Chapter one

Raven’s Pov

“Don’t go”.

I ignored my older brother and moved to our small dresser, and began spraying a black hair dye over the part of my hair that was filled with specks of white hair, concealing the hues.

“If they discover your identity…you know what will…”. He continued, but I cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

“I know! But they won’t, why can’t you trust me?!”. I faced him, exasperated beyond words. If he wasn’t injured, I would have pulled him by his legs.

“I trust you, it’s them I don’t trust. Anything could go wrong there, and I won't be there to save you”.

“I will be fine, you worry too much”. Sometimes I wish he wasn’t older than me, so I could have the upper hand in my life decisions. Our eyes were locked with each other, none unwilling to back down, his fiery brown eyes met mine.

“I hate all of this, I hate the fact that we are hybrids. I wish I wasn’t stuck here like this, I just… I fucking hate everything”. He rattled out in frustration, as he gestured towards his injured left leg that was rotting away due to lack of proper treatment.

He eventually looked away not before I saw the raw unhidden emotions in his eyes. It was the first time he allowed himself to be vulnerable, and before I knew it my eyes began to water.

I couldn’t help It as I moved to where he laid on the bed, he always acted tough, but not today, because I saw right through his mask.

“I also hate this, more than anything, but it would kill me if you don’t get to walk again. Just this once, we need the money”. I whispered, the my last words.

“I can manage…let me…”.

“No! Just take a look at yourself, you can barely stand on your own, how would you work?”. I questioned, seeing the pain that crossed his face when he wanted to move his injured leg.

“Then what about you?! You are my younger sister, and my responsibility”.

“Not when you are injured! They would only know I’m a hybrid, if i go without a disguise, without that they can’t find out the truth, please”. I begged, after a while.

“Dorian, that bastard wouldn’t hesitate to kill you if he finds you in his packhouse…”.

“I will be careful”.

He never addresses Alpha Dorian by his title, but that was less of my concern at the moment. Alpha Dorian was celebrating the birth of his pup, and I had to work there for money.

Being children of a hybrid wasn’t our only problem, but we had no idea of our family history and who our second counterpart was, since we were part werewolf and last survivors of our family.

“But it’s still early”. He muttered tiredly and I knew he had agreed even though he didn’t say it.

“I need to go now, unless the patrol officers will notice me, when it begins to get brighter. I will be back before you know it”. The promise was for myself rather than for him. We were each other’s backbone.

I left our isolated home, which was in the middle of the woods, outside DarkValley. I made my way through the path that led to the unknown border line of the pack. Ever since Riev was shot, I frequently visited the pack to look for work, unless we would die of starvation.

Riev had been against my working in the pack house, but the pay would be enough for his treatment.

While lost in thoughts, and almost crossing the cave that led inside into the pack, I saw a raging wolf running towards me, before I could move a few feet, I was flung across the expanse of the woods, as the side of my body collided painfully against the trunk of a tree.

My eyes burned at the sharp pain I felt at the side of my stomach. I tried to hide behind the trunk of the tree to save myself from another attack, but my body refused to cooperate with me. I knew being in the woods that early was dangerous, but I had never been attacked before.

I managed to sit up, after a while, when the wolf didn’t come to attack again. It was either it thought I was dead, or had given up, knowing I was a weak match for it. I staggered towards the cave once again. Going back home meant stressing Riev, and I needed that money more than anything else.

My legs collided with something hard on the ground, and with frightful eyes I saw the same wolf which had attacked me. His upper body was a human, while his lower part was a wolf.

My heartbeat banged fearfully against my chest, as I saw what had become of him. I couldn’t even make out his face, because of the bloodied mess on his face. It was beyond hideous, no injury was on his body, but I knew he was dead, his chest wasn’t moving.

I felt like retching, as I teared my eyes away from him. What the hell had happened to him? I knew deep down within my heart, that the attack wasn’t done by a wolf. What creature could have the ability to kill someone without any damage to their body?

I scanned the woods once again. Then it quickly occurred to me that I could be the next target of whoever had done that to him.

I made it to the packhouse, still reeling from what I had just experienced and seen. With every step I took my ribs ache painfully. I could not heal unlike Riev who could even heal faster than anyone I know. We were siblings, but I was the oddball. I didn't even have a wolf.

The wolf guiding the entrance of the packhouse was taken aback at how disheveled I looked, but had let me in, when I told him I came for work.

My eyes took in everything in the large packhouse. It took me a while, before a maid was nice enough to show me the way to the kitchen area. The cooking was already in full swing, young girls like me, scurrying from one place to another doing their designated work.

“Hey! What are you doing here?”. A middle aged woman screamed at me. Deep frown settled on her face as she glared at me. From her outfit, I knew she was the one in charge of whatever was going on in the kitchen.

“I’m…I’m here to work”. I stuttered, my eyes moved to the floor avoiding her eyes.

“Work?”. I nodded my head in response.

“Then why are you like that?”. Her hands moved down my length in a mocking gesture. It was then I noticed the shrubs and little dried leaves on my clothes. I knew my hair would be like a bird’s nest. I began to dust myself frantically.

“Besides, I don't need anyone else, leave at once“. She said, and began to walk away.

“Please…give me any job…anything will do, I will work. Please”. I ran up to her, and fell at her feet immediately, as I felt pain shoot up my ribs. The thought of all my efforts going down the drain was something I couldn’t digest, not after I almost got myself killed in the woods.

She became quiet for a few seconds, before she ordered I follow her. I was to carry the bags of flour needed for the cooking from the storehouse to the kitchen. In not less than a few minutes the ache on my ribs worsened, as my pace became slower.

Just as I dropped the heavy bag of flour I carried into the kitchen, I first saw some of the girls in the kitchen m, giving me a scornful look, then I felt a gaze behind me. I turned around and my eyes landed on the kitchen head, her expression more fiery than a beast.

“You wench!”. She bellowed at me, and I instinctively flinched backwards. She sauntered towards me, her eyes were filled with rage. Her left hand shot forward abruptly, startling me and before I could understand what she wanted to do, she backhanded me across my cheeks.

What have I done wrong?