I had been away for too long. Although my presence at the pack house was not wanted, it was required. 

I led a dangerously empty life, desolate and barren of the basic connections necessary for certain aspects of living. If life was measured in the people who held some sort of love for you, then theoretically I would not be among the numbers of the living.

Sluggishly, I shuffled my feet one in front of the other before I reached the wooden stairs of the deck positioned at the back of the house. I stared down at the faded wood, wishing that I could turn around and vanish into the woods. The feeling of dread washed over me as my hand slid over the old railing. Slowly, I forced my feet to move until I came face to face with the glass paned back door.

For a few seconds, I lifted my eyes to stare into my reflection. The girl behind the glass that peered back at me looked afraid and dullness seemed to color her. Skin almost paper white, fire red hair dull and faded, eyes that seemed dead and lifeless. I scoffed at my reflection. I was slowly disintegrating, my bones poking from my skin in weird places. Blackness rimmed my eyes and the hollows of my cheeks caved in. 

There was a reason why I wasn't allowed into town and this was it. Usually I was confined to the pack house but today was a rare day and I was allowed outside for an hour with Paul watching me. But I had ditched the Beta and had been gone for more than three hours. At that time, I hadn't thought of the repercussions but now regretted my initial decision. 

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it as I closed my eyes. I reopened them as I reached my shaking hand towards the door handle. As soon as my fingertips brushed against the brass knob, I recoiled my hand, holding it to my chest as if I had been shocked. My brain screamed at me. 

Danger. 

Danger. 

Danger.

Shaking my head, I bit my lip and quickly gripped the door handle. Swiftly, I turned it and allowed the door to swing open.

As soon as the door had revealed my presence, the heads in the living room swiveled around, twelve different sets of eyes bore into my small figure, all wearing malicious glares. As soon as I had set foot in the house, all conversation had been cut off. I shrunk under their glares, a feeble attempt to make myself smaller. My back pressed against the wall adjacent to the door as I softly clicked it closed. 

They suddenly erupted into a symphony of hushed whispers, their eyes flicking to me and then back at each other again.

 "Where have you been?" My father spoke up, growling at me as I tried to disappear into the wall. 

I provided him no reply. Instead, I stared back at him with my teeth grinding together. 

The hatred in the pack's gazes told me that I was in too deep, there was no room for escape. A spark of fear ignited within me, spreading through my veins like a fire, hot and fast. My fingers dug into the wall that I was still pressed against in an attempt to keep my erratic breathing under control, the old light grey paint chipping.

My brain told me to run, to get away and avoid the pain that was sure to be inflicted upon me. But where would I go? The body is programmed to aviod painful situations but I found myself unable to move, pinned in place by the twelve stares that appeared to want to tear me apart.

My sister suddenly stood up from the white leather couch that wrapped around the living room like a snake. She looked like me, flaming red hair and the same facial structure. But her eyes were a light bronze and she appeared much more menacing compared to my fragile physique. 

"Nora," I whispered.

She charged at me and grabbed a tight hold of the front of my maroon tshirt, stretching the fabric. She ripped me from the wall only to slam me back into it. A sickening crack echoed throughout the room as the back my head connected with the wall. Black spots swam in my vision and I tried to look anywhere but her.

"You stupid bitch!" She reared her hand back, the slap left a sharp stinging sensation across my cheek, the pain heightened because of the light green bruise that already marred my skin.

"I-I'm sorry," I cholked out.

"You should have known better," she hissed as she threw me to the floor, my bones knocking against the hardwoods. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood in order to stop myself from crying out. 

Nora always seemed to like to be violent, even going so far as getting into fist fights with the rest of the Blackthorn pack. And she showed no mercy.

My older sister stood menacingly over me for a few moments before she spun on her heel and retreated to the living room to reclaim her spot on the couch. I slowly pushed my bruised body from the ground, the rest of the pack paying me no attention. I was thankful as I gripped the dining room chair to my left in order to pull myself up. Wincing as the legs scraped across the hardwoods, my eyes found themselves wandering into the living room before pushing the chair back into the large oak table.

I limped my way into the kitchen but I failed to hear the light and agile footsteps that followed me around the island. Paul pushed me into the cabinets, the plates above rattling. He stood towering over me, cornering me between him and the light marble countertop. His hazel eyes bore into mine.

"Do you know how much trouble I was in when I came back without you earlier?" He snapped and I trembled. Stop, I told myself, you're stronger than this. 

I still struggled to find the words to say before he, too, slapped me. But this was much harder than Nora's, it sent my head whipping to the right. This time I tasted blood.

"Just know that if you ever try to pull that shit on me again, I'll kill you."

I wanted to retaliate, to speak up and make a witty comment that would further piss him off but I held myself back and instead watched as he went to his room downstairs in the finished basement. Blood dripped from the corner my lip, my teeth had torn through the fragile skin when Paul had slapped me. 

Sighing, I pushed my fingers through my hair as I padded my way to the deep industrial style sink. I braced my arms on either side of it as I allowed for the blood to drip from my chin before I spat out more. I peered down at the crimson stain as it slowly inched its way towards the drain. Spitting again, I pushed myself away from the sink and retreated to my small room on the first level. The hallway leading past the stairs that went up to my parent's room seemed more haunting and darker than usual. I hurried to my room and as soon as I made it within its boundaries, I closed the door quietly. Making my way across the room to the air mattress on the floor, I lowered myself onto it and stared at all of the bare white walls surrounding me.  

I was trapped here.

My freedom when I was in the woods was stolen away once I returned to this prison. And it would remain that way.