Katelyn's POV
"Katelyn! Come down here! You need to make us breakfast" My, oh, so lovely big brother, Dylan, shouts. Just like every other morning, this is my wake-up call. Someone calling on me, demanding I do something or the other for them. Most often it is cooking up a meal. I hope with my birthday coming up soon, my mate will get me away from this living hell.
"I'm coming! One second!" I yell back and throw on some clothes. I run down the stairs and go to kitchen, only to receive a sharp look for my tardiness from my sister, Zara. Zara, as many other werewolf girls, looked beautiful in a slightly dangerous way. It's the predator in us, that makes us look and feel more attractive to mere humans. A way to lure them to us. The werewolves of the olden days, fed on humans. It's not exactly that we eat them, it's just humans have this spark of potential to be more. Back then werewolves regularly ate the Potential of humans. Because the werewolves of old ate the Spark of Potential, we gained the ability to shift outside of the full moon. We, in addition, gained an easier way to feel our mates and at last we lost the animalistic hunger, which had always plagued our kind. When we didn't need to eat The Spark of Potential, the Moon Goddess ordered us to stop hunting humanity. We were to no longer steal their potential from them and henceforth focus on our own. If any were to break her decree, they would be cursed to never find their mate and never belong to a pack. They would forever be lonely, never to feel the bonds of pack ever again. So of course, the only ones to still hunt for humans with strong Sparks of Potential, are rogues. Those who abandon their packs or are banished for grave misconduct by defying either their alpha or the Moon Goddess.
A slap to the face wake me up from my thoughts "Get started on breakfast, runt" Zara order "you know, the pack doesn't like to wait too long on their food." Giving me a look that tell me to get on with it, so I get started. After the eggs, bacon, sausages, and toast are all done, I make sure to sprinkle it with a mix of herbs, to make sure everyone would get the necessary nutrients they need. Being a werewolf, we need larger amounts of food than humans but it's impractical to eat a horse or more a day. Someone once came up with a mixture of herbs, that would give us the needed amount of energy without the need to eat more than humans.
After making a plate for myself and serving the food in the dining room, I sit myself down in the kitchen, to eat in peace. If I were to eat with the pack I would be harassed, bullied and beaten down till I left again. It's easier to just not show up, even if the avoidance is hurting me deep inside and feels like it is slowly killing me.
"Katelyn! Come and remove our plates" Dylan holler. I put my plate by the dishwasher and prepar the trolley for collecting plates and cutlery. After collecting all the dirty dishes and the like, I take it all to the kitchen to get cleaned up. I prepare myself for one more day of chores and loneliness.
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I am looking forward to my birthday. One more week, just one more, then I will know who my mate is. I will find the missing piece of my soul. Finally, I will find someone who will care. My mate. The one person, the Moon Goddess has destined for me. The one person who would complete me and push me to be the best version of myself. Someone who will like me just for being me. Just one more week, before I turn 16 and this hell of loneliness will finally be over.
"KATELYN!" Dylan yells again, pulling me out of my pleasant thoughts and into cold hard reality. I immediately head towards his room.
"What?" I ask with a bored tone as I reach his door, even though I know he doesn't like it when I have an attitude.
"Don't talk to me in that tone" He growl and slap me hard on the side of my head. I keep silent and simply stare at him. Even though I know I am pushing his buttons, I just can't stop myself.
"So... Katelyn, do tell me why my room is so dirty, even though you should have cleaned it by now?" He inquires and gestures with his hands to his filthy room.
"Because, I'm busy with upcoming Alpha Gavin's Moon party" I reply, as he narrows his eyes at me.
"I don't care, clean it up. You and I both know that you could most certainly manage to do both. You just don't want to, because you're lazy and you want more time to daydream about a mate, that might not even exist" Dylan said smugly. He was voicing fears, I have been having for years and they are only getting worse, the closer it gets to my birthday. But even if his words hurt, I won't let him see it. I decide to react with anger instead. If I don't react with anger, I will break down. How dare my own brother, take all my worst fears and use them against me like that. How dare he act like my feelings don't matter. I am someone too.
