The night wind angrily brushes my skin and the snowflakes that it brought along, sticks to my midnight black hair like bright stars twinkling in the darkest night. My arms are wrapped around me in a desperate attempt to keep my body warm in this cold night. The constant throbbing of pain continues on the left side of my body. I had to drag my body through the snow due to the injuries that I sustained.

The fact that I am drenched wet isn't helping me at all and the probability of me suffering from pneumonia is constantly rising every passing minute. Along with angry hushes of the wind and the crushing sound of the snow beneath my feet, the chattering of my teeth echoes in the night.

Goosebumps the size of small thrones adorn my skin which is turning paler every second. My heart threatens to stop beating in my chest and my lungs deny to fill themselves with as much air that I need. I've never felt something like this.

Tiredness is taking over me as I drag my injured body towards the place I call home. Dreed and uneasiness fill me up at the sight of the familiar building where I've spent the whole span of my existence. Since I am severely injured and could hardly walk; I cannot climb into my room through the water pipe. I've to go in through the front door.

With a deep breath and collecting every ounce of courage inside me, I open the front door gently as quite as I could manage. After getting inside and securely closing the door behind me, I dag my body painfully without making noise inside the house.

Just a mere creek of the floor and they would know. After successfully crossing the living room and reaching the stairs, I decided to sit down and take some rest before climbing the stairs that seemed more like Mt. Everest in this situation.

My body is constantly shivering as I get up and start to climb the stairs. Half of my body parts seemed to have frozen while my mind is slowly slipping into unconsciousness. Miraculously, I reach my room without making a noise and get inside.

With the remaining power I've left inside me, I peel off the wet clothes from my body before collapsing on my bed and pulling the covers over me and welcoming the nightmares like a dearest friend.

In the morning when I wake up, I seem to have traveled to an entirely different universe. My body is so sore that I feel exhausted after taking a deep breath. I get up and dress up before groggily heading downstairs for breakfast. The injuries from last night seemed to have healed but still, the stiffness remains.

I know I look worse because physically I feel worse. My hands are paper white and my eyes, bleeding red. With a big yawn, I step in the dining hall to find my family already seated there. Everyone's attention is snatched by me when a screeching sound resonates the room due to me pulling out the chair to sit.

I utter a good morning before pouring myself some coffee and sipping so loudly from my cup that I could swear the whole pack heard me. Mom instantly throws me a glare which is ignored by me. My eyelids feel heavy and my limbs feel stiff and weak.

As the cook serves us breakfast, mom and dad start talking about pack while my sisters talk about the birthday party. I try hard to tune out of their conversation but every word said by them is forcibly stuffed in my ear by some unknown force. Grace is buzzing with excitement while my insides resemble a barren land with deep and unrepairable cracks running all over it.

"And yes, thetekkastold me something very important this morning..." Dad continues as he eats.

"They found footprints around Cave of Zesux last night." He says and nearly everyone on the table stops what they're doing. My heart skips a beat in my chest while I suck in a breath.

"That's... who would have gone there?" My mother asks in surprise while Phoebe and Grace's head turn towards me, both of them giving me a questioning look. I know that they're already doubting that it could have been me and it WAS me but I don't want them to know or else I'll be grounded for my whole life. It's not like I am going to live long but still, however long I live; I want to live to my fullest.

I shrug at them and continue to sip at my coffee. Phoebe looks away but Grace narrows her eyes at me. I know that she'll be cooking some story in her head already to feed it to the pack. I don't care. I already have a bad reputation in this pack and it couldn't get any worse.

After breakfast, I head upstairs. After changing and stuffing my bag with books, I head to school still feeling groggy. I want to hide somewhere and sleep this exhaustion away but this would never happen. This exhaustion would never go away.

When I reach school, I drag myself to my first class, ignoring Melissa and her minions who tried to pick on me by the lockers. I enter my first class and as soon as I sit on my seat, my eyelids flutter shut due to exhaustion and I feel being dragged into the darkness.

I don't know how much I slept but when someone shook me awake, I sat up to find Mrs. Sutton standing in front of me, her ruler hanging down her hand while her eyes were digging holes one me.

"OUT!"

After some moments I find myself standing outside the class, yawning as if there's no tomorrow.

