Odysseus

Chapter 3

Valentina slowly opened the basement door, her bruised eye annoyed her, for the simple fact she couldn't see well out of it. She quietly tip-toed through the dark halls, making sure she didn't alert her sleeping father. Even though the door to the basement wasn't in the Alpha hall, where he slept, it was right by his office. She could hear his snores through the large wooden doors, that was the only way she would ever know if he was in there or not. Once she made it downstairs, she sighed in relief. 

She smiled and ran into the Elder hall, her grandmother was the only person that kept her fighting. She knocked on her grandmother's door, hoping she had managed to save her some dinner. When she didn't answer, she began to worry, it wasn't like her to not answer. She frowned and knocked again, her heart hammering against her chest at the thought of her father killing her. 

"Grandma?" she called as quietly as she could. 

No answer. 

She furrowed her eyebrows, confused and slightly scared, she slowly opened her grandmother's door. When she saw the lights were off and the bed was empty, she choked on her words. She spun around and sprinted outside, knowing the last time she saw her was when she went for one of her regular walks. She would always worry about her grandmother getting lost, but she would only continue to tell her the guards would watch her. She easily found the faded scent, quickly, she shifted and ran through the shadowed woods. Her paws were silent on the ground, her body darted through the trees, bushes, and thorns with a silence unknown to others. For years, she had to practice this, she had to make sure she was never loud while outside. 

Just like her father, their growing pack hated her. They blamed her for the death of their leader's wife, even though her mother chose to run outside that night. Even though she wasn't the one who clawed through her mother's chest. She shook the memories away, it was that Alpha's fault. Not her's. 

When she reached the borders of his territory, she froze, her grandmother's scent went straight past the borders. She took a shaky step back, she shook her head, trying to tell herself that her grandmother hadn't gone there. 

"He'll kill her." she thought to herself. 

The thought of her grandmother being killed invaded her mind, tears pooled into her eyes and her heart grew a little darker. She growled lowly, her claws dug into the ground as her fur rose. When two wolves suddenly jumped out of the bushes, she took another step back. They titled their heads, as if they were trying to recognize her. When the one walked towards her, she flattened her ears against her head and bared her teeth. 

"They're not allowed on my territory. Not where my pack is." she thought to herself.

She almost laughed at herself, pack. Her father hated the thought of pack life, yet, he was basically their Alpha. They had borders, they stayed together like a pack, they even had a packhouse to complete it all. Even so, they didn't have pack laws. If a lower member threatens you, you have the choice to ignore it or kill them. If you want someone's mate, you're allowed to fight the other wolf for him or her. And so on. They were a rogue pack, hence the reason everyone called her father the Rogue Alpha. 

The light brown wolf barked at her, his tail started to wag as his blue eyes begged her to come over. She bared her canines again, she got low, as if she were ready to attack them. The wolf beside him whined a little, she barked as well and wagged her tail. 

They were trying to show her they meant no harm.

However, Valentina didn't know the difference between friend or foe. She had no idea if a pack's patrol would kill her or let her live. She couldn't trust them. She couldn't trust anyone. She stared at them for a few more seconds before turning and running away, whining quietly at the thought of her grandmother in their prison. Once she reached the house, she quickly shifted back and got changed. She slowly stepped into the house, her eyes scanned the dark foyer. She silently closed the door before making her way back to the basement, her appetite was gone. 

"You do know I don't like anyone sneaking out....right?"

She froze, slowly, she turned towards the silhouette. "I..." she trailed off.

The light switched on, revealing her fuming father, his eyes were still that same dull color. He rose from the chair and sighed, he took slow steps towards her, trying to send fear through her body. Valentina clenched her jaw and stood straight, she tipped her chin up, refusing to show her father any ounce of fear. He stopped in front of her, he was tired, she could tell. 

"Go to bed." he ordered.

She frowned, "What?"

"Go to bed."

She didn't say anything in reply, she quickly scurried back to the basement, relieved she could escape his presence. She could hear him release a sigh before he walked up the stairs, going to the third floor, where his room was. She frowned and sat on the wooden stairs, she hugged her knees to her chest as she remembered the days they were happy. Before her mother was killed, her father loved her. He would always bring her everywhere with him, bragging to their pack members about how she would become a strong leader. Unlike other Alphas, her father never wanted a son, he always wanted a daughter. 

She sighed, with a shake of her head, she walked down the stairs. She grabbed the thin blanket and curled up in her corner before falling asleep. 

A/N: So.....comments? :)