Destroyed

Prologue ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Life - The existence of an individual human being or animal. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Perfection was the suitable word that described my life, my childhood and my past. I no longer was alive; death had wrapped me years ago when my mother died in a fatal car accident. I had those types of parents that perhaps every single child would hope for; I was more than grateful for their existence and for their roles in my life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I was treated like one of those fairy tale princesses. It was beyond beautiful and something I would never be able to express. Their love for me was endless. I don't recall their love having any boundary, it just never stopped. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Mommy and Daddy were soul mates for life, their relationship was exotically pure. It was so perfect that I always wondered if I could find someone like that; who wouldn't be scared to love me in every aspect of their life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A want of a blood brother kept eating me inside since I turned two, I begged my parents to give me a sibling. I always wished for a brother who could protect me after my parents but whenever I asked my parents about a brother they repeatedly looked at me with the same unreadable expression in their eyes and gave me the same monotonous response, “You're stronger than you can imagine, Emma. You don't need someone to protect you. You are far more than enough for yourself.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “How? How am I strong?”I questioned their theory every time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “You'll know soon enough.” my father would snap. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Soon enough, I became sheltered inside the walls of my home, under the care of my parents who suddenly became protective and borderline crazy in the process. Daddy used to go out very often compared to mom who would rarely go out, swearing she would protect me from the unknown. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀My mother passed on her shy, demure personality to me as she homeschooled me, being my constant company and comforting presence. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Like the last time I asked my parents about wanting a sibling, my mom responded with practically the same answer when I inquired of her about why she didn't go outside as much as Daddy did. “Outside this house, the world is a dangerous place. Beyond the forests and mountains that we're surrounded by, there are bad people- things, out there. You're not ready for the raw, ugly truths the world holds and unfortunately, I won't be there in the future to guide you in your path. But there will be someone special that can help you find the right path. Till the time I am breathing, you will never be harmed. And I promise you that.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I never understood her long explanations about the dangers outside our house, but I did have a gut feeling like someone was watching us; I obviously as a young child ignored those awful feelings and continued to enjoy the perfect life I had with my family. Knowing I should have followed my gut instinct; to not ignore it because I knew that was probably the worst mistake I had ever made. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One dreadful night. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One tragic crash. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀One delicate person. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And that was all it took to take away all that was ever precious to me, destroying my “perfect life”. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Mommy had died in a car crash. The police reported a case of drunk driving and that's what led to the horrific accident. But that night wasn't just any other night for me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀That night was on my birthday, the day I turned six. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I lost my soul, I lost a precious part of me, and I lost myself. I could hear my own throbbing heart pounding inside my ribs, wanting to claw out of my chest and just stop for that instant moment. I couldn't cry that day, my eyes turned dry just like my mouth. I had no words and I had no tears for my mother's death. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was breathing but I wasn't alive, I was living but without any soul. I died that night. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀What was worse than my mother's death was watching Daddy every night; he cried every night exact when the clock turned twelve, he cried in his own fountain of tears, he screamed as loud as he could until his vocals did not give up. I lost my mom but he; he lost his soul mate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was heartbreaking to see your own family tearing apart into pieces which may never be sorted out. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Mom's death definitely took a major toll on him. After her passing, he never played with me, never talked to me, hardly made an appearance. He strictly prohibited me to step out of the house without his permission. He would scream at me one day and the next he would act generous to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Every night I would go up to his room to see him crying, whilst holding a picture of mom. He scared all my friends, even the neighbours' with his mood swings. I always asked why. Why would he do that to me? And as always he would say, “It's for your own protection.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “Protection from what?” I questioned. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “Them.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I mourned every day and night, hoping that Mom would just suddenly pop up out of nowhere but I was wrong. I needed a mom, not just any replacement, but Mom. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After a long year, I finally accepted that I had lost her. But after that, I lost more than that. I lost everything. My confidence, my strength, and especially my dad; the one person I needed the most while growing up. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Daddy rarely talked to me at home. He would leave for business trips for months and months, leaving me with the servants for company. We were a middle-class family and Dad had a small marketing business, which kept him away from me a lot of the time. But what's the use of money, when you've lost your loved ones? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The dreaded day came when Dad told me that he was getting remarried. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I didn't understand how he could do that to me and most importantly, my mom. They'd loved each other dearly and I always thought that their love would remain forever, lasting even when they weren't together. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I believed that even after death, daddy would love mommy, isn't that true love? They were soul mates, how could he possibly get married to another woman. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But I guess I was wrong. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I couldn't stand up for myself so I decided to shut myself up and accept the decision he had made. Dad remarried to a young woman named Caroline and even though I was not pleased with Caroline, I was beyond happy when I found out she had a son. I could finally have the brother I always wanted, one who would fill the void inside me with the love Daddy couldn't give me when Mom passed away. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀David, who was four years older than me, was my new stepbrother. I loved David, who acted like the brother I never had. He was more than a brother to me. He was also the best friend who stuck by my side through everything. