My Alpha, My Home

    Amber sat in her room listening to them argue again.   Her step-mother, Briana, was a piece of work.  Ever since Amber’s father remarried after his mate’s death, life had taken an even worse turn.  Her birth mother died in a car accident ten years ago when Amber was only six.  Grieving and not knowing how to care for a little girl on his own, Carl remarried on his Alpha’s advice to Briana in an attempt to strengthen the alliance between their pack, Black Alder, and the neighbouring pack, Shadow Rock.      Briana brought three children with her to the marriage; Tyler who was now twenty-two, and twins Lauren and Brenda who were the same age as Amber, sixteen.  While Tyler was quiet and kept to himself, the twins were quite possibly worse than their mother.  They insistently bullied Amber from day one, calling her names because she was a few pounds heavier than the twins’ size zero frames, and repeating the words Briana used to tell her over and over… That they were not family and they would never be family.  Their bullying caused Amber to doubt herself; she felt like an outsider within her own pack and kept from going to as many pack events as possible.  She only had one friend, Stacy, who she had known since before her mother’s death.     “It’s making me look bad!” Briana screamed at Amber’s dad, Carl.  “I don’t personally care whether or not Amber goes to pack events but people are starting to ask where she is.  She’s sixteen!  She’s supposed to be at pack events now that she’s at an age where her mate can recognize her scent.  I am tired of being asked where she is!”     “I don’t know what to tell you, Briana,” Carl said exasperated.  “I cannot drag her to the events.  I’ll talk to her but that’s all I can promise you.  There’s a damn reason she doesn’t want to go out and it’s because of you and your girls.”      The house went silent before the front door slammed and Briana’s car was heard screeching out of the driveway.  Amber had never heard her dad admit to his wife that she and her twins were the reason Amber did not want to go out.      Amber heard her dad’s footsteps coming up the stairs and toward her room before he knocked on her door.      “You can come in dad.”     Carl opened the door and sighed, “I guess you heard all of that.”     He walked over to Amber who sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her knees to her chest and sat down.  He looked exhausted.  They sat in silence for a moment before Carl finally spoke.     “I hate to agree with her right now but Briana is right.  You have to start going to pack events.  I understand why you don’t want to, but pack rules dictate that you have to go now that you’re sixteen and recognizable by your mate.”     Silence met his comment.     Carl sighed again.  “Amber, I get it.  I really do.  I know that it’s hard, especially with Briana and the twins.  If you don’t start attending pack events though, soon Alpha Gunner is going to start taking notice of the whispers of your absence and neither of us wants to deal with that.”     Amber didn’t speak for a moment while she collected her thoughts even to form words.      “I know dad,” Amber whispered.   “I know, but I’m scared to go and be rejected by everyone like the twins say I will be.  I mean, they’re right, who would want to be saddled with me?  I’m boring and plain looking and I’m not thin like the twins.”  At that, a tear slid down Amber’s cheek before she could wipe it away.     “Amber, let me tell you something,” her dad said.  “You’re not boring and you sure as hell as not plain-looking.  You look so much like your mother that it almost hurts sometimes, and she was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen still to this day.  The only thing you’re right about is that you’re not thin like the twins.  But, Lauren and Brenda are skin and bones; you have curves that, and it pains me as your father to say this, but you have the kind of curves that would drive a male werewolf crazy.  Anyone would be lucky to have you.”     Amber sat in silence for a moment before her dad sighed again.     “You need to get ready sweetheart. We have a pack bonfire tonight and I need you to go.”   With that, Carl left his daughter’s bedroom hoping to hell and back that she was ready to leave in the next few hours.