Willows Salvation

Chapter 1

Willow patiently waited for her father to leave the house for yet another battle. Once she was sure he was gone, and her mother passed out in her usual drunken slumber. She left her hiding spot in her secret garden. She carefully opened the door to the house and stepped inside. Quietly made her way to the staircase and gracefully went upstairs, taking extra caution to not step on the squeaky boards. She made her way down the hall and opened her door. Her maid Matilda or Tilly as she called her was sitting there with a tray of food just patiently waiting her return.

"I heard you tried to stand up to your father today," Tilly said. "Haven't you learned by now to keep your nose out of it? One of these days you won't be able to run and hide. He will have you and you will receive a nice beating or worse he will try to have his way with you again." I looked up at Tilly and my eyes were turning dark with the emotional turmoil that I felt. "But Tilly someone has to do something. We lose more and more warriors, pack members, family members by the day. Our pack can't stand much more lose. We keep getting defeated and I can hear and feel their mates' anguish and sadness. I had to stand up to him because someone had to do it, it needed to be said." Tilly just shook her head and said, "Eat your food before it all turns ice cold!"

Tilly had always been there for me since ... well... for as long as I can remember. I was hated by my father for not being a boy! Hated by my narcissistic mother for causing her to lose the love of her mate since she gave him a daughter. They barely spoke to each other, but they came together on one front. Tearing me down piece by piece. Physically, Emotionally, and Mentally. Tilly was always there to pick me up and reassure me that I was something, I was somebody, and that one day she just knew I would do great things. I always rolled my eyes at her when she said that because deep down in my heart, I knew I wouldn't make it out of this place alive so I hid when I could, but today I had to take a stand. I just couldn't bear to hear of more losses because of his carelessness.

Taking a few bites from my tray I looked at Tilly and said "You know this is all his fault. If he wasn't so Power Hungry, Greedy, and well Evil. We wouldn't be losing our brothers and sisters this way. Our pack is slowly dying. He took over so many others to build ours up and for what? More land? More Money? More members? Then to take on the Crescent Moon pack. Like are you kidding me"? I finished my tray when I was done talking and when Tilly was satisfied that I ate it all she looked at me with sadness in her eyes and said 

"He is a ruthless, horrible, egotistic, vile man Willow. Nothing you say will change him and he would rather sacrifice it all than to see the failure he has become."

"ARE you defending him now?"

"No absolutely not," said Tilly, "I just want you to see that nothing will change his mind, my sweet girl. He is, and will always be this way and, nothing you say or do will change that. Well except get you hurt in the process. And you are too precious to me to watch you get hurt"

I shook my head from side to side. If only he could see but I knew he wouldn't. I wish I could escape this place. I needed to go for a run! I needed to let my inner wolf out. To feel the ground-pounding underneath my feet and the wind in my fur. But I knew that there was no way I could get past the scouts without alerting my father. So instead I asked Tilly to wake me up when it was almost dawn. What was left of our pack would be coming back home from battle and I wanted to be out of the house and hidden before he returned. My father liked to take his anger out on me especially when he was defeated. She agreed and stayed with me until I dozed off.

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After his encounter with Willow, Dominic stood at the window lost in thought thinking of his next form of attack. Stephen, his beta, came in, walked up beside him and said, "She is right you know". Of course, that comment landed him a swift punch in the face. Dominic already knew that the little b***h was right and that made him want to hurt her that much more. She had no right to tell him how to run his pack. Stephen quickly caught his balance and wiped the blood from his nose and spat some from his mouth. He looked at his Alpha with a serious look he said "We need to do something. Right now, our packs' survival depends upon it. If we do nothing there will be nothing left." Dominic looked at him and said "Don't you think I realize this. I know the little slut is telling the truth. We battle and battle but to no avail. So, what do you suggest that we do Stephen... HUH.... !!!"? Putting his hand to his chin, Stephen started to think. "Maybe we can come up with a peace treaty. That way our troops have time to recuperate and we can recruit more members to build up our ranks". Dominic thought on his Betas idea for a second. "And just what do we have to offer them. We have no money. I'll be damned if I give up any of my lands. All I can offer is just ...... Wait ...... I know what I have to offer. It will solve my problem too." With an obnoxious laugh, he quickly took out a pen and paper and started to write a letter to Christopher. All it simply said was

Time for peace. Meet me on neutral territory,

The Midnight Café, Tonight at 11 pm.

-Dominic Alpha of Blood Moon

He had it sent by a woman he took hostage from a previous siege by the Blood Moon Pack. In return for her freedom, all she had to do was take the letter to the Crescents and bring their reply to him then she could walk free. A few hours later he received the reply!

See you then!

-Christopher Alpha of Crescent Moon

He looked upon the woman's face and told her thank you. You are free. But as the word free escaped his lips his hands came up around the woman's neck. Her eyes filled with fear and terror. She knew from the moment he requested her she wouldn't make it out alive. But she had hoped just this once he would stay true to his word. Looking into her eyes, wearing a devilish grin he started to squeeze the life from her with his claws digging into her soft flesh. He enjoyed the warm feeling of the blood trickled down his fingers. She tried to fight him off but was not successful. Her movement spurred him on, and he tightened his grip. Once her body went limp and the light left her eyes, he let her go kicking her lifeless body aside. Licking the blood from his hand, he ran it through his hair, straightened his shirt and walked out the door. Telling one of the maids to clean the mess up, he was heading out to go to his meeting with Christopher. With Stephen quickly falling into step behind him.

On his way out the door, Katrina stopped him and said "Why must you make such a mess of our home. Honestly, Dominic, we have other places for stuff like this". He just looked at her. Disgusted by her appearance. Katrina used to be such a Raven beauty, with black hair, hazel eyes, creamy white skin, and curves that lasted for days. Dominic used to love her! He couldn't get enough of her. Wanted her to be the mother to his son. But years of drinking had made her eyes sink in, her color turn ashy and her curves to round out. What the pack didn't know was that Willow wasn't really his daughter. Katrina strayed from the pack and had relations with a rogue. In return became pregnant. They tried for years to get pregnant and have a pup of their own, but Dominic was sterile. SO, when she became pregnant, she knew it wouldn't be his but also knew they needed an heir, so she talked Dominic into keeping the baby. They both killed the father of the little life growing inside her. Then returned to the pack to tell them that the moon goddess had finally shone in their favor and sent an heir. But after Katrina gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl, things were never the same.

Dominic looked her in the eyes and said "Listen, w***e, I take no orders from you. Go lay down with your drink in hand and leave me alone. Better yet go die somewhere and leave me be. You disgust me. You are a disappointment and One day I will rule this pack by myself. Until then" He spit in her face "Get away from me!" with that he kept walking out the front door.