The Alphas Forgotten Daughter

Episode Two: The cooks kindness

I swam in and out of a beautiful dream where I was a wolf, and I was running and leaping through the heather out on the highlands. I always had this dream when awful things happened. I felt like it was my brains way of soothing itself after the horrors it had to endure.

I awoke later that day as I heard distance voices coming from somewhere in the cellar.

"I'll not 'av it Sylas, he must 'av hurt the bairn," Kevin growled dangerously.

Sylas replied in his Alpha tone, dismissing Kevin's accusation,

"She has clearly fallen and hit her head."

"She was unconscious when I got here, Alpha, I swear!" Beta Chase cried incredulously.

"Alpha!" Kevin began before he was cut off.

"Enough." Sylas roared. The awful tone in his growl terrified me.

I couldn't control my body enough to stop the reflexive flinch that sent a fresh wave of pain sweeping through my body.

All three heads of the bickering men snapped in my direction as they sensed my movement. Bloody wolves. They can sense fear a mile off.

"Amaris! Mari? Are ya okay, pet?!" Kevin came rushing to my side, the sweetheart! He'd regret that later, though. Sylas didn't tolerate pity towards me.

"Oh, for the love of Selune. Pull yourself together man she's perfectly fine." Sylas snapped in a bitter and annoyed tone. He shifted his stance to a wider, more controlled one, making himself look both imposing and commanding. Somehow, though on him, the stance always appeared forced or practised even. It's not natural like my fathers was. He may have been an evil b*****d, but he certainly could demand respect without trying.

Sylas tilted his chin up and continued; "I'll hear no more of this. Chase, go drown yourself in a bottle or something I've had enough of you for today." He waved a dismissal at his Beta before turning on me with a pointedly dangerous look. "Amaris. You will get cleaned up, fed, and well rested tonight, and then tomorrow, you will begin preparing for the blood moon ball." I could tell it annoyed him to grant me such 'luxuries,' but he had to keep up appearances; the help talk. He finally turned to Kevin. "Kevin. Seeing as you are so smitten with my niece, you will be working overtime for the next week, helping her prepare." He sneered at this command.

He always got a sick sense of satisfaction from ordering Kevin around because he had been my father's Beta before he died. He must feel as though bossing around the old Beta made his position as alpha a stronger one. He could not be more wrong. About 70% of the pack despised him. And 30% were convinced he murdered my dad to get the alpha position like some Disney villain or something. If only I had a wolf, Sylas wouldn't be alpha long, and I wouldn't have to lift a finger to depose him. He'd be exiled quicker than you could say usurper! Without a wolf, though, I was just the forgotten daughter of the alpha.

Satisfied that he'd exerted enough power over Kevin and I, Sylas left. I lay there on the bed, unable to make eye contact with Kevin. I'd never told him or even let on to the fact that anything bad ever happened to me. As far as Kevin knew being run ragged by the pack, doing every last members bidding and living in the basement were the extent of woes. As soon as Sylas and Chase were safely gone by at least 5 minutes, he returned to my room with a steaming mug of tea and a fresh, very overstuffed BLT sandwich. Kevin pulled up a chair and sat next to my bed, holding the food tray while he waited patiently for me to sit up. This in itself was very painful, but if he was impatient or in a hurry, he never once let on. I propped myself up as best I could, trying not to wince at the pain just for Kevins benefit. I knew it hurt him to see me in any form of pain physically or emotionally.

Once I was somewhat comfortable, Kevin handed over the tea and sandwich and went off to fetch his own mug of tea. Returning triumphant in the search for liquid comfort and the british answer to every problem; kevin settled back into his chair next to my bed and gave me that look that says "start talking missy", I finished my current bite of sandwhich before heaving a sigh.

"Kev, look. I'm fine. It's nothing that won't heal, and I've ha-" Crap. I had said too much.

"Mari I swear ta' the goddess if the next words outta your mouth were had worse I will take my chefs knife and cut that bas-" He stopped once he saw the silent tears falling down my cheeks as I hung my head in shame. He sagged into the chair, defeated. He paused a moment before running a hand through his beard, then putting his forehead in the palms of hands as he sighed and closed his eyes.

"How long." He said so quiet I almost couldn't hear him.

"Since mating age, about three weeks after dad died, I think," I said in a small voice.

"Who." He opened his eyes and sat up straight to look me in the eyes while I answered him.

"S-" I tried to answer before a pain racked my throat and head.

"Who?!" Kevin said with that quiet, even tone a person only get when they are angry beyond reason.

"I ca- I'm trying to- it's -" I coughed and spluttered, trying my hardest to get the words out, but every word was starting to feel like molten metal boiling up through my throat.

Kevin rubbed my back and gave me small sips of tea while I got my breath back and settled back into the bed.

"That son of b***h." Kevin shook his head in disbelief as realisation washed over him.

There's only one thing that can make someone of wolf blood, even wolf-less like me, obey what we call a 'gag order'. An Alpha's command. Kevin's suspicions were correct. Though he gave me that look of sympathy that said he understood, he couldn't press me for more information or to reveal the truth.

Right around the time I began getting late night visits from my uncle Sylas, he commanded me to never tell a soul. Specifically, that, no matter what I suffered; and from whom, I was to never speak a word of it to anyone. It was a horrific command to give. But it was the only way he and his Beta and entourage of Gamma's that didn't have their own women to harass got away with it.

I sat there lost in my thoughts, unable to tell my truth to my one and only true friend and ally in the goddess forsaken pack. Silent tears fell as I stared into space lost in thought and misery. Sensing my pain, Kevin sat on the end of my tiny bed and pulled me into his lap, and cradled me like a child as he had many a time when I was very small. I still felt small and protected in his lap as he stroked my hair and rocked soothingly back and forth. I drifted off to sleep for the first time in a long time feeling safe, warm, and cared for.