It all seemed like a dream. A terrible dream you'd want to wake up from. But you can't, it haunts you for the rest of your life, clouds your memory, disorganizes your plans, and ruins your judgment. It's a bad feeling, one you'd wish you could get rid of. But you can't fight the pain. She knew she couldn't have him, but the thrill of it all ignited a fire within her, a fire that quickly extinguished.
Kathryn always felt she was immune to pain because she had never experienced it. Being the alpha's daughter meant she had protection. It also came with responsibility first to her pack, her family, and then, herself. She loved living in the pack house, it was peaceful and tranquil. She always thought life would be perfect until the day the vampires struck.
She could remember the day vividly, despite how hard she tried to forget it. She was just ten when they struck. They were in the pack house, Mother was knitting a sweater, Kiana was writing a letter and she was braiding her hair, looking for a reason to join her father in the courtyard. Suddenly, they heard howling and wails from outside. They crept towards the window, witnessing a bloody scene take place. She watched as they ripped the heads of her people. Mother was too traumatized to speak, so she pulled Kiana and her to her side as they made their way out of the pack house. They went through the secret passageway Father had installed in case of events like that. They finally got out and stealthily crept to the bushes, witnessing their finest warriors being cut to shreds. Kiana shed tears, covering her face with her handkerchief. Kathryn gazed at her mother's face. She thought she saw her eyes become red for a split second. However, when she blinked, they became amber again
"We should move quickly," Mother said, finding her voice back, "They may spot us."
"We can't just leave them, Mother!" She cried, "They've already sacrificed so much!"
"There are some battles we can win Kathy, let it be."
She noticed the sadness in her voice and stopped pressing the issue. Kiana picked her up as they moved further into the forest. They ran as fast as they could but didn't get lucky because soon, they were cornered by the vampires. Kiana pulled Kathryn closer to herself as they slowly moved back, trying to escape.
"It's been a while Laverne, how are you doing?" The vampire in the middle said sarcastically, referring to her mother.
"Leave them out of this Claudio," she said calmly, "I'm the one you want."
He let out a short laugh. "Where's the fun in that? It's quite sad that the pack will have to pay for the sins of one member."
"Let them go, call your troops back," she pleaded, "I'll come with you."
"You can't leave us, Mother!" Kiana cried. Laverne gave her a sweet smile and said, "Take care of yourself, Kiana. I have been a terrible mother but I hope you find somewhere in your heart to forgive me. Take care of your father and Kathryn. You'll grow up to be a strong woman, I know it. Please make sure Kathryn takes her medicine, you know what will happen if she doesn't."
Kiana nodded her head slowly, her blue eyes reddened. Laverne pulled her daughters into a hug before leaving with the vampires. Kiana let out a long sad howl in pain. She picked Kathryn up once more, walking into another part of the forest.
As promised, the vampires left, but Laverne never came back. It only made the Alpha lose his mind. He practically went mad, shutting himself indoors and allowing no one to see him. Kiana however, tried to fulfill her promise to her mother by making sure she took proper care of her sister and father.
"Why do I have to take the medicine? It tastes and feels terrible," she asked on one occasion, "Am I ill?"
Kiana put the medicine down and smiled softly. "So you can have a wolf," she lied. Kathryn's face beamed in excitement. "Are you serious Kiana?"
She briefly nodded, not enjoying the fact she was lying to her sister. But she needed to be kept from the truth. Kiana served the medicine, a thick amber liquid, in a spoon. Kathryn slowly opened her mouth, drinking the medicine. After taking it, she collapsed, falling to the floor. She felt as though her insides were burning up, she couldn't handle the pain. Kiana picked her up and gave her the herb to relieve the pain. She stopped jerking, finally calming down. She softly patted her sister's head, watching her fall asleep. She knew she couldn't keep the truth from her, she was becoming too inquisitive. Placing her on the bed, she walked to the table, picking up the letter she wrote. She pulled her long blond hair into a massive bun before covering it up with a scarf. Putting a cloak on, she jumped down the large window. Landing on the ground, she walked briskly into the garden. She stopped at the border separating the vampires from the werewolves. Shortly after she arrived, a man surfaced. "What are you doing here Kiana? Do you know how much trouble you could get into if you're spotted here?"
"I need an update, has the judgment been made?" She said in a worried tone. He slowly nodded his head. "What did they decide on? What's going to happen to her?" She pleaded. "You aren't going to like it," he said, scratching his head. "It couldn't get any worse, tell me."
"They decided she should be married off to Claudio since he was the one she was originally betrothed to."
Her face fell instantly fell. "Did she go through with it?" She said in a choked voice. He shook his head. "What did they do about it?"
"She was sentenced to death, although she has the power to change her mind."
Her blue eyes welled up in tears. She cried bitterly, she felt she didn't deserve to die. He pulled her into a hug and softly patted her back. Looking at her face, he gently wiped the tears off her tears. "Give this to her," she said, referring to the letter, "Tell her I always make sure Kathryn takes her medicine. Tell her Father misses her dearly, we all do."
He nodded once more, walking into the forest. "Wait!" She called. He stopped in his tracks, turning back. Arching his brow at her, he asked what she wanted. "Thank you," she softly smiled. He walked towards her, pulling her to him. He cupped her soft face with his palm before softly kissing her. He walked back into the forest once more.
She pulled the scarf over her hair, stealthily making her way into the pack house, not wanting to arouse suspicion.