Hiya!!
This chapter was meant to be posted ages ago, so I apologise for the wait.
Anyway I've been reading over the first few chapters and they really need some major editing ( I cringed at my own grammar). I have made a start, so if you do look back you will see some changes, but I still have a lot to do (I hate editing)
So editing will take over my life, which may cause the late arrival of the next chapter but even though it is sad for me to say, this story is soon coming to an end :( All your questions will be answered very soon xx
Anyway enjoy =-)
Check out the amazing cover made for me on the side!! And the song Into the Fire by Thirteen Senses >>>>>>>
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2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
“August? Hello August, are you still there? August speak to me!!”
I could hear Macy’s words but my brain couldn’t register them; my body was shaking uncontrollably and so many emotions filled my body that I couldn’t put a name to them all.
“I’ll speak to you later”. My words were quiet and barely audible as I then pulled the phone away from my ear and pressed it back onto the handset. My body suddenly gave up supporting my weight as pure agony and sadness ripped through every inch of me. I crumbled to the ground, leaning against the wall as fresh tears spill from my eyes; had my whole life been a lie?
Flash backs of the pain my mother and sisters put me through played out in my mind. I closed my eyes and cried, hearing their taunting words, cruel laughter and the click of the key as mum locked me in my bedroom.
I smiled nervously in the mirror as I once more check the red lipstick that covered my lips. It belonged to Rachel but she had thrown it in the bin saying the colour made her look fat, which was stupid seeing as she was only eleven. However her loss was my gain, especially as Harry had invited me to come and hang out with him.
Harry and his family had moved in next door a week ago, he was really sweet and said I was pretty; Rachel hadn’t met him yet so I believed I had a strong chance to be his girlfriend. Both of my sisters said having a boyfriend made you cool, so if Harry was mine then maybe I could be cool as well.
I smoothed down my jeans and brushed my hair again until I was happy I looked nice for him. Suddenly the door slammed open and I jumped in fear when Rachel came marching in “I knew you stole my lip stick.” Out of nowhere her hand snatched it away from me and the cruel look in her eyes made me shrink away from her.
“You threw it away. I thought you didn’t want it anymore” my voice shook uncontrollably and I knew it annoyed her by the glow of hatred in her eyes. “And why would I throw away expensive lipstick?” she spat the words at me as I continued to panic in her presence.
I chocked on my own words as nerves and panic flowed through my entire body; I wringed my hands together and nervously looked away from her. “MUM!! AUGUST STOLE MY LIPSTICK!!”
My eyes widened and I reached out for her “please Rachel, I’m sorry I took your lipstick”. Rachel pulled away from me and placed her hands on her hips, a cruel smile lighting her face “stupid girl”.
Mum soon came bounding up the stairs and when Rachel told her what I had done, my pleading words fell on deaths ears as she grabbed me and roughly shook me. “August I really can’t deal with you today and you know what happens when I don’t have the energy for you”.
My eyes widened “please mum, I’m sorry”.
She pushed me roughly until I fell backwards onto the floor; I screamed and scrambled up, trying to ignore the carpet burn on my hands. “No mum I didn’t mean to take her lipstick” but once again, mum looked at me with such disappointment that it made my heart drop to my stomach. My body stopped moving and with freely flowing tears, I watched her slam the door in my face, and I once again heard the key turning in the lock.
The tears came fast and furious as I lay down and tucked myself into a foetal position. Being locked away in my bedroom occurred so many times after that, usually when dad was away for Alpha meetings.
Every time mum let me out she would say I had been in there because it was hard for her to be around me; if only she knew how much I hated being around her.
Even though I kept it from dad, he had started to suspect and then eventually mum stopped locking me away like I was some dirty secret… and now I realised I was.
For a long time now I had accepted what had happened to me and looked towards the future. But had all the pain I had suffered been justified by a hidden secret I knew nothing about? Did Gloria use her bitterness and anger against me because I wasn’t hers?
