"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked Xander, my voice void of any emotions. I was in my warrior stance in front of the whole pack. Back straight, hands folded in front of me and feet shoulder-width apart. I know I looked composed because that...
You are my priority. I will always keep you safe Ana, just remember that.
"Promise?" I whisper
Promise.
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I hate this feeling.
This need to survive day by day.
I hate being starved. Not just of food, but simple decency.
No one has ever seen me as nothing more but a tool. Not one person, except Ulrica. She is the one thing that has kept me sane throughout my entire life. And here she is, promising to keep me safe. She is trying to be the strength for both of us. How long can she keep this up? How long must she bear the burden of...me.
Slowly, painfully, I get to my feet, aware of all the aches and stings right down to my bones. I have lived through torture because of her. I have felt complete destruction from my mate's rejection and was still able to limp away because of her.
When I left my pack, I promised I would no longer be a pawn in someone's game. I promised that I would find my freedom. No matter the cost.
Surviving is what I've done my entire life.
Is it selfish to want more, though? Not for me, but Ulrica. I want to be able to live with her. To enjoy life with her, count the stars, and run free.
Haven't we earned the right to enjoy these simple things?
Simple wishes.
I have no home. I left that life.
No family. I can never go back to my brothers.
No soul mate.
Outside that door is people waiting to give me the option of learning who I am and what I can do.
Out there, they are deciding my fate; they too see me as nothing more than a tool to achieve their own goals.
They talk of a family, but even they can stab us in the back. But it's a risk I will have to live with.
Rica is right; I need to get stronger. They are my tools. They will show me how to sharpen my claws, my teeth, and my mind. I will not go down here. Ulrica is my priority as I am her's. We will fight.
I am not going to lose.
The door stands tall and intimidating before me. But it is also my portal to something new, a challenge to make better. The only way to find out what kind of gift this will become is to reach out, open it, and step in.
I walk like my limbs don't belong to me, and each step is a negotiation rather than an order.
I relax my breathing and open my portal. The light burns my eyes, centering me, and I take another step forward, and another, and another until they adjust.
