Luna

Chapter 2

No, no, no, no, no! He's early. He wasn't supposed to be back until 7p.m.! He's early! For a moment, all I hear is my pounding heart. I'm paralyzed as I watch him – watch Em, with a slight crease between his brows.

"Watch this!" Em exclaims, pure enthusiasm in her voice.

Do something! my subconscious screams, annoyed I let my fear take control. DO SOMETHING!

"Em. Sweety. Come here. It's time to do some art," I say as calmly as I can, while regaining control of my limbs.

When his cold eyes shift to me, a shiver runs down my spine. I rub my clammy hands on my leggings as I recall the events of last night. His hands, his fist. He was ruthless, a little more than usual. He crossed a line I never thought he would ever cross, broke some bones and took something that wasn't his to take. The only innocence I had left, was brutally taken away by the monster who holds me captive in the pretense of family.

I was never his family. He made that clear after he and mom got married. I was simply part of the package deal, and I was fine with that. There was nowhere else for me to go, and I wasn't going to leave my baby sister alone to be raised by a selfish woman and a man I had hardly known.

Seeing the three of them together irritated me. There was something about the picture that didn't resonate well with me. Maybe it was that the man wasn't my dad, I don't know. But all I knew was this picture made me miss him more and more each day.

His eyes scan my body, violating me once again. He takes a step forward, to which I take a step back. He pauses for a second, then slowly walks in my direction, and I see his lips twitch. It's usually a sign he's on the verge of anger, and my head spins, heart races, and everything seems to move in slow motion. Through my peripheral vision, I see Emily kneel and play with Gummie, her puppy.

Good, she's fine. Relief washes over me as I keep my eyes focused on him. I haven't fully recovered from last night, and I don't know if I ever will.

Sure, my bones and open wounds have healed, but inside, I am broken. Most people in my position would be curled up in bed, isolating themselves from the world. It actually sounds pretty good right now, but I won't – no, can't breakdown. I can't afford to.

I became the mother figure of an eighteen-month-old baby when my mother up and left in the middle of the night. She abandoned Emily and I, leaving us with the abusive bastard she couldn't handle anymore. She decided to go rogue leaving us with the monster who tormented me every chance he could. I was forced to grow up faster than most teens; dropped out of school to take care of Em, and took all the abuse he offered. The thought of going rogue crossed my mind constantly, but I couldn't do that to her. She deserved to grow up in a safe environment. Yes, he was abusive. Yes, he was a monster. But compared to being out there on our own, this was the safest option, until I could find something else.

His anger and abuse were always directed towards me. Em held a special place in his heart, but he could never come to admit it. He loved her like a daughter, yet whenever he showed affection towards her, he turned to me to let out his frustration. He was in denial. Knowing his abuse was directed to me gave me a piece of mind. That didn't mean I let my guard down, no. I stayed hyper vigilant and kept her by my side as much as possible. I needed to put her first. So, I took all the abuse he had for me and kept my head strong. As long as she was safe, I was fine.

I'm eighteen now. I have been for a few months. Most people my age are more concerned about finding their mates, if they haven't already, but the thought has barely even crossed my mind. I have Emily to think about. She has to come first.

I always thought my wolf would disapprove my choices; that she would take control and fight me at every turn, but she's just as protective of Em as I am. Now that I am eighteen, I can finally leave this hell hole and find a better place to stay. I don't know where that would be exactly, but I have no intention of staying here a minute longer.