With that thought I sat up and roughly wiped away the tears. All my life Gloria was punishing me for something that I knew nothing about and wasn’t my fault… but no more.
I could feel the pulse of my wolf rising to the surface and I allowed her strength to fill me as I threw open the door and marched out of the room. With each step I took I could feel the pain and the anger of everything she had done to me rise to the surface; my wolf screamed to be let free but I had to do this my way.
The dining room had emptied slightly, with vacant chairs now accompanying the once full and lively table. The king was no longer present but his wife was still chatting away with a very happy Gloria. I marched over to her with the promise to leave this room with my heart and mind clear.
Gloria had no more control over me.
Tears still dripped down my cheeks but I made no attempt to wipe them away. I had no reason to hide the traces of misery that Gloria had caused me. I stood still behind her chair and when the Queen caught sight of me, her eyes widened and she stood up to come to my aid. “Are you alright August?”
I was slightly shocked by the look of pure concern for me written on her face. She reached for my hand, her warmth and kindness immediately soaking through my skin, but the moment of relief subsided when Gloria made her presence known.
“Good gracious August you look atrocious”. I pulled my hand away from her highness and placed my tearful eyes on Gloria.
She sighed “I apologise for my daughter’s behaviour, she has never….”
“It’s wrong to lie to her majesty” my words came out strong despite the slight tremor in my body. My wolf was eager to claw her way to the surface and take vengeance for how we were treated, but I wanted to do this without violence… for how long that would last, would depend on Gloria.
She didn’t like my statement; her eyes glanced around the room to look at the curious spectators. Gloria always wanted attention and now I was giving it her, whether she liked it or not. She smoothed her dress down “I’m very well aware of that statement August. Now please leave her highness alone and go and fix yourself you.” She smiled at the Queen as if she was humiliated by my actions.
“I saw your note book mother”.
Her eyes hardened and she laughed “I see the image changes but not the person. Still a little snoop I see”.
I ignored her words “B.M, does that ring any bells?”
Gloria nervously looked round the room and shifted onto her other foot, nerves obviously over taking her. “What are you talking about August?”
“I know the truth and I want you to admit it. Right here, right now… no more lies”.
She smoothed back her head and everyone in the room waited for her to speak. Gloria couldn’t look at me and I knew she was going to try and escape this, but I needed to hear here say the words.
“You have mocked and tortured me my whole life, so please just tell the truth because I know what B.M stands for”.
She laughed and then finally looked at me “then you don’t need me to say it”. She turned to leave but I wouldn’t let her escape this. I shouted “TELL THE TRUTH OR SO HELP ME…”
Gloria stopped walking and turned to face me “or what? You’re going to hurt me?”
“Say it!”
“You have always been such an ungrateful child”.
“Say it!”
“Why your father loved you so much bemuses me.”
I clenched my firsts “JUST SAY IT”.
That broke her and finally she let the let the truth free from her lips.
“FINE.” She spun away from me and looked at all the eager and interested eyes “I will tell them all…” Gloria faced me once again “that you, the ever useless, annoying and most disappointing child is not my daughter”. She growled the final words and I stood watching as the colour of her eyes flickered slightly, showing me that her wolf despised me just as much as she did.
Her mood darkened along with her words “is that what you want to hear August? Or is it that every time I look at you I see a dirty secret that I was forced to keep” she roughly patted her chest.
The Queen stepped up to my side while Guy gripped Gloria’s shoulder “I suggest that you to take this to another room.” Guy spoke with such authority that even an alphas daughter couldn’t ignore; I looked at the Queen who nodded her head “and think that’s best”.
Gloria walked off with Guy while I stole a glance at Kiera and Paul who were watching me with such sadness I felt lucky to have them as friends. I took a deep breath and patted the hand of the Queen who nodded with assurance as I followed Gloria.
