The Wolf Within

Chapter One

*** Three Years Later***

"Happy twenty-fifth birthday, big sister," Samuel smirked opening his hand to reveal a chocolate chip cookie. Emma snatched it from his hand hungrily. It was devoured before he could even blink.

"How long have I been up here?" she finally asked after she had finished the delicious present.

"This makes the nineth day." he answered quietly. He glanced out the attic window cautiously checking for fathers beat up red pickup. Their father would beat him if he knew he was in the attic talking to her.

"I lost count after day three." Emma admitted sadly following his gaze outside. It looked like it was a beautiful summer day. It must had finally stopped raining just for her birthday.

"I'm sorry, sis. I think he will let you come back down soon though. Grace hasn't been able to cook anything that satisfies him lately."

"How is she?"

"She's good just really tired. The baby is due any day now. She really shouldn't be doing everything on her own like this."

The concern in her brother's face warmed her heart. He was the only one of her siblings that didn't share their father's cold heart. At only seventeen, Samuel showed more maturity and compassion than Jacob or Ryder ever did.

Emma couldnt help but worry about her sister in law too. Although Grace was married to Jacob, she was still nicer than him. Emma couldnt ever forgive herself if something happened to her unborn nephew.

Being stuck in the attic seemed to be her reoccuring punishment lately. No matter what she did, whether she followed the rules or not, she found herself punished.

"I need to head back down before father comes back. I know this isn't the greatest way to spend your birthday but I hope I helped a little."

"You always do, Sam." Emma smiled ruffling his chesnut hair. When he disappeared she went back to the window to watch for her father.

She couldnt help but glare at the iron gates in front of their home. They were put there for her own personal prison. She pulled her eyes away before they could rest on the spot where he had died. Her Ezra...

Although it had been three years, the pain was just as fresh. He had been her escape from this dreadful life. On the few nights that her family was out hunting, they had met at that gate. He had sat with her through many nights of agony as her body warred within itself.

Her happiness couldnt last long, of course. Her father had made sure of that and still reminded her of it to this day. Emma glared at his rickety old truck as it barreled up to the gate. Her brother Ryder hopped out of the passenger seat to open the gates. They swung open with an eerie shriek.

Her father surged the truck forward as Ryder secured the prison back to normal. Growing up she had always tried to love her father even through his obvious hatred for her. It was until he had made her watch Ezra die that she had allowed her own hatred to bubble up.

Their father had molded Jacob and Ryder in his image. They all carried themselves as if they ruled the world. She watched as her father paused and walked back to the gate before coming in the house. The look on his face told her he wasn't happy about something. Ryder and their father went on discussing whatever it was.

Unfortunately the wolfsbane syrum her father kept her pumped full of also prevented her supernaturally sensitive hearing. Emma wished she could hear what they were talking about. Maybe Samuel would fill her in on it later.

It wasn't long before she heard the thud of their muddy boots against the the kitchen tile. Muffled greetings were exchanged as she heard the scraping of the kitchen chairs. Her stomach rumbled as she imagined the food being passed around the rectangle cherry wood table.

The clanging of forks against their plates only tormented her hunger. She looked around the attic hoping to find a distraction.The attic was pretty much bare. The room only contained the stained mattress that was barely big enough for her to sleep on, a small crimson blanket, and a few boxes of her mother's things.

The boxes of her mothers belongings made a great distraction every time her father locked her in the attic. She spent most of that time sorting through the box of photographs and keepsakes.

Emma carefully sifted through the pictures. She'd seen them countless times but still couldn't remember what her mother's voice sounded like. With each year that passed, the memories had faded a little at a time.

Emma had only been eight years old when her mother had died. She had passed away only three days after giving birth to Samuel. The photos kept her mother from being forgotten.

Unlike their father, Maggie had been a kind soul. She had been very soft spoken even during father's angry outbursts. Emma gazed at a weathered photograph of her mother. She looked beautiful standing in the front yard of that very house.

Her long ebony waves were pulled back into a loose ponytail and her enormous aqua eyes radiated in the light. The smile on her face was genuine as she gazed at the person taking the photograph. She was dressed in a simple blue cotton dress but still managed to look like a model.

Emma had been blessed with her mother's undeniable beauty. Yet the world would never see it as she was kept stored away in the dusty old attic. The sound of heavy footsteps heading up the stairs caused her to drop the pictures back into place.

She hurried back to her petite mattress just in time for father to shove his head through the tiny door.

"Grace is going to lie down for the evening. I need you to come clean the kitchen while I take the boys on a hunt." He ordered.

As he stomped back down the stairs, Emma realized it was going to be a full moon tonight. A full moon on her birthday. It was too bad she would never get to turn like her brothers.