Chapter 3. Eleanor’s Hope

Daphne’s POV.

“You would prepare with immediate effect Daphne. Get all the luggage ready before the day is over and wait for the next command.” Uncle Fergus’s wife thundered before dismissing everyone including me.

I hastily went back to the garden yard where I had been sweeping. I didn’t want to bump into Uncle Fergus inside the pack house.

After the first time, it had happened a few more times, Uncle Fergus raping and beating me without mercy. I was even more careful now to not fail in any of my duties so he wouldn’t have a reason to punish me, but it didn’t help.

His need to torture me grew with each encounter and he made sure he had his way with me anytime he felt like. I couldn’t explain what I felt like after he was done.

He and his wife now called me the pack runt and said I was good for nothing. I wondered if his wife knew about what he was doing to me. I wondered if I should tell her if it was worth anything.

She probably disdained me just as much as Uncle Fergus did. After my parents were killed she wanted me out of the pack. But Uncle Fergus insisted this was my home.

Now I wished I could run away.

I got back to the yard and picked the broom. I tried not to wince at the pains that I felt in my back, the pains from the whip.

I had swept a good part of the yard when I heard Eleanor, Elton’s twin sister voice from behind me.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be packing to Crescent Moon pack? I need you to help me sort out my stuff right now!”

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at her while still holding the broom. Eleanor was a rude little girl, and mean just like her mother. She couldn’t do anything by herself and yet couldn’t even ask nicely for things to be done for her.

“I’ll be there in a minute Bria, I just need to finish………”

“I don’t care what you need to finish just come to my room right now!”

“Eleanor…….” Just then I saw Elton approaching us from the side of the house.

“Don’t answer her Daph, she’s just too anxious to find a mate.” Elton mocked as he came closer. I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Eleanor turned in a fit of rage to face Elton.

“How dare you?!”

“Now you watch your tongue little girl, remember you’re talking to your elder brother………”

“We’re twins you dumb fool you’re not my elder in any way!” She yelled at Elton.

“You…….” Elton pointed his finger at her dangerously. As funny as their fights were most times I hadn’t the strength to watch them go at it again.

“Elton please………” I stopped him, begging with my eyes. He looked at me and lowered his finger. Then he looked at Eleanor again.

“You will wait in your room till she’s done here, now get lost.” He said, a low growl escaping him as he glared at her.

Eleanor knew they were twins but she also knew she couldn’t stand him when he was angry. She hissed and stomped off back towards the house.

“I’m sorry about that.”

I nodded. “It’s fine.”

I quickly finished sweeping the yard while Elton looked on. I dropped the brook when I was turned and washed my hands under the tap by the wall. Then we walked together to the house.

As we walked in silence, the urge to tell him what had been happening to me came again, the urge to tell him what his father had been doing to me.

But I couldn’t say anything now, for fear that his father would hurt me, as well as him.

Furthermore, there was absolutely nothing he could have done if I told him what was happening. He was still just as young as I was, and completely under the control of his father.

Him and everyone in the pack.

When we got to the house I took the turn that led to Eleanor’s room. I didn’t need her nagging to her mother that I had disrespected her orders. I turned and saw that Elton had stopped following me.

“Aren’t you coming?”

He shook his head. “No, I can’t stand her.”

I smiled softly and made to continue to Eleanor’s room.

“I’ll see you later. Hopefully, we can travel together.”

Without looking back I nodded in response.

It was a few hours to midnight. While in Eleanor’s room earlier on I found out that we were going to the crescent moon pack for the moon goddess festival.

Because of how small our pack was, we always celebrated it with them. They were the only Allies our pack had.

“Mother I know I’m going to find my mate today.” Eleanor sulked as I and the other maids dressed her up to travel. She was lucky in that she had shifted already, herself and her brother, unlike me who was still hoping to meet my wolf one day.

Even though she had shifted and was in good condition to travel in her wolf-like the others, she insisted on driving to the pack with her parents.

Her mother scoffed from where she was seated at the opposite side of the room, holding onto a glass of wine. “You had better, else your father would be greatly disappointed.”

“I would!!” Eleanor cried irritably. “I would get every male wolf’s attention today because of how beautiful I would look and I’m quite sure my mate would be there too.”

I saw her mother nod through her reflection in the big mirror in front of us.

“Once you get to the festival grounds separate yourself from your brother and the rest of the children.” Her mother got up and paced slowly to the window. “They are a huge distraction. You should remember what you’re there for……….”

“I will mother.”

“If you don’t find a mate soon enough Eleanor you would most likely end up like like the rest of the common girls in the pack. You would lose your respect and honor as the daughter of the Alpha and you will shame both yourself and our family. You would be just as unfortunate as Daphne here.”

Bria shook her head aggressively. “I won’t be like Daphne. I would find my mate today.” She whispered, her voice laced with determination.

We continued dressing her up and putting on the several odd shades of makeup that she demanded until she was satisfied. Then we were dismissed to get prepared ourselves and be ready at the gates before they got there.

By the time I was down Elton and the rest of the kids were already there. I hadn’t shifted yet and of course, I couldn’t travel in the car. Elton always carried me on his back when we needed to go on long journeys. We and the rest of the kids always travelled without cars. We thought it was the most fun way to travel. The elders in the pack didn’t care as long as we arrived at our destination safely.

Soon enough everyone was prepared to go. I climbed onto Elton’s back and tied my small bag to my back. As I climbed on I felt a bit dizzy. I was usually tired and stressed from all the work I had to do every day but from the beginning of the day up till now it just seemed to have doubled.

“You okay?” Elton said in his gruffly wolf voice.

“Yes, just feeling a bit extra tired today.”

“Hold me tighter and you can rest on my back.”

I smiled and let my hand grip his fur tighter and leaned in. Elton was a big gold-coloured wolf. I always enjoyed riding on him when I got the chance to.

“Everyone ready?” The eldest wolf amongst us called. “Let’s go.”

We took off, the rest of the wolves with Elton at the lead and me on his back.