"I'll repeat myself Dylan, since your intelligence seems to have dropped within the last couple of minutes. I can't clean your room. I am busy with Gavin's Moon party. Get that through that thick skull of yours." I hissed. It is the truth. There is nothing quite as important as a Moon party. A party to celebrate a soon-to-be-alpha, finishing his studies and learning how to lead a pack properly. A Moon party is a party that will take place at night. During it, the soon-to-be-alpha will present himself to the Moon Goddess. If she accepts the soon-to-be-alpha, a tattoo will appear, showing that the person would now be ready to lead a pack of their own, or take over for the previous alpha. If the Moon Goddess deems the soon-to-be-alpha unready, or unworthy, the alpha would either be cursed with Moon Sickness, or Moon Madness.
Moon Sickness is easy enough to deal with. It means the soon-to-be-alpha will get another chance to either, admit they aren't ready, or aren't suited for the role. Either they change or they find someone better suited for it.
Moon Madness is different. It is incurable. It happens when wolves who are completely unsuited to be alpha tries taking the post anyway. They will see the Moon Goddess and end up craving her at all times. Eventually the need for her will drive them mad and most end up killing themselves. Others become feral and must be killed. However, Moon Madness always end in death.
"What did you just say!?" Dylan demands, all the while glaring furiously at me.
"I'm busy, get that into that thick skull of yours" I say with a lot more courage than I feel and look him directly in the eyes. I know he will take it as a challenge. Sadly, I am more than right. His eyes darken almost immediately, and he growls loudly. I realize how mad I have truly made him. I have pushed too hard. Gone too fast. For the first time in a long time, I am terrified.
Then, I do the most idiotic thing I have ever done in my entire life. I run. Out the door, down the stairs, and into the forest. Knowing that I have pushed his anger to greater heights, rousing his wolf to come out and play, I keep running. The whole time I run I can hear Dylan right behind me. I can feel how close he is to shifting. I don't know where to run to. He knows the forest a whole lot better than I do. Making a great mistake, I look behind me.
I fall over a tree root and roll over, so I lay on my back. It's better to see him coming, than being caught unaware. Dylan is hovering over me with a murderous glint in his eyes. And for the first time, I feel lower than him. Like he have some sort of power over me.
Dylan's pov
That comment. It really pissed me off. When she runs off, I can't control my wolf any longer. He demands I run after her and show her how to submit. I run after her, hot on her heels while growling and yelling at her to stop. Not that she listens, which just make everything worse. It's not like I want to hurt her but her acting like prey makes the temptation hard to resist. After running for longer than I thought Katelyn could run, she looks behind her and fall over a tree root. A second before she hit the ground face first, she flips and lands on her back, looking up at me instead. It's surprising she can do something like that.
In her eyes I can see just how scared she really is, but no matter how scared or lonely she looks I must do this. I must put her in her place, there are no other acceptable options. I gather myself and swing my arm back, no hesitation as I punch her across the face.
Katelyn looks like it really hurt and somewhere deep inside where I shove all the feelings and things I didn't want to deal with, a part of me is hurting with her. I keep on punching her multiple times, while I tell how worthless she is to the pack in general and me in particular. The only indication I am hurting her, is the look on her face. Not a sound crosses her lips. No one have heard her cry in years. Her own way of fighting back. A way of defying us. I will never tell her this, but I respect her for that. For not breaking in the face of our treatment. I finish up the beating with a swift kick to the stomach and turn around, heading back to the pack house.
Katelyn's pov
I can see the shock in Dylan's eyes. Honestly, I am too. It doesn't take long for the shock to turn into rage and he starts to beat me up.
