Chapter 15 - Growing Up...

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Ivy's pov:
These last couple of days gave been rather...abnormal. I mean, I've barely been here long enough to know what's even normal, but it doesn't take a genius to see that the pack has been attacked because of all the grieving pack-members I've spotted. I might only be eleven years old and I'm supposed to be too young to even recognize certain things, but with my upbringing in the woods in a worn-down cabin, I know over a hundred things that I'm not supposed to.

My dad and Kate...well, I don't know if I call her Kate or if I can call her mum. Dad is...well, I know he's my dad so I don't really have to call him by his name. He probably doesn't want me to either, but at the same time, we only just met. It feels weird when I call out 'dad' and he shows up. I'm not used to it. I didn't grow up with him. I'm not used to having a mum either so that feels even weirder. For Damian it's easy. They're both his parents, but in my case, only my father is directly related to me while Kate...she's sort of a mum, but at the same time she isn't.

What I was going to say originally was that dad and Kate has been super-busy. I've spent my time more with my newfound little brother Damian and I've enjoyed getting to know him, but I can see that what happened a few days ago has left its toll on everybody. Sometimes the looks that people give my dad and Kate as they walk down the halls, lead me to believe that something is out of place. The looks aren't filled of respect or the feeling of safety...it's fear.

Fear, is an emotion I know far too well from when I was alone in the woods running away from the big bad wolf. When I think about it, it's actually kind of weird that he didn't catch me before Alec found me. Despite the fact that I had a gun, which a girl at my age should never have, I was pretty defenseless out there. Even I know that, but at the same time, I have the feeling that he 'let' me go. On the same day, he attacked the pack I sought refuge in. Coincidence?

This is my third day in the pack and it's way past our curfew. I'm still sleeping at the hospital with little Damian, in the same room as Alec who is still being treated but it doesn't seem like there's much they can do unless he starts wiggling his toes. They don't know when or if that's ever going to happen, but I hope it does. He seems like a good and funny person. He was the one that brought me back here, who made me put my guard down and brought me to my real father, his mate and my half-brother.

It's a little chilly in the room as I sneak out of the bed I share with Damian before I find my way to the window-frame and see the moonlight sneak through the window. I'm still used to being out in the woods at this time of day...night, and every night since I got here, except for the first night, I've snuck over to the window. The landscape outside is covered in pure darkness and despite of being used to that, I'm slightly scared of what might suddenly just pop out of the woods and run towards the mansion in terms of a wolf or worse...him.

He said he was my grandfather, like the father of my father, but I've only ever come to know him as one thing – a monster. He's never come after me physically. It was never about integrity of never touching a child because he had apparently done that before, it was rather the fact that my grandmother...and Brutus sometimes, got in the way of him putting any harm to me.

I felt bad when they both urged me to run off when I had the chance. They knew they'd get punished, but they didn't care as long as I got out of there. They said they'd survive it as long as I got out of there, but what about what I could take? What about the fact that I'd know of their punishments and that they were all because of me?

Lost in my own trail of thoughts, I notice the door open with a slight squeaking sound. I turn my head as I see Kate. She always come to check up on Damian and me during the nights. She hasn't forgotten about either of us despite of how busy she must be as the Luna of this troubled pack. My father checks up on us whenever he can, but he's busier than Kate usually so he doesn't come around as often as he would probably like to.

- Hey, what are you still doing awake?

Kate asks as she finishes checking up on Damian, pulling the covers closer on him before she makes her way over to me. I pull my knees closer to my chest as she sits down opposite to me.

- It's just habit. I'm not used to be in such a big house, sleeping in actual soft bed...

I answer as I look down on my feet for a moment. I'm always a little nervous and cautious around her and dad. It's almost like I'm still fighting myself regarding trusting them. Despite of how much I want to, I'm somewhat still cautious.

- I would've hoped you got used to that by now...

She answers with a gentle smile on her face and I try to allow myself be affected by it. She really is trying her best to make me feel at home. Even though we're technically not related, she makes an effort despite of it and it makes me admire her.

- So would I...

I answer as I turn my head slightly towards the window. I hear her sigh slightly and I immediately turn my head back towards her.

- Can I ask what it is that still doesn't quite make you feel...feel like you're not a part of the family and household?

She asks me and I have to think more than once before I dare to give her an answer. However I don't find one.

- We're not entirely safe these days, are we?

I blurt out and her smiles fades away.

- Why do you think that?

She asks in return.

- The day I arrived, a few hours after you got me installed here, there was an attack on the pack. Many people were killed...

