THE SHADOW OF A LUNA

"Why" bash "the" kick "fuck" punch "can't" kick “you” slap "get" punch "anything" smash "right?" My father raged above me as he beat me to a pulp. All because his dinner was cold when he got home. It's not like he told me when he was going to be coming home, so how the hell was I supposed to know when to have his dinner ready. 

He did just wake me up in the middle of the night and drag me down a flight of stairs by my hair and into our kitchen because he just got home and there was no dinner for him. Little did he know, it's in the microwave. I did make it, but he never came home. 

When he finished beating me he grabbed another bottle of beer out of the fridge and he went to the living room and he put on the TV while I laid on the kitchen floor unable to move. I laid there looking up at the ceiling wondering when this torture was going to end. 

"Only a few more months." I told myself. "A couple months until I turn 18 and then I will be out of here and there is nothing that he can do about it." I mumbled to myself. 

I tried taking a deep breath in but realized immediately that it was a bad idea. I could feel that I definitely had a couple of broken ribs and I was having trouble breathing in and out. 

When I heard dad's breath start to even out on the couch I knew that he had passed out and I slowly grabbed a hold of a fallen chair and I used it as leverage to help me up and I slowly got my bearings. 

I managed to slowly walk back up the stairs of our wing of the packhouse that was reserved for me and my dad because he was the Beta of the pack and I walked down the hallway to my room.

I walked inside my bedroom and I climbed back on my bed and I looked at the time. It was 5am and I didn't really see the point in going back to sleep.

I laid there for a little while longer because appearances were everything to dad and my room was the perfect room for a princess. Even if he didn't treat me like one. He treated me like trash. Worse than how you would treat a dog. But the bed was big and comfortable and I just wanted to melt into it for a little while longer. 

When I finally did get up I made my way to my en-suite bathroom and I took my clothes off and put them in the clothes hamper and then I slowly turned to look at myself in the mirror. I was afraid to look at myself but it had to happen sometime. 

I was covered in black and blue bruises and fresh cuts from that beating. But also bruises under the new bruises that were yet to heal. I was malnourished and didn't heal as fast as werewolves. But I was used to it.

Ever since my mother died when I was 6 my father has been getting progressively worse until it finally got to this kind of abuse. Which was the worst kind. Where I could barely walk or even look at myself in the mirror. 

I had a quick shower because the water stung my skin too much and I washed my ass length snow blonde hair and I came out of the bathroom and walked into my wardrobe. 

I got dressed into a pair of black tights, a loose fitting shirt and a hoodie over the top. It was pretty much my signature look. 

When I was putting my books in my bag my bedroom door slammed open and I jumped almost to the ceiling because it scared me so badly. 

Dad was standing there and I was surprised that he was actually able to stand. 

"Hurry up. The pack breakfast is starting." He demanded still slurring his words. 

How was he going to explain that to the pack elders? This was going to be interesting. But I really didn't care. 

I grabbed my bag and went downstairs and we left our side of the packhouse and walked through long corridors together and when I couldn't keep up with dad's pace he grabbed my arm and dragged me along which only hurt my ribs even more. 

"Quit your complaining. What the hell is the matter with you?" He snarled at me. I wasn't surprised that he didn't remember. He was too drunk to remember. 

But when we got to the main part of the pack house he made sure that his clothes were neat and his balding gray hair and goatee weren't disheveled and we walked into the large dining room where a lot of important pack members had breakfast every morning. Including the Alpha, his daughter Bella, the pack elders and other influential people around the pack. Like the doctor ect. 

There were several tables set out and a buffet where you could eat all you wanted. And I was practically drooling at the food as dad approached it and he piled one plate up with heaps of food and then gave me the second plate with only toast and a pancake on it. 

I found Bella sitting at a table by herself next to the window. She was the Alpha's second born and only daughter. And my best friend. We're the same age and we've known each other since we were in diapers. 

"I see you've bought the hoodie out again." Bella whispers as I try to sit down without drawing any attention to myself at how much pain I was in. 

"I didn't realize that I ever put it away." I say. 

"Well, I'm glad that I don't have to wear mine today." She commented. 

"Yeah. Your dad has eased off of you. Is there a reason why?" I asked curiously and a little jealous. 

"Yep. Because my brother is coming home today." She beamed at me. And a huge smile spread across my face as well. 

"You're kidding. Ethan is finally coming home." I say. And she nods her head. I could tell that she was trying everything to hide her excitement. 

"I can't believe that. That's fantastic." I said. 

I noticed Bella looking around at the room but she didn't say anything. So I glanced around as well and when I did everyone quickly stopped looking at me. 

Dad tried to hide his evil side. But he wasn't fooling anyone. When he got drunk, he would always start fights with people and become unbearable. And he was getting drunk a lot more lately. People had an idea of what was going on in our apartment. But no one was willing to go up against the Beta. Because they all knew that the Alpha would be there to support him and they would be kicked out of the pack. Or worse. 

