2. 18 years later . . .

The morning was tedious, not because the sun was shining high and bright and radiating a heat like no other. It wasn't because the winds outside were too slow to stroke the tips of the bushes and trees of the forests. It was tedious because someone wasn't very keen to respond to the chirps going on outside.

She wasn't a morning person and nearly snarled at everyone who came in to wake her up. She knew she was the one to choose this ordinary human life but surely didn't anticipate the consequences that'd advance towards her. Whilst all the other females and males in her family were out discovering the gifts of Moon Goddess blessed upon their lives, Evelyn, a slim seventeen year old was asleep in her bed as peacefully as a newborn life.

The doorknob of her bedroom turned and twisted and a man in his early twenties made his appearance known by the little dust wandering about in the room. His jaw was sharp and his russet hair was slicked back by gel. His eyes were a shade of pale brown and he nearly scoffed as he perceived Evelyn lying still on her bed. She was in her regular shorts and a navy blouse with a silk quilt covering her bare skin.

He advanced towards the girl and took a pillow from beneath her head, softly to not wake her up. He clutched to the pillow roughly and pressed it on her face. He wasn't removing it and there was no response from her side until she began to squirm and struggle against the pillow choking the life out of her.

He eventually drew back the pillow in haste when her entire body came into motion. Evelyn was thrusting and flapping her hands and legs at him like a cavewoman. She woke up gasping for air as her straight silky raven hair covered her entire face and from the gap between a few strands one could figure out the color of her enlarged onyx eyes, widened in shock.

She moved the bothering strands away from her face and gave the man a glare as he patiently waited for her to regain herself. He furiously snatched the quilt away from her body and shot a serious look in her direction, "Wake up." He ordered with his stone cold voice that had a scorching warning in them.

"Oscar!" She screamed and yawned as she snatched back the blanket he'd taken from her body. She brought it up to her face and spread her arms and legs over her entire bed and stretched them letting out a prolonged yawn.

Evelyn loved to do that every morning as she'd wake up half asleep from her dreams of full moon nights. She was highly strayed by those dreams to care when the morning had risen. Those dreams where she was running through the middle of the woods, putting her claim on everything that came beneath her wolf's pink paws as her furry skin would float in the chilly breeze.

But every morning the reality knocked at her door with her brother, Oscar in her bedroom, either choking her to reality or dropping her into the tub filled with ice cold water—he never did wake her up like a usual being but again, her family was a long way from normal.

Though every morning as she woke up, something inside her twisted and made her feel bad. It was her wolf for sure who was tormenting her by showing her the pleasures and bliss of running in the open midnight sky. But Evelyn knew better. She knew whatever happened she could not let those desires take over her. She'd suppressed her wolf for six years and she had to suppress her till her graduation. Only if she wanted to be free of her father's clasps.

"Get up and change before I have to drag you downstairs in those shorts." Oscar paused for a moment, seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Meanwhile she rolled her eyes at him, clearly ignoring his confession as her head dropped on the pillow.

"I wonder what father would think of them." That sole threat was able to get her all worked up and scamper inside the washroom without wasting a second on another stupid thought. As she ran, one could notice the presence of her wolf in her human speed but she was glad that Oscar didn't notice anything.

Her father, William Osborne, or the traditional definition of an old, wicked, aristocratic minded, disciplined God, was very strict and loud and clear about his way in the house and his choking ancient rules. He wanted Evelyn, his daughter, to behave like a sweet little lady that she was in front of him but if only he knew who she was on the inside—no, he'd kill her if he ever got to encounter her other side, her secret.

William wasn't a very caring or sensitive father. The only reason Evelyn was staying with him was because she was a werewolf princess belonging to one of the seven cursed packs. Her family had numerous enemies and she'd understand that the moment her freedom was snatched away from her like a piece of garment. She wasn't safe outside the four walls of her giant castle.

Although her father was a complicated person, the thing that dazed her the most about him was that to this very day she was unable to comprehend how someone so sweet and loving like her mother could marry someone so . . . difficult and complicated like her father. She wasn't meaning to judge but they're North and South.

Her father wasn't as open-minded as her mother; his thoughts would've rather suited to a man in the sixteenth or seventeenth century not someone dwelling in the society of twenty first century.

Evelyn hated and she'd still sob at the memory of the day when she'd worn jeans in the house and the havoc that followed afterwards.

She felt shivers running down her spine at the thought of it and the hairs at her nape rising. She'd never even looked him in the eyes after that incident—according to him, it was both irrational and rude to meet the eyes of an alpha and a father.

'He and his rules are all messed up!' She thought.

It was the sole reason why she decided to go to the human school in the first place; to live her life like any other normal teenager apart from the werewolf drama and to put miles between her and William for as long as she could, possibly a sea if she ever could get her hands on something like that. In that way she'd be saved from witnessing him drawing fake strings of popularity among the other wolves. He liked to show off others about how well and organized his family really was.

When she was done complaining about William in her mind and with her daily routine of looking adequate and a well brought-up princess, she made her way outside the washroom to meet her brother leaning against the mattress of her bed—no wait! He was sleeping.

Evelyn wanted to walk right up there and smack him in the face hard or at least draw a few fake moustaches with black marker. But no, she wasn't that cruel. Besides she didn't want William getting involved in this so she did what any decent sister would do. She went back inside the bathroom.

This time when she came out a mug was clutched in her right hand with excessive cold water, ice cubes still floating on them. She dragged it towards him and with a jolt his face was drenched. His russet hair was all wet and steam was evaporating from his sharp jaws and dangerous facial features.

He sat back with an inhuman force as a few gasps escaped pass his lips and he looked like a child who'd lost his favorite puppy. His eyes were quick to roam around to check how long he was gone. Evelyn couldn't help but laugh as his face turned sideways in search of the intruder—less did he know it was no one else other than his sister.

Unable to hold it back, she burst out into a pile of laughter catching his attention. He saw the empty mug in her hand and hurried to approach her almost urgently and she backed away. Before he could say or do anything else the door to her room lightly opened without warning, showing a warm slight figure of their mother.

She was a gentle lady in her late thirties with beauty radiating off her motherly features. She seemed to bewilder when she saw the wet face of her son but then her eyes landed on the empty mug in Evelyn's hand. She was used to this brother-sister bickers for a long time now. Evelyn was still a little bit choking back the laughs that threatened to escape her and seeing her mother force a scolding reaction on her face didn't help.

"Breakfast is ready." That was all Mrs. Osborne said before leaving.

Oscar sighed beside Evelyn and she knew what he was thinking. Mrs. Osborne was a person of a few words and very levelheaded despite of her husband's grumpy nature. Evelyn didn't know how their relationship worked though her father never scolded Mrs. Osborne in front of them—she was always too careful around him and wouldn't speak in front of her husband.

Evelyn and her mother never shared an understanding relationship. Mrs. Osborne asked her to do dishes; she did them without a word spoken. However Evelyn knew that Oscar had a good guess about Mrs. Osborne's relationship with their father, she ever bothered to ask—it was clearly none of her business.

Oscar left without another word and slammed the door shut behind him as Evelyn just stared at the now shut door. Everyone in her family intended to shut themselves from others. They're smiling on the outside but no one bothered to ask how they felt in their hearts' cores. Evelyn's father—though she'd never admit it out aloud—thrived on the fake glory of his family. This life of her was nothing but a flight of her father's imagination and she'd give anything to escape this any day.

She'd already planned it all. Her graduation, it'd be the last day she should see William's face.