One.

Irina's POV

She grabs me by my sweatshirt and slams me into the lockers for the third time today. My bruises and spine hadnt even had a chance to recover from earlier. While I am struggling for freedom, I can already feel the new pain within my body.

She was taunting me "You're nothing but a waste of space loser and you will never be anything but a loser"

With one last tug of my brunette hair, she spits in my face

Walking away with the other popular girls, I hear her laugh echoing in the hallway. She looks over her shoulder, giving me a look of pure disgust before disappearing around the corner.

Wiping the spit from my face, I slide down to the floor, hugging my knees whilst others looked on. No one helped, no on ever helped.

Vivian Stanson, I hated her and one day I SWEAR I will get my revenge on her!

I could not wait for my day to be over and thankfully there was only one more class, the most boring one of all, math.

When the bell goes, I leave the classroom.Crossing my fingers and hoping I wouldn't bump into Vivian again. Looking around, I catch Vivian walking towards me, I immediately turn, heading in the opposite direction.

"Irina!" her cackle echoed through the hallways and I pick up the pace. I know I'll be safe when I am out the door because Vivian was too afraid to let her boyfriend see her true identity- a bully. 

Running home I charge in through the front door and race up the stairs trying not to cry whilst my mother calls after me but instead of answering her, I slam my door shut and face plant my bed, finally letting the tears run freely.

A few moments later, there is a soft knock on my door and when I look up I see the Alpha standing in the doorway. He takes a few cautious steps in, running his hand through his greying hair, I can see the pity in his eyes.

“Hey Kiddo, bad day at school?”

“It’s fine dad, it will blow over” and I wipe the tears away, he wanted to say something but instead he nods his head and leaves, not saying another word pulls the door shut, leaving me alone.

How was I supposed to tell him that I was bullied every single day?? I sighed in sorrow

My mom, Kelly calls out a few moments later that dinner was ready and I begrudgingly make my way down the stairs, my father, obviously, already gone.

“Where’s Dad?”

“Oh Irina, you know your father cannot be with us all the time, he still has a kingdom to manage and he has to prepare for the war”

I let out a heavy sigh, being a bastard child was not what I wanted, and it was not something I could keep hiding forever, after all I was almost eighteen and the Alpha blood in me would be stronger than ever

“Do you think I will ever get to meet my brother?” I ask my mom as I'm sitting down at the dinner table.

“Irina, we have been over this and the answer is still no, you know what will happen if they find out the Alpha is your father”

“I know, I know. He will be made a laughing stock”

"Then stop asking about Damien"

"Damien?"

My moms face turns a brilliant shade of red

"Forget that I even said it Irina"

My father had another child, a son who was several years older than me and someone I had never met. I also wonder if he knows of my existence or not. At least now, I know his name. Mom had let slip a tiny bit of information but I knew not to question her further.

His son was set to become the Alpha after this war was over; I was forbidden to take part in it. It's a relief for me, and i'm grateful too because instead of war training, I could focus on other things; like building my self defense skills and getting prepared for my eigthteenth birthday, which is only a few months away.

Dropping the subject, I stuff food in my mouth whilst mom asked me about my day. As usual I didn’t give much away and made my excuses. She immediately knew I didn’t want to talk.

I wasn't certain how my mother would react if she found out I was being bullied but for now, I would rather keep it a secret from her. What she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her!

I wanted to go for a run but the war was closer than ever and everyone was constantly talking about it. It worried me as we lived on the border of the pack and we could end up in the middle of it. Instead I make my way back up to my room and watch the forest from my window, there was no movement, no noise other than the usual forest critters. Putting my hand on the window, I couldn't help wondering how close the war really was. But I knew the pack was struggling, I saw all the wounded wolves coming out of the forest. I saw how worried and tired my father was.

I head downstairs when I hear the front door. The Alpha popped in briefly to check that we were both safe and that we would be staying inside whilst everyone else was at war. He gives my mother a long lingering kiss and then presses his lips to my forehead and tells me to be good for my mother and gives me a tight hug before he races out the door, shifting into his magnificent grey wolf

“You heard your father Irina, we need to stay inside, now off to bed it is late”

I nod and make my way back to my room, changing and climbing into bed, I listen to the fighting happening nearby, oddly the sounds help me fall asleep. In the night, I'm woken by a reoccurring nightmare, one that involves Vivian and head toward the bathroom to throw some water on my face. When I turn around, I find my mothers bedroom door wide open. Thats odd I say to myself. Tiptoeing across the landing into her room, I find the bed empty, the sheets still neat and cold like she had never gone to bed at all.

Searching our small house I realise that she is missing. I sit myself down on the stairs staring at the front door, wishing for her to walk back through it in the next minute. I had heard no commotion, no break in so why would my mother be missing whilst I get left behind?? why hadn't she left me a note or something to tell me where she is?? What if she has gone to the war??

I had no idea what I should do, should I go look for her? But then my father told me to stay here where it would be safe for me, I panicked and was on the verge of mind linking my father when the front door flies open followed by a rush of cold night air and a strong scent that I couldn’t put my finger on

Stood in the doorway was a man I did not recognise carrying my lifeless mother

"What... I... uh... mom???" I was too shocked to put a sentence together

He looks over my worried face “It’s okay, she is alive”

But I couldn’t take in his words or respond. The strange scent was coming from him. He was handsome with dark hair and deep green eyes

“Come on we need to help her” he carries her through to our small kitchen, motioning for me to do something before putting her on the table. I try to pull myslef together as I run around collecting first aid bits, I couldn't control my shaking hands, thinking about how she was covered in so much blood.