A lot of pack members lived in fear of our Alpha and Beta. It was a horrible way to live. But if they tried to leave then the Alpha would send warriors after them to kill them. He's done it more than once. The warriors were ordered to kill entire families that were fleeing. Which included children. 

That's what made this pack the strongest on the East Coast. Because no one was game enough to leave so it was a huge pack and all the warriors trained relentlessly. The only problem was that girls weren't allowed to train. 

We basically lived in the stone ages. The Alpha believed that she-wolves are only here to find their mates and produce pups for their mates to keep the pack going strong. It was barbaric and insulting. But he was the Alpha. His word was law. 

"How long do we need to stay here to be respectful? I hate everyone staring at me." I whisper to Bella. 

"Just a couple more minutes. Then we can leave for school." She whispers back. 

I then saw the head warrior Mason walk in with his two sidekicks Levi and Lockie trailing behind him and Mason's eyes set straight on me. 

They got themselves some food and then invited themselves to join me and Bella. Mason sat right next to me and moved his chair over so he could be closer to me, but I squirmed away from him as much as possible. 

He was big and good looking but he was a horrible person. And I knew that from first hand experience. He was the one that they always called to track down those families that ran away. And I know that he personally killed a child of those fleeing families. I wanted nothing to do with him.

"I have exciting news for you Tessa." Mason says, looking at me. 

"And what is that?" I asked, exhaling while drinking a little coffee. 

"I have you're fathers blessing." He said slowly. And my head snapped towards him. 

"What?" I almost shouted and a few people looked our way before they went back to what they were talking about. And Mason was smirking at me. 

"As soon as you turn 18, I am taking you as my mate." He says. 

"And what about my true mate? My goddess given mate? What about him? He's out there somewhere." I say.

"Who cares. He'll find someone else. Or he'll just wither and die after you reject him. I really don't care. But you will be mine. That's all I've wanted for years." He says lightly playing with my hair. And I look at Bella pleading with my eyes. 

"Yeah. We have to get to school now. It was good seeing you Mason." Bella says standing up and I stood up as well. 

They stayed sitting at the table as us two grabbed our bags and left the dining hall as quickly as we could and we didn't even stop to say goodbye to anyone. Least of all our fathers. But we weren't that lucky. 

"You two will be home straight after school. We're having a party here tonight with a lot of visiting Alpha's." The Alpha shouted across the room. We both stopped and nodded to him before leaving the house. 

"I can't believe that your father promised you to that sack of shit." Bella yelled as we were walking down the road. 

"I can. My father knows his own kind." I say. 

"I am so sorry Tess. What are you going to do?" Bella asked sympathetically. 

"I don't know. But I'll figure something out. Even if I have to run away before it can happen. I will definitely do that." I declare. 

"Well, tell me before you do. I'm coming with you." She says. 

"Sounds like a plan." I say. And then a black BMW stopped right in our walkway and we stopped before we hit the car and we both stepped back not knowing what to expect right now. 

Then a 6 foot 4 man with short brown hair and cleanly shaved with muscles that looked like they were going to rip his shirt off his body got out of the driver's seat and smiled at both of us. 

"What? Don't I even get a hug?" He asked. 

"Ethan." Bella yelled, jumping into his arms. And the other door opened to reveal an equally big man with dirty blonde hair and a little facial hair got out of the passenger seat. That was Ethan's best friend Wyatt.

When Bella finally let Ethan go he walked over to me and hugged me and I winced a little in pain but tried to hide it and then I hugged Wyatt. And I had to do the same thing.

"Are you hurt?" Ethan asked. 

"Yeah. It was stupid. Rough housing with a couple of the warriors and this is what happened. I should know better." I lied through my teeth. 

"Girls aren't even allowed to train. Why are you rough housing with warriors?" Wyatt asked. 

"I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time." I shrugged. " Come on Bells, we're gonna be late." I say. 

"We'll see you tonight." Bella says hugging Ethan again and we start walking off down the road again. But when I looked to the side I could see Ethan and Wyatt leaning against the side of their car watching us and talking about something. 

I was afraid that they didn't believe my rough housing with the warriors excuse. 

"Bella. What would Ethan do if he found out about my dad?" I asked nervously.

"You know Ethan as well as I do. What do you think he would do to your dad?" Bella responded confidently. "Just wait until he finds out that your dad gave you away to Mason. Ethan has always hated Mason. I don't think that mating will go through if Ethan is here. That's a good thing." Bella says.

"Yeah. I'll take your word for it." I say skeptically. 

My father always had his way of getting his own way. No matter what it was. If he wanted me to mark and mate with Mason, then it was pretty much as good as done.