Pure Breds

CHAPTER ONE

"Honey, it's going to be okay," My mum sighed as we bounced along in the car, glancing nervously every few seconds at me from the corner of her eye.

"Keep your eyes on the road," I mumbled, looking down into my lap where my hands were folded. I felt sick, my stomach was churning and twisting and my palms were clammy. I could hardly make sense of the words coming out of my mum's mouth, I was so full of dread.

"You're being silly love, you've got nothing to worry about." I could tell she was trying to make her voice sound comforting, soothing, but I could hear the tremble in her tone too and it made the bubble of rapidly-rising panic in my chest grow larger.

"I'd really rather not talk about this." I groaned and rested my forehead against the cool window of the car, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. I'd always been a closed person, even with my mother, and when there were nerves involved as well...well, safe to say I'd rather just be left to my quivering ball of anxiety. I could tell by the heavy silence in the air she was disappointed, and wanted to say something more, but thank god she decided to keep it to herself and listen to me for once. I don't think I would've been able to hold a conversation and simultaneously maintain control over the urge to puke...to be perfectly honest I was already quite impressed at how well I was doing so far.

Tension hung in the air as we sped along the winding quiet road through the forest. I noticed my mum was driving slower than usual - probably trying to make this time last as long as possible. Well, I wasn't complaining.

Too soon - much, much too soon - however, the scenery began to grow more familiar as we grew closer to our destination, and if it were possible my heart picked up even more speed, pounding almost painfully in my chest. I knew my mum could hear it, as she glanced at me again quickly in her peripheral whilst I pretended not to notice. All I wanted to do was leap out of the car and get the hell away from this place and fast as possible. 

"Rune," She said softly. Her voice slower, more serious. "I want you to know that whatever the results of the trial are, me and your father won't mind. We still love you no matter what."

I avoided her gaze, simply because I knew it wasn't true, and I wasn't going to pretend to myself otherwise. My dad would care what the results were - he was of high ranking, and to him and the majority of the pack, the trial results were of the utmost importance. Sometimes it seemed like more of an obsession than anything else. Me and him had never been particularly close - probably due to the fact that his priority had always been to the "pack duties" and he was rarely to be found; but on the occasions we had spent time together, conversation topics had revolved solely around either the pack, our heritage and ancestors, or - and I hated to come back to it again - those godforsaken trials.

I had a strong suspicion that he might not be on the same page as my mother. Whether he decided to "love" me or not might very well be dependant on my results. 

"I know Mum," the words came out hoarse and I coughed to clear my throat. "But if I don't - if I don't...pass, then you know what will happen." The panic bubble swelled horribly in my throat and I stopped talking, unable to make myself even think of the next bit. The subtle hitch in her breath next to me let me know that she was just as afraid as I was. 

"Nothing like that will happen, don't scare yourself okay? I know our rules seem quite...intense  but honestly I think they're just there for the sake of it now, no one would actually pay them any attention if it did come down to it. We're not living in the last century anymore," she attempted to smile at her joke but the worry her dark eyes and the creases etched in her forehead made it seem like she was trying just as much to convince herself as she was me. "Although probably shouldn't tell your father I said that." This time the wry smile was a little more genuine.