Valimina Xlie

Chapter Thirteen

My cries fell upon deaf ears as I vocalize my distress. My feet ache with a throbbing numbness that doesn't spare me even a second of relief. The heat of searing hot torture seems to be at the end of a small string of sanity and I'm on the other end trying my best not to acknowledge that I am only at the start of this long and dreaded hour of standing on hot coals that are still somewhat dieing down from the tiny remnants of the once gorging flames.

I said it earlier that I wasn't looking forward to being away from my friends when they unknowingly save me from a world out of their reach. Now that they aren't by my sides arguing over the shoes that Julis still continued to put a fight up over I am left with a wounded heart and an extra wounded body. Carren didn't take it easy on me just because I lost my wolf. Actually I don't think she even realized it, being in the same house as me can leave a fragrance of what I used to smell like so that can hide my secret for months, but anything else such as a cut that won't heal as easily as it should can give me away. That's exactly what's happening now.

Carren may not have torture devices anymore,  but that doesn't mean she can't get creative. As a punishment for nearly giving her away at the front door and for not sticking up for her when Julie and Julis jumped to gain money she brought us home and had my brother David rip an older unused tire into strips and she wound thick wire and leather to tie them together to make a makeshift whip. The fact that she was able to do this has me fearing for my future.

"Turn around."

I follow her instructions, turning towards her only to be hit on my stomach with the whip. The blow so powerful I doubled over with a strangled cry. The whip is not only stripped enough to actually feel like a whip it is also heavier with the material of the old tire. So when it hit, it hit hard.

I choked up on my own blood. Now that I am human I can't handle this as well as I probably would have if my wolf still thrived within me. Instead of being curious about my weak and extremely fragile body Mom smiles wider with the realization that she has more power over me than she once thought. With her head swole to the brim she pays no head to my pathetic gargled screaming for her to have mercy on my poor beaten soul.

The rush she feels can be seen in her darkening eyes as she loses herself to her nature and her wolf peaks out. A flash of fang let's me know this is just the beginning after twelve minutes of this seemingly endless stream of pain and curses she threw my way.

"Arms up, walk the line again."

I can easily hear the gruffness of her wolf's voice. Carren is no longer in control, but I'm not naive. I know she's watching from the back of her mind with an encouraging smile directed at her wolf who eyes me with narrow slits.

I muffle the whimper that threatens to break free.

It's takes me a few seconds from hesitating, but eventually I found the strength to carry on. Lifting my arms above my head and taking short small breaths to avoid too much blood from slipping to my lungs I walk as straight a line I can make while my feet press against the fire hot coals and my toes stretch to keep me balanced. A silent plea to the moon goddess remains unanswered as Carren's wolf grins and tosses her hand forward. With a twist of her wrist the makeshift whip sliced the skin of my underarm.

Warm blood oozes agonizingly slow from the fresh wounds and soaks my naked body.

My arms stretch to the max as my knees buckle, I stand stiff legged waiting for the pain to deteriorate. It takes a minute and yet it still burns as if someone had pressed silver to the backside of a wolf who had not expected it. This was maddening. The hot of my breath is running ice cold with fear and hatred for the mother wolf who is not worthy of that title. Mom is fine, but mother will never do.