It's for the Moon Godnes to know

Chapter 4

Angels POV

Our lives remained the same despite the fact that I was 15 and my wolf had woken up. Several had asked my father about my hand in marriage, but he kept denying them. However, I was not so naive to think that he refused out of love for me, his only child! He refused because with me in the house he could still avoid his work, his duty and drink as he pleased. My mother was happy with this as she did not want the same for me as for herself. My hunting skills were gradually known by everyone, even the Alpha was aware that it was me who took care of my father's duties, but since I did not demand the credit, he could hardly punish my father for not helping to get food on the tables. In our pack most of the women worked in the household, though a few had duties in the pack house, but since I was not to become one of these, my father did not keep me from other duties. Even I had no doubt that I was popular among the male wolves, both because I was kind to everyone, but also because the wolf who was allowed to claim me would not be short of food or money, not with mine hunting abilities. But I was not in a hurry to get a mate. Over the years, I had discovered that several male wolves treated their mate and pup's just as badly as my father treated my mother and I, or even worse.

However, I had to admit, that my father after my first deer hunt, he had refrained from beating, both my mother and I. I overheard him tell someone that if I got hurt, I could not hunt! He had no doubt that if he hit on my mother, I would intervene, as so many times before! And he was right! It is possible that my mother and her wolf were my father submissive, since she bore his mark, but I was not and did not refrain from taking the beatings he tried to give her.

Shortly after I turned sixteen, my father came home unexpectedly early from his drunkenness and he was worryingly sober. He sat down at the table where my mother and I had just sat down to eat dinner. My mother hurried to find him a plate and cutlery for him, she prepared food for him before handing him it all. He nodded silently to her and proceeded to eat. My mother and I looked at each other and waited.

"You going to be mated!" My father did not disappoint. My mother sat as paralyzed, fear and sorrow were written all over her face. I was relieved though, I did not believe he meant it, and I calmly began to eat. After a few minutes of silence, it dawned on me that my father was sitting and staring at me.

"Did you hear me?" I just nodded in response. "Well, then you have nothing to say?" I shook my head and took another mouthful. My dad hammered a hand into the table so the crockery and cutlery bounced around.

"Ungrateful b***h! That's what you are!" Shouted my father, pointing at me. I just ate on while my mother sat and became more and more pale in front of me. It probably became too much for my father and he got up quickly while tipping the table over. I sighed and took the mouthful that was already on my fork and ate it. My mother got up gently and started picking up the broken porcelain. My father stepped menacingly one step towards me, but I stood up calmly with my fork in my hand, with the tips straight towards him.

"I do not believe you and I do not know what you think I have to be grateful for!" I could see that he was getting even more angry, his face was completely red, almost purple, so angry was he.

"Don’t you believe me?" I shook my head. "You could not dream of letting any wolf claim me!" I bent down and picked up the table, then helped my mother with what had been stuck under it. I could hear my father suppress a sigh, and then he said something I never thought he would say. "You're right!" But then he added. "I have no choice, though!" I got up and stared in disbelief at him. 

"No choice?" He nodded and sat down on his chair. 

"I'm in debt to an older male wolf, I can’t pay, but by giving you as a mate to his son, then I can redeem it!" I only stood still for a second. 

"In debt!?" I cried out at full force. "How can you drink so much?" I stepped angrily towards him, but he just held one hand up between us and I stopped.

"Blind little girl! The more skins you brought home the more money I made. Suddenly I could afford new pleasures, but since they also cost money, I ended up spending too many!" I was shaking with anger. "What pleasures?" He laughed hollowly and looked scornfully at my mother.

 "The kind that made your mother get out of some of her duties!" My mother cringed, at first I did not  understand, but then it dawned on me she had been free from laying with him as he had been able to pay other females to do it! I just nodded, 

"I'll catch something special in the next few days so you can earn to pay it back!" But my father laughed ugly at me. 

"I do not owe money to the bitches! But to gambling!" My mother lost what she was standing with and slapped her hands to cover her open mouth. I had heard rumors that games often took place at an older warrior who lived in one of the better cabins. I wondered if that was the wolf my father owed money to. His only son was also a warrior, as I remembered he was one of the best. I trembled with fear, as a warrior he had to be strong and good at beating! I could just see myself in my mother's place! My mother must have thought the same thing, for she sank to the floor and sobbed helplessly. My dad kicked to some of the mess as he walked through it toward the door. 

Don't wait up for me!" Was all he said before the door slammed behind him. I sat down with my mother, held her and rocked her like a small child while desperately trying to find a way out of it. But even that night while lying in bed with my mother by my side, I had to admit that I would not be able to escape getting married.

The next few days my father went hunting with me, and we brought home more prey than usual. My father gave the finest skins to one of the weavers in the settlement, and came home with a simple white dress. "It's your bridal gown! Now you have a reason to be grateful!" I just nodded but did not thank for the dress. What should I use a white dress for? It would get dirty with the work I had to do in my home in the future! Five days after my father had stopped drinking, I faced a warrior named Ryan. I looked up at him and wondered why he would take a forced mate. He may not have been the prettiest wolf, but he was not ugly either. I knew he was a good fighter and there were whispers that he could become the top fighter with time. Why did he want to be with me?