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀We would go on sibling dates usually; we used to sit together in the corner of the town and watch the sun fade away into the blinding darkness. He filled that empty space up in me; he kept me happy for a very long time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It was then I realized that happiness doesn't last forever. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀On one Sunday morning, Dad died in a plane crash on the way to a new marketing opportunity for his business. Just like that, he was gone. He joined mommy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Thats when I believed; soul mates actually existed. Dad and Mom were meant to be together even after their death. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀We never got his body for the funeral; the authorities said the body wasn't found. I'd be mourning in front of an empty coffin. After that day, all my walls came crashing down. I couldn't help but cry, all I did was cry. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I had lost both of my parents, the people who I needed the most in my life, the people who were supposed to take care of me. I talked every night to the moon as if it could answer all of my pointless questions. Then I would return to bed disappointed and choking up into my pillows. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In those few months, I had cried so much that even my eyes wouldn't agree to my sorrows anymore. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀David tried to comfort me by saying, “There will be someone who will love you as much as your parents did.” I kept my hopes high for that person, hoping that he would love me like Mommy and Daddy loved each other. But it wasn't like I wanted to wait. I wanted them now because all the good in my life seemed to have been stripped away from me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Every day passed like a storm in the summer. I was growing older but on the inside, I felt like a helpless little kid who couldn't do anything without their parents by their side. I had no purpose of life anymore. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Then Hell found its way into my house in the form of Caroline, my widowed stepmother. I would be shivering every time my stepmom came near me, a beating ready inside her clenched fists. She was abusive and I hated her with every ounce of my body and soul. It was then that I knew I should have savoured my time with Mommy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Caroline could never replace her because it wasn't possible to replace the only woman in your life who was the foundation of your world. She was nothing compared to my mom, she couldn't even be anything like my mom if she tried. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She had quite many ways to torture me; physically and mentally, she played tricky mind games with me which ruined my mental health. Furthermore, she used to bestow household chores upon me, knowing there were many other servants who could complete that job. I did everything for her despite her always blaming me for the death of my parents. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀David tried to support me, in every condition, he knew whatever Mommy did was awfully wrong. She didn't really care about her own flesh, the message David repeatedly tried to convey didn't make a single difference to Caroline's character. Instead, it got worse. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He really tried to protect me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀David was a friend that I never had, he took care of me every possible way he could. But not even David could stop what abuse I had to face every day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Years roughly passed by, I had surrounded myself with walls that no one could break, not even David. I choose not to allow anyone in my sorrowful life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀All my confidence was knocked out of me and I was just the shy kid at the back of the class after being enrolled into public school, thanks to Caroline. I never spoke to anyone in school about my home life, afraid of what they would think of me. Some people even bullied me at school but David managed to scare them off. He was able to protect me from everyone except Caroline. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He kept me safe in every possible way. He never allowed a guy to even lay a finger at me or to even stare at me for more than a minute. I was happy by the way he protected me and took endless care of me even when he didn't have any blood relation with me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I had a reason to live, I had a hope and David was my only hope left. But as the time passed by the bitter truth about him soon came out; I was more than shocked, he was a terrifying beast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I was walking in the forest trail that led up towards my house, that's when I heard a deep growl. Like the naive girl I was, I went into the woods and began searching for the source, the height of my curiosity growing. We did have wolves roaming around the forest but this certain voice was different than the normal wolves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I stopped on my tracks and my eyes widened; in fear, when I found my brother standing shirtless next to a dead wolf in the middle of a broad field bordered by trees. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I didn't know what to do besides approaching my brother to confront him, all the while carefully examining the wolf's corpse lying by his feet. Dark blood oozed from its neck, the fur matted with blood and split, revealing a clean slice down to the bone. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Emma, what are you doing here?" I was questioned no more than my own brother, walking towards me as his face morphed into a dark fury I've never seen before. No. I've seen it in Caroline. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"What happened, David?" I asked, taking a step back. Fear constricted my throat as he neared me with every step he took. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀There was a dead wolf and David was covered in its blood. From what I knew about him, he surely wasn't a hunter. I had a right to know what was going on, especially after seeing so much, he couldn't deny my questions and doubts so he did tell me the truth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀He was a human, who had the ability to transform into a hideous beast. A beast described similar to a wolf; eyes were deadly dark with pupils' enlarged, brown rough fur covering the inhumane skin they had, claws sharpened and mouth covered in saliva and blood of innocent wolves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀They were known as werewolves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After a good few minutes of consoling, he then told me all about werewolves and their packs; about how they were all one big family. Blood or not they always have a bond together. He told me that his parents were werewolves and thus how he came to be in his current state. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Furthermore, he spilt all his secrets about his parents. How his father had thrown him and his mother out of the pack, therefore becoming a rogue. I felt sorry for him as I learnt that the life of a rogue was not as easy as it sounded; so he trained himself into becoming the warrior he was meant to be. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And now he's a member of the most feared pack in the U.S. Their alpha or leader I may suppose; was the cruellest of them all and I almost fainted when I heard how they met. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I slapped my hand over my mouth to contain my gasp; I listened intently as David explained that his Alpha originally wanted to kill him but decided against it when he witnessed the combat skills David possessed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And the alpha kept David as his strongest and best fighter.