Hidden | Completed

2| The First Step is Trust

Getting lectured for two hours wasn't on my list of things I wanted to happen today, nor was getting grounded for two weeks. My parents were loving, but strict. Don't get me wrong, I loved them to death but sometimes they made me want to strangle them. I knew they were only hard on me because they wanted me to be successful.

I sighed and fell back on my bed. I stared at the ceiling with a bored expression on my face, thinking of how I was going to survive not having a phone or any electronics for two weeks. My nose twitched and the familiar scent of pumpkin and hazelnut. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"You can come in, Mom," I said, and I heard the door open.

I continued to stare at the ceiling as I felt her weight settle on the bed.

"I know you're upset," she began, and I almost scoffed at her statement, "but we just want what's best for you. You can't keep lashing out at your teachers like this. The phone calls home, the detentions, getting suspended, it all needs to stop."

I closed my eyes. "I know."

"Then why do you keep doing this?"

I sat up and looked into her eyes. They were emerald, green just like mine. The look of disappointment on her face upset me. I hated disappointing her, but that's all I ever seemed to do with my behavior.

"It's just a way to have fun," I explained, not really elaborating.

She sighed in exasperation. "You and I both know that's not why. This is about them, isn't it?"

My guard was instantly up. I clenched my fists. "This has nothing to do with them."

Mom put her hands over my clenched fists, and I felt myself relax a little. "I understand what you're feeling, but you can't hate them forever. You don't know the full story, honey."

"I know enough," I said bitterly. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Alright," she agreed, squeezing my hands. "Dinner will be ready soon, okay? I love you."

"I love you too," I mumbled.

Mom placed a kiss on my forehead before she left, closing the door on her way out. I fell back on the bed, turning on my side. I was still mad, but now sadness joined it.

Three years. I had spent three years in an orphanage. As far as I knew, I had only been five years old when I was found outside the orphanage. One of the workers had found me. I had passed out and had numerous cuts, bruises, and major head wound. I had woken up in the hospital scared out of my mind. I was confused and couldn't remember anything other than my first name. After running a few tests, they saw I wasn't exactly human.

The doctors were amazed, and I had got sent off to a laboratory for a few months before they sent me back to the orphanage I was found by. My three years there were spent with me being miserable. I had no hope of ever being adopted until I met Cassie and Jason. The moment I met them, I felt loved and safe for the first time in my life.

Cassie and I looked exactly alike. Long red hair, green eyes, and the same oval-shaped face and creamy white skin. The only difference was that she was human, and I wasn't.

Jason was taller than both of us. He had shaggy, black hair and his eyes were the color of storm clouds. His face was heart-shaped, and he always had a tiny bit of stubble on his chin.

Despite me not being human, they welcomed me with open arms and never treated me any differently. They just had to accommodate my wolfish appetite.

Till this very day, I still couldn't remember what happened to me or what my real parents looked like. All I had to go on was a reoccurring dream I had every night ever since I was eight. In the dream, I'm running away from something and all I hear is a man telling me to run. Even with that, my mind still drew blanks. My real parents hadn't bothered to come look for me and that's what angered me. At this point, they were dead to me. I didn't need them. They could stay away from me for all I cared.