Chapter 4 CHAPTER 4

CASSIE'S POV

I wasn't sure how my good luck streak planned to last but I was going to stretch it as much as possible.

I rushed out to quickly make breakfast but the second I opened the door to the living room, a strong stench accompanied with loud snores greeted me.

I sighed, moving slowly to avoid poking the beer.

I saw him.

Lying down on the floor without a shirt on and three empty bottles of beer next to him. There were five more on the table.

I didn't stand around to stare, like I said, I wasn't testing my luck today. It has to last longer.

Having my wolf back was something I didn't even know how to react to.

I'd gotten her when I was four, something quite unheard of and we used to be so happy but since he began hitting me, she slowly lost her spark and one day I woke up and her gentle voice didn't respond to my greetings. My wounds began lasting longer and it seemed to make him so happy that they got worse.

I went to the kitchen and quickly got to work making pancakes and a hangover soup that my mother used to make for herself on the one day in a year that she actually takes out time for herself.

I thought about placing it on the table for him but all that walking around would probably wake him up and I'd rather not deal with broken ribs so early in the day.

I went back to get ready for school and when I got out of the bathroom, I decided to check the time.

“Shit, I have just thirty minutes,” I gasped and dumped the phone on my bed and rushed to the bathroom.

That's when it clicked.

Today's actually the day she died, around two AM.

“Which means that today's also my birthday,” I breathed, absentmindedly rubbing the piece of fabric I was thinking of wearing.

It was sad how happy my life used to be. As I knelt down by my clothes box, my mind went back to the previous birthdays I used to have.

It would begin with my mom walking into my room with a tiny cupcake with a candle in the middle. She'd wake me up, tell me to make a wish and then I'll blow it out.

Afterwards, we'd pick out the dress for the day together because we would have a little party afterwards with friends and then she'll leave for me to get dressed and come out to the living room. And unfailingly, every year, she'd stand behind the table, beaming with a proud smile watching me approach her with that particular cake she'd gotten for me since my tenth birthday party with the SpongeBob character or any one that was my current favourite on it.

Even at fifteen, it still made me happy even though my friends and mates were obsessed with Hannah Montana and not some cartoon character or another. But now, I didn't have my mother, friends or the damn cake that was the catalyst to all my problems.

A tear fell on my arm, bringing me back to the present as I pulled out the dress. It was a black, long sleeved dress that was right on my knees but I didn't have the time to change it and it's not like I had an array of options. It was worn quite alright but it was the first time I was going to be showing my legs in a while since they weren't bruised today.

I dressed up and picked my phone and bag, going to look at my face in the small mirror in my bathroom.

“Happy Birthday I guess,” I whispered, cleaning up the tears stains on my face and stepping out.

Still on the floor was the cause of half of my pain and I carefully avoided him, heading out the door.

I walked quickly to school, rushing to my locker because I was doing everything to avoid being late and getting detention again.

My wolf was barely here with me, I wanted to do everything I could do to ensure I didn't get hit again so she won't be forced to leave.

Although that sounded like a far fetched dream, I was obsessed with trying.

I opened my locker to grab my books for the day and my assignments.

I closed it only to realize she'd been standing all along, a smirk on her face as we came face to face as my locker door closed with a snap.

“Looks like you went scavenger hunting yesterday, nosey-geek,” Penelope, my once in a different lifetime best friend sneered.

I took a deep breath, wishing the frustrating tears in my eyes won't drop.

I was mourning and it just seemed like life didn't want to give me a damn break.

“Where else would she get clothes, Penny?” Agatha, her most vicious follower added, carrying Penelope’s books for her.

“Definitely not from the store where everyone else gets theirs, she's sent her Mother to the graveyard afterall,” Greta jeered, and this time, my sadness morphed quickly to anger.

“Don't you dare talk about my mom!” I snapped, “that's too low, even for you!”

“Oh she's actually capable of talking and not just crying like the bitch she is!” Their queen bee exclaimed, the crowd around us erupted in laughter.

“Let's see what else she can do,” someone yelled from the crowd.

“Great idea,” she smiled, drawing impossibly closer to me and then slipped her fingers into the neck of my gown.

“Let go of me,” I sniffled, my voice sounding as weak as I felt.

“You see, if you could sound a little bit like you actually mean it, I might consider it. I'm graceful afterall, right?”

“Of course you are. That's why she's still in this school and not in some suburb where her drunken stepfather can afford to keep her,” Greta digged low again.

I guess she'll always have that grudge against me, Penelope becoming friends with her just gave her the perfect chance to take it as far as she pleased.

She fisted my dress and pulled me forward, her fingers pulling at my skin.

“Please stop it, it hurts!”

“Beg me bitch, beg!”

“Leave me alone! Please!” I screamed, the tears finally falling.

“Only because you begged like the weak ass dumb bitch you truly are,” she sneered in my face, her face contorting into an angry snarl before she pushed me with all her strength.

I felt myself falling uncontrollably, and anyone I tried to hold on to evaded me as I hurtled towards the ground.

But I never made it to the school's tiled floor.

My body collided with someone's chest and like I'd touched electricity, sparks erupted all over me as he helped me stand up to my feet.

“Oh my goodness, Stephan!” I heard but I couldn't pay attention to Penelope’s fake drama driven screech.

Because for the first time in nine months, my wolf growled a word, one that would change everything.

“Mate.”