For the Taking ✅

42 • Blame

Ivy came to a screeching stop just inside the training cabin. The heat from the building had me hurrying inside and shutting the door behind us. The warmth was overly inviting regardless of the fact that I had become numb to the freezing cold.

"Because of me." She muttered softly, her voice barely audible. It was difficult to make out her words but I was able to piece them together.

Ivy's face had dropped with depression as the memories seemed to consume her entire mind. Her eyes glossed over with the growing need to cry, but knowing Ivy, it came to no surprise that she didn't allow herself to shed a tear.

"Did... did you do something bad?" I hesitated to ponder.

She frowned tossing the equipment she held onto a nearby chair. "Depends how you look at it, and who you ask. To some, yea, I did something awful. In the eyes of others, they'd tell you I did nothing wrong but be myself."

I furrowed my eyebrows with confusion. She was talking in circles.

"I'm sorry, I don't follow."

"I had always known that I was different. I want to play in the dirt and look for bugs and hang out with the boys in my school. It wasn't the weirdest thing for a little girl but I never grew out of it. I was labeled a tomboy but I always know I was more than that. My parents knew that I was more than that, they just didn't speak about it other than to each other. Our pack would never have accepted me, for being me. I guess my parents just hoped I'd eventually grow out of it."

Ivy slumped down in the chair next to her as a glimmer of a tear escaped down her cheek.

I slowly sat down on the floor in front of her as she leaned her face into the palm of her hands, an attempt at shielding her face from me.

There was a boiling anger at the fact that something so private could rial up an entire group of people. Ivy being a lesbian didn't harm anyone, it didn't jeopardize a thing besides the fact that her coming out put her own life and her family's in danger.

It shouldn't have been like this. It should never be anyones reality. No one should be threatened or hated simply for living their life as they choose to.

I gently grabbed Ivy's hand as I tried to find the most consoling words. But what do you say? What could I possible tell her to take away the immense guilt she undoubtedly carried for years?

There was nothing.

"What ever happened, and you don't have to tell me, was not your fault Ivy." Her bottom lip wobbled. She didn't want to hear me, honestly I think she didn't want to believe me.

"They killed them all." She cried dropping her hand away finally, to reveal her hidden face. "Phinny my pack was so homophobic that they cornered my parents out on a routine boarder patrol. I heard my mom screaming...in my head when they attacked them. I did everything she did and.... it still wasn't enough. I packed a bag for my brother and I shifted for what I think was only my second time and we took off. I didn't need to try and reach out to my parents I felt that bond between them snap."

Ivy took a deep breath in as the memories undoubtedly played inside her head. I couldn't imagine what horrors she hear and witnessed. Packs could be violent and volatile when an alpha gives an order like attack.

She had let out a heavy breath as she locked her eyes with mine. The sadness in them was blue enough to drown anyone in sorrow.

"Riley, my brother, and I ran for days. He wasn't old enough to shift so we weren't able to get very far. They... found us a few days after we escaped." Ivy squeezed her eyes shut reliving the memory as if it were yesterday. "I tried to protect him, I really did." She sobbed through chocking breathes. "-but what more could I do. I nearly lost my life too that day but Riley, he actually died. I wasn't good enough Phinny."

I reached out pulling her onto the ground with me and wrapping her up in my warm embrace. Fury bubbled inside me like boiling water. How can packs, a name meant to be family, just take one of their own's life away?

It was cruel.

"If I didn't..." Ivy cried

"No, Ivy-" I rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Don't you dare blame yourself. You have no control over what others do. You only have control over yourself."

"Exactly! I shouldn't have told anyone I shouldn't have paraded myself around like being a homosexual was something to be proud about." She muttered aggressively rubbing at her emerald eyes. "I was so fucking stupid."

I grabbed her wrists as she continued to rub her face raw. Pull here hands away from her face revealed a red faced, puffy eyed Ivy. Her natural red hair beamed like fire against her flushed red face.

"Enough." I demanded tired of all this self degrading language. Ivy was anything but stupid and weak; he'll she doesn't bat an eyelash when she insults Osiris. If anything should scream her confidence and independence it would be that.

"You think all these things about yourself Ivy but you are none of them. You are loyal, you are honest. Maybe more than you should be, but your honest none the less." I giggled. A hint of a smile cracked at the corners of her mouth. "You are beautiful, you are strong. I can't tell you how many times you've nearly gave me a concussion." She chuckled at the light hearted memory. "The point is Ivy what happened has happened and there's no way to go back and change any of it. That doesn't mean we forget or hold all the pain inside, it means we remember and work through it and realize you aren't to blame for someone else's actions they are, only your own."

Ivy sniffles before taking a large breath to calm herself.

"I don't agree with you but times heals." She muttered standing up, I followed shortly after her. "I can't change the past, damn it do I wish I could get revenge." Her eyes gleamed emerald green before dissipating to their natural forest like composition.

The door to the training cabin swung open as a familiar scientist stepped in. His uncoordinated arms stuffed high with folders and wrinkled papers tried tirelessly to close the door to no avail. Jensen was become notorious with his clumsiness making me seem like a skilled acrobat.

Fumbling about his items he was finally able to grab the handle of the door and shut up.

"Jesus Christ you'd think the wind was trying to blow away the darn door." He growled irked. "Anyways, I've come to take a sample of your blood again Seraphina. This time let's numb that arm of yours."

I audible gulped as I reluctant rolled my sleeve up and sit in the nearby chair. This will go quick I told myself as nausea bubbled in my stomach like an overflowing caldron. Just a pinch and a few seconds of pain and it'll be over.