The Alpha's Weakness

Chapter 1: The Escape

~Venus~

My eyes began to water and I didn't know if was from the fear, or the strong smell of gasoline.

"Run. Keep running and don't look back. If- if you get caught... baby, baby look at me...Don't let them know what you are." She placed the grenade on her lap as she stroked the hair out of my face, "Don't answer their questions... Just ... Keep going, Vee. Don't ever look back." Her voice cracked as she held back her sobs. She grabbed the sides of my face and placed a desperate, lingering kiss on my forehead.

"Mum.. I'm scared." I whispered as a single tear drop slid down my cheek.

"I know baby... I know."

"I don't want to leave you... please."

"Promise me you won't stop running until you're safe, far away from this place." She begged

I glanced towards my fathers dead body as the pool of blood grew larger around him. My mother pulled my face away before I could see his wounds.

"No, baby don't look... he wouldn't want you to remember him like that. Think of.. his laugh... his smile... his- his... life." Her voice was beginning to shake now, "Remember that time we all went to the beach..."

I closed my eyes and let the memories form in my mind.

I could see it all happen in slow motion. My mum running across the sand and my dad chasing her with a crab.
"Vee! Run!" She yelled at me as dad began to come towards me with the crab.

"Vee!!" My mum yelled with a smile on her face as my dad wrapped his arm around me and lifted me up, dropping the crab.

"Venus, RUN!"
It took me a minute to snap back to reality but when I did I wish I didn't.

The memory of the hot sun on my skin was replaced by the cold gust of wind that swept through the room as the door to the shed was kicked open.

My mum had one man grab her arms from behind and another man was trying to restrain her legs.

"JUST RUN, BABY!!! PLEASE!!"

So I did...

I ran. I didn't stop. I kept running and only stopped when I heard the bang. I turned around and my home was on fire. The explosion had destroyed everything. Killing my mother and most of the men that were after us almost instantly.

I didn't have time to mourn, all I could do was keep my promise.

I ran. I didn't stop. I kept running...

I ran. I didn't stop.

I ran.

I ran..

I ran...

~~~~~~

That was 8 years ago. I'm 17 now and I'm still running. I've obviously stopped for food and sleep, but other than that I'm still on the run.

I can't even remember why I'm running. I don't think my parents ever told me why those men wanted me. I promised my mother I wouldn't give up. She told me I was destined for greatness. She told me I had an important role. I don't know whether I believe it anymore. After everything I've been through.. after everything I've done to survive.

Maybe I'm ready to give up.

In my 8 years of running, with the help of hitchhiking and pick pocketing- I had managed to go to some pretty great places- but never for too long.
From Minnesota, to Montana, to Utah, then Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota and now I was back where it all started. I was going to be 18 soon and I wanted to find where my family were buried. I wanted to tell them I made it.

I wanted to restart my life. I wanted to have a normal life, maybe I could get a job, settle down...

Make friends...

These 8 years have been the loneliest years of my life. I had no one. I never stayed in the same place longer than two days.

I recognised something about the streets, they looked different, but nothing had changed. The atmosphere wasn't the same though. The air was thick with a certain smell.. like...
Wet dog.

I made my way through the forests that in my youth I had spent all of my days, I came across a tree house, just a few kilometres away was my old house but I was in no rush to go see it. I was scared that once I got there the memories I had repressed would all come rushing back.

The ladder to the tree house was now only two pieces of rope held together by 2 pieces of wood. 2 out of the 30 steps had survived the 8 years I had been gone. I looked up underneath the tree house and noticed the floor was gone. My childhood play house was merely a shell now...

I felt my heart sink to my stomach. Things had changed and I didn't know how to handle the idea that life in Minnesota would never be the same. Maybe going home was a bad idea.

I kept my head down and slowly walked towards my childhood home. When I brought my head up what I saw made my heart shatter.

It was gone. Nothing but trees and a slight clearing. No sign a house had ever been there in the first place.

I knew going there was a mistake.

I was just about to turn around to leave when I was met by 3 pairs of bright yellow eyes. What happened next was just a big blur.

A flash of teeth.

Snarls.

Growls.

Blood.

Pain.

I remember a large paw pushing down on my ribcage as my hand desperately tried to push the beasts muzzle away from my face.