For the Taking ✅

21 • Welcome

Seraphina POV

"Are you excited to see them?" Ivy asked tying off the end of my braid.

I picked a little piece of skin from my lip as I prepared myself mentally for my parents' arrival. The tender skin on my lip turned angry as I tasted metallic faintly on my tongue.

"Here," Ivy pushed Chapstick into my hand before going back to fix up my hair. It wouldn't do much but coat my raw lip in creamy substance. "Do you always bite your lip?"

I shrugged. I couldn't remember a time that I didn't bite my lip. It was a nervous habit I had and at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if my lip ended up scarred forever.

"To answer your question about my parents I am excited. I've wanted to share with them how I'm doing and that I'm living along with wolves that actually like me." I admitted.

I had been antsy since the call with alpha Philip nearly a week ago. Even though Osiris had talked to Philip and appeased whatever it was that he wanted to talk to him about my stomach still coiled whenever I thought about the worst.

Philip could just one day snap like he did numerous times to me but this time I feared that he'd take his punishments further, leaving a lasting mark. I'd blame myself if anything happened to my parents, they were all I had besides Desmond.

"Your pack didn't like you?" I shook my head at her answer. She frowned through the mirror, her sadness genuine in the frowning lines around her mouth. "Was it because you never were able to shift?"

The corner of my mouth twitched as I recalled all the horrible things my pack used to say about me and to me. Nothing about my appearance was off the table nor my intelligence. At any given point throughout the day, I was told I was a mutant, a failure, a mistake, you name it I was called it.

I was surprised they never teased or picked on me about my parents but I think it was solely because of who my father was. They feared my father's retribution if they ever tried to disrespect his loyalty and defensiveness toward his pack.

"Pretty much." I sighed standing up to change. "None of what they'd say we're far off from the truth though. I am a failure to my family. My dad was probably one of the most notorious warriors werewolves have ever seen and he supplied the world with just a single offspring that lacked a wolf."

I tore off my shirt and threw it onto the floor. Pent-up anguish rolled in my stomach. I had never spoken to anyone about how I felt about being called every name under the sun. I never felt the need to confide in anyone seeing the names suitable for me. I was a failed example of a wolf not having even the senses one has as a human.

"You're not a failure Phinny. People project how they feel onto others." Ivy assured me.

"Eh, I don't know about that. Look at me-" I told her zipping my jeans up. "I have no wolf still and I'm twenty-three. Who do you know that had two werewolf parents and still had no wolf?" She opened her mouth but I spoke over her. "No one Ivy, the answer is no one. It'd unheard of."

"Have you spoken to Jensen? I'm sure that he-"

I pursed my lips recalling Osiris's order to decommission or research. "Yup, and Osiris ordered Jensen to stop his research because he wanted him to help prepare for winter."

Ivy's face morphed into confusion as her eyes narrowed and blinked more than usual as if trying to make sense of my words.

She said nothing so I continued. "When I tell you I think that Osiris hates me this is what I meant."

"He doesn't hate you." She grabbed my arm pulling me to sit next to her on the bed. "Though I don't understand why he'd make Jensen stop his research I'm sure he'd let him return to it once everything is set for winter. It's harsh up in these mountains."