A Wolf's Duty (2 page)

“Alex, it’s daddy,” she
rushed, “he’s not himself.”

“Is he drinking again mum?
He promised he wouldn’t, he swore to us.”

“I know sweetheart, but we
haven’t got much time. Stay here. Whatever happens don’t come out.
Promise me.”

“Natasha! Where are you? I
know you slept with him! Come here you slut. I’m gonna teach you a
lesson!”

Both mother and daughter
visibly shuddered as Fred's slurred voice echoed through the
halls.

“Mum, you can’t do this.
He doesn’t know what he’s doing when he’s like this. Hide with
me!”

“Where are you, you filthy
whore?!” His voice was closer now and their fear multiplied
correspondingly.

“Promise me you’ll stay
here. Promise me!” she hissed.

Surprised at the vehemence
in her mother’s usually calm voice, Alexandria found herself
nodding in agreement.

Smiling in relief, Natasha
gave her a quick hug before closing the door and stepping back.
Watching through a slim gap in the doors, Alex saw her father walk
in.

“There you are Natasha;
I’ve been looking for you.” Fred’s voice was sickly sweet as he
approached his wife and she trembled in response as his large meaty
hands clasped her shoulder. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he
raged, spittle flying in her face. “I know you fucked
him.”

“Who Fred? I don’t know
what you’re talking about. I haven’t slept with anyone honey, I
love you, you know that.” She smiled gently, hoping to convince him
of her innocence.

“LIAR! I know you had sex
with him. Just admit it. Tell me the truth you slut.” He shook her
with every word, convinced of her guilt.

Help us,
someone help us.
Alexandria thought, hoping
against all odds that someone would come to their aid.
I’ll even take one of his drinking friends right
now. I’m desperate, someone help us.
Her
mind screamed though no sound emerged from her mouth.

Displeased with Natasha’s
silence, Fred decided to try a different tactic. “Where’s the kid
she’ll tell me the truth about your whoring ways. Where is
she?”

Natasha’s eyes
widened in fear for her daughter and what would happen to her if
she were found and her usual weakness momentarily disappeared. “I
did it,” she mumbled. The lies felt like cotton in her mouth, but
she continued for her daughter’s sake.
She’d never survive one of his rages, she’s so small.
“I fucked him.” Fred’s grip loosened, his arms
instead forming fists at his sides. “BITCH!” he yelled, slapping
her full across the face and sending her spinning into Alexandria's
desk. Her head hit a sharp corner and she slumped to the
ground.

Forgetting her mother’s
earlier warning Alexandria sprung from the closet quickly reaching
Natasha's side. “Mum. Mum,” she sobbed, reaching over to gently
shake her. “Wake up mum.” Gently cupping her head, Alexandria was
alarmed to find her small fingers quickly being covered in a warm
liquid. Removing her hands she was astounded to find the liquid was
red.

Blood! Mum
don’t die! I love you. Oh god someone help us!
she shrieked within her mind, her body numb and unresponsive
to her demands.

…someone help
us!
The anguished cry tore through Tobias’
mind forcing him to leave the land of sleep. His fangs were fully
elongated and dripping with the desire to maim and destroy. His
eyes had shifted to their predatory amber, easily piercing the
darkness of his room. Looking down at his hands he found that they
had become claws and in his transition, had shredded the bedding.
The cry came again, stronger and he clutched his head in
agony.

What the hell
is going on?

Help
us,
the voice sobbed.

Who are
you?

Either the voice couldn’t
hear him or was choosing to ignore him but no response was given
but the tears continued and each felt like a knife to Tobias’
heart.

Stop crying,
you’re killing me here,
he snapped
clutching his chest as his heart continued to stutter in time with
her tears. The tears continued regardless, forcing him to adopt a
different method. Calming his ragged breaths, he tried to reach for
the person on the other end, forcing himself past his physical
limits. He felt his mind calm and centre on hers and he enveloped
her in his strength and warmth. The sobs stopped and he breathed
deep in relief, as the scent of vanilla entered his nose his eyes
snapped open and the connection was broken.

“My mate,” he whispered in
awe as his body’s reaction became clear. “She’s young, no wonder I
hadn’t found her yet.” A frown appeared on his face as he
remembered the tone of her voice and her anxious words. “She’s
hurt. Someone had the audacity to harm what’s mine,” he snarled,
ripping the remains of the shredded sheets from himself and
standing. He felt his muscles tense, urging him to change fully and
enact revenge on her behalf. “I’m coming for you little one. I’ll
find you soon enough.”

Chapter
Two

4 years later

“Alex! Alex! Get your lazy
ass out of bed before I drag you out of it!” Fred’s voice easily
woke her from her sleep. She was a light sleeper, she had learned
to be and it had kept her from major harm over the years.
Scrambling out of bed in response to his summons, she quickly
pulled on a large shirt over her small pyjama top, money was tight
and new clothes that fit her were a rare thing and so she had to
make do with what was available.

No time for
shoes,
she thought glancing briefly at her
battered pair of trainers before looking out of her window at the
rising sun.
It doesn’t look that cold, if
he locks me out again I’ll survive.
The
last time he had done such a thing, it had snowed and she had been
sure that her toes would be frostbitten but the neighbours had
begun to complain and he had been forced to let her back
in.

