Lone Werewolf

Tears

"If you hadn't been such a runt, this wouldn't have happened," he grumbled with a glare.

"Sorry, Alpha," I replied, keeping my eyes downcast to the murky water.

"Damn right you should be," he agreed, "now clean this up!" he ordered.

"Yes, Alpha," I answered dutifully.

He left with a slam of the door, causing me to jump and whimper quietly. I gingerly lifted myself out of the tub, shivering as I stepped out and met the cold, cruel air. My neck stung at the base, causing me to turn to the mirror I could barely reach to see into (I was only six and a half) and cried. My long, flowing hair had been replaced with a short, choppy cut. I looked stupid. I cringed, thinking of all the names they would call me. Turning to the messy bathroom, I took out a sweeping brush (taller than me so it was hard to hold) and swept up the remains of my hair.

***

I crept along the hallway, silently making my way to my attic room, very careful to make as little noise as possible. The bathroom door was ajar and I could hear the squeals of delight from inside. I peeked in and saw James and Jonathon laughing as they made beard faces with Alpha – their daddy. He smiled and laughed with them, gently rinsing their hair of the lice shampoo. James complained when it got in his eyes and Alpha apologised a lot. I looked away and kept my head down, the tears rolling down my cheeks.

No-one would ever love me like that.

**

"Ewwww!" Jonathon crowed, pointing towards me. "Don't play with it, it will give you diseases!"

The other children looked towards me with wide eyes, instantly believing what he had said.

"EW! No, you can't play with us!" they cried and ran away, far away from the runt girl. I almost did believe I was diseased.

I sighed and scuffed at the dirt with my bare feet, smiling at the squishy feeling in between my toes. Jonathon sped past me – catching me in the side and sending me sprawling to the floor. I just sat there, the wind knocked out of me, not attempting to get up and instead observed the other kids playing with their friends. I shrugged and built a house for the ants, beginning to imagine worlds inside my head – places where I was a princess and all the towns' folk loved me. Yeah, that sounds nice.

***

"WHO BROKE MY TV!!?" the male voice boomed throughout the house, even reaching my attic. I froze in fear, the drawing in front of me long forgotten.

"WHAT!?" I heard him screech. "I'LL KILL THE RUNT!"

My heart clenched with fear when I heard the footsteps thundering up the stairs towards me. Jonathon and James broke the TV whilst they were playing football. Inside. I'd never even sat down to watch it, even though I've always wanted to. The door crashed open with a bang and he was standing there – fury on every line of his face.

"Alpha, it wasn't me!" I squeaked, backing away from him, "I saw Jonathan and James-"

He strode up to me and cut me off with a slap before wrenching me off the floor where I lay.

"Don't you dare blame my children," he hissed, his fingers constricting around my neck. I gagged, struggling to breathe and scratched at his hand, fighting him off me. Panic surged through me, the fear almost swallowing me up like a monster. He growled and chucked me across the room, my light weight propelled me to the far wall where I crumpled to the ground. He wasted no time before reaching me again and tugging me up to my feet - my head spinning.

"Apologise, runt," he hissed, shaking me by the arm.

"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry, Alpha," I apologised, even though I knew it was not my fault. Or maybe it was, weren't most things my fault? He grunted and took me by the wrist before forcefully dragging me downstairs. I stumbled after him, shaking with fear. Luna stared upon the scene with wide eyes, following us down into the basement.

"Jackson, please, what are you doing?" Emily, his Luna, reasoned with him. I felt his hand constrict even tighter around my wrist, threatening to break the fragile bones.

"Punishing the runt," he answered, opening the heavy basement door, before shoving me down the concrete steps. I tumbled down and landed with a crash at the bottom – green eyes staring wide into the Luna's, a silent plea for help. No one had ever helped me before.

"Jack..." Luna Emily started but one look shut her up. The Alpha grabbed me roughly and shoved me into the wall, clamping down silver chains on my ankles and wrists. He didn't even flinch when I hissed in pain, tears dribbling down my face. I tried to hold back a sob but it came out anyway. I felt sick from the pain.

"Jack please, she didn't deserve that-" Emily practically begged.

"Be quiet and go back to the house!" he ordered his wife and mate using his Alpha tone. I cowered in the corner. She nodded, turning a blind eye and went back upstairs. I cried out again as the silver metal stung and burned further through my wrists and ankles.

"Are you going to do that again?" Alpha asked in deadly voice and I shook my head profusely.

"Answer me!" he yelled.

"No, Alpha! I won't do it again!"

"Good." He said, nodding and turning on his heel.

I was left in the dark, knees tucked up to my chin and tears falling down my cheeks.

I was afraid of the dark.