Five Days To Live

Savannah’s P.O.V

“Where are you coming from?” A thunderous voice roared at me as I stepped on the first staircase. I spun around, my heart pounding, and saw him right behind me.

 “From the laundry room, Father.” I wiped the sweat from my face with a coarse finger. “You can ask Celia.”  Oh god, I just wanted to sit. My back hurts from standing for so long.

“Lies! Savannah.” He bellowed, his massive bulk frame shaking as the sharp smell of whiskey burnt my nose. “I’ll ask you one more time, where were you?”

Warning bells went off in my psyche as I felt the blood drain from my features. “I… I am telling the truth, Father. She piled up her clothes, made me wash them with my bare hands, and stood there watching—”

“Anna! Confess now!” My sister’s high-pitched voice cut me short as she joined us in the hall. Her green eyes glinted silently informing me of her evil intent. Oh no.

I blinked up at her. "Confess what, Celia?"

“Oh, stop lying.” She sneered and folded her arms over her chest. “You’ve been visiting that brothel, bedding those filthy rogue wolves.”

I flinched as if she’d slapped me, shocked by her lies. She’d hated me ever since my father married her mother and brought her into the pack, but this was too much. She knew the punishment for fornication. She couldn’t possibly do this to me.

My stomach clenched as my heart began racing, "That's a lie, I swear I never left the pack-house."

“Then how do you explain the receipt from the Red Lantern Brothel in your room?” She waved a thin paper, a smug smile on her lips.

I felt sick as I met my father’s eyes, searching for the love he once had for me. All I saw was cold contempt. “I swear on my dead mother’s grave. I’ve never been to that place. Someone planted it there to frame me. Please trust me.”

She snorted, throwing the paper at my feet. “You think you are that special that anyone would bother to…frame you?”

Tears stung my eyes as I realized how hopeless I was. It was Celia’s words against mine and nobody ever sided with me in the pack. “I would never do something like that.”

“You are just a whore like your mother and everyone in the pack knows it. Don’t bother denying it anymore.”

Her words cut deep, a strangled sob slipping from my lips as my fingers clenched beside me.

Before I could speak, my father raised his hand, curtly ending my flow of words.

Pain exploded across my face as his open palm struck my cheek, my teeth rattling from the brute force. The tears slid down my burning eyes as a metallic taste flooded my mouth.

“No daughter of mine is going to be a useless whore.” He roared, his voice echoing through the entire hall, “Celia, go get my whip.”

“No… Father, please…” I screamed, trying to scramble up the stairs but he caught me by my hair before I could move another inch.

 “I’m sorry. Please stop, it hurts.” I begged as he clenched my hair tightly, grabbing the whip from Celia, and lashed out at me with it.

The crack of leather echoed through the room as it made contact with my skin, leaving a searing pain in its wake.

“No…Please…I didn’t do anything!” I cried out, tears streaming down my face in time with the warm liquid running down the cut on my back.

Murmurs reached my ears as the other pack members gathered, watching as he continued to whip me, each lashing sending fresh waves of agony through my body.

“This is how you’ll get treated. Once you decide to act like an animal.” His breaths were coming out in heaves as he snarled, his anger fueling his strength to rain down blow after blow on my back.

I rolled away from him once his grip loosened in my hair, screaming and crying as snot ran down my nose.

The look in his eyes told me that was a huge mistake. A low growl erupted from his lips and his beast took over.

His wolf was no ordinary wolf, its fur a mottled shade of grey and black. His eyes were like pools of liquid fire as he started towards me. My body was still burning from the pain of being whipped so I was too slow to move as he swiped at me with his giant claws, slashing down my rib cage.

A horrified gasp slipped from my lips and I clutched at my side, a warm liquid soaking through my fingers as I stumbled back. When he came at me again, another wolf jumped in, blocking his attack.

I recognized it immediately as Hunter, my father’s beta. He was a towering figure, even in wolf form, and had always been fiercely protective of me.

