Escape my ruthless past.

Chapter Eight (Trigger warning)

*Miles POV *

I am a member of the Shadow Moon Pack, along with my triplet brothers. We are the sons of the Alpha and are being prepared to take over the leadership of the pack. Our parents have always been strict with us, but we understand that it is necessary for our training and the safety of our pack. We are a powerful and feared pack, with a reputation that keeps others at bay.

Although we are used to being around our own kind, we have to attend a human school. I have never been fond of humans, but I understand the importance of keeping our existence a secret. However, there is a new girl at school, Mauve, who has been on my mind lately. I can't explain why, but I feel an overwhelming desire to protect her. This is unusual for me, as I have never felt the need to protect a human before.

My brother Brett also noticed something off about Mauve, specifically a bruise on her face. He could tell she was lying when he asked her about it. This only added to my frustration, as I can not understand why I feel this way about a human.

After school, we decided to let our wolves run free in the woods. My wolf, Bolt, suddenly stopped and headed in a different direction. That's when I saw her, Mauve, alone in the woods. She was drying her clothes, and I couldn't help but notice her figure. But Bolt began to whimper, and I asked what was wrong. He told me that Mauve was covered in bruises and cuts.

At first, I tried to explain it away as human clumsiness, but Bolt was insistent that someone was hurting her. I told him to calm down, as we couldn't approach her in our wolf forms. We decided to keep an eye on her from a distance and make sure she was safe.

I can't shake off the feeling of protectiveness I have towards Mauve. It's frustrating, as I have always despised humans. But I can't deny the strong urge I feel to keep her safe.

As I tailed her, I made sure to stay at the edge of the woods, not wanting to be detected. I established a mental connection with my brothers and informed them that I had someplace important to be, after which I severed the link. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached my front door, attempting to collect myself before entering. I knew I would be facing repercussions for coming home late.

*Mauve's POV *

Upon entering, I was met with an unexpected sight: the house was shrouded in darkness, indicating that both of them were absent. A sense of relief washed over me, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I changed my clothes, tended to my injuries, and proceeded to clean up the mess.

While I worked, I kept glancing out the window, expecting them to return home at any moment. I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease, thinking that someone was keeping an eye on me. Eventually, I retired to my room, drifted off to sleep, and was jarred awake in the middle of the night by the sound of my door being flung open. Ernie, my uncle, was standing there, intoxicated. He could only manage to utter the word "you" before raising his hand to strike me. I tried to shield myself, but he still managed to land a blow on my already battered body.

In a desperate attempt to protect myself, I struck him back, but he retaliated by hitting me over the head with a bottle. I could feel the blood streaming down my face. In a moment of opportunity, I kicked him away and managed to escape, but he grabbed my leg and pulled me back down. I struggled free and kicked him in the face, enabling me to make my escape.

I didn't know where I was going, but I had to get away from that house. I was barefoot and only wearing my nightclothes. I kept running, too afraid to look back. When I finally stopped, I leaned against a streetlight, slid down to the ground, and let my emotions pour out. The pain I felt was unbearable, both physically and emotionally. I couldn't understand why he kept hurting me when I had done nothing to deserve it.

As I sat there, my tears mixing with the blood on my face, I couldn't help but think about how my life had become a never-ending nightmare. I had always tried to make excuses for my uncle's behaviour, telling myself that he was stressed or overwhelmed, but deep down, I knew the truth. He was a monster, and I was his favourite punching bag.

Of all the people in the world, Rose was the only one I knew. But did I really want her to know the truth about my life? Did I want her to know about the darkness that followed me wherever I went? I didn't have time to ponder these questions for too long, as I found myself standing on her porch with nowhere else to turn. The cold winter air bit at my skin, and I knew that if I didn't find shelter soon, I would succumb to the elements.

As I reached out to knock on the door, a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I stumbled against one of the porch beams. My vision started to swim, and I could feel myself slipping away. With what little strength I had left, I managed to raise my hand to the door once more before everything went black.

When I came to, I was greeted by the sound of two female voices. I opened one eye and saw Rose's face hovering over me. She looked worried, and I couldn't blame her. I had shown up on her porch half-dead, and she had no idea what had happened to me.

"Thank the goddess you're awake," she said, her voice filled with relief. "I've been losing my mind. What happened? Who did this?"

I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and scratchy. Rose's mother, Deborah, came into view, a concerned look on her face.

"Let the poor girl wake up before you interrogate her," she said gently.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You're safe," Deborah replied. "You're in our home, and we will take good care of you. I'm Rose's mum, Deborah."

I nodded weakly, still trying to make sense of what was happening. As I looked around the room, I noticed that there were strange symbols and objects scattered about. I had heard Rose mention something about her family being part of a "pack" before, but I had always assumed she was talking about a group of friends or something. But now, as I lay there in their home, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than that.

"Pack?" I asked, my voice still hoarse.

Rose and Deborah exchanged a glance, and I could tell that there was something they weren't telling me. But for now, I was too exhausted to press the issue. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of their home wash over me, grateful to be alive and safe, at least for the moment.