I ask, letting her know that I've heard the rumors and I...I remember seeing some of it when Damian was showing me most of his things in his room. I was randomly glancing out the window and then I saw him. He was easily outfighting three guards at once, and when he was done, it was as if he knew just where to look to find me. Shivers ran down my spine that very moment and I immediately looked away, back towards Damian.

- I saw it through the window from Damian's room. He was showing me some things and I randomly looked out the window. I didn't tell him anything, but he noticed something on my stature...

I let out as I look towards Damian. He's quite intuitive that's for sure. I see Kate is nodding weakly to herself. None of them probably wanted me to know, but she'd understand I'm not new to this if she knew my story...if any of them knew my story.

- You're right about the attacks. An evil wolf out there wants to do some damage to your father. Your father is doing the best he can to deal with it...

I sense the doubt in her voice, but she doesn't want me to.

- Kate...I know who that man is. I might just be eleven years old and I've seen things I probably shouldn't, but...but I lived in the same house as him for eleven years. With him and my grandmother...


Kate's pov:
I have to take a deep breath when I look at her. She actually grew up in the same house as that monster, but she doesn't have a single scratch on her when I look at her. It doesn't look like she lived with him...

- Did he ever hurt you, like...?

I don't even know how to ask that question or put it into words. I think she knows what I'm asking by the way I turn thoughtful. God, I wish she didn't know a damn example at all. She's not supposed to know, not now, not ever. Before she answers, I barely catch sight of Blake walking through the door, but he senses the moment and keeps his distance. Ivy doesn't notice him entering the room at all.

- No, no he never touched me...

She answers and I'm slightly surprised. Blake seems a little tense through the link by what we're talking about. I can tell what she's telling me is still putting its toll on her too. It's almost as if she's feeling guilty over something. I immediately reach out to grab her hand and she holds on to it tightly.

- My grandmother would take the hits...

I almost feel this lump in my throat when she says that. She looks so affected by it. I immediately sit closer to her and she leans her head against my chest as I hold around her.

- My grandmother wouldn't let him go anywhere near me, despite of scared she was of him. She always stepped in front of me whenever I had done something that according to him was unacceptable.

I look slightly towards Blake as Ivy takes a little break. I can see him turn thoughtful on the outside, but through the link I sense pain and anger. I try my best not to let that affect me as I look down on Ivy. She tries to calm down her breathing a little bit. She turns her attention out the window again, as if she's expecting someone, or him, to appear by the tree-line. For now we've got the area surrounding the mansion covered, but Blake still isn't convinced that it's going to be enough for whenever his father decides to come back.

- And when she couldn't take it, Brutus would take it...mostly because he was interfering with my grandfather's business, but in the end it protected me because he would be satisfied with having punished someone...

I can sense my heart pounding in my chest. What's even more evident though is the pain, disappointment and rage in the link. Blake is almost covering his face where he is sitting and listening to all of this. I sigh deeply to myself as Ivy is shaking on my lap and Blake is sitting there in pain. I'm in between still sitting here with Ivy or walking over to Blake. He walked in just in the right time to hear probably some of the most painful things and he heard it from his own daughter. After a while Blake walks out, almost slamming the door shut as Ivy immediately turns around before she looks up at me...

- It was my father, wasn't it?

I nod weakly.

- Yes, it was.

There's a moment of silence between us as I look towards the door.

- It wasn't easy for him to listen to how you've been living...

I let out after a while as I look down on her.

- My grandmother never protected him. She said she regretted every day she didn't position herself between him and his father. That's why she protected me all these years. She didn't want to make the same mistake.

I sigh deeply.

- I'm glad she did. Your grandmother not protecting him hurt your father. He's had a few good years now with me and little Damian, but it always came back in his dreams. He only slept through it with me. Now...now, I don't know what I can do to help him.

I let out as she nods weakly before resting her head towards my shoulder.

- However, you need your sleep if you're going to be able to keep up with Damian tomorrow. He's a quite a wild-man in the mornings if you haven't noticed. Let us grown-ups do the worrying, okay? You're way too young for that.

I let out as I manage to carry her over to the bed next to Damian and I tuck her in. She tries to close her eyes and sleep. I look towards the window and immediately pull the curtains. That was one hell of a conversation. I didn't even suspect her to have lived with the guy. Worst part is I'm not even done for the night. I know someone else who needs to unleash some words or more...


A/N: Personally, very happy with the way this chapter wrote itself. I bet you know what's coming in the next one. How did you like Ivy's pov? And how about that Brutus-character? Does he have a hidden agenda in the middle of all this? 

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