His voice rang in my mind. “Lock yourself in your room right now, Anna.” Relief flooded me and I nodded briefly.

I staggered to my feet, clutching my bleeding side. Running towards the pack house, I felt the wolves' stares on me. Up the stairs, the sound of Hunter's grunts and groans as he fought the Alpha made me flinch.

I reached my room, locking the door behind me. Sobbing uncontrollably, I slid down to the floor. Hunter had saved my life. He always did, ever since my mother died. He protected me from the Alpha, even at his own risk.

Tears streamed down my face as I leaned against the door. How I longed for my mother's presence. How I wished she was still here.

Pain surged through me as the adrenaline faded. I curled up on the floor, closing my eyes.

A gentle tap and Hunter's voice came through my bedroom door. "Are you there, child?"

With trembling, bloodied fingers, I clicked the door open and hesitated for a moment.

He held out a small cup. "It's a concoction of mint and wolfsbane."

My eyes widened. We both knew my father forbade anyone from touching his stash of herbs. "I don't want you in trouble."

He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I was careful."

My hands grew warm as I took the cup from him. I could feel the Alpha's disapproving gaze on me even though he was not in the room. But I didn't care. I couldn't bear the pain.

I threw the medicine down in one gulp, the bitter taste making me shudder. Wolfsbane wasn’t magic but at least it would stop the wound from getting infected and make me heal almost as quickly as omegas.

Hunter watched me with concern.

"Be careful," he warned. "The Alpha is watching, and your step-sister is always looking for ways to get you in trouble. Try to avoid her if you can."

He left the room and I dragged myself to my bed. Crawling in between the thin covers, I felt sore and abused.

Another knock on the door startled me. Thinking it was Hunter, I told him to come in. But it was Celia.

“I wish Father killed you,” she spat, “You worthless bitch.”

“Celia, Alpha Reed isn’t even your father.” For the first time in forever, I found the courage to talk back at her. My teeth gritted as each words sent shockwaves of agony jolting through my broken ribs. “Your mother left your pack and forced a child on the Alpha.”

Her lips twisted into an ugly sneer and she slammed her boot into my belly.

“Ugh!” Pain exploded through me like a bomb and a guttural sound of raw despair stuck in my throat. I doubled over, my breaths coming in ragged gasps as the wound seared with fresh agony. 

Tears poured from my eyes and I wrapped my arms around my burning middle.

 “At least I am not the daughter of the whore who was found dead on another man’s bed.” Her voice dripped with disdain as she snarled at me, “Besides, you are not the real daughter of the Alpha either.”

My head snapped up at her words, disbelief coursing through my veins, “Bullshit Celia.” I whispered.

She threw her head back, the sounds of her laughter grating into my ears, “You are so naïve.”

I bolted out of my room, her words echoing in my ears. My eyes burned as I made my way through the house and out into the cool night air. I didn’t know where I was going but I just knew I had to leave. For all these years, I had believed a lie. I thought the Alpha king of Hybern was my father. I thought he just hated for me the death of my mother but oh, was I wrong. I was simply a bastard with no powers and no wolf. I wasn’t even a member of the Hydroid Pack. I was the proof of my mother’s infidelity and the sight of me was a constant reminder to the Alpha.

Before I knew it, I was standing at my mother's grave, the damp grass cool against my bare feet. I collapsed to my knees, the pain and hurt overwhelming me. "Why?" I cried out, my voice cracking. "Why did you have to leave me and let me suffer so much?"

I kept no track of time as I knelt before her grave, digging my fingers into the dirt as the tears trickled down my face.

It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t deserve to be punished for my mother’s sins. I wanted nothing more than for it all to end. I was tired of being treated like dirt by Celia and receiving dirty looks from the other pack members.

Turning my gaze up to the sky, I made up my mind. “If something doesn’t change in the next five days, then I’m going to take my life.”