☽ Chapter 8 - Planning a Departure ☾

I glare as the small device on my side table rings shrilly in the quiet morning, my alarm clock is one I cannot wait to throw away. With only four hours of sleep after training and talking to Lizaria, I want nothing more than to sleep in, but I have duties as an Omega to perform. Slamming my fist onto the alarm clock and turning it off, I take in the time of six o’clock in the morning and groan. Today is my day to cook breakfast for the pack, and with only an hour and a half to have the meal ready and on the table or face punishment from Beta Bastian, I will have to quickly get ready and make it downstairs within the next fifteen minutes. I look outside the window and notice the sky is still dark outside causing me to groan with frustration and fling the comforter off of my body, shivering with the cold fall air. Today is graduation day, with many of the wolves preparing to walk across the stage at noon. Chores will be delegated to the Omegas twenty years or older, meaning I will have most of the morning to myself after making breakfast. I can use this time to prepare to leave. My talk with Lizaria last night opened my eyes to needing to leave, being free and allowing myself to fully accept the power a Beta wolf should have. I feel especially trapped and suffocated today of all days and the feeling of something bad about to happen sinks into me. Another sigh escapes my lips while I take out a simple pair of leggings and green T-shirt from my dresser then head towards the shower, thinking about what I will need to leave this place and be on my own. The lukewarm water falls harshly onto my body, leaving me shivering as soon as I finish washing off and wrap myself in a thin old towel. I only have to make it through today, and once everyone is too preoccupied from the graduation party tonight, I’ll escape.

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The ringing in my left ear is persistent as I curl into a ball, my hands over my head protecting myself from any damage this beating will cause. I want nothing more than to look up and glare at Beta Bastian as he towers over me, rage radiating off of him in waves in my direction. “You filthy bitch! I told you to have breakfast ready at exactly seven-thirty!” He screams at me, drops of what I can only assume to be spittle from his mouth landing on my exposed skin. Disgust creeps into me at his treatment, cementing my decision to leave tonight. A foot collides with my arms, his boot directing a blow to my head, making me thankful that I was quick enough to roll into a ball after the punch he threw my way moments ago that left me on the floor. “Do you know what I saw instead when I came downstairs, you filthy excuse of an Omega?” He continues but I know better than to answer. Answering his rhetorical question will lead to a whipping with the silver-tipped whip. My silence must have pleased him as the kicks stopped, replaced by a hand grabbing my hair and pulling me up into a sitting position, making a whimper of pain escape my lips. I notice a crowd forming in the dining hall. The food is already placed on the buffet table and ready to be devoured by the pack, but everyone here would rather watch this spectacle. “I saw you placing the last dish at seven thirty-five!” Beta Bastian screams in reply to his own question, more spittle landing this time on my cheeks. I want to argue that I was actually refilling the bacon that had already been devoured by the pack members who arrived earlier, now sitting by the windows with a smug smile as they enjoyed the show, but they would call me a liar. This pack has little respect for anyone deemed an Omega since Bastian and Jasmine took over as temporary leaders. Its worse for me as I am the disowned daughter of the Betas. I am nothing but garbage in their eyes, so my treatment is worse than what the others get. My body is flung backwards, and the back of my head collides with the wall behind me, bringing me from my thoughts. Stars shoot across my vision before the all-to-familiar feeling of a boot colliding with my stomach has me curling into a ball of pain once more. I can hear a few snickers and comments about how pathetic I am, these words fueling my rage that I have no other choice but to restrain. “Geminie, get out of my sight and go make yourself useful to the pack.” A final kick is thrown my way after Beta Bastian dismisses me. When I hear his footsteps fade away, I push myself off the ground and use the wall as support to stand. Even through the overwhelming pain, I can feel everyone watching me either openly with a mocking smile or subtly, waiting for another show. I finally realize why Lizaria always mentioned that I should leave as I stare at each and every wolf in the room. Only a few cared about me in this pack, and the hope of one day becoming a Beta again has long been crushed. I have no other reason to stay here with Hidden Claws. With a slight limp, I walk out of the dining room, refusing to show weakness and refusing to cry anymore. My mind is now made up. Making my way outside into the garden, I sit and take a deep breath of the crisp fall air. The trees surrounding the pack lands are starting to turn red and yellow with the changing seasons, and a slight chill is on the wind, breathing a fire inside me I thought I had given up. Since I could not shift into a wolf, my next step would be leading a life as a human, maybe in a large city like Toronto, Ottawa or Mississauga. Perhaps even a smaller town like Bolton or Barrie would be comfortable. I’d love to be anywhere but here, along the Hudson Bay. “Gems?” A small smile curls the edges of my lips and I turn to see Alex holding a plate piled with food in one hand and a gift bag in the other. A look of concern plays on my brother’s face as he takes a seat across from me at the stone picnic table. Setting the plate before me, I eye the bag in his hands as my own automatically reaches out so I can devour the pancakes before me. “What’s that?” I ask, nodding towards the