The Strength to Love

The First Shift

Brooke’s POV

               School went by quickly that day. Kind of just a daze, waiting for the final bell to ring and set me free for the day. Josh was waiting for me to drive me back home after school.

               “So, what does it feel like?” Josh questioned. “What’s your wolf’s name?”

               “Oh,” I said looking at my feet. I could not hold back any longer. “Josh, I don’t know her name. I don’t feel any different, and I don’t smell my mate.”

               “Well, maybe it’s to the hour you were born? Don’t worry, Princess, it will come.”

               I was half in tears. What if she never emerged? I have heard of wolves dying from harsh circumstances. The loss of my father and verbal and physical abuse from my mother may have killed her before she could even get a chance to come forth. Josh dropped me in front of the mansion, and I walked up feeling more alone than ever. At least Olivia said she would make my favorite dessert for my birthday, red velvet cake. I walked in and called out for her. It would be nice having someone around since mother was usually gone by then. Olivia never answered. “She must be busy,’ I thought rounding the kitchen corner. But the kitchen was empty and cold. Then I remembered, mother fired her. Apparently, mother attempted to cook; there were dishes with half-baked goo and the oven top was burnt to a crisp. I went to mother’s room to see if she was around. Hope to have anyone around was dashed when I got to her room and it was emptier than the kitchen. I saw her entire room torn apart. Clothes thrown everywhere from her deciding what to wear to her bar hoping tonight.  

               Well, I guess I’ll make myself something for dinner. Chicken Alfredo sounds delightful so that’s what I made. I turned on the radio in the kitchen and sang my heart out while cooking. I sat down and enjoyed dinner, even sang happy birthday to myself. Then it happened at 7:08pm on the dot.

               “Hello.”

               I looked all around but didn’t see anyone. “Is someone there?”

               “Yes, it’s me your wolf. My name is Daphne.”

               “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I actually thought you didn’t make it.”

               “No,” she said. “We are very strong. Now I will show you how strong we can be.”

               The pain hit hard. It felt like my bones were bursting, not breaking bursting. I knew what was about to happen would not be pretty and managed to stumble out the back door before my ligaments felt like the were simultaneously ripped apart. I was stumbling into the woods behind the house. I fell into trees and low hanging branches cut my face as I blindly stumbled further from home. Finally, I couldn’t move any further. I fell to the ground and screamed.

               But what started as a scream turned into a beautiful howl. Daphne was in control now; I was just in the passenger seat. We ran through the fields, chased some deer, and wove through trees. I had never felt freer in my life. Everything seemed better as a wolf. Smells were crisper, my vision was so sharp. Finally, we came up to the edge of the woods by my house. I stared at my reflection in the window. My wolf was magnificent. She was all white with black edging around my ears and black socks with the most soul piercing blue eyes.

               “Daphne, you are so gorgeous.” I said lost in the sight of my reflection.

               “We are,” she corrected me.

               A flash when off to my right, but when I turned there wasn’t anyone there. I shrugged it off as a lightening bug or shooting star. “What should we do now, Daphne?” I asked ready to be free a little longer before I had to return to the empty house and clean up after mother.

                “It is time for rest,” she said handing the reigns back to me. At least shifting back to human for wasn’t as harsh as going from human to wolf.

               I walked into the house and decided to at least start the kitchen cleaning. I turned on the radio and got into a pretty good groove. In the blink of an eye the kitchen was sparkling, and I was exhausted. “It is definitely time for bed.” I walked up to my room and collapsed on the bed. “Good night Daphne.” I yawned and closed my eye drifting into and pleasant slumber.

Jessica’s POV

               “That wretched brat.” I muttered to myself as Brooke left for school. My breakfast was disgusting. The eggs were runny, the bacon too crisp. I’ll have to just make myself pancakes. It can’t be that hard if that worthless Omega can do it. I almost wish I hadn’t sold her, at least her cooking was bearable. I looked up how to make pancakes on my phone. Flour, sugar, eggs, these seems like things that should be in here. I opened the fridge and pulled out milk and eggs but apparently, I wasn’t meant to carry more than one item because I dropped the eggs. Eggs went everywhere and there was no way I would bend over to clean it. That brat can do it when she returns home.

               My phone rang as the stove caught fire with what I thought was pancake dough. “Hello,” I answered half yelling as I pulled the pin to the fire extinguisher.

               “Jessica,” the other end purred. “How is my sweet?”

               “Ugh,” I scoffed. “What do you want, perv?” I hated Allister. He was the Rogue king and thought ever since he helped me get rid of Jake, I was his. That would never happen. Sure, I slept with him a few times but that was out of boredom.

               “Sweetness, you know I don’t appreciate it when you’re mean to me.”

               “Please, what do you want Allister?”

               “To feel your warmth against me tonight. You do owe me after all,” he maniacally laughed.

               “At what point will I ever be free of you?!” I was so tired of him and his delusional fantasy that we could ever be together in any way.

               “When we are married, and you are my queen.”

               He was not giving up. Two years ago, after we dispatched Jake, Allister thought I would come to him with open arms. Not in a million years! Although the prospect of being a bigger queen once again did sound appealing. After Jake and Chuck were ‘let go’, I sold Allister the pathetic Gamma pair and dared anyone to step up and take my title from me. Their pathetic son wasn’t in the quarters at the time of the k********g, so he got to stay. Not like he was a threat. We were a decent sized pack of 350 but every time Allister would bother me, I would sell him a member to do with what he pleased. Soon people left on their own for fear from all the disappearances. His rogues outnumber our measly pack tenfold.

               “Fat chance,” I sneered. “I just gave you that cook yesterday. Already bored with her?”

               “She was a cook?” He mocked. “She was food for ‘the lost’.”

               I silently gulped. ‘The lost’ were wolves that had lost their human half. Usually, it took the loss of a mate followed by deep depression or some who never found their mate and slow drive into madness, to lose your human half. the lost were ruthless murderous beings that only lived to destroy. The cook, even being as low on the totem pole as she was, didn’t deserve that death. “Jesus, Allister,” I half scolded. “What is wrong with you?”

               “Look, my queen,” he stated. “I’m getting tired of this little dance we’ve been doing for the last two years. It’s time to either marry me or settle your debt to me for Jake.”

               I snickered. “And if I don’t?”

               “Did you honestly think your measly pack was holding its own without any protection? I’ve been looking out for you since day one and now I want what is owed, or I will take it.”

               “I’m not going to marry you, d**k,” I refused.

               “Then I expect $2 million deposited into my account,” he replied. With mischief in his voice, he added, “by next Friday, and don’t disappoint me, my queen. You wouldn’t want to be on my bad side.”

               “Well- “I was cut off by the deadline. What was I going to do? The last I checked we had no where near $10k in our pack account; how was I going to come up with $2 million? I opened the refrigerator to find something to eat since I half burned down our kitchen. There was a small red velvet cake with a candle on it. ‘That’ll work,’ I thought as I pulled it out of the fridge. Then I realized the cook must have left this for Brooke’s birthday. She was 18 and about to go through her first shift tonight. Wait a minute, there was my way to get the money right there. Unmated alphas will pay a hefty amount for an attractive virgin. I’ll have to ask around at the bar tonight for the site. I had a little bit of pep in my step as I got ready to the evening ahead. I’ll be free of that wretched brat and the asshole that hasn’t quit sniffed up my a** since he killed my husband.