Demon Blood

Chapter 18

Four Years Later...

Kodie's POV

The grass felt soft like a blanket underneath my feet, but I couldn't admire that. I loved the feeling of the wind through my hair as I ran. But right now, it was a constant reminder to keep running for my life. My seven year old legs were talking me over the ground as fast as they could. Faster.. faster.. faster.. I kept thinking to myself. I needed to get back to the house before it caught me. I could hear the pounding of paws behind me on the trail. It sounded like they were getting closer with each step. The trees of the forest that surrounded me started to break way. I could see the outline of my house. Almost there! I kept running, Run.. Run.. Run.. The trees broke away as I ran past the tree line. Home! Come on Kodie keep going! I was making my way to the house, the yard seemed so much bigger than usual as I ran. 

I started yelling for someone, anyone. "HELP! DAD...MO-" before I could finish I felt two large paws hit my back and my body fall beneath them. I started to go down and when I hit the ground the wind was knocked out of me. I tried getting away from it, I couldn't end now, not today, not so young. I felt the body above me rumble with laughter. "OH COME ON!! YOU JUST HAD TO CATCH ME?!?" I yelled at it in anger. It wouldn't have just let me get to the house.

I feel movement with slightly pushed my face further into the ground. Then I hear a familiar laugh and I roll my eyes. Pushing off the now human form, I get up off the ground and glare down at them. My glare is turned with a goofy smile and more laughs. 

"Alex you are a butt face." I cross my arms as I pout and continue to glare at him. My older brother just began to roll around in the grass during his laughing fit. I was getting fed up with him and I turned around and started to finished the distance to the house. I hear more rolling until I hear footsteps running after me.

"Oh come on Kodie! Don't act like this! Come on baby sister." I ignored him and the house was now less than ten feet in front of us. I watched the back door open and my father steps out. He looks at me and then to my brother.  

"How far this time?" He simply asked. It seemed cold and he seemed miserable. Dad has always been miserable, it's all I remember knowing about him. He has always been like this. It's a reason I try to make him proud. Alex tells me stories about how fun he was and how free he seemed. Any stories that took place after I was born make it seem like I brought the miserable to the home and family. 

Alex responded to our dad, "About midway through the back yard." Alex looked at me and smiled proudly. "She didn't stop though, I knocked her down but I bet she could have kept running!" My dad just shook his head and his full attention was on me. With the look he was giving me I knew he wasn't happy. "Yea dad, I think-" Alex was cut off and interrupted by our father. 

"I don't care what you think!" He snapped. My eyes widened a bit at his tone and way of expression. "Do you think I want an opinion from a 12 year old?" Dad seemed to hiss those words out at Alex and put his head down. 

"He was submitting to father..." I thought. Honestly I wanted Alex to give dad a piece of his mind, but our dad was the alpha he ruled over us 10 times the amount of a normal werewolf father. I stared straight ahead, past my father's shoulders. I would not show that I was weak, I wanted him to be proud.

Finally, after a few moments of silence and listening to Alex's heart pounding in his chest, father spoke up again. Directing it towards me, "Tomorrow you'll run again. In case of an attack on the pack you must know the drill and be found safe afterwards. The pack cannot lose you, they care about you to much, Kodie." My father tried giving me a warm smile, but it looked forced. And a forced smile never looked good on anyone. "And I can't have the pack mad that I didn't try to protect their Alpha's favorite child." After his final words he sent heavily and disapproving glares to Alex, then turned to retreat back inside.