Wolves don't get fairytales

*Cassandra POV*     When you read fairytales, you expect fairytales. When you grow up in a family that hates you, you expect that when you grow up, a handsome prince will come take you away. But now I'm all grown up and I'm still waiting for my prince.     My 18th birthday was coming up in two days, and my inner wolf was itching to run in excitement. I was hoping I would meet my mate as soon as possible, so he'd take me away from this hell hole.      Waking up before the sun was up, I stretched out on my itchy straw mattress. Sighing softly as I stood, grabbing my last clean set of clothes- thank the moon goddess I was doing laundry today- and changed.     I was still exhausted, I'd been up all night cleaning the house. Climbing down from my loft in the barn, I said good morning to the animals before going out to wash my face at the water pump. My family was rather old fashioned, keeping up a farm for the pack.     I went inside, starting breakfast for my family. If you could even call them that, they hate that they're related to me. My dad hates me because my mother, his mate, died giving birth to me, and he blames me for her death. My step mother hates me because my presence reminds her that my father had a wife before her, that he'd loved another person. And that my presence takes away from her own daughter and son- twins, only a year younger than me.      It was easy to tell I was prettier than her Daughter, with my heart shaped face and full lips. My hair was a nice shade of brown, while hers was a weird brassy orange blonde.      My father doted on his wife and other children. Bought them everything they ever wanted, and made me do everything around the house. He even looked the other way while my step mother beat me.      I'd learned to be quiet, they ignored me more when I was silent. I'd lost my spirit, with only my wolf to talk to me. She was the only one who cared about me. She was what kept me going. Her name was Calypso. Calypso knew everything about me, she knew exactly what to say to keep me going.      I could hear the house stirring as my father woke up, I could hear the soft murmurs of him talking to his wife, then the pipes as they brought water to his shower.      Hurrying to get everything done before she came down, I plated the pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I blended 'Mothers' and Susan's healthy smoothies. Sometimes I'd wanted to add worms to them just to see if they'd be able to taste them over all the kale, but I never did. I didn't need to give her another reason to beat me.     I set the table as I heard 'Mother' come down the stairs after waking Susan and Harvey. I finished just as she got to the last step and quickly retreated back to the kitchen. Two more days and I could leave, I could be out. I just hoped my mate could see past all the rumors my sister had spread. She wanted everyone to hate me as much as Mother did. And it worked, I was abused at the pack school too, and nothing I did made it any better.      It was silent as everyone gathered in the dining room, and I snuck a few pieces of food- they didn't allow me to eat with them, or hardly eat at all. The most food I got was at school, and yet I still had to hide somewhere to eat it so no one dumped it all over me.     "Damn it Cassandra! I told you I want my eggs over easy!" Susan's nasally voice cried from the dining room. s**t. Great, it didn't matter that she'd never told me that. I heard my step mother's chair scrape against the floor as he abruptly stood. Her footsteps pounded into the kitchen where I stood against the wall.      "You ungrateful piece of s**t! You can't do anything right! My daughter deserves whatever she wants! And she wants her eggs over easy!" She pulled her hand back and slapped me, hard. I saw stars for a moment before her food came up and kicked me in the stomach, causing me to fall to my knees with a cry of pain.     My whimper makes her angrier, and she sends another kick to my ribs. I hear a crack, and my eyes widen. That's going to hurt for a while, though it's not the first time she's broken my bones.     She beats me like that for another fifteen minutes before she's finally taken out her anger. She lets out a sigh, straightens her clothes, and goes back to the dining room to finish eating.      I pick myself up, and Calypso tells me she's proud of me for getting up again. I internally laugh. Slowly, I leave the kitchen and head out the back door to go back to the water pump. I do my best to clean any blood from myself, then set out to do my chores for the day. Tending to the chickens and the sheep. Wow, wolves keeping sheep, I know, but we do. We love lamb for celebrations.