Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 6

"What happen, dear?" Grandma May whispers as she touches the wet towel to Elenora's shoulder. Elenora doesn't so much as flinch as she touches it to her wound. She had long since become used to such pains as a minor stab wound.

"There was a girl in the cells, a foster child. Vermont was beating her and I couldn't.....I couldn't watch it and do nothing grandmother." Tears fill Elenora's eyes as she stares at the yellow walls. Such an annoyingly bright color and yet it covers the walls of Grandmother's home. Of course not so much of the color is revealed through the works of Grandma May's cross stitch and her paintings. This is a family home and so works of art and photos cover the walls. The little girl had reminded her of herself. The girl she helped that is. They always do but there was something about this girl, a stubbornness that couldn't be taught. A defiance in her eyes.

"Sixteen and trying to save the world."

"I've seen the girl before Grandmother! She's so young and so so alone, even in foster care. I don't get it! All those children have is each other and yet they shove this girl to the side. She's always alone, the rest of them gather together and they just leave her!" Elenora shakes her head, scoffing at the cruelty she had witnessed herself.

Elenora had been going to the foster care home for years, sometimes sneaking food in and sometimes she finds herself in the room of the red headed child. She had been caring for the girl years now, she helped changed her diapers and she fed her bottles as a wee baby. It had been insufferable and yet so unsurprising to see the girl in the cells. When Vermont hit her she....oh she had never been more mad "Calm yourself dear, I haven't seen you this mad in years." Grandmother chuckles. Elenora huffs but doesn't say more, she merely kisses her grandmother on the cheek and walks out of the house with a quick thank you.

Best not to be caught there. There's no telling what Vermont would do if he found her secret place, she only knows it won't be good.

"Elenora, where are you!" Vermont shouts from the house. Part of Elenora wants to run, the rest of her knows it'll be much much worse if she does. Elenora gasp as somebody grabs her by her shoulder, unfortunately the one with the freshly cared for stab wound and turns her around. The pain of the action shoots through her and she finds herself staring into the eyes of one of the longtime pack warriors. This one is a dirty fellow, with golden eyes and messy black locks of hair. He scowls at her shoving her down in a bush and grumbling about weak humans

"Warrior Hudson, I'm looking for Elenora. Have you seen the slut." Elenora sinks deeper into the bush the warrior- Hudson had shoved her into. Peeking through the leaves she sees the man who claims to be her father and then the warrior who seems to have a lot of anger in him. Her..well she doesn't know what it is but it reveals the warriors anger, and his pain. She figures it's a human thing because nobody else has the same ability to feel the emotions of others. She has had this ability as long as she can remember.

"Haven't seen her Alpha" Comes Warriors Hudson's gruff voice. It's silent for a moment, an awkward moment. Elenora doesn't yet understand the tension, not until Vermont's next words.

"Yasmin was your daughter right?" Elenora stares at Warrior Hudson, watches the way his jaw clenches and hatred fills him. She's partly surprised he didn't lunge forward and choke the life out of Vermont. Vermont however, didn't seem to recognize the hatred filling him "Filthy little brat she is, you know I found her stealing food from my kitchen?" Elenora's own jaw clenches, she hadn't ate for three days before she tried to take food from the garbage. The garbage.

The warrior stays silent of course. The last person who spoke out against Vermont was tortured publicly. Not before Vermont had slaughtered the mans boy in front of him and raped his mate. Then, and only then was the man executed. Everybody remembers that day, everybody. "I'll talk to her." Warrior Hudson pauses, stares into Vermont's disapproving eyes "I'll punish her." The warrior lies.