The Lycan Legacy

ROSALIE

I remember the day my life changed so vividly.

I’d spent a rare day off from my bar work out with my two best friends Jessie and Emma. We’d gotten a bus into the city and spent the entire day shopping and just hanging out. They were both leaving, going off to college and I was leaving too. I’d worked and saved my arse off and was going to culinary school. The best in the province. I was about to live my dreams. To become a qualified chef, to one day open my own restaurant.

At least that’s how I thought my life was going to go.

I’d said goodbye and gotten off at my stop, running down the path to our house because I was late and my parents were strict. Really strict.

Something had made me pause at the door. A sixth sense almost. As if my gut already knew something awful was about to happen.

I’d glanced back noticing the huge SUV’s parked under the trees and perhaps I’d been too stupid, too naïve to understand what it’d meant.

My key had turned in the lock so loudly against the silence within and as I’d stepped inside all I could hear was strange muffled noises coming from the back of the house.

No lights were on which again should have been a sign. The hallway and living room were in total darkness. Although I could see the beam of light that’d been coming from under the kitchen door.

I’d called out. Called for my parents but no one answered though I knew they were there.

I’d opened the door and gasped.

Someone had grabbed me, pressing my tiny frame into their hard, colossal one and a hand wrapped around my mouth to stifle the cry that had escaped.

“What do we have here?” The man holding me had said staring at my parents. They were both sat at the table held at gunpoint. My father had always been a strong man, a fierce man, but in that moment he’d looked so weak, so utterly petrified, that it’d scared me more than the man holding me.

There were others in the room, other men. Huge. Horrifying. Like the man who held me. They filled the tiny space, they filled the very air, dominating it. Possessing it.

“Let her go.” My mother had begged but the man had just laughed.

“We’ve given you what you asked for.” My father had shouted.

“And now I want something more.” The man had stated shaking me as if I were a toy, a rag doll even. His hand now grasped my jaw forcing me to watch whatever was about to happen.

“She has nothing to do with this.” My father had cried.

“Oh but she does.” The man said. “I was planning on killing you both but now, now I think I might have changed my mind.”

“No...” I begged as a man stepped forward, gun pointed right at my mother’s head. I didn’t know what they wanted. I didn’t even understand what was going on but I knew even then that these men were dangerous. That they were going to kill my parents. Murder them right there in front of me. And no doubt murder me right after.

“Do you want to save them girl?” The man had said against my ear. His voice so cold and malicious it felt like a bucket of cold ice was suddenly thrown over me.

I nodded against his hand.

“Then this is the deal. You’re mine now. You belong to me. Your parents will be allowed to live. I will spare them but only if you comply.”

I’d gulped. Everything in my body had told me not to do it. To not agree but how could I abandon them? How could I let them just be murdered like that?

“What do you say? One life for two? That’s a good deal huh?” He’d murmured running his nose against the soft skin of my neck as if he was trying to breath in my scent like he was some kind of animal.

I shut my eyes. Even as the tears started to roll. He was right. It was a good deal.

“I’ll do it.” I’d said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

My mother had screamed. Yelling at me not too and they’d pistol whipped her over the back of the head laughing.

“Please don’t hurt them. I’ll do what you say. Whatever you want.” I’d cried.

The man had laughed at my words. “Oh I know you will.”

And then he’d dragged me out. Dragged me out of my house, out of my home, away from my parents, away from my life without even a moment to say goodbye.

He’d half thrown me into the back of one of the SUVs and I smacked my face against the leather as I’d landed. He got in beside me almost immediately, yanking me closer to him despite my attempts to move away.

“These are the rules.” He’d growled as a man drove us away. “You obey me in everything. If you fight, if you try to run, if you even think about escaping I will kill them and then I will make you wish you’d never been born understand?”

I’d nodded.

He smirked reaching to undo the buttons on the shirt dress I had on and I smacked his hand away. He’d snarled grabbing my throat so tightly I could barely breathe.

“I just told you the rules. Did you not listen properly?” He’d said, his face right up in mine.

My tears were falling again. I think in that moment I’d realised the enormity of what I’d done. What I’d actually agreed to.

He’d watched me for a moment as if he too understood what had finally sunken into my stupid brain and then he’d moved his hand back to my dress. Back to the buttons. I’d shut my eyes. Helpless to stop him. There’d been two men up front. There was no partition. Nothing hiding what this man was going to do and within seconds my dress was open and my body covered in nothing but my underwear.

“Who are you?” I’d gasped. “Why are you doing this?”

“My name’s Silas.” He growled. “And I’m doing it because I can.”

The men in the front had laughed. Horrible low, guttural laughs as Silas had begun assaulting me.