She-wolf

32

A ground-shaking cry tore through my lips as I fell to my knees and my shaking hands held my head. 

I didn't want to move, even breathing hurt when I finally finished sobbing my eyes out. A number of people tried to pull me up from the floor but I wouldn't budge. 

Mark had stood watching me and making sure I was left alone when I started snapping at anyone who tried to move me. He stood a bit away but he was still close enough so that If I needed him then he could be with me in a second. 

But I didn't want Mark, I didn't want anybody. I wanted my mum and dad. I wanted to be 5 again in my parent's arms as we celebrated my birthday, my friends and family singing to me as I waited to blow out my candles. I wanted to just escape into my memories where they weren't.... dead. 

The young girl giggled happily as her father held her up to the counter so that she could blow out her birthday candles. It was her 5th birthday and she had made it her mission to tell everybody, even if she'd either already told them or they'd already commented on the big number 5 candle on her number 5 shaped birthday cake in the kitchen that was littered with banners with the number 5 on them. With a big huff she blew the candles out and clapped with a huge smile, this was the happiest she had ever felt; her dad had taken time out of his alpha duties to celebrate her mother had finally allowed her to take time off from her studies.  

She sat on one of the spinny barstools and slowly spun herself round as she watched everybody mingle with one another; her parents had disappeared again and she had been left alone waiting in the kitchen. She didn't talk to any of the other kids and they were too scared to talk to her; their parents had been warned that she was not to socialise with the other children at all, that it would interfere with her training and studies. So she sat alone, playing with the doll her mum had gotten her as a birthday present. 

"You must be Mary. I'm Dimitri, it's nice to meet you." 

She looked up from her imaginary scenario with her doll and found herself looking at a boy of about 10, his smile wide and his eyes bright. "Hello, Dimi. You're probably not allowed to talk to me, my dad is a meanie about that."

The boy let out a soft chuckle and kneeled in front of her, his eyes motioning to the doll. "May I? I promise I won't break her."  He put the doll in front of his face and tried to mimic a female voice. "Why are you sad on your birthday miss Mary? Nobody should be sad on their birthday." 

The girl sniffled as she tried to hold back tears and wiped at her face a few times. "Because I don't have any friends. The other kids are playing outside without me." She pouted and pulled her knees to her chest. 

"I'll be your friend. Your dad said I could so we don't have to worry." He smiled. "Come on, why don't you show me around? I'm moving in soon so I'll know where the best areas to play are." He stood up, ruffled the girl's hair and held his hand out. 

She took it with a smile and jumped down from her stool and followed behind the boy. 

"Mary? Hey, you're okay. Come on, let's get you away from everybody." 

I didn't see who picked me up but I could feel the man's warmth and his scent flooded my mind. "Dimitri, they're gone." Another sob escaped my mouth as I buried my face in his chest, my tears soaking his shirt. "I left without saying goodbye and now they're gone..." When I opened my eyes again I was no longer in the foyer of the house but a small bedroom. The bed underneath me was soft and the blanket felt like silk, the walls were a deep red colour and the curtains had been drawn. This had to be Dimitri's room, it was what his old room back home had looked like for almost a decade.