As I reached the door Guy stepped out and gently whispered in my ear “it’s good for secrets to be let out.” He pulled back and smiled “it’s going to be ok August,” I smiled in return before taking a deep breath and entering the room that would change everything.
I shut the door and leant against it as I watched Gloria angrily pace the study that I had been in once before. “What about dad, is he my real father?” The question had be eating me up inside since I had discovered her secret. I knew that if it turned out he wasn’t my real father then my whole world would crumble.
She stopped pacing and scoffed “oh of course he is. You’re the result of something he thought was so wonderful and magical, that he had to keep you to taunt me every single day”.
I immediately sighed in relief, but what Gloria said confused me slightly “what do you mean?”
She took a ragged breath before speaking “I grew up a part of a small pack that hardly had any land or wealth. We struggled to maintain what is considered normal pack life, until a group of Wanderers decided to attack our home.”
Gloria leant against the desk while I continued leaning against the door, listening to her story. “We barely managed to live let alone keep our home, so my father decided to ask for help from The White Wolves”.
I laughed lightly “The White Wolves are a fairy tale…”
Gloria’s eyes hardened “no they are not. The White Wolves is a secret organisation that helps protects all werewolves and maintaining the secret we possess”. I nodded in understanding but I hardly believed that they were real. My father told me the story of The White Wolves and how that only the bravest and the strongest are chosen to join to group.
What a load of rubbish.
“Anyway they came and offered to help merge our pack with a much larger and stronger one…”
“Dad’s pack” I whispered watching the colours of roaring fire that bounced light and heat all over the room.
She smiled “not quite is but it would soon be. While the White Wolves held back the Wanderers, my father and the alpha met with the other pack and negotiation’s started. In the end it was arranged for me to marry the alphas son while Annabel, our alphas daughter to be taken by the White Wolves to be trained and become one of them.”
I stood straight “and you all agreed to this?” Shock and fury coated by words, but I didn’t understand how anyone would allow their children to be bartered off.
Gloria flew across the room towards me and pointed her long finger right at my chest; her eyes were dark and filled with inner pain and fury. “You know nothing about sacrifice, yes they agreed to it because we knew it would save the lives of our family and our pack.”
My stance hardened in defence from her threatening tone but I understood the pain of sacrifice and the position she was placed in was something I prayed I would never have to face.
Gloria sighed and stepped back, her hand dropping to her side as she strolled over to heat of the fire. She spoke as her eyes rested on the dancing flames “I married Harry intending to hate him but so quickly I grew to love him and he me. I gave your father my heart and soul, knowing he would keep it safe.”
“But you were chosen mates, not soul mates”. I saw her raise her hands and wipe away what I knew were tears from her face. She looked back at me and I was slightly taken back by the sadness in her eyes. This wasn’t the same cruel woman that had made me suffer each day of my life.
“It didn’t matter, we were mated and I loved him… then it all changed”.
“How?”
“Rachel had freshly turned one and your father was on one of his long Alpha meetings. However when he returned home, in his arms he was carrying you”.
My stomach swirled with butterflies and the weight of so many emotions made me feel sick, but would I finally know who my mother really was?
“I demanded to know who you were and with a smile on his face, he said ‘this is my daughter August’. God, the way he looked at you was like a blind man looking at the sunset for the first time” her voice shook with pain and more tears fell from her eyes.
“At first I thought it was some sick joke but he said that he had met his soul mate and was unable to deny the pull.” She came closer to me, no longer trying to hide her broken heart “he said that they loved each other but destiny was going to keep them apart.”
“What happened to my mum?”
She shrugged “your dad said that she wasn’t allowed to keep you so, your father took you and brought you into our family”.
Her eyes darkened slightly “your father expected me to care for you like I was your real mother…. I tried, god I did, but every time I looked at you I saw the happiness and love he felt for his true soul mate.”
“It wasn’t my fault.” The words slipped from my mouth, and despite how weak I felt they were clear and strong. I rested my eyes on Gloria, slightly telling her that she had punished me for something that I had no control over.
