Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Chapter Nineteen

I had expected to come down and assert my place beside Sterling. I had expected to see a tall female with the bearing of someone with Alpha blood. I had not expected the forlorn, tiny, young female who looked no older than eighteen standing beside her father. I hadn't expected the sheer feeling of sympathy I felt for what appeared to be a lost child. I honestly felt a bit off kilter at the feelings that were bombarding me as I looked at her, as I took her in. She looked in desperate need of a hug and my arms ached to be wrapped around her because she looked simply lost.

Sterling had been right, she wasn't classically pretty. That did not mean she wasn't. It just meant she wasn't something you would expect for a shifter. Her eyes were a bit wide-set, her nose was a bit too long and sharp looking, and her lips were a bit thin but the combination was interesting, not a standard pretty but interesting. Her main feature was her hair. All of it. I felt my eyes widen as I took it all in. A fiery halo surrounding her head and shoulders. Flashes of orange, red, scarlet and auburn were in the strands of curls that surrounded her.

Her skin was overly pale, almost like skim milk but that did not seem to be natural as her watery blue eyes looked between Sterling and I. She looked like all of her hope had been crushed, like her inner flame was being snuffed out. Her hopes and dreams had crashed down to earth. I felt a pang of self-loathing at the thought I had been upset at the idea that she would take Sterling away. All I could see was a young female desperate to escape her situation not a female wishing to find a mate.

With her unnatural paleness, I could see the hastily covered up bruises on her face. She was a shifter, I could see it within her, so I could only surmise that the bruises were not her only injury or that they were fresh. Her eyes went from me to dart up to her father and I could see her clear fear and apprehension of the male who had helped create her. I could practically smell it underneath her cloying flowery perfume that I was certain her father had sprayed on her to hide the thick and sour scent of fear that no doubt clung to her skin. It was strong enough that I could smell it and that was saying something. I saw it all and I felt an intense disgust. I didn't know who the male was, what pack he ran but the fact he had done something so heinous to his own child made me wish for my claws back so I could hear out his eyes.

"What's your name?" I kept my focus on her and my voice lowered an octave, turning to a soft cajoling. She glanced between me and Sterling before staring at her worn flats. Her hair creating a curtain between her and the world around her. Her father placed a hand on her shoulder and I could see his knuckles turning white as he gripped her tightly. The grip would be one that left bruises and I felt myself stiffen, trying to pull away from Sterling to stop it. He held me tightly, as if sensing my sudden murderous urge.

"This is Ainsley. My youngest daughter." The Alpha said it carefully and I flicked my gaze to him, letting my lip curl up in clear disgust. I refused to hide my feelings for the male, for his treatment of his daughter.

"I don't believe I was asking you." I tried to keep my tone civil but I couldn't help but grind my teeth together in agitation. "I was asking your daughter." I flicked my gaze back to the red haired young female. Her father pulled his hand away and I took in the red marks his fingers had left on her rather pale skin.

"Go on, girl." His voice was hard and I watched as she shifted on her pale legs nervously. She gave a small cough and glanced up at me before returning her gaze to the ground.

"Ainsley. My name is Ainsley." Her voice was silvery but low and quiet as she kept glancing up at her father. It was hard to see her as anything but a timid child. A scared, timid child.

"Hello, Ainsley. My name's Pisică." I said it as softly as I could. She stared at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.