Alpha Gabriel's Redemption

Maltreatment.

Feyre.

It might seem weird to say but since that morning, Becky and Grace’s taunts didn’t faze me. I hardly blinked when Becky made a nasty joke about my figure in comparison to that of Grace’s, or when Grace flaunted the new necklace that Scott, her boyfriend and my ex, got for her – that was a story for another day. My lack of care seemed to have triggered a more nasty bout from the both of them because as soon as I was done with mopping the entire house, Becky called me downstairs to the kitchen.

I stepped in nervously, wondering what new vices they'd resorted to that morning, and I was not wrong in worrying. On the kitchen island lay two dead turkeys, their heads cut off. I was caught off guard that I didn’t know when I stopped in my spot or when I let out a little scream and scrambled back, only to bump into Grace who placed a strong hold on my shoulder to stay my frantic retrace.

“Don’t be such a softie, Feyre. We’re having guests for dinner and these…" Becky pointed to the chickens. "aren’t going to cook themselves. So get working.” Becky rinsed her hands in the sink and then took an apple from the fridge on her way out.

“I can’t do it.” My voice was so little that I didn’t expect Becky to hear it, but she did. She stopped just as her shoulder bumps into mine and turned in place to stare down at me.

“If I cared for your opinion, I would’ve asked.” She looked down at her watch, “They’d get here in about five hours from now, so I need you to get started and to prepare a salad along with it. The things you need are on the counter as you can see, so get busy.”

My eyes shifted to the grocery bag overflowing with ingredients and vegetables and I sighed, turning back to Becky who looked like she wanted me to counteract her order. Which I would.

“I get queasy at the sight of blood on dead animals, Becky. You know about this.”

She c****d her head, silently regarding me. Grace pulled her hands from my shoulders and came around my side till she was facing me, a sneer on her lips as she waited for Becky’s next words.

“And that is exactly the reason why my daughter is the hunter and you’re the help.” She straightened and looked me dead in the eye, “Now listen here, girl, I don’t really care about how you’re going to do it but I want everything done in the next four hours tops.” This time, she made sure that enough force was put as she bumped her shoulder with mine on her way out. Grace snickered, but thankfully silent as she followed Becky out of the kitchen.

It took time for me to steeled my mind before I stepped deeper into the kitchen until I was staring down at the headless creatures. My nose wrinkled in disgust as I took in the gory sight. Becky must have sent one of the hunters down to the farm to s*******r a fresh batch and it annoyed me that innocent creatures have to be dealt with like that. I didn’t actually get queasy at the sight of blood or dead animals, but the very fact that my family was already involved in wiping out the dangerous species out there made me very protective of the innocent ones.

I sighed as I picked up one turkey and carried it to the sink, knowing that I had to choose my battles wisely and that father would definitely side with Becky on this. I spent the next two hours preparing the meal and then adding an extra meal to the menu at Becky’s insistence – because I’d finished the preparation on time and had extra free time, her words not mine. I left the turkeys in the oven and the others went into a warmer. And then I was out of the house.

All day, I had been thinking of the wolf, worried that it had scampered off with its wounded limbs, or that it had died of hunger. Or maybe the wound had been infested and it was in so much pain.

Becky had kept me swamped with work throughout the day and I hadn’t seen an opening to get away from her watching eye. But now, she and Grace were currently obsessing over what they would wear to the sort of formal dinner that my father had planned with the other hunters. They all treated it like it was an honour of some kind and it reminds me that I’ve not really been carried along with the happenings in the business.

Frowning, I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't notice until too late that the wolf had stepped out from the brambles and was now watching me solemnly. I was so shocked that I let out a sharp laugh, slapping my hand over my mouth quickly when I realized that Becky or Grace could’ve heard me. I slowly dropped my hand, but I was still smiling as I walked closer, maintaining a reasonable distance from the wolf.

Because a dangerous creature would always be a dangerous creature.

I suddenly remembered that it hadn’t eaten since and I gasp, “You’ve not had anything to eat since, have you? I’m so sorry, today has been hectic and really frustrating.”

I sat on the grass, even though I knew that I would soon have to stand again to get the wolf something to eat, but I was too tired to head back into the house and the fear of running into Becky who’d definitely have some sort of work to give me. I didn’t bother dressing up for dinner with them because I knew I wouldn't be expected at all. Father would even appreciate it if I stayed out of sight.

I looked up to catch the wolf’s eyes, as it watched me sadly, like it could feel my emotions. “I’m pathetic, I know. But I really want them to accept me exactly as I am. I don’t want to go to sleep bone tired and I don’t want to wake up every morning with a pile of duties waiting for me to get to. I don’t want to be yelled at or for my body size to be questioned, because contrary to popular beliefs, short people are not useless. And I desperately wanted to go back to how it was, with Mom here again.”

I didn’t realize I was crying till I was done with my spiel, breathing hard as I stared down at my knotted fingers. I hastily rubbed at my cheeks, pressing my fingers into my eye sockets to stop the flow of my traitorous tears. I laughed awkwardly when I couldn't get my emotions under control. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this but it seems like you understand. You do though, right?”

The wolf tilted its head down and I let out a little laugh. “I knew I wasn’t going mad.” I brushed the few tears tracking down my face away and stood, not wanting to leave the wolf alone. Not wanting to leave the calm state I was in just now as I talked to it, even though I’d been bawling my eyes out. I stood, deciding to check on the wound and see if my handkerchief still covered the bruise when I caught sight of his other hind limb, the one I hadn’t seen before because of the way it lay the last time.

“Oh My God. That’s why you can’t get away from here, isn’t it? You’re trapped.” I didn’t need to get an affirmation from it as I already turned back towards the house, my mind made up on what I had to do.