Chapter 002
A smile crawled on Camilla's face when she saw what was in the bag. There were fruits that would last for a week and cooked chicken with rice. There were also some beverages, and she quickly hid them under her bed, being cautious enough that her stepmother wouldn't see them. It's not like she comes in to inspect it every now and then, but she does it once in a while when she does go in to look for her stolen jewellery, which magically disappears in the house every Friday evening. Her own daughters had the habit of stealing her expensive jewellery and selling it in exchange for a lot of money, of which only God knows what they spent it on because, as she knows, they were always given thousands of dollars but it was never enough for them.
Most of the time, she got beaten because they would hide some in her clothes and accuse her of selling the rest. She sat back on her bed, crossed her legs, and dug into the sumptuous meal in front of her. She had starved for two days, and the plate was licked clean in just a second.
"Camilla!" A sharp, annoyed voice rose from downstairs, jarring her from her thoughts. Using a handkerchief, she wiped her mouth clean to look like someone who hadn't eaten at all, put on her worn-out shoes, and rushed downstairs. She found Larissa and Lakisha sitting on the sofa with their legs crossed into fours, pressing the expensive phones they were given last year when they turned eighteen. "Where is our breakfast?" Lakisha, who was dark-haired compared to Larrisa, asked, and her lips curled upward in disgust.
"In the kitchen. Dammit it!" She wanted to yell at her, but she shut her mouth, swallowing her words, and went to the kitchen without responding to her. She served them bread and some orange juice, then excused herself to go back upstairs. "You are not done yet," Larrisa drew her back, flipping her white hair over her shoulders. "Hand over the juice for me!" She demanded. As long as she didn't want to and wanted to ignore her, she had no choice. Carefully, she picked up the half-full glass of juice from the table and handed it over to her. Luck wasn't on her side because the glass slipped off Larissa's hands and dropped on the floor, causing some shards to cut her feet when she tried to jump away.
"What have you done, you freaking imbecile?" She yelled, attracting the attention of everyone at the palace. Karina rushed downstairs when her daughter screamed, releasing an exaggerated cry. She gripped Karina by the neck, slapping her and punching her all over her body. Her dad came down, and she looked at him with pity in her eyes, hoping he would save her from those beatings. "Just for once, father." She pleaded, but he never came to her rescue. Just like a log, she closed her eyes and let the three of them trash her the way they wanted. Even if she were to fight, she would never win because they were stronger than her. They ate nutritious foods, while she starved for weeks. She only ate once or twice a week if Ash succeeded in stealing some food for her. Even if she were nutritious enough, she still wouldn't be able to do it because they had wolves, unlike her.
"It's just a few hours." "Only a few hours, and then I'll be out of here forever!" She whispered to herself, turning to look at the silver clock on the wall, but her face was gripped by force, a rain of slaps washing all over her. But she had already seen the time, and she counted even though she felt herself losing consciousness. It was ten o'clock, so only fourteen hours remained until midnight, when her nightmares would end. "Only fourteen hours, Mil." Just hold on a little. "You have waited for this day for seventeen tough years, but not anymore." Even when rapid stars flickered in her blurry gaze as if singing for her while the darkness took her, she passed out with a smile on her face. "Only fourteen hours!" Her subconscious mind whispered to her.
* * *
Camilla woke up at eleven p.m. She struggled to sit on her bed, rubbing her swollen eyes. She doesn't remember crying, but she was sure she had done it while sleeping. A small note caught her eye, and she quickly grabbed it, unfolding it and wondering who it was from. "After you passed out, your dad instructed that you should be thrown into the wolf's den because everyone presumed you were dead." You had bled so much, but I couldn't believe it. The moment they threw you in, I bribed the den keeper, and he allowed me to take you. You weren't dead, Mil; you had passed out. You know my mother is a witch, right? Well, she treated you. You had a weak pulse, and she even doubted if she'd save you, but she did only due to your strong will. I am so sorry that I can't take half of your beatings, and I have to watch as they do this to you. I am also sorry that I can't be there with you when you wake up. But don't you worry. Your wolf will be coming today, so don't think of anything else. When she comes, run! far away from here and never come back, "With love, Ash!"
The letter was read. As much as Camilla wanted to go out and thank Ash, she just couldn't. If Karina and her father thought she was dead, then she should better remain there until she runs away. The clock clicked by, and she waited. Her heart thumped wildly, and she could feel herself sweating. Her left eye twitched, causing her to curse under her breath. The last time her left eye twitched, she never saw her mother again. And when the eye twitched again, her father was denying her in front of the world, saying she was just a servant and not her daughter.
"What will happen today?" "Heavens, let it not be what I am thinking," she held her palms together for a short prayer. The wall clicked twelve, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the heat to consume her body. Ash had told her her body would burn, heat would consume her, and her bones would start breaking. She waited for the burn; none came; she waited for heat; none; she waited for the snapping of her bones; nothing; she waited for the desire to run; nothing! "oh no!" She screamed, palming her face. "This can't be." "This won't happen to me." She jumped from the bed and began pacing in her dark room, which was only lighted by the moon.
It was a full moon, and she could hear wolves howling from afar. Why was hers not coming? That would have been the perfect chance for her to escape because she would have camouflaged herself with the crowd and run until she reached her mother's house, but her wolf was not there, which means she couldn't get out. She wished Ash was there with her. Even though he couldn't have helped in any way to bring out her wolf, he could have hugged her and wiped her tears away. But he wasn't. The clock clicked by: twelve, one, two, three, until it was four a.m., time for her daily chores. She could hear Karina's footsteps as she approached her room, and she waited for her.
The door was kicked open, Karina's red head came first to peep as if she wasn't sure if she was there, and then a "I knew it!" came. She didn't wait for her to tell her what to do; she walked past her, grabbed her mop, and went upstairs to work. Maybe that was her fate. She will never have a wolf but will be a slave in her father's house. After she was done, she rushed downstairs to prepare breakfast and then returned to her room. Before she could leave, her dad called her back, and her heart thumped, thinking he was finally going to accept her as his daughter. "Did your wolf come?" He asked.
"So he knows my birthday," she whined inwardly, then turned to face him. "No." His brows knitted, a deep frown consuming his face like a wild fire consuming a dried twig, and then he said, turning to Karina, "I told you." She doesn't have my blood, not even one drop. I now believe what you said, darling. Mary lied to me; this isn't my daughter! He spat, glaring at her harshly.
"Even if she were your blood, she could never have a wolf." "Mary was a human, wasn't she?" Larrisa chuckled, coming downstairs with Lakisha trailing behind her. Mary was Camilla's mother.
"Human?" She asked. "If she's human, why did you send her on a mission?" "It's only wolves who partake in such missions, right?" She asked in disbelief.
"Mission? Are you crazy? Your mother was banished, bitch! Lakisha laughed.
"Banished? But why? "My mother wasn't a traitor!" She cried, but they just laughed at her.
"Your mother was banished, honey, for disobeying the alpha," Larrisa chuckled, patting her father's back. "When your father's men saw you, your mom was given a chance to kill you, but she refused, so the only thing they had to do was banish her." And oh! The news is that she barely made it. "She was killed by hungry rogues out there," Karina laughed, her eyes shining with pure evil.
Her mother was a human; she was banished and dead! She will never have a wolf! She couldn't take it anymore. She had heard enough! She had taken so much for a day. She blocked her ears and screamed. She opened her eyes and glared at her father, who had shock written all over her face. Camilla made up her mind. Although she wasn't a wolf and was a human who will barely survive out there, she will have to do it. Looking at the doors, she ran towards them, pushed them wide open, and ran!
