Our Selection

Chapter 25

The next morning I wake up stiff and sore, I groan as I stretch and Finns eyes flash open
"What's wrong?" He says sounding worried
"Nothing" I laugh and get up, that's when I see my reflection in the mirror.

I have cuts everywhere on my body, I look tired and worn out and my hair is greasy and limp. I have fingernail cuts on my wrists and a long pink cut on my shoulder where Hunter cut me that night in the palace, apart from that my dress hangs loosely on me... Not eating for 3 days pays off and my collarbones are clearly visible and outlined against my chest
"I want to see her again" I say and Finn looks startled at my sudden request
"If you want Wolfie, it's not my decision" He shrugs and I walk to the door, I open it and walk down the corridor that I think is right
"Wolf wait! You don't know the way, your going to get lost" He shouts and runs out the door while pulling his shirt on, he catches up with me and grabs my arm where he knows there are no cuts
"Wrong way" He laughs and directs me to my Mothers room.

I take a deep breath before pushing open the door and walking inside, she turns around startled but looks pleased that im here
"Oh... It's my lovely daughter Wolf, how was your night darling?" She says sweetly and her fakeness makes me wants to vomit
"Oh... It was good, up until the point that your boyfriend molested me" I say coldly and a look of anger flashes across her face,
"Hunter would never do such a thing" She dismisses it with a wave of her hand and her face returns to its normal, smug form
"Don't believe me? Watch this" I say angrily and I take the tape Hunter used to record me yesterday from behind my back and place it in her machine, it starts to whir and the picture of me right before Finn cuts me is put up, I forward up until Hunter approaches me for the second time and I play the movie. I watch her face as she sees Hunter slip his hand up my dress and bite my collarbone and she stiffens. Before long Hunters hand travels around to my bum and he lets out a moan that I did not hear before, it shows me trying to get away and Hunter gripping my waist so forcefully that it bleeds. She freezes and I pause the tape
"Believe me now? Why did you bring me here? What is the point" I spit and she looks suprised at my anger, before long her face softens and she gives in
"Before you were born, I was a part of the Southerners, I grew up here and they took care of me after my parents died, when I was 18 I was sent out into the Castes to complete a mission... I was nearly the leader of the Southerners by this time, I was highly respected and trusted to fulfill the mission... But I fell in love" She whispers and looks down
"With Dad" I say finishing her sentence, she nods and I see the tears nearly spilling out her eyes
"We fell in love and I abandoned my mission, I made a pact with the Southerners that after 20 years I would return, otherwise they would kill my whole family... Including you, In that space of time I had five children you, Alex, Luca, Felix and Max. You may of wondered why your name was so different to theirs, Wolf- such a strange name for a little girl of Caste five, but that was the thing. I also had agreed that I would try to have a a girl, if I succeeded, when she was 18 she would become the next leader of the Southerners... That's why your name is Wolf, mine is Raven and you are heir to my throne" She finishes and the tears flow freely from her eyes, I feel myself shaking and I notice Finns hand on the small of my back
"You had children because of an agreement? You sick person, how do you live with yourself... All those times I got whipped for stealing, stealing for you! I thought you were the only person who could ever trust I entered the Selection to get away from all those memories not to find that your alive and well! If you think for one second that I will be the next leader than you are VERY mistaken, go ahead, kill me. To be honest I don't care, anything is better than having to see your face again" I scream at her and Finn puts his hand on my shoulder to calm me down. She stands up abruptly, knocking her chair over
"You little bitch how dare yo-" She starts but is interrupted by a loud bang, dust falls from the ceiling and I look up to see that it is badly cracked. Her face turns deathly pale and she turns to me "Remember Wolf, I will always love you and it was unbearable leaving you but I had to... I'm sorry" She whispers and runs out the room, I turn to Finn and he hugs me tightly and I bury my head deep into his chest, another bang makes me look up and I see Finn looking panicked,
"Come with me" He shouts over the noise and he takes my hand, I follow him up several flights of stairs, they are strangely deserted and I run alongside him until something trips me up. I hit my head on the concrete floor and cry out in pain when something sharp sticks into my ankle, Finn looks suprised but a cold sense of realisation crosses his face
"Let her go Dad" He shouts and I see Hunter approach me,
"You didn't let me finish with her... So no" He says cruelly and Finn stands between us, blocking him from getting to me, Hunter smirks and pushes Finns head forcefully into the wall, he crumples to the floor and his breathing becomes haggard and painful, Hunter kicks Finn in the face and he smashes into a wall, his nose looks bruised and at a wonky angle and blood drips from a cut in his head
"Finn!" I scream and I hear Hunter laugh, something inside me snaps and I leap onto him and push him to the floor, I lift his head and smash it down into the floor, I am about to do it again when a pair of strong arms lifts me off him and slings me over their shoulder, I struggle against it but it is pointless
"Let me go, please don't hurt me... I didn't mean to hurt him, LET ME GO" I scream and thrash around, his grip stays strong and soon enough I tire myself out and before I realise it, we are outside and the sun is shining through the trees, I kick against my attacker and punch his back but nothing seems to hurt him and tears prick at my eyes, he seems to notice and try's to reassure me
"Don't worry Lady Wolf, you will be back at the palace soon enough" He says and it takes me a moment to register what he said. Lady Wolf. Palace. Relief floods my body and I let out a sigh, he places me in the back of a truck and I curl up into a ball, he pulls the door shut and starts the truck. He drives away fast and I lean my head back against the side of the truck and let my mind wander...