Chapter 2 This Life

• The loud bird calls intruded on the room’s sole occupant’s sleep. With a groan, Jadiel Baldwin, slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the pain in her right one. She sat up and gasped when her pajama top rubbed against the welts on her back. Yesterday had been a bad day. She had spent the majority of her evening being punished by her stepmother, Luna Alison Baldwin.
• She hadn’t done anything wrong. At least she didn’t feel that she had. It didn’t matter what she thought, Luna Alison would still find some reason to punish her. This time it had been about the quality of dinner.
• Before she could stop it, the memory from last night replayed itself in her mind....
• Jadiel had followed the recipe closely and was pleased with the results. When the family had come for dinner she had proudly served the meal. They were only a couple of bites in when Luna Alison abruptly spit out the food and stalked toward her.
• She had been startled and didn’t dodge quick enough, taking a punch to the face that blacked her eye. The assault didn’t end there. Her stepmother grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the basement.
• She fought like crazy but her stepmother’s strength was greater than hers. Luna Alison slammed her to the floor, knocking the breath out of her. Before Jadiel could move, she felt her stepmother’s claws ripping into her shirt, shredding it.
• Finally, she could breathe and let out a scream of fear.
• “Shut up, you useless bitch!”
• Her stepmother swiped her claw across Jadiel’s back, pulling another scream from her.
• “Please, stop! I’m sorry!” she wailed, trying to crawl away from her attacker.
• “You’re sorry? No, you aren’t! That’s fine, I’ll fix that attitude of yours.”
• Jadiel heard the whistle of the whip and, in a last desperate attempt to escape, rolled to the left.
• The biting sting of the whip cutting into her injured back made her howl in agony. More blows quickly followed. She curled into a ball sobbing in pain and fear. After what felt like forever the beating finally ended.
• Luna Alison dug her fingers into Jadiel’s hair and yanked her head up. Her eyes glowed with the presence of her wolf, Paulette.
• “You mess up my dinner again and I will make sure to use a silver whip on you!”
• Jadiel couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she frantically nodded that she understood. Her stepmother released her and she sank to the floor. She didn’t move, squeezing her eyes shut, listening to her stepmother’s retreating footsteps.
• She felt the blood running down her back and bemoaned her existence. She wanted to die. Anything to escape the hell she was living in.
• ::We can’t die yet. Our mate will find us. You have to hang on:: whimpered her wolf, Sayrah.
• Jadiel didn’t know if she had the strength or the desire to pray for a nonexistent mate to save her from this hell. No one was coming to rescue her. Not now. Not ever.
• Groaning, Jadiel swung her legs to the side of the bed and gingerly stood up. Her legs almost collapsed under her. She firmed her resolve and her shaking legs. Once she was sure she could walk, she went to her bathroom. Tears stung her eyes when she peeled the pajama top off. She could feel blood running down her back. She hurried into the shower and whimpered at the extra sting of the water hitting her slow healing welts.
• Though she was an Alpha’s daughter, her wolf was weak. Not that Jadiel cared. She loved Sayrah with all her heart. Her wolf made everything bearable. The problem was the humanlike healing speed of her body. What would take any other werewolf an hour or two to heal, took her hours or even days depending on the injury.
• ::I’m sorry, Jadiel. I wish I could do more,:: whined Sayrah.
• ::It’s not your fault. I’m not mad at you. You are the only good thing in my life.::
• Gingerly she dried off and put on clean clothes. She was not looking forward to the day. She tiptoed downstairs and breathed a sigh of relief. None of the family was home. She thanked the Moon Goddess for that small blessing. She dug around in the fridge until she found something to eat that her stepmother wouldn’t notice. She didn’t want another beating and if her stepmother felt that she was stealing things it would be worse.
• Jadiel saw the time and swore. She had to hurry to the pack’s main compound to work. She grabbed her shoes and rushed from the house.