She wiped away her tears and a cruel smile lit her face “maybe not but treating you the way I did, made me feel so much better.”
I gasped and trembled ever so slightly under her cruel gaze “what about Rachel and Lizzie? Did they know?”
Gloria waved her hand in the air “Rachel found out when she was about eleven or twelve”. She laughed slightly “you know Rachel was very happy when she found out. She said ‘I knew someone so pathetic couldn’t be my sister’. For someone so young she sure was clever”.
I clenched my fist and filled myself with the strength and energy of my wolf. I hated her so much but I didn’t to stoop to her level and lash out with anger. Gloria was upset so she was trying to get at me with the painful truth but I’am better than her.
“I really don’t care what Rachel thought or thinks about me. We maybe half-sisters but we will never be family”.
She nodded “then you finally know the truth”.
I didn’t feel afraid or angry but pure relief, she had finally told the truth that would allow me to finally let go of all my caged anger and pain. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, I could see the relief in her eyes; all these years of lies and hatred had put weight on her shoulders, and now she could push it away.
“I may have only just found out today, I think I’ve always known”. I gulped back the lump in my throat and quickly wiped away the tears that still lightly grazed my cheeks. “The question as to why you didn’t love me like you did Lizzie and Rachel has haunted me for as long as I can remember but…” I took a light breath to calm all the emotions that were drowning me and continued “but now I understand.”
Gloria stood there for a moment and smiled “good then I hope to never see you again”.
I laughed lightly “I’m here to support my baby sister in her mating, so you will be seeing me…”
I turned a pulled open the door, ready to leave her behind but something more needed to be said “thank you Gloria”.
I turned to look at her confused face “for what?”
“Setting me free”.
I left the room with tears streaming down my face but my heart had never felt so light and I realised that I could finally let go of everything and look forward to the future. A future that I could build and decide on, and that brought some comfort to my sadness.
I ran from the castle, the cool dark night caressing my skin as I made my way to the tree line. As I slipped off my shoes and felt the cold wet grass between my feet, I heard my name being called “AUGUST WAIT”.
I grumbled and pushed down my very eager wolf that was calling out to run through the woods and into the arms of safety.
“God August your fast”.
I smiled at Kiera who clutched her stomach and took deep breathes to calm her beating heart that echoed in my ears. “For a shifter you Kiera are lazy”.
She didn’t answer my smart remark; instead Kiera looked at my teary face and engulfed me in hug. A hug of a friend.
I gripped her back tightly and took all the comfort she was offering, but I needed someone else. I pulled away and smiled “thank you”.
She nodded and bent down to pick up my shoes “I will take care of your clothes”. I nodded and spun round as she had indicated with her finger. Quickly Kiera helped me out of my dress and then held out her hand for my underwear. Feeling the air wash over my very hot skin, calmed the flames inside of me and my eyes shifted to the colour of my wolf as I breathed in the scents that swam in the wind.
Kiera laughed “go before my brother comes and gets an eye full”.
I didn’t offer her any more words. Instead I turned and ran towards my freedom, feeling the shift heat my skin and re-shape my body. When my paws hit the ground I pushed myself faster and faster through the thick dark woods.
I skidded to a halt, my paws dragging up the mud as I came to a stop. The half-moon cascaded a beautiful light over the woods as I watched movement ahead of me. I tensed in anticipation of a fight but with one gentle breeze, their scent filled my nose and it caused my whole body to ignite in tingles of love and want.
I wined in need and felt my body shift and heat up as my human body re-asserted itself. Mud covered my feet and a light layer of sweat coated my naked skin, but all that didn’t matter as I stood up and walked towards safety.
His arms reached out and wrapped me tightly in a warm and safe embrace. I pressed my whole body against his hot, bare skin and sighed in pleasure from the comfort he brought me.
“Are you alright my angel?” he whispered gently in my ear.
“I’am now Grey. I’am now”.