Through the Emerald Forest

Chapter 5 The Way Things Are

    **Three and a half years later**

      The woods were silent. There was the sense of something watching through the trees. Amethyst was running; stumbling over exposed roots. She kept looking around for the presence that was causing all the wildlife to stop moving. She kept running; fear gripping her heart. The snapping of twigs behind her pushed her to run faster. She tried to scream but nothing escapes from her throat. Tears are streaming down her face and she continues to flee from the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs. After what seems like hours, Amethyst stumbles out of the trees and slides to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Panicked she looks behind her, still hearing a  cacophony of sound behind her. She looks out over the cliff, stealing herself with a deep breath, she leaps.

    Amethyst sits up, panting and sweating, her thin worn shirt sticking to her body. She glances over at the cracked screen of the alarm clock to see that it was 4:30am. She sighed and swung her legs out from the worn and torn blanket. She quietly padded to the small bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed. She grabbed a worn pair of jeans that hung loosely from her hips and a baggy t-shirt. Her once long hair had been cut short so it takes no time to brush, she does so carefully due to a bruise at her hairline. She grabbed some foundation and concealer and very gingerly covered her face, carefully hiding the scrapes and bruises. Her once bright violet eyes were dull and almost appeared grey. She heard the alarm in her room start beeping. She quickly ran to turn it off, before anyone else heard it. She stood very still listening very carefully for any sign that someone heard the alarm. After several tense heartbeats, there was no sign that anyone had been disturbed.

     -That was close.- The soft voice of her wold Sky chimed in her head. Most teens didn't get their wolf until they turned 16. That's when they first shift but Sky showed up a few months after her Uncle Max's funeral. It was that day that she realized something was different about her.

    *FLASHBACK*

    Today was the day of Alpha Max's funeral. Amethyst was getting ready, she had picked a long black dress and a veil that clipped into her hair. Luna Jilliana had not stayed in the same room as her since she slapped and kicked her. It had been three days, Amethyst's ribs were still bruised. She steeled herself to face the Luna and soon-to-be Alpha Collin. She headed down stairs and out to the graveyard on the west side of the pack house land. Everyone was already there. The pack members parted to let her pass to the front. When she reached the front, she saw Luna Jilliana and Collin standing across from her and glaring in anger. Amethyst dropped her gaze and waited for the elder to start the funeral. During the ceremony, she cried and slumped down to kneel on the ground in front of Max's grave. Slowly the rest of the pack left, leaving her there.

    After an hour it started to rain, Amethyst was still kneeling by Max's grave, letting the cold rain drip down her back. Suddenly the rain stopped hitting her. She looked up to see Loti holding an umbrella. Loti reaches down and pulls Amethyst up into a hug. Loti walks with her up to the house, then to her room. Loti pushed her into the bathroom where a warm fragrant bath had been drawn already. Amethyst looked to Loti unable to say anything. Loti just smiled sadly and helped Amethyst undress and pushed her into the bath. She then gestured to the small pile of warm clothes causing Amethyst to smile at her sadly.

    Amethyst soaked in the warm bath till the water turned cold. She then climbed out of the bath, dried off and dressed the in the warm pajamas that Loti had left for her. She started to towel dry and brush her long light hair. Once she was done, she sighed and walked out of her bathroom. She wasn't expecting a person standing in her room when see walked out. She stopped in her tracks as a growl vibrated around the room. She looked up, startled, to see Collin standing in her room.

    She gulped and took a step backward, away from Collin. Collin quickly stepped to her and grabbed her by the throat. He slammed her to the wall and her vision started to darken. Just as quickly as he grabbed her, he released her and walked to the door.

    "You are no longer welcome to stay in this room. You must leave." Collin said coldly before walking out of the room. Amethyst just sank to the floor coughing. 

    **Time Skip a few months**

    Amethyst was in the kitchen cooking breakfast quickly. She had woken up half an hour later then she usually does so she was running late. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, she looked panicked at the breakfast that was only half cooked bacon and pancakes. She heard a growl from the doorway and saw Collin standing there. She quickly looked down, she learned quickly in the last few weeks to try and anger him as little as possible.

    "I-i-i'm sorry Alpha Collin. I-i-i w-woke up la-" She started to stutter out until she was cut off by Collin slapping her across the face, knocking her to the floor.

    "You have one responsibility. There are no excuses. Finish this pathetic excuse for a breakfast then get out of my sight." He growled at her before kicking her once in the stomach. He then sits at the table and starts to read the newspaper. She quickly and carefully got up from the floor to finish making the breakfast. The bacon had just became crispy on the edge of burning. She had lucked out that she hadn't put the pancake on the griddle yet. She quickly finished breakfast for Collin and set it in front of him before hurrying out of the house and to the small shack that she had been sharing with Loti, before she passed.

    Shortly after the funeral, Collin became Alpha and one of the first things he declared was Loti and other omegas were no longer welcome in the pack-house. He also declared that Amethyst was deemed less then omega. She would make the breakfast quickly and early enough that no-one would see her but close enough to the time that the breakfast would be warm. Other then that she was nothing, what wasn't said was she was punching bag to the alpha. It seemed whenever she turned around he was there to slap or punch her.