"Oh look! Who's here! It's Nefret!" Spoke a familiar voice. By its smoothness and mocking tone, it didn't take me long to put the face to the voice.

Melissa.

She strolled towards me followed by the minions wearing gym clothes. I yawn before giving her a sickly sweet smile.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have a class to be in or did they just put you out so that you could learn to read first?" She says and her minions burst out laughing. Something stirs inside me and I feel rage course through me like blood through veins.

Without thinking next, I step forward and punch her square on the face. A sickening crunch echoes throughout the corridor before she stumbles back and falls back like a plank. Her minions let out a loud scream and in the next moment, Mrs. Sutton is out of the class along with some students.

She looks at the now unconscious Melisa, lying at an odd angle on the floor while blood gushes out through her nose and then at me. A low growl vibrates in her chest before she bellows: "To the Principal's Office. NOW!"

I am bubbling with rage as I stomp towards the principal's office. I am seeing red and breathing fire. I knock before bursting into the office without waiting for an answer. Mr. Finch the principle of our school looks up from the papers on his table. He's an old wolf. His eyes have fogged up due to cataract while white hair has started to take over the black ones over his head. Major wrinkles adorn his face hinting away his oldness.

"I punched Melissa," I say without batting an eyelash.

"And why's that?" He asks in his gruff and heavy voice.

"Because that bitch deserved it." I spat.

"Control your language or I'll call-"

"Call whoever you want. I don't fear anyone!"

"I am calling your mom."

Okay now, I want to take my words back.

~

"When will you start behaving yourself, Nefret?" Mom asks patiently while the undertone of impatience is clearly audible in her voice. I cross my hands over my chest and sit silently on the couch of our living room as she paces in front of me, her eyes fixed on me.

Right after the situation in the Principal's office, mom was called and informed about my doings before being handed over to her.

"Never." I spit. I am sick of this. I have tried to fit myself in but I never succeeded. I tried hard enough until it became enough hard. I want this over. She growls at me while burning holes on me with her hot glare.

"Do you think this is funny? Behaving that way? Talking back to your elders? Staying up at night and sneaking out of the house" As soon as she finishes, my blood runs cold. My jaw drops to the floor.

"Uhh... I ... what are you talking about, mom?" I try to ask innocently but she growls at me.

"Don't try to fool me, Nefret. I know you were not home last night. Your bed was empty when I went to check." She growls lowly and I gulp audibly.

"I was home last night," I say shrugging not caring that I am already caught and mom knows I am lying. A thundering growl vibrates her chest as she is standing in front of me, a dangerous amount of energy radiating off her.

"Stop lying!" She growls out loud.

"I AM NOT LYING!" I bellow at the top of my lungs, standing up and glaring back at her as she continues to glare at me.

"DON'T RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME, NEFRET!" She bellows at me and I feel an invisible cover cracking inside me to reveal a wild part of me that I never knew existed. I want to lunge at her and claw her face out but I contain myself from doing so.

I close my eyes and take deep breaths.

"If you don't stop this soon then you're gonna get into deep trouble, Nefret." She warns and I roll my eyes at her. I turn around on my heel before leaving the room.

"Nefret, listen to me. I am not done talking yet!" She bellows behind me but I ignore her as I climb upstairs.

"Nefret, come down this instant!" She calls out behind me but I keep climbing the stairs until I am on the landing. I stomp to my room and as soon as I shut the door to my room, she stars to bang the door angrily.

"NEFRET!" She shouts and I know that I am deep in trouble. My breaths are coming short and my head is throbbing. My palms are sweaty and small beads of sweat appear on my forehead.

"You should listen to her." A voice speaks suddenly making me jump back. I turn around to find his tall and hooded figure standing by the door. My heart drops to my stomach. He's here again.

"Keep your nose out of my business." I spit not caring if he's a god or a dog. I am not in the mood to talk with anyone. I turn around and head towards my bed while mom continues to rap on my door. I know the whole pack could hear this but I don't care. Let them judge.

Suddenly, I am being tugged back by my jacket and turned around roughly. I tug my shirt back from his hold before growling at him. He growls at me and black flames ooze off his body. That's when I come to my senses and realize that I just growled at a god.

Well done, Nefret.