The chilly evening air gently blew the leaves of the pine trees towering high above as nineteen year old Raphael staggered to the front door of his house...or rather, his parent's house. The last time he had been here was seven months ago. Everything was still as he remembered it. Even the defected shoe which he had thrown out of his bedroom window that night was still were it was. A part of him felt a little bit happy that it was still there. At least some things hadn't changed.

Gingerly, he lifted his right hand and knocked on the heavy oak door. There wasn't really a reason to knock on the door in the first place. He was sure they had smelt him the minute he walked through the gates. He hadn't failed to notice how the house suddenly fell silent the moment he stepped in. Usually, his fifteen year old sister, Lily, would be heard playing her rock music extremely loud everyday, which was very unusual given her elevated sense of hearing. Even though she wasn't able to shift yet, she still displayed all the characteristics of a young werewolf. She was agile, she had an unbelievable sense of smell and she was as aggressive as any grown up wolf. Almost as aggressive as their father, the Alpha of their pack; the Outlanders.

Shaking off the apprehension in his system, he knocked and waited for someone to open the door.

Less than a minute later, his mother opened the door, wearing the faded black tee shirt she always wore. Her hair was a horrible mess, and the bags underneath her eyes stood out jarringly, evidence that she hadn't been getting enough sleep. The creases in her face had deepened even more, and her skin looked as wrinkled as a freshly squeezed shirt.

"Raph," she breathed, a mixture of relief and fear on her face. "Why did you come here? You know what your father said he'll do if he ever sees you here again."

"Mother, this is my home. I have nowhere else to go. Please, talk to him. He'll listen to you. I'll die if you leave me out here. Please," he begged, falling on his knees. The tears that fell from his eyes were in sync with his mother's tears. He could see the hurt in her eyes, and he knew she wanted to help him. But she couldn't disobey his father.

"I tried, Raph. I really tried. He just won't listen to me. I don't know how I can convince him to accept you back. Please Raph, leave before he finds out you're here. Please," she begged, trying to shut the door. It wasn't out of hatred or disgust, as anyone else would have done. His mother shut him out because she knew that was the best thing she could do for him. Because she knew what horror awaited him if she let him into the house.

"Mom, at least get me some water. Please. I haven't had anything to eat or drink in days" he said, finally accepting that he no longer belonged here. She nodded quickly and shut the door as she ran off to the kitchen, praying to the lord that her husband would not find out that Raphael was here before she got back. As soon as she shut the door, Raphael fell on the porch and nursed his injured right hand. The blood oozing from the injury was thick black, and all the veins in the arm had turned completely black as the infection spread very slowly across his system.

This was exactly how he was told it would happen. After this, the constant blood vomit would follow, then the loss of all bodily function and finally the disintegration of his internal organs as the venom slowly destroyed every living cell in his body.

He winced in pain as he felt the prickly sensation of the venom advancing in his blood stream. Three more days. Only the next three days will determine his fate. If he managed to survive the next three days, - which seemed highly impossible - he may just manage to live.

But the probability of that seemed highly unlikely. Even if the venom didn't kill him, the hunger will. He hadn't eaten anything in seven days. His once youthful frame was now reduced to mere skin on bones. He had no energy, no strength and no desire to live.

As he sighed heavily once again, the front door creaked open. His mother was carrying a water bottle, and she had also packed what appeared to be some sandwiches in a paper bag.

"Hurry, Raph! I think your father is done with his meeting. Hurry up and leave before he comes." She quivered as she handed him the paper bag. His hand trembled slightly as he reached out to grab it.

"I should have known I smelled some filthy vermin in my territory," the dark voice which belonged to his father echoed across the entrance hall. Raph's mother visibly shrunk in fear, as she slowly turned around, realizing the danger she was in for disobeying a direct order by her alpha.

His father stepped out into the light, his tall and dark figure commanding attention and respect. He was wearing a navy blue suit, with the button undone and his long hair gelled and falling behind him. His hands were behind him, making his shoulders look broader. The familiar scowl was on his face, and his eyebrows were furrowed.

"Um... Clark I... I... I was just..." his mother began, but he raised his hand, immediately silencing her. "We shall discuss your disobedience in private, not in the presence of outsiders," he said, nodding towards Raphael.

"I knew sooner or later you will crawl back to my doorstep," he said, turning towards Raph." You can take the boy out of the gutter, but you can't take the gutter out of the boy." He smirked, cocking his head as he examined Raphael's infected arm.

"Doesn't that mean you're calling your house a gutter?" Raph dared to question, stifling a laugh. He was surprised to realise that he even had enough energy to laugh.

Alpha Clark's expression quickly changed, as a look of rage wiped the smirk off his face. In a flash, he pinned Raphael to the wall, wrapping his fingers around his fragile neck, his claws beginning to protrude. "I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance," he growled, tightening his grip. "But never mind. Your existence is enough punishment on its own. Killing you will simply end your suffering. You will live, if not for anything, then to endure the humiliation. You brought shame onto my family. I will return the favour tenfold," he growled, his eyes beginning to glow a menacing red.

Raphael desperately gasped for air, clawing at his father's abominable grip. He was beginning to turn purple, as each breath became less than the previous one. Alpha Clark however maintained his grip, wishing he could snap the boy's neck in two. He could, but he chose not to. Seeing the boy in a state of suffering made him feel satisfied. 'He brought this on himself,' he thought to himself. 'If only he had obeyed my command, he wouldn't be in this situation.'

Desperately, his mother tried to release her husband's grip on his neck. "Please Clark! Please let him go. He'll never come here again. I promise you. Please Clark. Please!" she pleaded, the tears in her eyes falling in waves.

"Let go of me, you bloody woman!" he growled, shoving her away with his other hand. She staggered to the floor, hitting her head on the wooden floor. She blacked out for a few seconds, then staggered back to her feet quickly, her only concern being her poor son pinned against the wall, his feet dangling in the air.

"Once I let go of you, I want you to run," his father whispered. "Run as far as your feeble little legs can carry you. And don't ever turn back. If I happen to catch you anywhere near my territory, you'll wish you were never born."

Loosening his grip a little, he flung Raphael towards the gates, landing precisely fifteen feet away. Gasping for air, Raph pushed himself up from the dirt and limped away. As his father began to growl, he began to pick up speed, absorbing the sharp pains that shot up his leg all the way to his spine.

As he reached the plain fields were the trees grew fewer and the light of the setting sun penetrated the damp forest, he felt a renewed sense of determination, and he began to pick up speed. He ran several miles down the damp paths, never stopping, or even turning back. He was afraid of what he would see if he did.

Eventually, his legs gave way and he collapsed right next to a large oak tree. There was a cave underneath the tree, were the roots had jutted out and separated the earth below. Gathering the rest of his strength, he pulled himself slowly into the cave, shielding himself from the intense cold that came with the night.

When he managed to get himself completely inside, he pulled his jacket tighter around himself, resting his head on a rock within the cave, and letting himself be consumed by the darkness.

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