Serena's P.O.V.
I round the corner smelling my mom’s attempt at cooking breakfast. My dad’s booming laugh shakes the house while he kisses her head. I can hear him tell her that it will be okay while trying to hide the laughter from his voice. I watch as he starts opening the windows to let out the black smoke and burnt smell that’s wafting through the air. As they turn around and see me a wide smile upon on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. My dad rushes to pick me up and spin me around making me giggle. He kisses my forehead “Well there is my sleeping beauty, how did you sleep princess?” his voice filled with such love. “Fine dad, I’m just super excited to start my training today” the excitement is evident in my voice. After giving my dad a kiss on the cheek I walk over to my mom for a hug. “I can’t believe my baby is already 10.” She sighs dramatically while wiping a stray tear away. I kiss her cheek once more and go in for another hug. I'm wrapped in love and happiness, you can feel it in the air. Life right here in this moment can only be described as one word, perfect. Everything feels right in her arms, as if nothing can hurt me. While basking in the embrace of her warmth, I can hear my name being called by a faraway voice. I look around and see my dad is gone now, I turn to ask my mother where he went to find myself alone in the kitchen. My name is louder now, clearer, while everything else starts to fade.
I’m jerked awake with such force it takes me a minute to see the Alpha towing over me. He’s yelling, though I can hardly concentrate on his words while trying to force the tears that cloud my eyes not to fall. I’m slapped back into reality, “Pay attention you useless pup” he yells. I clutch my burning cheek praying the tears won’t fall, as he’ll see that as my ‘weakness’ showing though. As I look up, I feel my prayers go unanswered as a single tear slides down my face. Seeing this he gets angrier an another slap strikes my cheek. “I’m sorry alpha.” I apologize as I rush to stand up. My surroundings start to spin as the dizziness set in from the sudden movement and the hard hits I took. My head starts to pound, but I know to keep my eyes trained on the floor. “You’re a pathetic excuse for a wolf, get the fuck upstairs and start cooking,” his words laced with his disgust as he turns around to leave me. Just before he reaches the door handle, he looks over his shoulder, shaking his head in distaste “Weak, just like your parents” the ridicule in his voice brings a new round of tears to my eyes.
I wipe away the tears that are now flowing freely. I look at the clock and see I don’t have time for a shower as I’ve already overslept and it’s 5:30 in the morning. I rush to change into my clothes for the day. Clothes would be a loose word for what I have. I get the old clothes from pack members, clothes that would have been thrown away otherwise. I slip on a pair of worn-out skinny jeans that are a size too big and have holes in the knees, a tank top that is off-color due to its age. I throw on a sweatshirt that is three sizes too big. It’s acts as an extra layer of protection from my pack mates’ cruel words and harsh glances. I find two socks while they don’t match, at least they don’t have holes in them. Sadly, that can’t be said for the worn-out converses that I quickly slip-on. I glance at the dirty, broken mirror on the wall and give myself a once over.
My once golden blonde hair is now dull looking from the lack of nurturance. My amber eyes don’t shine as bright as they once did. My full pouty lips while still plump are a shade of light pink instead of their once bright candy apple red. I run my fingers over the fresh bruise and split lip from this morning. I lift my shirt and run my hands over my body. My skin is a fair white, with patches of yellow, green, blue, and black from the abuse. I lower my shirt, looking back at myself in the mirror as a single tear runs down my face. Shanking my head of my thoughts, I grab a washcloth and wet it to dab my split lip, wincing at the slight pain. I don’t worry about trying to cover them up, my teachers at school stopped questioning the abuse a long time ago. My thoughts drift to my mate, the only reason I've lasted this long in this hell hole. I turn 18 in 2 days and I’ll finally be able to find him, I'll finally be free from here. I wonder if he’s out there waiting for me, or what he’ll think of me. My only hope is that he’ll love me, that he’ll look at me the way my father looked at my mother. With that final thought I sigh and rush up the stairs.
Before opening the door I take a second to look around my so-called bedroom. The off-white concrete walls that keep it just above freezing down here. The floorboards that are so old and rickety that they are showing the dirt beneath them. The single bed in the corner, the springs barely concealed through the thin mattress material. The thin blanket that lay on top with a single pillow. The plastic bin that contains my clothes barely held together with tape, even that was starting to peel. Hidden beneath the clothes is the only thing that holds any value to me. A necklace that my parents gave me on my tenth birthday. Wiping away a stray tear from the memory of that day. I rushed out of the basement door, going straight to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast.
As I finish up breakfast, I check the clock on the wall and become frantic to see it’s now 6:30. The rest of the pack will be up in 15 minutes and I need to be long gone before then. I double-check to make sure breakfast is completed, and the kitchen is in pristine condition. I think about sneaking some food since it’s been two days since anyone has fed me or allowed me to eat but I decide against it. I grab my backpack off the ground and race out of the house.
I start my 5-mile walk on an empty stomach, thinking that maybe I should have grabbed a couple of pieces of bacon or a bite of eggs. As if my stomach was to agree with me it begins to gurgle and growl demanding to be fed. Knowing I have an hour and a half till my first class, I think about the clearing in the middle of the woods. I know there is a small garden there that should be unattended until noon. I know it’s risky, if I get caught, I don’t know if I’ll survive another beating. Without food in my system, I don’t know if I’ll survive the torment that is waiting for me at school. I take the risk and head towards the garden, knowing no one should be there this early.
As I reach the clearing, I triple check to make sure no one is here. “I just need a little, just enough to get my energy back” I mutter to myself, as if willing myself to take the first step through the trees. I head towards the berries first; the first bite of the strawberry makes me moan in joy. I quickly eat a handful before moving to the blueberries. I eat as many as I can knowing they will blame it on the bunnies or dear. I head to the vegetable garden next and grab a tomato, a couple of carrots, some green beans. I quickly scarf the food down, not wanting to get caught anywhere near here. As I head to leave, only to stop at the trees and shove a couple of apples and a pear into my backpack, surely no one will notice. I know it isn’t much but it’s enough to sustain me for now. I look over my shoulder once more before I leave the clearing and make my way to hell.