Hurrying down
the corridor she quickly appeared in the kitchen guessing that was
where her father’s voice had come from. She forced her breathing to
even out, as Fred disliked it immensely when she was huffing to
catch her breath and judging from the look of disgust on his face
she was going to need every advantage she could get this morning.
Standing in the doorway she briefly took in the monster known as
her father, finding it hard to believe that they were actually
related. His dark skin had become sallow from years of alcohol
abuse and his face was etched with deep frown lines, Fred wasn’t a
man known for laughter. His large belly seemed to grow each year
and she briefly wondered if he would one day be unable to stand up
right at the rate it seemed to grow. She met his gaze and saw that
his dark brown eyes had narrowed to slits.
Bugger, I shouldn’t have just stood here like an idiot. Now
I’m in trouble.
Despite her natural
instinct to turn and run, experience had taught her that that would
only result in further injury and so she shuffled
forward.

“What took you so long?”
Fred snapped.

Lowering her head and
pointedly refusing to meet his gaze, she waited for him to get to
the point. Experience had again taught her that he didn’t want an
answer to that question.

A moment of silence passed
before Fred continued. “It’s Friday,” he noted.

Alexandria
inwardly groaned at the reminder.
I must
be the only person alive who hates Friday, a whole week gone
already and tomorrow will be Saturday and I’ll be stuck here, with
him. And work has so graciously gone and given me the entire
weekend off. I told them I didn’t want it but they were so
insistent.
She almost groaned aloud as the
memory came to the front of her mind.

She had been
speaking to her manager Ruth, who had just returned from a week
holiday in Barbados and was determined to spread the
joy.

“You know
Alex, I can’t remember the last time you had a day off,” Ruth
commented offhand.

“That’s
because she’s never taken one.” A passing co-worker inserted before
moving on.

“That’s
ridiculous,” Ruth spluttered. “You’ve been working here almost two
years and you’ve never had a day off? You’re taking one.” She
insisted.

“No it’s ok
Ruth, I don’t really want one and I need the money.”

“Everybody
needs a day off work once in a while and you’re a student too, I’m
sorry but you can’t need the money that badly. Plus I don’t want to
be accused of over working my employees. You’re taking this weekend
off and that’s the end of this conversation.” She turned on her
heel and left before Alex could even try to contradict
her.

“Bugger,” she
swore as Ruth left her line of sight, “a whole weekend with Fred.
Forty-eight whole hours with the monster in that prison…I’ll be
lucky if I can even walk on Monday.”

Pulling her mind out of
the past and back to the present she was relieved to find that Fred
hadn’t said anything while her mind was strolling memory lane,
apparently waiting for a response. “Oh, yeah it is.”

“It’s also the last Friday
of the month which means you get paid today.”

I was hoping
he’d forget that. I don’t know why I even get my hopes up anymore.
He never forgets to take my money.

“My friends are coming
round tonight. I want you to take the money and buy us some drinks.
Make sure you get some vodka, the good stuff. I expect it to be
here when we get back.”

She lifted her head and
her mouth had opened before she could censor the words that left
it. “All that alcohol isn’t good for you.”

If possible, his eyes
managed to narrow further and he gave her a thorough once over,
starting from her legs and intensely scanning the short distance
between them and her eyes. His gaze locked with her own and she
noted in horror that the vein on the side of his head was thick and
pulsating. Gasping at the realisation she dropped her head so her
chin was tucked firmly against her chest. Fred pushed himself off
from the counter that he had been leaning on and walked over to his
daughter. Grasping her chin between his fat fingers he squeezed and
pulled her head up so that their eyes once again met.

“You know every year that
passes, you remind me more and more of that slut, your mother.
Yeah, your skins not the same but your eyes... those eyes of yours
are exactly the same. Sometimes she would even have the nerve to
talk back and disagree with me just like you just did.”

Alexandria fought back the
tears that threatened to emerge as a result of his words; she knew
where this speech ended and didn’t want to give him the pleasure of
seeing her cry. His fingers left her face before his palm returned,
slapping her full across the face. Struggling for balance she felt
her head spin and struggled to regain sense of her
surroundings.

“The drinks had better be
here when I get back; no excuses.”

Her eyes shut tight she
fought to distract her mind from the throbbing in her cheek. He
turned away and she judged from his footsteps that he was leaving,
her thoughts were confirmed when she heard the loud slam of the
door. Knowing that he was gone, she allowed herself to crumple to
the ground and let the tears fall. Feeling her already bruised ribs
protest at her position she struggled to her feet, leaning against
a wall as tears blurred her vision. Forcing her legs to comply she
made it to her room and threw herself onto the bed. Forcing a hand
into the pillowcase she pulled out her most prized possession, a
picture of her and her mother together.

“I’m almost there mum. I’m
almost free. I’ll be twenty one in about a month with
qualifications and then I’m out of here. I’ve nearly got enough for
plane tickets although I’m not sure how I’m gonna get the rest of
the money. Fred’s keeping an even tighter grip on any money I get,
but I’ll do it mum, for you. I’ll be free and live to the fullest
for both of us.”

The tears cleared as she
felt a familiar warmth envelop her mind. “Thank you,” she whispered
to the unknown sensation. “I don’t know what I’d have done without
you, probably gone crazy. Gone crazy?” she chuckled. “I’m thanking
a foreign feeling in my head. I AM crazy.” Looking over at the
small clock on the wall she jolted out of bed. “I’m going to be
late,” she shrieked dressing quickly for university.

Her going to
university had been the one thing that her mother had fought Fred
for when she was alive and Alex intended to ensure that her
mother’s wish to see her complete her studies would come true.
While she was aware that she was an adult and it was well with in
her rights to simply leave Fred and never come back here again,
things had never worked out well for her when she had tried to
leave in the past. Grabbing her bag, she thanked whatever forces
were out there that she had packed it the night before and headed
out the door.
Twenty-one, a degree, sweet
freedom and a new life away from here. Everything I do, I do for
those goals. I have to take each day a step at a time. Pretty soon
it will bye bye Fred and hello world.