TWO: THE PLAN

Valerie

I was never a member of this pack. I was found on the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Hill, one of the werewolf families in this pack.

Mr. Hill and Mrs. Hill loved me like her own daughter, but that was soon gone when a house fire happened, and I was stuck in the house. Mrs. Hill had rushed in to save me. But she wasn't so lucky to come out.

That was when everything came crumbling down in my life. Mr. Hill pretended that he didn't hate me, but I felt it in his stare.

Then his punches when I did something wrong, or talked back. I was the punching bag of Mr. Hill for years, until he married Lydia and her daughter came to live with us.

Then I became the slave of the house. Lydia and her daughter hated me more than anything, and took every opportunity to humiliate me.

One day in tenth grade, I woke up late and stained. My period had started overnight and I had no idea. Lydia screamed my name and I rushed downstairs.

I received a slap for waking late and I was forced to cook them breakfast and help them get ready for school.

They didn't care that I was stained, and they refused to allow me change before kicking me out with my school bag.

Her daughter, Fiona, dragged me to school, and despite my pleas, flung me through the school doors. I was so ashamed, and my face burned as the three Alphas of the pack, the triplets, had pulled me and displayed me around the school.

They hated me for some reason I was yet to understand and they poked fun at my embarrassment. After making sure they had humiliated me enough, they dumped me in the hallway.

I wasn't allowed to enter the bathrooms, Alphas orders.

I was left in the middle of the hallway with no one to help me and my eyes bloodshot from the tears.

That was when I met Josh.

Standing in front of me, he held out his varsity Jacket, and gave it to me. The moment our eyes met; I fell for him instantly. He was my savior, my love, and I knew I would do anything to be with him forever.

What a joke that was. Not even my family hurt me as much as he did today.

I ran into my house, not caring that I was going to be killed once Lydia found out I snuck out.

I was already dead inside. Opening the door to the basement, which was both the storage room and my room, my eyes landed on the figure in the room, holding a whip in her hands.

Lydia, how did she know?

Her snake-like eyes glinted in the low light as they scanned me, flashing with anger as she took in the dress I wore and the cake on my face.

"Where the hell are you coming from?" She all but growled and I could see Mr. Hill got on her nerves again and as usual, she turned to me to dump all her frustration on.

Just like every other week.

"Nowhere," I whispered, knowing it wouldn't change anything, but it would be much worse if I said nothing too.

Lydia's eyes narrowed at my response, and without warning, she lashed the whip across the air, the sound of it cracking like thunder in the small basement.

I flinched instinctively, but the pain didn't follow. She was merely asserting dominance, showing me, she was in control and could hurt me if she wished.

"Nowhere, huh? You think you can lie to me?" Her voice dripped with venom as she pawed towards me with the stride of a predator, whip still in hand. I took a step back, but the basement wall halted my steps.

Guess there was no running today. Oh well.

I'm sorry," I mumbled, my gaze fixed on the floor. Apologies were a waste, but it was a reflex after years of enduring their abuse.

Lydia's laughter was harsh and mocking. "Sorry won't save you. One would think you understood how things worked by now.”

I gulped hard, getting ready for the strike of the whip, but none came. Lydia wasn’t done talking.

“You wretched child. If only I could, I would dispose of you. You nothing but interfere in our lives and make life hell for us!” the whip crackled and landed on my bare arm.

“Ah!” I let a strangled scream, my skin stinging as tears streamed down my face. I wanted to reach out and touch it, but I could bet the skin was broken.

And that was only going to anger her more.

“You do nothing but embarrass us. Everyone hates you. You make everyone hate us. No one wants to even associate with us anymore because of you! You are a curse!”

She snarled at me; her eyes wide with thrill. “I’m going to show you. I’m going whip you for being a curse. And I would show you what happens when you disobey me. when you steal my money to get a cake, and steal your sisters’ clothes!”

“I didn’t steal your money!” I cried out, but that was a mistake as the whip landed on my exposed thigh next, the pain shutting me up successfully as I tried not to let out a scream.

“You stupid ugly child. You aren’t just a thief; you are a liar too.”

“I’m sorry, please!” I tried to plead, but I was answered by the sound of the whip once again tearing my flesh.

The torment didn’t stop, until I was bleeding, the dress was torn, and I could barely scream or cry as I took it all in.

“You went to the party to take attention off your sister, right? Let me tell you something, Cursed child. Fiona is far better than you could ever dream of!” Another crackle, another stinging.

“You even look ugly and fat in that dress! That’s what happens when a pig wears a dress. Nothing fits you better than rags.”

Mr. Hill could hear everything going on, but when has he ever cared? When had anyone, even the neighbors cared? We all had super hearing after all.

Like I said, I was an outsider in this pack. No one cared even if I died.

But tonight, sparked a change.

I couldn’t keep being hated forever. I didn’t belong here, I had to run away.

And that was what I was going to do. I just needed a plan.