A Christmas Wish

CHAPTER 6: A BAD START.

I woke this morning, forgetting for a moment where I was. I reached across the bed and felt the cold of the empty sheets next to me. Opening my eyes, I took in my surroundings, and the events of yesterday came flooding back all at once. My heart broke all over again, and I let the tears flow. Pulling the heavy blanket tighter around myself, I figured that i may as well just stay here today. Just curl up in this bed and disappear from the world for the day. I just wanted to be alone with my pain and sorrow to let myself grieve for the life and love that I had lost. I felt someone trying to mind link me but blocked it. I didn't want to speak to anyone right now and figured that it would probably just be Charlie, and he would understand.

A loud knocking on the front door a short while later made me jump, but still I didn't get up, just muttered under my breath for whoever it was to go away. I was too lost in my own misery right now to deal with anyone else. Moments later, my bedroom door crashed open, and Luke strolled in. He looked at me, clutching the blanket to my chest in shock and sneered. "Your brother wants to see you," he said. I sighed, "I will be there in a bit," I told him, my voice still shaky from crying. "I wouldn't keep him waiting if I were you, and clean yourself up, you look disgusting," he laughed cruelly. He walked out, leaving the door to my bedroom wide open.

I forced myself out of the bed and quickly pulled on a royal blue silk blouse and black jeans. I looked in the bathroom mirror and pulled a face, Luke was right. I looked terrible. I washed my face and pulled my hair into a bun. I took a few deep breaths and headed outside, grabbing my bag on the way. At least I could go and grab some groceries while I was out. I jumped into my car so that it would be easier to go shopping later and drove it up to the pack house, wondering the whole way what my brother wanted. I highly doubted that he wanted to see how I was feeling, or if I was okay in there, there was anything that I needed. That would be far too considerate for him. I thought about our conversation yesterday and remembered him saying that he would be finding me a job, but surely it couldn't be that, could it? Even an emotionally stunted bully like David would realise that I would need a little time to settle in and process my emotions, wouldn't he?

I had reached his office door at this point and knocked it, still a little unsure what to expect. "Get the f**k in here now!" I heard his voice call out angrily. I pushed the door open and entered. David was sat in his big leather chair behind his desk and my parents were over on the sofa in front of the window. I remembered how I had loved sitting in front of that window as a child. It had a wonderful view of the pack. "WHO THE f**k ARE YOU?" David roared at me. My attention was firmly on him now, but I was confused. "What?" I asked. He got to his feet and stepped out from behind his desk. "I said, Who the f**k are you?" he repeated, his voice quieter now, but the emphasis on certain words threw me. I wasn't sure what was going on right now. "I am your sister," I answered. That seemed to annoy him more. "You are no one, do you hear me? You are no one!" he said, his tone low and full of venom. I glanced nervously at my parents, but that seemed to make things worse.

In seconds, David was in front of me. "Look at me when I am talking to you. I am your Alpha! How f*****g dare you block my mind link!" he spat, his hand coming down sharply across my cheek. I cried out as a red hot pain throbbed where he had hit me. "Now, Son, she is still a part of this family," my mother tried to intervene on my behalf. "She is a f*****g embarrassment! We were linked with one of the most influencial packs in the area, now we are a laughing stock. All because of her," he said. My mother looked at the ground, clearly she agreed with his words and was done defending me. "I have had to offer to host this years Snow Ball, just to try and save a bit of f*****g dignity for this pack," he continued. I looked up at him, surprised. The Blue Moon pack hadn't hosted anything in years, and the Snow Ball was a huge deal. "Guess who is going to make sure that our ballroom is sparkling and up to standard," he snarled. I gulped. The last time that I saw the pack's ballroom, it wasn't in the greatest shape. He moved closer until I could feel his hot breath on my face. "And, it had better be perfect or else," he said, his tone making me shiver.

He moved away and returned to his chair. "Oh, and you are to start work in the kitchens too. You will report to Mrs Bury immediately, and she will give you your rota and uniform." he said, waving a hand dismissively in the air. "David, who else is helping with the ballroom, so I know who to speak with about it?" I asked. he looked up sharpley. "I already told you that you are to address me as Alpha," he snapped, his fist clenching. "No one will be helping you. I already said that you are to get it sorted," he added. I didn't want to anger him further, but I must have misunderstood him. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but how am I supposed to get the ballroom ready by myself? especially if I am working in the kitchens too," I asked. He smiled, a sickly, twisted grin up at me as he calmly said, "That's your problem, and if it doesn't get done, leading to any further embarrassment for this family then you will spend the next year living in the pack dungeons instead of the lovely cabin that I have kindly provided for you," I knew that arguing was futile and my face was sti; stinging from the last slap, I didn't want another so I just nodded. "Yes, Alpha," I said quietly as I left.