It don't hurt one bit. At least not before he kicks me. It's strange that it don't hurt, since he is soon-to-be-beta in the pack. It should have hurt more than it did. Now that I've begun thinking about it, it wasn't only Dylan's beating that has been hurting less. It has been everyone's.
I try to sit up, but my ribs hurt too much to move, so I flop gracelessly back down and lay still.
"Katelyn are you okay?" my inner wolf Snagala ask.
"No. My ribs hurt like hell, I can't even sit up" I inform her, frustration slipping into my voice.
"...I'm sorry Katelyn I should have done something" She apologize. It pains me to hear her apologizing when it wasn't her fault.
"It's alright Snagala, I've tried worse" I explain. "It's not your fault at all, don't ever think that again."
She is silent for a bit. "But I still feel guilty about it." She whimpers.
"Don't feel guilty, okay?" I utter.
"I'll try not to Katelyn, but I don't like seeing you hurt and not being able to help you." Snagala agree.
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After laying there on the forest floor, I let my exhaustion take me to sleep. Away from the pain and suffering.
I wake up in the warm arms of my best friend, Lukas. He is the delta of the pack, so he kind of knows how I feel, especially because his half-brother is Gavin. A delta is someone in the pack who is a part of a pack, but not provided for by the pack. Lukas technically must hunt his own food and get his own clothes. The pack have no obligation to him, other than pack bonds and a place to sleep. All because his father was cheating on his wife and got Lukas out of the deal.
"Lukas..." I said sleepily, my voice hoarse. I try to blink some of the sleep away from my eyes, with no results.
"Yes Katie?" He replies and glance down at me with a smile.
Lukas is the only one in the whole pack who calls me Katie. I hope he will be my mate, so we can leave together for a better place, where we can be fully accepted and welcomed.
With him already being 16, I won't have to wait to find out if he is my mate. When both mates in a Pair turns 16, they will be able to feel the general direction of their mate, till they find each other. When they look into each other's eyes, they know for sure because the world stops for a moment and you can feel a tentative bond with them in your mind. If the Pairing is rejected, the bond will break. It is possible to restore but it takes a lot of dedication from both sides. This is what happened with Lukas father the Alpha, the Luna of the pack or the alpha mate, broke their bond. However, after the Alpha earned her forgiveness, they spent years reestablishing it.
"What time is it Lukas?" I ask yawning.
" It is almost 4" He answers with a light chuckle.
"Really? I thought I was out here longer than that" I state with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah... and you're lucky it was only me who noticed you were gone" He says and frowns lightly. He don't like how I am treated, but he can't do anything to stop it.
"Alright and uhm... thanks Lukas." I say and smile, snuggling closer to him.
"No problem. Now, let's get you up to your room, so you can get some sleep, before you need to make dinner, alright?" He say almost questioning but not quite. Lukas starts to walk towards my room.
I don't bother replying, my eyes already closing again.
I distantly feel Lukas tucking me into bed, I fall into a deeper sleep knowing he is keeping me safe.
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After Lukas wakes me up from my nap, I go downstairs, and starts to make dinner. Making dinner with a likely fractured rib is a challenge, I would not have chosen that of my own violation. In this case, I feel quite lucky to have accelerated healing. Even with my healing factor it will still take a couple of days before it will be healed completely and that's only if nothing aggravates it further.
After dinner is done and I have washed the dishes, I head back to bed wishing for tomorrow to be a better day. Even if it's a fool's dream, I can't help wishing for something to change. Anything really. But I'm not that lucky.
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A/N
So the new chapter one is here! I hope you guys like it and that it might entice some of you into reading the rest of the book on Hinovel. There will be weekly updates, so you don't have to wait long for new chapters.
The link to the book like promised: https://enbook.hinovel.com/?preference=1&lang=en&book_id=2682
It can also be found by searching on the name "The Elemental Werecat" or my author name sejeriakat.
I think that was all, if you have any questions or anything don't hesitate to either comment them here or write me privately.
Have a nice day ^.^
-Maria