He stayed

I staggered home.

For three miles, I didn't stop. I walked till I was out of the thick forest and into the heart of Stormbreaker land.

Even then I didn't stop. I walked until I was standing in front of my father's mansion, in front of the four warriors posted on the entrance of the Alpha's home and then I stopped.

I stopped because what happened in the woods happened because of those in there in that big old mansion.

Aiden and his band of nutty fuckers did what they did because of the people inside that mansion.

I didn't let him win. Why on earth would I let Akira and the rest of my screwed up family win!

And so, I staggered inside.

Dress ripped, skin on fire, bruises and lacerations throbbing with relentless pain and blood dripping down from the slash in between my legs…I staggered right inside.

I ignored the guards, stopping only when I heard voices inside the living room.

It sounded like a celebratory thing.

It sounded like a party and it was. The champagne on ice and the little snacks being hurled around in ridiculously tiny trays were evidence enough…it was a fucking party!

I paused.

Of course. They were having a blast.

I walked inside the dining room and they were all there - Akira, Michael, Diara and a boy I haven't met before.

He had blonde hair and blue eyes and if I looked hard enough through my almost swollen shut eyes, I could spot a resemblance.

"You must be Caspian" I murmured and sat down. Dipping my hand into the bucket of ice to grab a few ice for my…well, everywhere.

"Oh my God! Are you alright?!" Caspian asked and moved closer like he was some sort of doctor who also possessed magical powers.

"I'm fantastic" I tried to smile but it hurt too much, so I simply spat out the blood that pooled in my mouth on the floor. "It might be the head injury but I swear to God, we have the same chin, Caspian but that's not possible. You are a stranger I just met. Like they keep reminding me, I'm not family"

"What happened to you?" Akira asked.

I briefly turned to her, I wasn't holding my breath or anything but shouldn't seeing your child so beat up supposed to trigger some hidden maternal concern?

I saw none.

"I guess Michael made due on his threat. I guess I saw today what my future looks like without his benevolence and protection"

"And?" Michael asked me. He sat at the head of the high table, with a glass of wine in his hand waiting to hear what lesson he'd impacted.

I blinked back tears. "It was awful. It was really awful"

I managed a laugh, if I didn't know better I would say I was finally losing it.

"Aiden and his friends…on your request cut my brake, and then they tried to…" I laughed even harder.

I swear I was fucking losing my mind.

"He pushed me against the tree and then to my knees, and he pushed his dick into my mouth, Michael"

"So, you will marry Mr. Swift, right?" Michael asked me like he didn't hear what I just said. "Because it seems to me like the choice is quite clear, be Mrs Swift or be the pack's public toilet"

"Dad!" It was Caspian. He looked outraged over what he was hearing.

"Her pheromones might not affect you, Cas, because you are biologically related but don't get it twisted, walking around smelling the way she does, it's a sure way to get…"

"Assaulted?" I looked up at Michael, a genuine smile appearing on my face for the first time since I walked inside. "Oh Michael, didn't I mention I was a biter?" A rogue tear fell down my face and I wiped it off.

"What did you do?" He asked me.

"He shoved it in my mouth and so, I took a big 'ole chunk out of it and spat it out" I stood up from the chair, and wiped my mouth, trying to get the lingering taste of Aiden away from me. "But you are right. I can't stay here. I need a husband. I can't take one of second of this torture"

"So, you will marry Mr. Swift?" He asked me.

He stood up ready to accept my defeat, ready to offer up the perverted Mr Swift to his disgraceful daughter who had just learnt a lesson.

I thought about it for all of two seconds before I made my decision.

"No. I'm tired of people choosing husbands for me. This time around, I will choose for myself. I'm going to the lunar gala. I will choose there"

As I staggered back to my room, I could feel all their stares on me as Diara started wailing.

"Stop her! She's going to ruin my chances with the Prince! Daddy!" She screamed.

"Kaidaira, I forbid you from going!" Michael screamed.

I kept walking, ignoring the rest of them.

"Mama, do something!" Diara cried further and rushed into Akira's arms and just like glue, she held and comforted her.

"Don't worry, Sweetie" she whispered to her. "She's not going. How on earth will she ever afford the entry fee?! It's millions!"

I stopped briefly before I resumed walking…I hadn't even thought of that.

"I will find a way" I murmured to myself and kept walking.

I walked inside my bedroom, and the first thing I did was look at the wall clock. 6:35pm.

Just like clockwork. I looked at the cellphone in my hand, it had been damaged in my accident.

It was Tuesday.

I spent the entire weekend looking forward to 6:35pm on Tuesday.

My only link to my only friend has been severed.

I tossed the phone into the trash and veered off towards the bathroom but on a second thought, I went down the hallway to the backyard and sat down on an armchair and stared at the sky, only turning around when I heard footsteps behind me.

It was Caspian.

"So, you are my sister…my real sister" He asked and came closer.

He looked about seventeen years old, a boy taller than most, kind eyes but I have been bitten more times than I can count.

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"I want to know if…" he stopped talking and groaned a little. "I should get you to a physician. You don't look so good…" after a pause he added "sis"

"I will be healed up in an hour…two hours tops for the broken ribs. Perks of being a super wolf" I answered and tried to sit upright to look at Caspian.

He came closer, squatting in front of me, he tried to touch my bruised cheek.

"I'm sorry" he whispered.

I watched him, looking for signs of his insincerity…looking for a little bit of Michael and Akira in him but after thorough searching, I found none.

And so, I let my wall down and I let out a small cry.

"I thought I was going to die" I blinked and tears fell down my cheek and he wiped it.

"You handled yourself pretty well against Aiden" he whispered. "You kicked his ass"

"I did…until I didn't" I looked at him.

"I am a skilled fighter. Ryder made sure of it but one of the most frustrating things about being a woman is that no matter how skilled you are…an angry 250 pound man always gets the upper hand. It's infuriating!"

We sat there for a while without saying much to each other.

"I want to pay" Caspian said "I want to pay for the Lunar Gala…the entry fee, I will pay"

"Caspian, I can't take your money…"

"You can't afford not to, Kai. A mirror will tell you that. I can pay for you to go…I don't have enough to secure your entrance into the inner Saturn party of the Lunar Gala like Dad did for Diara but I can get you to the first floor…"

"Caspian"

"I know. It's not much. People on the first level are mostly unmated second rate citizens looking for scraps from the Saturn party. But we might be lucky and you might find someone decent…someone who would love you and I promise, if you don't, I will take you away from here…and you can come live with me in school in the human world. It's not so bad there" he looked at me "Please, say yes"

I watched him and then I smiled. "Yes" I nodded vigorously.

I will gladly take the scraps from the Saturn party if it gets me away from here.

"Great!" Caspian stood up. "I will set it up"

He looked happy as he handed me his phone and rushed out. He must have noticed that my phone got ruined in the attack.

I simply dialed his number. Strangely he picked.

"Hello…Hello"

I pressed a hand to my mouth to stop myself from making a sound.

"Hello…is anyone there?"

Tears ran down my face as I clasped my palm over my mouth to stop myself from making a sound. If I spoke he would know…he would recognize my voice.

"Hello" There was a pause. "Kai"

When he said my name, I let the hand go and I cried harder than I have ever done in my life.

He stayed on the line. He didn't say a word. And all I did was cry.

Ryder stayed on the line.