, it can't be. You only just had a birthday."

"But Dad, that was last year.."

"So, sweetheart, how old are you today?"

"I'm 6 today"

"No, you can't be"

"Yes, I am"

"Nahh! I'm sure you are only what? 3?"

"No! Silly Daddy, I'm 6!"

"Nahh!"

"Aha!"

"No!"

"Yes"

"Okay! Okay! You two... Let's go down and have some breakfast." Mum says, laughing at the banter between father and me.

We go downstairs to have breakfast, to see James, my 8yr old brother, already at the table eating and the cook making my favorite pancakes for my birthday. I laugh and thank her as she puts 4 pancakes onto a plate and places it in front of me.

 

They are made of chocolate chip so I don't need to add anything more to them. Mum and Dad join us and once we are finished, James and I head out the back to play with some of the other kids in the pack. After a while, mum comes to the back door and calls to us.

"Time to come in... So? Skyler, what would you like to do for your birthday lunch?" Mum asks.

"Can we have a picnic in the flower field?"

 

I ask as I catch my breath and sit at the kitchen counter.

"Um... Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. Honey, are you gonna come with us?"

 

Mum looks over and asks Dad as he enters the kitchen.

"Sorry Ladies..."

"But Dad it's my birthday!!"

"I know, sweetheart, but I still have work to do. Take a couple of guards with you." 

 

Dad then faces James.

 

"James? I think you can come and help me? It's about time you started to learn how to run the pack, anyway." Dad replies,

"But Dad! I was going to go and hang with my friends..."

 

"Not today. Today you are with me or with your Mother and sister..."

I hid my little giggle as he sighs and nods, saying,

 

"Okay, Dad!"

Mum then packs us a nice picnic basket full of food and grabs our picnic blanket from the hall cupboard for us to sit on.

"Bye boys, don't work too hard."

 

Mum gives Dad and James a quick kiss as we laugh and walk out the door and into the woods.

"Bye! Stay alert and be careful, both of you." Dad warns softly.

I don't see the guards my dad told mum to take with us as we walk through the woods to the flower field, but I knew that they would be there somewhere. The flower field was a large field full of wildflowers surrounding a beautiful, crystal clear lake. We found it one night as a family on one of our full moon runs, and we all liked it so much that we made it our family's special place.

 

We come here for family picnics and special occasions. My Mum and I walked to the middle of the field not far from the edge of the lakeshore and mum set the picnic blanket on the ground. I played at the water's edge until my mum called.

"Skyler, dear, lunch is ready."

I stand and run back to where Mum is sitting on the picnic blanket with our lunch spread out in front of her. After we had eaten all the food that mum had packed for our lunch, which was just enough for us. Mum laid down on the blanket and watched while I went running around the field, picking some of the nice wildflowers.

I stopped to pick an unusual flower when I heard a twig snap and a low growl coming from the edge of the field, just inside the edge of the woods. I freeze. I look up to where the sound came from and saw 2 bright red eyes staring back at me. I screamed, dropped my flowers, and started to run back towards where mum was on the blanket.

 

I wasn't fast enough though and the next thing I know I am knocked down. I roll over the ground and when I stop; I have a large, dirty, smelly, scared brown wolf standing over top of me. He growls in my face and then bites into my left shoulder. I let out an ear-piercing scream of pain.

 

The next thing I know, the wolf disappears as a light grey wolf tackles it off of me, but he hadn't removed his canines from my shoulder, so he leaves 3 long tears over my shoulder. I can't stop crying but I try to get up wanting to go and help Mum but I collapse back to the ground, hitting my newly injured shoulder.

 

I now can't move, as the pain running down from my shoulder makes me scream out again. I look up and around, looking for Dad's guards, but I don't see them. I snap my head to the side as I hear a very loud growl and watch as an extremely large black wolf jumps over me and runs over to help the grey wolf fight.

I look up again as James comes running up to me. He helps me sit up a little and wraps his arms around me, holding me while I cry. He stays with me, covering my ears while the fighting is happening. I look over as James removes his hands from my ears. It is then that I realize that the black wolf is Dad.

 

He kills the brown rogue wolf, unfortunately; he wasn't quick enough to save Mum. He lets out a pain fill howl and shifts back to human. Dad picks up and carries Mum, while James picks up and carries me back to the packhouse. That was the day my life changed!

* End Flashback *

I let my tears fall as I remembered that horrible day. The punishments as he came to call them started from my father or Alpha as he insisted that I call him started on my 7th birthday. The punishments started with just a slap here and therefore not coming when called or doing what I was told quickly enough, but it slowly increased to a punch and a kick or two.

 

The type of punishments I received also depended on what I did that upset the Alpha, the main one was that took me a while to get used to was that I am not allowed to call him Dad anymore or refer to James as my brother in any way, as far as he was concerned he never had a daughter.

 

My birthdays from then on were not that happy and I really don't look forward to them anymore, it is a day that I actually dread now, because if the Alpha remembers that it is my birthday he punishes me badly and adds a small permanent scar to my back to mark and add to the pain of that day so many years ago.

I slowly redress the bandages around my broken ribs, apply some healing cream to my cuts and bruises, and get dressed. I then look into the mirror once more and wish myself a Happy Birthday.

I then head slowly down the stairs to make breakfast for everyone. I lay everything out on the table and quickly duck back into the kitchen and eat the chocolate pancake I made for myself as my only birthday gift for the day.

 

Once I am finished with my pancake, I wash the plate, then check the table, clearing any and all the empty plates, I then go back to finish cleaning the house ready for the Alpha to show off to the other Alpha that is coming.

 

When I've finished cleaning every room on the upper floors, I then move to the ground and entry floor. I try to work around everyone so that I can clean without getting in the way, intruding on anyone, or interrupting whatever they are doing.

 

After that is done, I then go back into the kitchen and start to prepare the special lunch I have planned so that it is ready for when the other Alpha arrives. It will also give me a chance to hide in my room until after the Alpha has left. I have learned not to trust Alpha's, so the less time I have to be in their presence, the better off I am.