Werewolf's Heartsong

I had turned eighteen over the four day break, making me somewhat excited for today. I might be able to meet my mate today. My wolf Xena is excited as well.

'Oh I know I'm more excited.' she remarks.

'Why is that?' I inquire teasingly.

'Because our mate will love us, we'll have someone who appreciates us for who we really are,' she says excitedly.

'Can such a mate really exist? I mean, we can't wait for others to save us, we have to rely on ourselves.' If you knew how badly I've been through, you'd understand what I'm saying.

The wolves of my Clan, for many generations now, have been born pale with blond hair and blue eyes. Both of my parents' Clans have deliberately bred out any dark features. But I'm an exception.

I was born with violet, almost indigo colored, eyes. I had black hair so dark a blue hue shines when light hits it. Then there was my skin, it was a copper olive tone.

This difference caused my family to reject me and abuse me. And what was even more unfortunate for me was that I really was my parents' child. I even had tests done. The results of the test showed that I was related to one of the seven original werewolf bloodlines of our pack - Luna Heartsong.

The Moon Goddess was said to have blessed her bloodline with power, and amazing voices. A Heartsong's song....is from the heart, as the surname implies, and when singing they could influence the emotions of those within hearing.

I kept the results quiet from my parents. 'Cause I was afraid of what my family would do to me, if they knew I had this knowledge. It was the only way I could protect myself.

'When do we stop hiding everything you've accomplished from your family?' Xena demanded.

'Alpha promised me that in two weeks when I graduate from high school, he'll give me the keys to the apartment and we can move out.' Speaking of which, I was a little worried that my sister Sarah would abused me again, and I added, 'Hope I can wait until then.'

'Alpha really respects you, you're like the daughter he's never had.' She reminds me.

Xena was right. Alpha and his oldest son saved my life once. I will never forget the thrilling day, the day my sister tried to kill me, and I found the light of my life.

It had been raining for a week straight at that time, and we finally had a sunny day. One of our neighbors had given me some used clothing, and there was this dress.

It was a simple dress, white with blue flowers and went down just past my knees. My sister tried to wear it but she had been too big for it. I had saved it for that day. We attended the pack picnic, a celebration for the end of winter, and the beginning of spring.

The trouble started because everyone was remarking how pretty I looked in that dress. My hair is in two french braids on either side of my face. They were saying how beautiful my skin tone was next to the color, how it made my eyes pop so pretty.

As for my sister, she was in a pale pink dress, that was just like all her other dresses, so while she got a "You look nice, as always darling", she had became increasingly infuriated at all the compliments I had been getting. She went and told our parents I was making a public scene in front of the Pack, drawing attention. My parents then walked over and stood near, but still at a distance, from the group of wolves complimenting me on how beautiful I was.

They had been complementing everything my family and Clan hated about me, which was everything. They had always told me I was ugly, and that I was a dark mistake, because I was not pale, my hair was not blond, my eyes were not blue. I was the blight upon the family, the shameful blot of imperfection in the Clan, and those wolves at the picnic praised all of those features as beautiful. My parents had been furious.

They couldn't just storm up and yank me away, too public a confrontation. It would have been bad for their image, the image of the Clan. Instead they sent my sister to get me. She had grabbed my arm in a tight painful hold, and said, "Mommy and Daddy are looking for you" in a bright childish voice. So the adults had bid us goodbye, and left me to the mercies of my parents.

Mercy......if only they really had any, my mother had slapped me as soon as she could get away with it.

"You ungrateful wretch, how dare you disparage your sister, how dare you go out in public like this, you're an embarrassment to this family you ugly child, a stain that I should have drowned at birth, go home! NOW!" She shrieked the last word.

As I was walking home, embarrassed, my cheek red with the imprint of her hand and tears running down my face, my sister and her friends surrounded me. "That's what you get for trying to outshine me, you worthless wretch!" Sarah hissed.

"They just liked the dress, I didn't do it on purpose." I had hoped she would understand, and not punish me for it, how wrong I had been.

"That dress is an eyesore," Agatha said.

"Yeah let's do something about that," said Lauren.

"Yeah let's get rid of it," suggested Beatrice.

"You're right that would make it better....but is it enough?" Sarah's tone had made my belly tighten, fear had taken hold.

Then she looked at the swollen river behind me and the muddy embankment.

"I know what I'll do, how bout a swim little sister" she said with an evil smirk on her face.

She reached out and grabbed me, then she started to drag me. I had dug my feet into the ground to keep her from dragging me further. Her nails had bitten into my skin, drawing blood.

It had hurt and I had cried from the pain. The blood had made my arm slippery, and I was able to break her hold on me. I had turned, and was running away from the river, but her friends jumped at me before I could get far.

Lauren and Beatrice grabbed me by my feet, and pulled me back to the river. Agatha and Sarah were trying to get my hands, but I was punching, slapping and scratching, Sarah had blood running down her cheek now and was furious.

"This better not scar, you little freak! I'm going to drown you, you bitch!" she shrieked.

They picked me up off the ground, Sarah slapped me so hard my ears had rung. I was dizzy, my vision blurry with tears, when they were finally able to throw me off the embankment, and into the raging river. I went under the river tossing me again and again as I fought to surface only to be able to gasp before being tossed back down by the current, I started to work my way to shore.

The water slamming me into the rock and river debris over and over. I finally caught a branch and hung on to keep the river from taking me again, gasping, trying to get my breath back, but I was battered and weak.

Trembling, but determined I used the branch to get me to the edge of a steep and muddy embankment. Clinging to the branch, I started to claw my way up, mud and dirt coming away to cover me as I finally pulled myself up and out of the river. I collapsed there at the edge of the river, in the mud, and passed out.

I came to as someone touched my shoulder turning me over, I smelled wolf.

A grassy aroma enveloped me and my soul trembled.