Safe and Sound

Alexandria was a bother to have around, though it was always entertaining to see her grate on Dad's nerves and get yelled at.

(Though strangely, the next time I would see her she would always have some sort of bruise in the morning.)

Dad was sending her away to our uncle's house a few towns over for at least two weeks.

For the first time, I would be alone at the Valentine Estate, the first time I would be alone with Dad.

I thought I would enjoy it.

I was wrong.

Within the first day, all of the verbal attacks that would've been directed toward Alexandria were now directed toward me.

But I didn't understand? I was better than Alexandria. Where she was bored with her studies, I went through them eagerly. Where Alexandria had to take a few tries before perfecting something, I perfected it almost immediately.

So why was he treating me like my older sister?

By the middle of the first week without Alexandria, Dad had laid his hands on me. At first, it was a slap to the wrist, then it worsened as the days went by.

His large hand grasping my wrist, fingers digging into my flesh and bone and leaving bruises.

A slap to the face.

A bruise under my eye on my cheekbone.

Bruises on my neck in the shape of fingerprints.

When Alexandria returned, visibly upset with having to return home, that was the first time blood was drawn.

(Coughing up blood wasn't pleasant.)

§ § §

It was night and the rustling of my bedsheets had me snapping into wakefulness. For a brief moment, I feared that he was coming back to punish me for some mistake.

Fear is weakness, Azalea.

Fear is weakness.

Fear is-

"Did he hurt you?" I focused on the figure perched at the foot of my bed. Pale rays of moonglow illuminated her features. It wasn't him, but rather, Alexandria, who had slipped through my bedroom window if the nighttime breeze floating through my open window was any indicator.

Red hair, much like Dad's, cascaded down her back and her eyes glimmered in the moonlight.

I remained silent.

"Az, did he hurt you?" She repeated.

I turned my head, answer enough for the older alpha.

Alexandria growled, a deep, almost inaudible sound in her throat that my ears strained to pick up.

That morning, her gaze was cold whenever she looked at Dad.

He punished her for her disrespect.

§ § §

The weeks following Alexandria's return didn't stop the attacks.

But why? Alexandria was back. Dad had his little toy back. With Alexandria around, I shine even brighter.

Yet, why was I not good enough? What about me wasn't perfect? If I knew, I would fix it immediately. A Valentine Alpha had to be no less than perfect, something that clearly wasn't engraved in Alexandria's mind.