    She quickly changed to the slightly better set of clothing to wear to school. She still is doing well and keeps her grades up no matter what. As she hurries and walks out the door to school she bumps into what feels like a brick wall, knocking her on the floor of her small living space. She looks up to see one of the warriors and over his shoulder she see Collin glaring down at her.

    "Take her away." He said simply before walking away. She swallowed hard as the warrior stepped forward and grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her toward the cells under the main house. She starts to panic.

    I-i d-don't understand" She started to struggle against the warriors grip. As he threw open the outer doors and dragged her down the stairs to the cells. The warrior threw her into an unoccupied cell in the dank and musty basement.

    There she sat. She lost track of the days as the small window at the end of the hall was painted over. Some days Collin would come in and hit her, some days he would come in and watch as a warrior would beat her. One dark night there was a thunderstorm raging. She could hear it and feel the change in temperature. Her body ached from that day's beating when the door from the house slammed open and the storm could be heard louder before the door slammed shut again.

    Collin stood in the dim light, something seemed different about him tho. He didn't say anything and he didn't move he just stood there and stared. She tried to not make eye contact but something about the way he just stood there made her look up. His eyes were black, his wolf was really in control. She whimpered and looked away. He didn't say anything, he just turned and walked out of the cells and slammed the door on the way out.

    -That was weird.- A soft voice chimed in her head.

    ~You're telling me.~A second voice chirped, different from the first

    --Who...what...-- Amethyst thought. She knew that her birthday was around this time but she was only turning 15 she shouldn't be hearing her wolf yet, let alone two.

    -We know were are early.-

    ~We couldn't stand it any longer.~ The voices chimed one after the other. It made for a harmony inside her head.

    --I'm still confused. Why are you early? And, Why is there two..-- Amethyst asked the voices confused.  She trailed of as she heard the voices giggling.

    -~You are more special then you know, and we are here for you.~- The voices said together. Their voices blended together like a song.

    -I am Sky,- The first voice said. -I am your wolf.-

    ~And I, my dear Amethyst, I am Jas.~ The second voice practically purred. ~I am your Lycan. Before you start panicking, no-one knows and they won't know until you want them to.~ Her voice was so sure, full of confidence; it soothed Amethysts racing mind. No-one had heard anything about they lycans in years and years.

    **Flashback ends**

Amethyst shudders at the memories of the first few months of this new existence that she was in. She hurriedly finished the little it took to get ready then sprinted into the kitchen to make sure the alphas breakfast was ready before he was up. As she was putting the last bit of waffles, bacon, sausage, and eggs on the table, she heard someone coming down the main stairs. She quickly set the last of the dishes and headed out the back door. Before she was fully out the door she heard a low growl making her freeze in place.

    "Thank you" The low tone of his voice made it clear it was Collins wolf in charge. Amethyst barely glanced over her shoulder and nodded. She then quickly headed out the door before anyone else realized she was still in the house. She was supposed to be a ghost; she was not to exist.

          ***Collin***

    -She hates us.- Collins wolf, Khol, growled at him. He knew since the the moment he turned 18 that they were mates but he knew something was different about her even before he know they were mates. Khol has hated every single thing that Collin made them do to her.

    --I don't care. She's nothing to me.-- Collin snapped at his wolf. --Why did you say something. She's weak and pathetic. There is nothing she could give us that we don't already have. I don't understand why i have to keep telling you this.-- Collin was angry. His wolf kept whining about his mate and how he was betraying her by choosing his own.

    As if summoned, Ashley wrapped her arms around him. Collin thought he didn't need anything or any one else. Khol growled in his head that she should keep her hands off. Collin blocked him out. Khol's whining had started to give him a headache. He pulled Ashley around and kissed her on the head before pushing her toward the table that was covered in breakfast foods. He walked to the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

    Collin drank. He drank a lot. He drank mostly to make Khol easier to ignore. Collin drank throughout the day. His mind raced throughout the day, he needed to figure out a solution his problem. As night fell he made a decision. He contacted a warrior and made another drink. In this drink he put a drop of wolfsbane; he needed Khol to be quiet for what was to come next.

    He sat in the stairwell to the cellar, waiting. He didn't have to wait very long. He heard them coming long before they entered from the outer door. He chuckled to himself, she did have spunk. He heard them coming down the cellar stairs. The warrior was struggling with the person he was sent to collect. She was fighting, trying to get out of his grip and yelling. The warrior threw her roughly into the open cell that was Collin had put a blanket in. He then slammed the door as she lunged at him her eyes a vibrant blue. Their color made Collin pause a moment. They were different. The warrior turned to him and he saw a trickle of blood running down his face. Collin raised an eyebrow at the warrior.

    "Alpha, That one, shes got claws, man" The warrior shook his head and in the faint light, Collin could see the scratch marks oozing.

    "Go see the doctor, get yourself cleaned up." Collin told him as he looked over the warriors shoulder. The warrior nodded and left. Collin stared at the figure now pacing in the cell.

    "Now now, just calm down. This is how its going to be from now on. This is where you will stay." Collin said as he started to turn away and head back to the stairs. Before he went up the stairs he called over to the still pacing figure. "There's no use in fighting now, this is the way things are. Goodnight, Amethyst."