I groan with every step leading to my room, wincing in pain. Life is unbearable! That thought floats through my head as I slip out of my worn-out clothes and into some plain, comfortable black sweats and a long-sleeved black shirt. With Finn still helping me now and then, protecting me from Beta Caspian and Miss Piper as best as he can, he's the only other ray of hope as my eighteenth birthday draws closer. The thought of meeting my mate, breaking free from Deep Water, and never seeing this pack again after graduation is the only thing that makes me smile as I lock the door to my room and open the window. It's midnight, and the moon shines down at me while the wind brings a much-needed breath of fresh air. The leaves of the large sugar maple tree next to my window rustle in the breeze, bringing the delectable scent of maple inside.
The tree is a luxury that Finn managed to convince the Betas to let me keep when they realized the room I was put in almost eleven years ago was so terrifying that I'd never try to sneak out and run away. But I've learned how to use the tree to my advantage. I remembered the first night I spent in the attic, the tapping on the glass and shadows cast by the sugar maple tree scaring me so badly I was unable to sleep. Curled up under the duvet cover, shaking like a leaf in the wind, until morning when I mustered enough courage to peer outside and see the tree standing tall and proud with bright red leaves. Finn promptly taught me how to sneak out using the window and the tree, and Beta Caspian and Lady Piper were none the wiser to their son teaching their disowned daughter how to climb in and out of the attic with the help of a seemingly useless tree. With practice every night, almost getting caught by patrols, by age nine, I had mastered sneaking out unnoticed.
With sure footing after sneaking out the window, I shimmy down the tree with deft movements and land silently on the grass-covered earth. Blending into the shadows, I look around and listen for a moment, making sure no one is near or awake and watching the pack grounds, before sprinting towards the safety and covering the forest provides. At the pack house, I may only have a few friends, but outside, deep in the hidden valley, I have Genesis and the Unicorns to keep me company.
With a wide grin hidden behind the mask I wear, I make my way towards the river, keeping my footsteps light and body hidden in the shadows. The calming scent of water and the sounds of the waterfall draw nearer, and I pick up speed, letting the glow of the moon guide me. My eighteenth birthday is drawing close, and the thought of being free from this place again brings a sort of giddiness inside my battered heart as I pass through the hidden entrance and into the tunnel. The magic in the air breathes life into me with each step until I enter the meadow, the scene glowing with moonlight and the wind bringing a sweet scent that washes over me.
"You're late," the musical voice of the Elf reaches me just in time for me to dodge to the right, reflexes having me backflip away to a comfortable distance. Genesis chuckles, her eyes holding mischief while the Elf and I stare at each other.
"Sorry about that, but I am still here for training, like always, Liz," I answer, rushing forward and throwing a handful of loose soil into her face. This gives me an opening, and I jump over the ancient one and quickly unsheathe the sword strapped to Genesis's back. Spinning around just in time to block the blow sent my way, the blades meeting with a clang, the two of us waiting for an opening. My body is already sore from the punishment I received earlier this day, and it's a struggle to keep my positions with the blades locked against each other, sweat building on my forehead.
With a deep breath, I drop to the ground, bringing my right leg around and sweeping out the Elf's legs from under her, then quickly dodging to the left while Genesis lets out a surprised gasp behind me. But I am too slow, and as I spin around, ready for the next attack, I barely dodge the blade wielded by my mentor but not the bunch thrown to my left side. I gasp, my body flying backward as the punch activates the pain from the large purple bruise made by Caspian himself.
"What took you so long to get here?" Genesis questions, her slow steps walking towards me. Too focused on the pain, I ignored her question and curled my body in on itself, trying to breathe through the pain and pleading for it to settle down.
"Mads?" The footsteps stop, and the sound of a dull thud hitting the ground alerts me to the sword fight I am supposed to continue with Genesis, but my body refuses to move. Even when I really wanted to keep practicing and fighting. I did not want to be weak anymore, and Genesis promised to make me stronger.
"Madison, they beat you again, didn't they?" Genesis's voice was filled with concern. By "they," she meant the pack and the Beta couple. Today, I was lucky that Finn was on patrol when this happened; otherwise, he would have been forced to watch and participate in handing out the punishment. Neither of us could refuse an order, and a public beating, where every wolf but an Omega could partake, was a fan favorite among the pack.
Warm hands cupped my cheeks as I looked into the concerned eyes of my friend, her brows furrowed above me while I forced myself to take slow, steady, deep breaths. The pain was still fresh, and my body ached from the beating I endured. "I spilt water while in a rush to serve dinner. They beat me in the middle of the dining room as punishment, then made me drag myself out to the foyer while everyone else ate and chatted away like nothing happened," I started, my voice shaky as I recalled the torment.
