Klauwen

T H R E E

Chapter
T H R E E

Athena 

Two Years Ago

It's a life of bliss. One where my father is the man that I know will protect me at all costs. I know that my mother's at home, busy with planting her sunflowers, the weeping willow reaching out to her as she works the ground.

I'm the shadow that follows my father around, not that he doesn't like it. Everything that the light touches will be mine when I'm old enough.

Goosebumps rise on my skin as my bare feet sink into the wet ground. Nature speaking to me, like I'm it's lost child.

"What are you going to do about her? Do you think the training will be enough?" The hushed voice of Alpha Sloan floods into my ears. I know that it's probably not a conversation I should listen to, but my wolf is curious by nature.

My father sighs, I know that tone, it's the one he uses with me. Especially when he doesn't know what to do with me. Usually when I beat up the older boys in the pack who bullies me.

"I don't know, Sloan, she's getting wilder by the day. I'm afraid that she's going to be too strong for the pack to handle."

Tears prickle my eyes. My dad doesn't know that it's either me fighting back or I'm going to be the runt.

"Don't worry, my friend, it will work itself out, she's only, what... sixteen?" there's a pause. "She will learn how to control her emotions."

Unbeknownst to us, there's a power-hungry man lurking in the shadows, as I make myself known to my dad.

I can see that he isn't too happy that I'm there, bowing my head to the neighbouring Alpha, I step to the side, merely shadowing their movements.

I know there's one thing that can divide a pack, and that is pinning them against one another, at the moment, that is exactly what is happening to me. Other juveniles thinking that they can take my birth right from me.

I'm only fighting them when they challenge me and try to hurt me. I guess my dad doesn't get that. He's too busy working.

pack, is to pin them against each other, and that's just what is happening now.

"Dad, I don't feel too good." My skin crawls, evil eyes following my movement. It causes a pit in my stomach.

My dad's eyes are filled with impatience, "Athena, now is not the time." His voice is short.

Now hasn't been the time, for the last six weeks. He's been too busy with trying to find out what's going on within his pack, asking help from bordering packs.

One has come back to him, Alpha Sloan.

The man looks at me with sympathy. It makes my wolf's fur bristle. She doesn't like pity, and it takes every shred of my self-control not to snarl at him. That would mean I would get a very hard beating. No one disrespects an alpha.

Disrespecting an Alpha is one thing. You need to be able to back up your disrespect. In short, don't look for shit with them, unless you can beat the shit out of them.

There's a tangible shift in the forest air. The smell of poppies replaced by something metallic, and sinister.

The cackle of a maniac flitters through the air, and my dad is in front of me before all hell breaks loose. A challenge is being presented. And my father needs to make a show out of it.

My memories jumble up as it goes to me finding my mother and father's beheaded forms in their beds.

****

My throat burns as I sit upright. Gasping for air. The gown is too tight, as I pull it away. The suffocating memories tearing what little peace I had, apart.

I don't know what to do. I just wish someone would hit me on the head hard enough so that I don't have to deal with them every moment I go to bed or wake up.

It's too much for me to handle. I don't want to specifically remember that one day every single time I close my eyes. There are so many other days I would like to dream about. Days when my heart was shining with happiness.

The thoughts haunt my mind. The pain in my chest grows, as my nails dig into the skin. There's nothing left for me to live for. There's no reason for me to be in this pain. I need a release. Or a reboot. Or I don't even know anymore.

"Don't do that." A distant voice growl out.

On demand, my hands stand still. Blood dripping from where I was trying to dig my heart out. There's skin underneath my fingernails.

The darkness in the room reaches me, the lamp at my bedside table is turned as a dark figure walks out from the shadows.

He's a formidable force. Strength oozing from his pores. I know that I need to be afraid of him, as he is easily double my size. It doesn't take a genius to know that if he wanted, he would be able to end me with just his pinkie finger.

When the moon made him, she threw in a whole ass bottle of muscles. His torso is bare, his thick legs straining against the thin material of shirts. What the fuck? Is this some sort of fetish I have now? Flirting with death...

"Who?" The words burn coming out. My body cold as the precipitation from my bad dream is painted on my skin.

I'm pulled towards him, his hands like vices around me. A hot trail follows where our skin touches.

His forest eyes staring down at mine, a cruel smile resting on his mouth. There's no warmth or any semblance of anything but darkness.

"Only I get to hurt you like that, little mate." His growl rumbles through his chest like a thumping drum.

My body is alit with pain, it courses through me. I don't know if his grip is that hard on purpose or not. I know there will be handprint shaped bruises in the morning.

With little effort, I give into the exhaustion that comes with my weak body. I stare into his mossy eyes, not minding one bit that I am leaving myself to the devices of the big bad wolf.