Run

LAKE

I can feel my heart pounding against my throat. Everyone in my family is bracing themselves as if I’m going to attack them. Riley is behind Landon as my father and I lock eyes.

Lynne is pushing through the binding I have on her. My canines and my claws are extended. I’m standing on my bed in just my underwear.

“Lake,” my father says in a warning tone, “this isn’t you. This is your animalistic side taking over. One step away from you turning rogue…”

I growl loudly, “How do you know that? Lynne is just trying to protect me!”

My father sighs heavily and stands straight up, out of his defensive stance. I brace myself for an attack as he takes a step closer.

“Protecting you against the only people who have stood by you through all this?” My father’s eyes swell with tears. “Protecting you against your family?”

I can’t remember a time I had ever seen him cry. Not even when my grandparents died a few years ago, just before my eighth grade year.

I look at Landon and Riley. Their eyes look just like my father’s. Filled with sadness and regret.

“I know I haven’t been the greatest father for you since the rejection…”

In my shock, I allow him to sit me on the mattress and take me into a hug. I can feel his tears fall on the small of my back.

“Every one of us feels as though we should have done more, Lake. We didn’t take your pain seriously once Jake came along,” Landon confesses.

“We thought you were happy. That blinded us to the truth that was so obvious just through your scent…”

Lynne feels hesitant. This new confession and their tears have thrown off her need to protect me. As she slowly inches to the back of my mind, I slowly bring my hands to my father’s shoulders.

My heart squeezes with sadness. All sense of rage I’ve been holding in has just vanished.

“I’m so sorry…,” I cry. “It just hurt so much…”

“I know, sweetie.” My father smooths my hair out of my face. “It won’t for much longer, though. Alpha Gearace of Moon Shadow is ready to claim you.”

I raise an eyebrow at him and release his hands from around me. My father has a defensive glint behind his eyes.

“Lake…,” Landon says lowly. I feel the rage all over. My claws and canines are out once again. Lynne is at the forefront.

“How dare you!” I push my father to the floor. “That’s what you’ve been doing all this time? Getting drunk and selling off your own daughter?!”

I growl loudly and get to my hands and knees. I want blood. I crave it.

Just before I land on my father, Landon tackles me in the air, and we fall out my bedroom window. The glass shatters and lands on the grass beside us.

It doesn’t take long for Lynne to shift and bare her fangs at my twin.

Glass pierces the bottom of her paws, but the pain doesn’t register. Anger is all that fills our mind.

Landon dodges Lynne as she pounces and swipes her claws toward him. My brother shifts into his wolf, Laine. His lips are curled up as his tongue makes his white teeth shine.

“Stop it!” Riley cries. “You two, stop it!”

Laine looks at his mate in concern. Lynne takes this opportunity to slash her claws across his face. He is knocked to the ground, and Lynne pounces on top of him.

My brother’s wolf struggles against mine. Biting, clawing, slashing. Anything he can do in order to break free. Grass and dirt fly between them.

This goes on until Lynne wraps her jaws around Laine’s neck.

“Lynne, enough!” My father runs out of the house with my mother. Both are panicked. “Down!”

My wolf twitches slightly at my father’s authority. Her body wants to submit, but our mind refuses. Lynne stares down our father.

“Her eyes…” My mother’s voice breaks. “Phil… Her eyes…”

As my family stares at me, Laine takes this opportunity to try his escape. Lynne growls furiously and clamps down on Laine’s throat. A chilling crack can be heard in the air.

Lynne flings Laine’s form to the ground before running to the woods.

I can tell the condition of my brother from Riley’s cries of agony echoing through the trees as Lynne leaves the territory.