Chapter 23

Ellie

~Flashback~

I jolted awake as freezing water splashed over me. The pain was excruciating.

I glanced down and saw blood mingling with the water.

I must have passed out when the guard commander was whipping me.

His chuckle echoed in my ears.

“One last thing so you remember who’s in charge,” he sneered.

Another guard seized my arms, pinning them to the ground. I tried to fight back, but even the slightest movement sent waves of pain through me.

Then I heard it. The sound of a belt being unbuckled, followed by the noise of a zipper. The rustle of fabric. His hands were on my bottom, pulling my cheeks apart.

I screamed and struggled, ignoring the pain from the whips.

Suddenly, a new wave of pain washed over me as I felt something hard penetrating me, tearing my insides.

I screamed again, but it wasn’t a scream. I was shocked to realize the noise had come from me.

It was a sound so primal it sounded like a wild animal. It came from deep within me. A growl that split the air.

Whatever he was doing, he stopped. I felt a moment of relief as whatever had been inside me was removed.

The guard who had been holding my arms jumped back.

“What the fuck!” he exclaimed, fear tingeing his voice.

The commander grabbed my arms and flung me across the room.

“I knew it. You’re a fucking cross-breed runt. Even your records say your age is approximate,” he spat.

He stormed over to me and grabbed me by the throat, pinning me against the wall.

The cold wall felt oddly soothing against my lacerated back.

He pulled a gun from his holster and pressed it to my temple.

“I should fucking kill you now, you little feral bastard,” he spat.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“But I won’t,” he sneered, “you’re stronger than most, so you can work twice as hard.”

He released his grip on my neck, and I crumpled to the floor.

I felt the cold barrel of the gun against my forehead.

“If you tell anyone what you are or what happened here, I swear I’ll find you and blow your fucking little half-breed brain out, do you understand?” He growled.

I nodded quickly.

“You,” he spat at one of the guards, “get her some clothes and then bring her out front.”

He stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.

The guard tossed me the clothes I’d arrived in. I put them on, hoping the blood wouldn’t stain them too much.

I whimpered when he grabbed me. Pain radiated from every part of my body.

He dragged me into the room where I had first arrived.

The commander glared at me, his eyes raking over my body in disgust.

“If you're an example of those mutts then I don’t know why we have a truce,” he spat.

Then he smirked, and reached into a drawer. He pulled out a syringe.

“We don’t want you healing too quickly, do we,” he scoffed.

Before I knew what was happening, he had jabbed the syringe into the back of my neck.

I collapsed to my knees. Whatever it was, it was agony. My head was spinning and my legs wouldn’t function.

“Put the little freak back to work and tell them half rations until I tell them otherwise,” he spat.

The guard dragged me to the main door and tossed me outside into the dirt.

~End of Flashback~

Daddy looked at me, disappointment in his eyes. I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t one of them, I wasn’t human either. I didn’t belong anywhere. Maybe killing me was the best thing.

I didn’t even understand how I could be half werewolf and half human. Not when I was born over the border. I didn’t know then, and I didn’t know now. I tried to forget.

I always wondered if Mommy and Daddy knew. Is that why they gave me away to the bad men? Because I was born wrong. Born bad.

“No one is going to kill you, Ellie. I said I would protect you and I will,” Daddy whispered.

I shook my head.

“I don’t belong anywhere. I’m a freak,” I whimpered.

Daddy took my chin firmly in his hand.

“Look at me, Ellie. You’re not a freak. You’re a very special little girl.”

He looked at me and sighed.

“Did your brother know? Is he the same as you?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

I heard him growl, he was angry with me.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” I whimpered.

He stopped growling immediately and ran his fingers through my hair.

“Did the same person do this to you? The whipping, the drowning...everything else? Did he call you a freak and threaten to kill you?”

I nodded. I guessed it didn’t matter now. It didn’t matter because he knew everything. Anything he didn’t know he’d already guessed.

His thumb stroked my cheek.

“Tell me, Ellie, one more thing. Do you know why you didn’t heal?”

I nodded.

“He put something in me, a needle. It hurt and I couldn’t get up for a while,” I admitted.

Daddy picked me up and carried me through to the kitchen. He set me down on the counter while he made me some hot milk. He put a spoonful of something in it, from a jar.

“Drink this, pickle, it’ll help you sleep,” he urged as he handed me a cup.

I took a sip; it was milk and honey.

“I want you to promise me something, Ellie,” Daddy began, “I want you to promise me that if you’re ever worried about anything, you’ll tell me and never try to run away?”

I took a sip of the milk and frowned.

“You still want me?” I asked.

Daddy kissed my forehead.

“You silly little pickle, of course I do. You’re my little pup now, and I will always want you. I’ll always look after you.”

I couldn’t wrap my head around why he wasn’t mad. Why he didn’t want to push me away. Even with everything he now knew. Even after my attempt to escape.

“I swear I won’t try to run again,” I murmured.

Dad gently took the cup from my grasp and placed it aside.

Then he scooped me up and carried me back to my room. He drew back the covers, tucked me in, and then pulled the covers back over me.

“How did you figure out I wasn’t really asleep?” I asked, my eyelids growing heavy.

Dad let out a soft laugh.

“I’m your dad, sweetie. It’s my job to know things like that.”

I let out a yawn.

“Are you still going to cut my hand tomorrow?” I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

Dad planted a kiss on my forehead.

“Sometimes, sweetie, we have to do things we don’t really want to. Now that we know you’re part werewolf, it’s crucial for you to be part of a pack...”

His voice started to fade into the background as I fought to stay awake.

My eyelids grew heavier, my thoughts became fuzzy as the fatigue from the day’s events started to take over, until I finally succumbed to a dreamless sleep.