Lycan's stolen mate

Ava stood silent and still, tears cascading down her cheeks as she looked into the grave at her feet. This was the first time she truly felt alone in this world. Mourners had left the graveyard and her behind, nobody knew how to comfort the girl who had just lost her last remaining parent. Nobody cared enough to try. As the groundsmen began the task of filling the grave Ava began her walk to the exit hoping that her step mother had stayed to take her home. Her golden brown eyes scanned the cars parked along the front of the church grounds, sighing Ava realized she had to walk. The sun was shining and the day was just beginning. The black shapeless dress she wore was uncomfortable and slightly too large on her small frame. Her father would have never allowed her to dress this way, but he was gone now. Ava could only hope he had reunited with her mother now, as she made the walk to the edge of the small town to the home she had grown up in. The home was a large double fronted home with mature trees lining the long driveway. Today as Ava walked along the driveway there were several cars belonging to the people who had come to mourn the death of her father. As she reached the handle of the grey door she could hear people laughing and telling stories of the things her father had done. Many people had loved him, Ava wasn't ready to hear the memories yet, so she entered as quietly as she could and made her way to the small comfortable corner of her room her father had installed for her to read in. Ava soon fell asleep, comforted by the thought that she would always have her home. Downstairs Ava's stepmother Sarah had watched the girl enter and head upstairs, she turned to the man beside her. He was a short man and was rather rotund, with dark hair and brown eyes that had followed the movements of the girl as she passed them all by. "Her belongings are ready, we can arrange for her to be brought to the school by the morning.” Sarah told him. Her sharp features contrasting the the smile she flashed him. “Hmm" was all he could muster before he put down the glass in his hand and headed towards the door. He had to leave, he had many things to put into place before she arrived at his door. He was so sure this was the girl he had been waiting for. Her step mother had made a point of telling him how pathetic she was. The following morning Ava was awoken by banging at her bedroom door, as she sat up the door swung open banging against the wall behind it. Rubbing her eyes Ava watched as her step mother began moving round her room, throwing items into an old brown suitcase. "Get cleaned up and you can stay in that dress! You will be leaving before breakfast, so hurry.” Sarah demanded. Ava knew better than to argue when Sarah demanded something. As she moved to the bathroom she began to wonder where she was going and if she would ever be at home again. After washing her face and combing her long golden curls, Ava brushed her teeth and stepped out of the bedroom expecting to see Sarah still packing. The room was empty and the suitcase laid open on the bed, glancing at the door Ava grabbed a couple of pictures from her shelf. The first was of her as a toddler with both her mother and father at a picnic in the woods. The second was a picture of her and her father at her 16th birthday a little over a year before. Next she took out her mothers gold necklace with the tiny pendant shaped like a wolf and the bracelet her father had gifted her on her birthday just months before. Just as she had hidden the items under the bland dresses in the case Sarah stepped back into the room. "Get your tooth brush and comb then bring the case to the front door, your car is waiting." Sarah snapped at the girl. "Where am I going?" Ava asked in a quiet voice, earning a glare before Sarah answered. "To school, you are going to be attending the sapphire lake School for unruly girls" with this Sarah left the room. Ava wiped the tears forming in her eyes as she quickly grabbed the few bits she had on the counter in the bathroom before heading to the door. Parked at the top of the drive was her dad’s old town car and his regular driver, Peter. Ava climbed into the backseat and pushed her case to the seat beside her, as Peter gently pulled away from the house and headed for the road that lead out of town. Ava tried to hold back a sob as the house disappeared behind her. "Miss Ava, we will miss you I wish you didn't have to go.” Peter spoke so lowly that Ava almost missed it over the sounds of her sobs. It didn't take long to arrive at the school building, but to Ava it had been the longest journey of her life. The school building was a square two story building, made of bricks that had faded and weathered and now looked a bleak grey color. The grounds had no flowers or trees and was surrounded by a large brick wall with rolls of metal wire attached to the top. It reminded Ava of a prison from one of the books she had read. There was no signs of girls strolling in the grounds and no evidence that fun or peace had ever visited this place before. Ava took in all the windows that seemed to hold in the sorrow and misery of the girls that Ava was sure roamed inside the building.