CHAPTER FOUR: ARIA

I huddled on my bed pushed to the left corner of my bedroom, my green eyes fixed on the door as I listened for the sound of Reena's footsteps.

I'd tried to speak to Ryder today but he wasn't around the whole time. While I knew Reena would make life miserable for me today because of Chloe's lashing out at Taylor she didn't, which was strange. So I just did my usual chores because for some reason, my parents didn't think we needed any maids since I could be useful for something at least.

The moon cast an eerie glow over the small, rural town of Slateville, but I wasn't thinking about the beauty of the night. I was thinking about how almost everyone ssw my inability to shift as a weakness, a flaw.

The door creaked open, and my heart sank. Reena stood in the doorway, her grey eyes blazing with a mix of fury and impatience.

"Get downstairs" she growled, her voice low and menacing. "Mum and Dad need to talk to you about your...limitations." She spat the last part and smirked at me.

I'd been expecting that because they were arguing downstairs, their voices hushed but their anger palpable. I knew I was the cause of their dispute. My inability to shift was a constant source of frustration and irritation for them, a reminder that their younger daughter was defective.

I pushed myself to my feet, my legs trembling slightly as I followed her down the stairs. The living room was dimly lit, the only sound the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.

Reena sat on the couch next to Mum whose face was a mask of disapproval. Kael leaned against the wall, his eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before he looked away, his expression neutral.

"So, Aria," Mum began, her voice dripping with disdain, "we've been discussing your...condition with Alpha Ryker. We can't loose the respect of this Pack because something is wrong with you. Your father and I agree that it's time for more drastic measures. We'll be intensifying your training, pushing you to shift whether you like it or not."

I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine. I knew what that meant –more pain, more suffering, more attempts to force me into a mold I didn't know if I could fit. But I also knew better than to argue. Resistance would only lead to more punishment as I'd learned a couple of times before.

"I..I understand," I whispered, my eyes cast downward.

Dad's face twisted in a snarl. "We'll start tomorrow night. You'll run with the pack, and you'll shift based on the Alpha's orders. If you don't...the consequences will be severe."

My heart rammed in my rib cage. This is ridiculous. How was I supposed to run with the pack when I couldn't shift?

"But Dad that's not fair I can't shif..."

The rest of my words were pushed back into my throat as something hard came at my right cheek sending me flying to the other side of the living room, my left side slamming hard on the floor.

I winced at the throbbing on my face. By just the warm liquid that trickled down my lips and it's metallic taste on my tongue but no fallen tooth, I knew Dad had definitely held back with the slap.

Wiping my lips with the sleeve of my sweater, I tried to get up using my right elbow as support and gasped when I felt a sharp wave of pain on my side. Guess I had another broken rib.

In the blink of an eye Dad had me pinned to the wall, his right hand squeezing around my throat, veins popping out on his forehead. I still haven't gotten used to how fast he could be as my brain fogged with dizziness.

"What did you say?" He growled at me, his hot breath fanning my face. His grey eyes shifting between grey black and amber. His wolf was at the surface.

I wheezed and struggled to shake my head sideways. My vision blurring.

"Dad stop it you'll kill her" I faintly heard Ryder's voice and saw him move close to us as my consciousness threatened to slip away the more he constricted my airways.

"Victor let her go" Mum's cold voice turned to melted butter as I saw her blurry silhouette intercept Ryder as she stood close to Dad. With her hand on his shoulder and his eyes glazed over, I figured she mind linked him and that must have calmed him a bit as his eyes almost came to a stable grey. He growled and squeezed my throat one more time before he dropped me causing my side to sting.

"Pathetic" Mum spat and glared at me before following Dad to their bedroom leaving me wheezing from pain and trying to catch my breath not only because I was just moments away from being strangled by my own father who smacked me to the floor breaking a rib but because no matter how many times they said hurtful things to me, my heart never got used to it.

I guess I'd not yet learnt enough from resistance.

"Hey, Aria" I felt a warm hand on my swollen cheek and winced.

"Disgusting, you're nothing more than a weak human" Reena sneered.

"Ree stop" Ryder warned

"Oh please she's not one of us, it's best she.."

"I said stop Reena. Now leave" He growled.

Reena glared at me and flashed her amber eyes at me before stomping upstairs to her room.

After she left, Ryder carried me to my bedroom and helped me clean my cut as I slipped in and out of consciousness.

He then gave me some pain killers and while he was tucking me in I gasped when his hand mistakenly brushed against my right rib.

"Broken rib? my goodness Aria this is getting out of hand. We need the doctor" he growled out, his eyes flickering between amber and grey.

"No..no it's, fine. I'll be fine" I breathed.

Involving the pack doctor was drawing more attention to myself and going to a regular doctor was out of the question. They'd be too many questions as to how they got broken and I didn't need anything that would attract more trouble.

"I doubt it's actually broken" I chuckled dryly.

"This isn't funny, you don't heal as fast as we do Aria, this is wrong. I can't imagine what's been happening in my absence" he tried.

"I know but I'll be fine, please Ry, just pass me the balm" he stared at me then closed his eyes inhaled and breathed through his mouth, his eyes back to grey when he opened them.

"No school for you tomorrow, I'll write to them calling in sick for you" he said placing the balm in my hand.

"But Ry I hav.."

"No please Aria you have to listen to me, you can't go like this" he said as he held my hands in his warm ones.

"I'll be fine Ry Thank you" after all I've seen worse but I couldn't say that out loud. He'd feel guilty for things he didn't do and couldn't stop.

"You'll be fine" he whispered and pecked my forehead.

I nodded, a silent promise to myself to find a way to change, to break free from this toxic cycle of pain, failure and fear.

As he turned to leave, Ryder's concern filled eyes met mine again. It was all the comfort and hope I needed.

I went to bed with a sense of resolve washing over me. I would survive this, and I would thrive. I would become the daughter they wanted, If only I knew why I couldn't shift, couldn't hear my wolf, if I even had one, I didn't know why I was different but I knew I wasn't going to stay different.

The pain killers kicked in and as I drifted off to sleep, tear drops spotting my pillow, I knew that maybe, just maybe, there was a way out of this darkness.