chapter 4

(Waring this chapter entails child abuse if your squeamish or are disturbed by this subject skip this chapter)

Evony~

9 years ago~

Opening my eyes was a curse. Most mornings I wished to sleep forever, I would never have to eat, so I didn't feel the pain of hunger, I would never have to hide, to avoid my father, I wouldn't have to cry because of my misery.

Yet every morning no matter my condition I still woke up.

Sitting up out of my bed I glanced over at my window, a faint light was showing through the cracks giving me all the proof I needed that a new day has started. My stomach started to churn and make itself known. I haven't eaten in two days, and father hasn't been in the best of moods lately, taking his anger out on me is a pastime for him.

I wonder why he doesn't just kill me or throw me out like he so desperately wants to. I've even heard beta jace ask him why he didn't just get rid of me. My father's response was I was useful and was their only leverage against their biggest opposer. I didn't understand but I knew he didn't care for me, he just wanted me close so I wouldn't run away.

Crawling out of bed I changed my clothes, discarding the ones from yesterday, my body was sore from all the beatings and there were bruises covering my arms and sides. Slipping on my jacket and boots I finished getting dressed and peaked outside my bedroom door.

The hallway is empty and I could clearly hear my father angrily shouting at someone in his office upstairs. Sneaking out of my room I made my way outside without anyone noticing. There were a few pack members outside going about their daily business but none of them bothered me, heck I doubt half this pack even thinks I really exist, it's rare for me to go outside because it's dangerous, if my father was to catch me then I'd be in a load of trouble. But after yesterday's beating, I needed a break.

Sneaking out into the forest made my way to my refuge, it was an old abandoned witch cabin that no one has used in years, and I kinda doubt my dad even knows about it.

Once I get to the cabin I smile, around this time of year the place is covered in blooming flowers and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, no mention everyone else has sensitive noses so people avoid the place like vampires and garlic, im still not sure if that's true or not it just seems silly to me.

Running over to the cabin inlook to see the roses we're growing strong and there were even vines crawling up the sides of the cabin. Taking a rose with me I went inside and shut the door behind me. The place was a bit dusty not that's only because I count reach all the shelves. But it was enough. I sat down on the old mattress in the back corner and admired the red rose in my hand, it was beautiful, perfect in every way, much different from me.

I smiled sadly while admiring the flower. I wonder if mother liked roses.

A crash outside made me drop the flower, and my heartbeat sped up. What was that, is someone here? Carefully I made my way to the back door and looked outside. There I was a boy around my age with brown hair, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, trying to replace the gardening tools he knocked over.

I knew instantly who he was, Ethan, son of beta jace. Panic started to take over me. What was he doing here?! Did he follow me? Is he going to tell his dad I snuck out of the house? Or worse my father?!

He looked up and noticed me watching him, I panicked and slammed the door shut before locking it. What do I do now?!

"Hey, Wait! I didn't mean to scare you!" He called out before knocking on the door.

"Open up and let me in! The smell from all these flowers is making me sick!" He whined.

My mind was racing, what am I supposed to do? If I ignore him he will go tell someone about my hiding spot, if I let him in he might beat me up for locking the door on him. If I ran I had nowhere to go.

Deciding between getting hurt by a teenager or my father felt like a lose, lose situation bit I would much rather the boy then my father.

Hesitantly I mustered up all the courage I could and opened the door. Ethan stood on the other side of the door and once it was opened he looked down at me surprised.

"You actually opened the door..."

I gave him a hard glare, but as soon as I realized what I was doing I stopped and turned my gaze to the ground in submission.

"Whoa, whoa what are you doing? Aren't you alpha kades daughter, why are you acting submissive? "

He looked at me like I was crazy but I barely raised my view to look up at him, wasn't he mad that I glared at him!? Father would usually slap me if I gave him that look. Either way, I need to make sure he does t tell my dad, I'd hate to experience the punishment he would give me for sneaking out.

"I'm sorry, please don't tell my father im out here! Please! I'll do anything you want!" I begged.

Ethan looked at me surprised but after a moment he had a big smile spread across his face. I gulped as he crossed his arms." anything?"

I nodded my head. "Anything, please..."

Humming to himself he looked around then glanced back at the cabin I was standing in front of.

"Can I come in? I wasn't kidding the smell of flowers here is seriously driving me crazy."

Hesitantly I stepped to the side and let him walk in, upon my once favorite spot in the pack, what was going to happen now? Would he trash the place? Beat me himself? Maybe make me do things that would upset my father even more? I should have thought this through before saying is do anything.

