the phoenix

CHAPTER 1

I was at the meadow in the forest, having a picnic with my parents. I was 3 years old and not with a care in the world. I looked at my mom and she smiled at me, of course, in my eyes she was the most beautiful woman in the world. My father picked me up on his shoulders and ran around the meadow with me. My older brother was playing cards with my mother, all was good with the world but, of course that was going to change. My father grew stiff; he took me in his arms and handed me to my mother. My mother sat me next to my brother and told him to look after me, and stood protectively in front of us. Then three rogue wolves came out of the darkness of the forest and started to snarl at us. Everything after that happened really fast, at first my parents seemed like they were winning, but then tragedy stroke. While they weren't looking, one of the rogues changed back into his human form and grabbed me. I screamed, scared of the stranger and wanting the safety of my mother's arms. My mom heard my cries and turned her attention to me. She started running to me, changing into her wolf. She jumped on my attacker, who let me go in the process, and went straight for his neck. She was so busy with that rogue she didn't see the one sneaking up behind he. I tried to warn her but I was too late. The rogue jumped on her and went for the fatal blow. My dad tried to reach her in time, but the rogue he was fighting wouldn't let him. He howled in pain for his lost love, but he looked at us and he knew that he couldn't give up yet. He started fighting back and for awhile it seemed like he had the upper hand, but the two rogues were just too much for him, added to the fact that he just lost a part of his soul. He was badly hurt, but he wanted to make sure that we were safe and that the threats were eliminated. With a last spur of energy and strength he was able to kill the last two rogues, but at the cost of his life. I reached for my dad, lying on the floor, against the attempt of my brother to stop me. I cried and screamed as I saw my father taking his last breath. I wept for the loss of my father and the loss of my mother. That is when the rest of the pack emerged from the woods. The Alpha stepped forward and looked around. He saw my brother still on the picnic blanket crying, my mom a few feet away dead and me over the dead body of my father. He pointed at me with anger and roared; "This is all your fault!"

I woke up startled and in sweat, my brother next to me looking at me with concern.

"The same dream?" my brother, Mason, asked me, concerned.

I just nodded my head and made my way out of bed. I looked at my Clock on the floor next to my bed, if I can even call it that. It was just a very thin mattress on the floor, and saw that it was 5:00 AM

ever since the death of my parents and the whole pack turning on me, I have been living in the attic of the pack house. Of course, leaving a three-year-old in a small cold attic to fend for themselves may have seemed cruel and heartless to most people, but the Alpha was cruel and heartless, at least to me. He was counting on me dying from either starvation or hypothermia and I probably would have if it weren't for my brother. He made sure I was fed and warm staying by my side day and night. He never understood why the whole pack was so quick to turn on me but not him and still questions their cruelty to this day. When I turned 5 and the Alpha realized I was still very much alive he decided to make me the slave of the house. I would wake up every morning at 5:00 AM to cook and clean for the entire pack before they all got up for their day. In that same amount of time I also needed to eat, which was pretty much impossible, if I wanted to get ready and make it to school on time. It wasn't easy, but Mason was able to convince the Alpha to enroll me in school, much to his dismay. Mason's voice was able to hold some authority being the future beta and was able to fulfill our parents wishes to have the best education possible. Our father was a well-respected beta and when he died Mason was still too young to take over the position, and so the Alpha chose a temporary replacement until he becomes of age and takes over at the same time as the soon to be Alpha.