A bad day

Amber

It was happening again. The loud crash from the sitting room made me squirm and I hugged my pillow tighter while taking in a deep breath. It was going to stop soon. It was only going to happen for a few more minutes and then, it would all be over.

“Do you see how worthless you are, Fallon?” Slap. I choked on a sob and then I held my breath. “How dare you? Who do you think you are to interfere in my business?” My father hissed and then another crash came as my mother cried even harder.

“Cassian, please stop. The kids.” Mom pleaded and her voice was so broken. She sounded broken and I still couldn't understand why she chose to stay with the man that beat her. He treated her like trash. He beat her up and when he was not using her as a punching bag, he was bending her forcefully against the table, raping and planting a baby in her. My mother had been pregnant seven times. She lost two due to miscarriages and five of the children were alive. I was the first child and I was just 18.

“What fucking kids? Those unfortunate sets of bastards? They are all a pain in the ass and I have told you to give them away! They are a liability to us. Give them away. Amber can be a better use as well. She has a pussy and she can use that to—”

“Cassian!!” Mom yelled at the top of her voice and her cries even got louder.

“She’s just a kid. Leave Amber out of this. Leave the children out of this. They are just children.” Mom was right. We were just children. I was just 12 when I watched my father forcing himself on mom and that got her pregnant for her fourth child. My brother. Ronan.

“Children are meant to be blessings to their parents.” Another crash. By that time, I was already crying so hard. My small frame shook violently as I cried my eyes out. My other siblings were in the next room that I locked, crying their eyes out as well.

“But the ones you have here are curses. He might be interested in Amber!” Dad yelled and I flinched. I was the cause of that fight. He was beating my mother up because she disagreed with him about something that was about me.

“He is not interested in Amber!” Mom yelled back at him. “He wants girls. As his breeder. You don't expect me to throw my 18-year-old daughter at him. I have heard rumors about him. He is not a good man. Stop acting so irrat—” Mom did not even get to finish when another slap came and she cried harder.

“You are so unfortunate. I should kill you instead. This is a lifetime opportunity for us.” Dad hissed.

“And then what happens to the money? You just drink it off, gamble, then you come back home, beat me to a pulp, and plant another baby in me. You can't even take care of the ones we have, Cassian. Amber looks so malnourished. Do you think she can carry a baby? The Alpha will never choose her as his breeder. Amber will not be able to take it.”

Mom cried and I could already imagine Dad preparing to hit her for speaking against him. We were mere humans, leaving at the mercy of the ruthless werewolves. And it was that time of the year again. The time when the leader of the werewolves chose his breeder. He was called the Alpha and the stories about him were not good at all.

The Alpha only bred with humans because the hybrid babies were always powerful. So it was like a tradition here in Velmora. Humans were no less than slaves and the werewolves were highly feared. They ruled with iron fists. I knew nothing about the Alpha as we humans lived in the villages at the outskirts of the kingdom. I had only met a werewolf once.

“We will never know until we try. And who cares if he does not choose her? At least we get some cash for her going to the selection. Get your ass down woman. Amber is going to the selection.”

“Cassian no, please stop. Don't do this.” Mom begged but Dad never listened and my heart began to race when I heard the heel of his shoe hitting the wooden ground. He was coming. He was coming to my room.

I sniffled as I quickly sat up on the bed, wiping my tears. The door to my room sprang open and Mom was running behind him. Just when he walked into the room, he slammed the door on her face, locking it too.

“Cassian no—” Mom cried, but he ignored her.

“You will go, right? For the selection.” I did not want to go. I just wanted to be free from the man I called father. I wanted him to stop hitting my mother and my siblings. We were not left out of the abuse.

“I… I…” My voice cracked. My body shrank back against the bed as he stepped forward.

“Give me a quick answer!” he barked. His words sliced through the air like a whip. Behind him, my mother was still pounding on the door, screaming, begging, but he ignored her.

“You will go,” he said again, softer now, more menacing. “To make Daddy proud.” I swallowed hard, forcing my voice past the lump in my throat. “Will you stop hurting her? Them?” I whispered. “If I go… will you stop?”

He froze. I shouldn’t have said that. I saw it then. The flicker of rage in his eyes. Not fury. Insult.

“You dare,” he growled, “give me terms?” He moved fast. Too fast.

His hand cracked across my face with brutal force. I let out a cry, falling sideways on the bed, stars dancing in my vision. “You think you can bargain with me?” he spat, kicking me hard in the stomach. I doubled over, choking on the pain.

Another blow. Pain shot through my ribs.

“You think you’re special because some fucking Alpha might want you?” He grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back until I was forced to look up at him through tear-blurred eyes.

“This,” he slammed my head against the bedpost, “….is what happens,” another hit, “…..when you forget your place.”

I screamed. My mother screamed louder outside the door. The wood rattled under her pounding fists. But I couldn’t hear anymore. The world was spinning. My vision tunneled.

His voice echoed, distant now: “You’re nothing but a ticket. A paycheck. Remember that.” Then there was only the floor. Cold wood. Blood on my lip. And then, Nothing.