"Ah, it's a lot better in here, a little stuffy but not as bad as all those flowers!"

He turned to look at me and I instantly sank into myself, my nervousness quite obvious.

"Hm, alright I won't tell your dad on one condition."

Please have mercy on me, I have nothing to offer you and can't do anything extreme. I held my breath as he watched me fidget, with a grin on his face.

"You let me hang out here with you! Sound good? We could be friends!"

Wait...what? I let go of the breath I was holding at looked at the boy before me, was he serious?

"Friends?"

"Yeah! This could be like our own little secret hiding spot! Like a clubhouse! No one will know where we are and all those flowers will make the grown-ups stay away! What do ya think? We can even fix this place up and bring pillows and blankets to have sleepovers!.... I mean if that's cool with you....this is your spot."

I was baffled and couldn't understand him, he wanted to be friends with someone like me? He wanted to hang out, play, and have sleepovers....with me.

"It's ok if you don't want to... It's kinda silly so-"

He stopped talking as I hugged him, hiding my face in his shirt, letting some of my tears fall. "Yes, I want that..." It felt like a dream come true. I would actually get to have a friend of my own.

He seemed surprised by my reaction and just simply patted my head." let's do that then..."

For the rest of the day we spent our time talking and learning about each other, he told me he always enjoyed watching his dad help the alpha with daily duties such as patrols, peacekeeping and more, his dream was to become the best beta in the nation. I listened happily learning all I could, despite how young he was his father was still willing to teach him how things worked, whereas my father preferred to lock me in my room for days on end or hurt me. When he asked what I did in my spare time, and why he rarely ever sees me, I simply told him I was busy with my dad...

I didn't want ethan to know about everything that happend to me, he probably would get upset and ask his dad to do something in turn, both of us would get in trouble and he might blame me for it... I didn't want that.

Time seemed to fly by as we talked about all the things we could do in our hideout, such as make what he calls forts out of blankets and pillows, have sleepovers, and other things, by the time we realized how long we were out there, it was nighttime. One minute we were laughing and having fun, the next the front door was busted down by none other than beta jace. When I saw how angry he looked, I knew I was in trouble.

Grabbing both of us by our arms he dragged us out of the cabin and back to the packhouse. Back to my father.

I was overcome with so much fear and wanted to cry from how scared I was, my father wasn't going to be happy. While I was too preoccupied thinking of what would happen, ethan was angrily trying to get his dad to let us go and to understand that we were sorry for being out so late. By the time we got back to the packhouse, my father was standing outside with his arms crossed and an angry look in his eyes.

Beta jace practically threw me out in front of him and I fell to my knees. Ethan was watching with his father confused by the anger coming from them both, he wasn't used to seeing them like this...but I was, and I knew exactly what would happen.

A small whimper came from my lips just from thinking about it. A hard smack to the side of my face had me flying to the ground with my head snapped to the side, as my father yelled down at me.

"Quiet! You think that you're allowed to just freely leave this estate then your gravely mistaken...why we're you out there, trying to escape hm?" Before I could even sit up, a hard kick to my stomach had me gasping for air and crying out in pain. I laid there on the ground curled up in pain. Why did it always end up like this?

"Your pathetic..."

"Stop it!" Ethan pulled himself away from his father who gave him a disapproving glare, which he gladly returned before shouting at him. "Why aren't you doing anything?!" His father only stared him down angrily and ethan seemed to have a hard time believing his dad was so heartless.

"Take your boy home while I deal with this." Kade grabbed me by the hair lifting me up and causing a great amount of pain to my head.

Ethan watched horrified before growling and shifting into his wolf form, he ran over hitting kades hand making him drop me.

"Ahg?! Stupid pup! Get out of my way!"

Ethan only snarled in response as I watched stunned.

Kade simply growled back, being the alpha he knew all he had to do was use his authority to make ethan back down, or even command his beta to take care of his son, but as the cruel man, he was, instead he shifted and attacked Ethan.

I watched horrified and he bit Ethan, grabbing him by the face, in his massive jaws, before flinging him away. Ethan yelped and curled up on the ground a small distance away, with his face now bleeding profusely, especially on his snout. He would perminately lose his sense of smell after today. His father merely watched as kade gave Ethan his warning. never interfere. In response Ethan merely whimpered, cowering away from the bloodthirsty alpha.

My father shifted back to his human form before grabbing me by the arm, half dragging me back inside. I glanced back at the boy who tried to help me. Pain stabbed at my chest because he was hurt, but I was still glad. Glad that he was willing to help me and glad he got away with such a minor injury.

Ethan was truly my only friend.