Mine

Chapter 2

I wake up before my alarm which surprises me - that never happens. I sleep like it’s going out fashion and get as much of it as I can, mainly because my dreams are the one thing I can use to get me through the day. It’s like my mind knows what to show me from my childhood to keep me going. Or to torture me. Either way, reliving my sixth birthday party that was organised around my princess obsession was a nice touch – whether cruel or comfort.

Using the half hour extra time, I showered and used more of the hot water than I should have. I took time to brush my hair and even decided to spritz some of the most precious liquid in the world on my wrist. My Mothers perfume. Eleven years that bottle had been my most prized possession, its contents would last maybe or two more sprays and it didn’t smell as good as it used to. It was enough and for those few brief moments she was here. Hugging my pillow it became more than a cotton sack full of padding, pretending instead it was her warm and familiar figure holding me back.

“Happy Birthday Sylvie.” Sure those words came from me, but I was able to use my imagination enough to trick myself into hearing them from her.

By the time my alarm did go off, I was already in the kitchen. Disappointment ate at my insides with Nate missing today and going about my duties, I made sure to be gone when they all got up. Since the party was tonight, farm worked stopped for today. Sure I still went down to the chook pen and gave them last night scraps and someone had to take the rugs of the horses before turning them out. In fact, my list for the day seemed to have tripled in comparison to other Saturdays.

In some ways, it was actually nice. With no one around to bother me, I could almost imagine I lived alone. The sounds of the marquee being set up in the freshly mowed paddock acted as the only interruption to my peaceful day, yet it was only noise so it wasn’t an inconvenience at all. By lunch, I went out into the orchards and taking an apple to eat went to take a peek at the set up for Nate’s party. If what they had done all the other years was elaborate, this was something else.

Caterers dashed around preparing food, sound technicians were setting up the equipment and the event designers were busily decorating, blowing up balloons and telling the delivery guys were to drop of the photo booth. I’d expect less effort went into organizing an Oscars after party and hearing the back door of the house slamming shut, I threw the apple core underneath the nearest tree. Moving into view I pretended to be checking how ripe some of the nearby oranges were and sensing her presence, the panic that followed had me feeling nauseous.

“There you are Sylvia.” Even the way she said my name made it sound dirty and I couldn’t help the growing tension within my muscles. My instincts around her were to always take flight. Maybe if my wolf actually connected with me occasionally, it wouldn’t be so bad but she stopped talking to me long ago. The fact I never got to shift didn’t help repair our bond either. “I don’t want you seen tonight. In fact, I order you to your quarters immediately.”

“Yes Alpha.”

No one likes feeling threatened or in danger. The weak mumble of my voice was pathetic and I didn’t need to see her to know the smug look that would appear on her face. Not that it did much damage to her looks. For the way she flaunted herself around the place, you’d expect to see something more than what she was. The years she had spent out in the sun had left her skin leathery and even in winter the tan never seemed to leave her. She didn’t work like the rest of us either, typically sitting nearby watching us while sunbaking and it had done her no favours. Her blonde hair was more white than the gold colour of her youth and due to her limited psychical activity she was rather plump. If you didn’t know her, she looked friendly enough. The warm mothering type even, and she was. I’d seen her be that way with her boys and the pack.