The Wolf Spirit

My Room

*Stormy's POV*

I took in the sites looking at the buildings and seeing many happy pack members walk around with so many smiles and laughter. Watching them with their families warmed my heart. Everything looked like a fairy tale. We pulled up to a small cottage. The front yard had a small yard with pots of flowers lining the area around the house. We got out of the car and as we stood in front of the house, Lola said "This isn't much, but this is home" She smiled and was hugged from behind by Max. The sweet fresh smell of flowers hit my nose. It calmed my nerves down as I entered the house. Inside was simple living. A few wedding pictures of two of them hang on the walls around the home. A small kitchen and small living space made for a small family. They directed me to the room I would be staying in. When the door opened, my eyes widened and tears flowed down my face. There was a bed with brand-new bedding, pillows, curtains on the wall, and a small bookshelf with books I had never read before. A tall dresser, and a small nightstand dresser. The closet had me baffled. It was like my room going back to the servant's house. Filled with new clothes, shoes, and accessories. Max was talking, but I was so shocked by everything I tuned him out till I heard "Hey you, are you even listening to me." Max got upset about not answering him. "I'm sorry Max, I was amazed by how beautiful the room looked," I said looking around at everything. "You like the color and what's in it," said Lola. "I never had a room as big as that walk-in closet. Let alone brand-new items," I said, wiping my tears away from my face. Max and Lola looked at each other and then hugged me. " Get unloaded and rest. Take a decent shower and get into better clean clothes. I saw the look in their eyes as they just turned around and left the room. They pitied me and what I had been through. As I stripped off the clothes I had on and stepped into the already turned-on shower. The heat from the water poured over my body. Then tears began to flow from my eyes. My body shivered as my legs began to wobble. I could feel the heaviness of my body as I slowly kneeled at the bottom of the shower. The cries couldn't be masked by the loud sound of the water spraying over my body. All the hurt and pain over the years had finally caught up to me. The warmth of the shower shifted from hot to warm. I stood up and began to wash my body. Scrubbing my body hard, trying to wash the layers of dirt from my body. My skin began to turn red, and yet I wasn't clean enough. I washed my hair, allowing the soap to set. I don't know how long it's been since I had a warm, let alone a hot shower. I would always wait to shower after all the servants did, because I was only allowed to do it then. I may have been my father's daughter, but I wasn't treated like Lora, who was able to take as many showers as needed and was allowed to wear new clothes as much as she wanted to. I have been through so much pain that a small little action made me break down. A simple hot shower brought back memories of when I was pulled out of a shower a year after my mom's death and told that I wasn't allowed to shower in the house anymore and that I must live with the servants. From there, I learned how to be a servant though the servants were told not to go easy on me. Yet as I grew, I learned the ways fast. Knowing when not to piss off Lora or Lorraine. Yet even then, somehow I would be summoned to them and somehow everything became my fault. Even when I slowly started to see Jacob's friendship with me began to turn ugly. Watching how they poured ice-cold water on me during the coldest weather of the year. I had to keep working even though I was cold. Later that day I came down with a cold which they didn't care about and made me work through the night till I collapsed from a fever. I took a beating before being thrown into my room. Old stale crackers and cold soup were given to me. It was the leftovers from the servants. Luckily, I was able to heat my food with a simple candle and a small pot I had.

A knock at the door snapped me back into reality. "Stormy, are you OK in there? I'm getting kind of worried since it's been 30 minutes," said Lola. I began to rinse myself as the water began to turn cold. "I'm OK, I'm rising off now. I'll be out in a few minutes," I said as I hurried myself out.

As I stepped out and dried myself, I could see the glass mirror fogged over. I took the towel and wiped over the mirror, uncovering the women I hadn't seen in years. My hair was long, tangled wavy dark brown needing to be brushed, and my eyes were brown and sunken in from years of suffering and poor health. My skin was dry and cracked with slight bruising and I dared not look at my back, which took the most beatings. I could see my ribs, and how the skin was tightened around each bone. No wonder I broke bones easily. There was no muscle or fat to protect them from the impacting blows thrust upon my body.

I couldn't stand to look at myself anymore. Just then, a bottle with purple flowers caught my eye. It's a lotion with a lavender scent. I opened the bottle and squeezed a good amount in my hand and began to rub into my whole body. The once-cracked skin began to look glossy and smooth. Once I finished, I took the brush and began brushing my hair. The once tangled hair began to smooth out yet still had a wavy to it. Once I was done, I could see that I lost a lot of hair. The thoughts crossed my mind. When was the last time I brushed my hair and put lotion on my skin? When was the last time I wore new clothes? This was a new me. The old me left her pack and is healing and refreshed. I will be better and do better. I began to put clothes on myself every once in a while. I caught myself looking in the mirror. I looked like a very skinny model. I stepped into my room and looked around again. I will be a different me and become better. I will no longer be a slave and be looked down on. I will never return home, so I must find my place in the Pack, but to do that I must meet the Alpha and Luna to get the approval to live here and hope they will allow me to become one of them. From how Lola and Max are, I know that this pack is inviting, warm, and caring. I sat on the bed and then leaned back. I just began to drift off slowly into sleep, thinking about how soft the bed was and how I would repay Lola and Max for helping me out.