bag he sets on the floor just before he steals the fork from my hand and takes a bite of pancake. "Food," My brother chuckles, handing the fork back to me and leaning back in the chair as I stab at another piece of fluffy goodness covered in maple syrup. “Thank you, Captain Obvious, I am well aware there is a plate of food in front of me,” I roll my eyes at his smirk, taking another bite of the food before waving towards the gift bag on the floor. “What I meant is, what’s with the bag?” His smirk turns into a bright smile before he motions me to finish eating. I know my brother well, and he always made sure that I ate before we talk since his parents rarely left me with enough food. Rolling my eyes and complying, I rush to finish off the plate of pancakes, finding a stash of bacon and sausages hidden underneath the pile which too get devoured. Finally, I push the now empty plate to the side while Alex places the bag in front of me with a grin. “Happy birthday, Gemie.” His deep voice brings small tears to my eyes as I gingerly remove the tissue paper obstructing the items inside. My eyes widen at a turquoise purse, a simple stylish bag that I have been eyeing from Michael Kors for weeks. Lifting the bag, I feel something rattling inside as the weight of the bag is heavier than the display at the mall. I open the purse to discover a matching wallet holding important documents, from my birth certificate to my health card and even my brand new G2 class licence that I got a month ago. I thought I would have to report these stolen when I leave. “I had to wait for Bastian and Jasmine to leave on a trip last week to gather your documents.” Alex answers knowingly, smiling at me. Tears well in my eyes as I look down at the purse, trying to keep my mind from the despair of leaving my brother here when I leave Hidden Claws for good. Tucking the wallet away, my hand brushes against another small item in the purse. Curiously, I remove the object to find a small white box. I swiftly open it to discover a set of brand new keys—car keys, to be exact. “Why?” I whisper, holding the keys in my hands. I never thought that I would be able to own a car until much later, especially knowing that I will be penniless when I leave. The inheritance left to me by my grandparents was given to Alex since Bastian and Jasmine would never give me any part of it. But with a car, I can live inside it until I save up enough for an apartment. With a car, this winter will be much more bearable on my own. “I‘ve been watching you sneak out for the last few months and… I’ve been following you.” Alex admits sheepishly. Fear takes hold in my heart as I think about Lizaria and the Unicorns she protects. If Alex saw me, who else did? “Don’t worry, Gemie, no one else knows.” Alex quickly reassures me, pulling me into a hug as he sighs. “I know about that valley you go to and that Elf. I’ve watched you train with her, and she even confronted me one night. After promising that scary Elf-mom of yours that I wasn’t going to harm you or the valley and explaining to her that I’m your big brother, she reluctantly agreed to let me keep watching over you at night.” The fear and worry I felt are replaced with guilt, guilt at keeping this secret from my brother and for always running towards Lizaria when I needed to hide away from the Beta couple. I feel so guilty for making Alex worry about me. “I’m sorry, Alex, but if they knew about Liz and the Unicorns, something bad would have happened.” The apology leaves my lips before I know it and I am met with a chuckle. “I know. Why do you think I asked to be on night patrol? Bastian is a power-hungry, lazy bastard. You would think as his only son and heir, he would go easy on me, but after what our so-called father did to you as a child and over the years, I don’t expect much. That lazy bastard was more than happy to let me do the night shift,” The sarcastic tone in his voice shocks me and I pull away from his hug to stare at my brother. Hatred and rage simmer in his eyes, and I understand in that moment that life for Alex hasn’t been easy either. It was for sure easier than my own life in this pack, but I can see the struggles he has faced with Bastian and Jasmine as his parents as well just by looking at the dark circles permanently etched into his face. My brother looks exhausted, more than I ever realized before. “Anyway, when I took your documents, I also took your inheritance documents from our grandparents and a copy of their will for you to use as well. It’s all in the car. I need to get some sleep, but that Elf of yours came up with the idea of getting you a car and putting together what our parents are holding hostage for you. She told me last night that when you leave, she will follow us as soon as the two of us find a place for the unicorns.” I nod slowly, surprised at everything I am learning today from my brother. Lizaria had already planned for me to leave Hidden Claws by the sounds of it, and she had enlisted Alex's help. I couldn’t have been any luckier than I am today with an amazing brother and a thoughtful friend. After putting my gifts away in the gift bag, Alex walks me back into the pack house. As I start to climb the stairs and head to the attic after bidding him a good sleep, he calls out to me. “The car is in that rundown shed by the edge of the pack territory. Get your stuff packed, and while everyone is at grad, I’ll sneak it into your car. My stuff is already packed. Just let me know when it’s time to leave.” Without waiting for my reply, Alex yawns and heads into his room, a room he requested to live in after turning eighteen. Smiling, I continue my walk towards the attic and my room, where I promptly lock the door. I have three hours to pack before needing to be ready for graduation, just three hours to decide what I can take and what to leave behind. Today will be my final day as part of Hidden Claws, and the excitement of being free fuels my desire to take everything I own and not leave anything for this pack to hold hostage against me.