AT THE RYDER PACK: Judy thought of how her wolf was the only thing giving her hope to continue staying alive and at Ryder Pack, it was always there for her.
And whenever she was restless she would transform and run for a long period without getting tired.
She left the kitchen and went to her bedroom. She wondered if she would pack spare clothe and go for her running, as she couldn't remember the last time she had. She knew both she and the wolf would use some fresh air and a new environment.
"Work?"
She wouldn't.
Her father had made sure of that, he didn't want her daughter to go out there and make new friends who would pollute her mind, he wanted her daughter for himself. He had asked Judy to stay at home after all they had everything, there was enough money which Judy used but never asked where it came from.
They had everything and her father had promised them if they needed anything they were to ask with no fear, her obnoxious brother, however, didn't care to know where it came from as he loved how he would spend the money for anything.
Just the mere thought of what she did while at home made her know she needed a life; she didn't even think her life was that of a normal boring human being, hers was the worst.
Her life was all about her father, sitting and listening to him.
After learning everything her father had wanted her to learn she thought she was going to be given a task, maybe even overseeing the kitchen duties. She was mistaken as her father had had a different idea for her.
Fighting.
Working out.
Just any exercise which would make her stronger.
Every day, she was to go to the pack's gym and ensure by the end of it she would come out knowing a new fighting skill.
It was direful but at least she got the chance to win, always. And it gave her hopes.
She dreaded when her father would inform her he was to come and watch her fight. Michael Patrick would boast how he was a better fighter than her daughter and he would ask her to keep on learning to become the best of the best and the better of the better.
Nothing satisfied that man at all.
That day at the gym every wolf would want to come and watch the alpha as he taught his daughter the best fighting moves.
Unfortunately, for Judy Patrick, it felt like she could fall and stay there, her father didn't just teach her as the other werewolves saw it but rather, he was screaming.
After each practice he watched he would be a different person for the rest of the day, he would either yell at her and other days he would ignore Judy.
"Why is my father like this?" Judy would ask herself that question. She wanted to ask her father whenever she wanted a shoulder to lean on, but she wouldn't.
From a toxic father to a brother who behaved as if he was a prince to a stuck-up mate and was friendless, Judy Patrick knew she had to deal with her bad days all alone.
Bad days?
No!
Call it bad years.
There was nothing like best days or bad days for Judy. They were all bad, and she knew they were never going to change.
It was like her fate; it was as if her best days were forever gone like the last time, she had experienced them was when she was with her best friend, Gal Ryder.
The clock on her wall showed her she hadn't even stayed for long in the room and she knew her father by now was ready to send someone to call her as if on cue the door opened and her mate entered.
"The alpha is calling for you," he said to her.
"The alpha? Seriously it is not like he can hear you. Just call him by his name." Judy told him.
"No! And your brother asked me to tell you, you can drown in the water they had asked you to fetch."
Judy stared at him wondering if he had anything else to say and if not, why was he still standing there.
Judy's mate was staring back, he was waiting for her to stand so they could go to where the alpha was, he had been ordered not to go back alone.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Judy asked him.
"No, I am waiting for you to stand so we should go."
"Oh, yeah." Judy shook her head and stood up, of course, her father wanted her mate to take her back and after they arrived there, he would humiliate him by asking him so rudely to leave.
They walked out of the room and Judy knew she was going back to being tortured. They walked in silent and anyone new in the pack who saw them would not think they were mates, but rather perfect strangers.
They opened the door to the room and found her father was still talking with her brother.
"Where were you?" Michael asked as soon as she heard the door open.
"You can leave now, or you thought I was going to invite you to this meeting. This is a family meeting," Michael said and Judy felt hurt for her mate.
Yes, Judy and her mate were not close but that didn't mean she would love to hear anyone talking to him disrespectfully.
"Yes alpha," Judy's mate said.
"Why wasn't he even standing up for himself?" Judy wondered. It wasn't like he was homeless; he had a home and had decided to stay with Judy when Michael said there was no way her daughter would get out of her sight.
Judy always thought that if she was her mate, she would have left a long time ago.
"Alpha," a man who just came in running said and Judy looked at him, he was bent down trying to catch his breath and Judy thought for a werewolf the man was out of shape.
For Judy, it was just a man and not the beta as the man normally referred to himself. Michael Patrick didn't have any beta.
"What?" Michael Patrick snapped at him.
"It's true!"