Tears formed in my eyes at the pain I felt while fifty wolves surrounded me after Beta Bastien grabbed my hair and dragged me to the middle of the room. His steel-toed boots connected with my rib cage as he screamed at me for being a clumsy, useless idiot who could do nothing right. The crowd mocked and laughed while I rolled into a ball and covered my head, silent tears streaming down my face. I had learned long ago not to make a sound, knowing that the crowd loses interest when the wolf is beaten as punishment is quiet and accepts their fate.
"When Lilly and Misbah rushed to my side and helped me clean and bandage my wounds, it was late, and it took a little longer to finish chores. That's why I was late," I continued, feeling my friend taking the sword still grasped in my hand and throwing it behind her.
"You don't have to explain everything to me, little wolf. Just cry it out," she said gently. And with her words, I cried. My sobs filled the air while Genesis cradled my body in her arms, her hands clutching at the pastel pink tunic she wore while her fingers ran through my curls. She hummed a lullaby while my heart twisted with pain and grief. Almost everyone in my pack hated me, blaming me for the death of Alpha Artemis and Luna Everleigh. Being a weak wolf who had not shifted at sixteen like the rest of my peers made me an easy target for their abuse.
That's why Genesis agreed to train me the Elven way, as a way to protect myself against any sneak attack unjustly thrown my way inside the pack house. Between my exhaustion, tears, and the pain in my heart and body, my sobs turned into sniffles soon, the little energy I had left leaving me even weaker. I hated this feeling. The feeling of weakness and helplessness. My life had revolved around this feeling since that day eleven years ago.
"Feel better?" Genesis asked, her worry still evident in her voice. All I could manage was a nod, her calming scent wrapping around me, making me drowsy. I felt safe in her arms, something akin to motherly love from her.
"Come on, Madison, let's get you into the hot springs to heal, Little Wolf," she sighed, pulling away and giving me a soft smile. She helped me to my feet, her arms wrapping around me as I leaned on her six-foot frame for support. The hot springs, located fifteen meters away from the entrance, were surrounded by moonflowers, their magic emitting a welcoming warmth.
Genesis frowned as she helped me undress, leaving only my undergarments on and the multitude of bruises and scars littering my worn-out body to her view. She stayed silent, her forest green eyes giving me a once-over before helping me crawl into the shallow basin and laying me down gently.
A comfortable feeling washed through every pore of my body as the healing effect of the water took hold quickly. My prism-colored hair floated around me as I stared at the silver-white moon above. I did not heal the same way as normal wolves. Being unable to shift when I turned sixteen effectively left me as a strong human, an even bigger disappointment in the pack.
I had no wolf form, meaning the quick healing every wolf is born with never took effect for me, leaving my curvy body littered with bruising and scarring that took days, sometimes weeks or months to heal. If I could get to Genesis and the hot springs, then my body would be blemish-free. Sometimes that took days or weeks to happen if my punishment was severe.
"Mads, when will you leave the pack? We both know you are not safe there, Little Wolf," Genesis's voice was filled with sadness, and her eyes shone with unshed tears for me. At three thousand and some odd years old, Genesis looked no older than thirty. Her lithe body, filled with muscles meant for fighting, and her long hair splayed out around her made many envious. If it weren't for her long pointed ears, she could be a model in the human realm.
"My high school graduation is tomorrow. So is my eighteenth birthday. If I find my mate then, I'll stay. If not, then I...I will leave." Genesis was right. I had spent eleven years being abused for a situation out of my control. Staying here would only put my life at risk. The problem was leaving Genesis and the Unicorns behind. It was the only reason I was hesitant to leave in the past. But once I graduated, I would have no more ties keeping me here. Finn had already stated he would leave, as would Lilly and Misbah. If I could convince Genesis, we could find a place to settle down outside pack territory where the Unicorns would be safe.
"I wish I could watch you walk across that stage tomorrow, Mads, but I have to stay here and protect the Unicorns," Genesis sighed, holding a towel up for me. I smiled at my friend and accepted the towel, wrapping it around my body and sitting on the edge of the hot spring as we stared up at the moon.
"If it weren't for the school being shut down for renovations after exams, I would have walked across the stage already," I chuckled. Genesis would be busy with both protecting the Unicorns and dealing with the magic the harvest moon would provide. Even if I asked my friend to join me for my graduation, being isolated from the world for hundreds of years would bring a culture shock to the Elf.
We chatted for about an hour, and with a final sigh, I dressed in my black clothing and bid farewell to Genesis and the Unicorns before making my way back to the pack house before anyone could notice my disappearance. The night was still young, and I had a lot to plan for my future outside Deep Water.
