The Ghost Luna

Chapter Two

Skye

"How dare you!" my mother screamed. " You ungrateful little wretch! You should be grateful that someone is even willing to marry you."

I pressed my hands against my burning face, tears streaming down my cheeks and mixing with the spilled tea. I felt hurt and betrayed, wondering if I would ever be free from the chains of my family's expectations and demands.

"She has no choice," he said, his tone cold and final. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with tears.

"But he's very old," I protested.

"That's not your concern," my father replied, his voice hard. "You will do as you're told. It's for the good of our family. You've brought enough shame to us all because of your ugliness."

I felt like I was suffocating, trapped in a nightmare from which I couldn't escape. My hands trembled as I wiped away my tears and nodded silently, knowing that resistance was futile. In this family, obedience was the only option.

"And don't forget, we've already collected the dowry. The money would be used to get all the necessary things for your sister." my father said, his voice devoid of any emotion, and his words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I stared at him in shock and disbelief, my heart sinking even further as I struggled to comprehend the depth of my family's betrayal. They were selling me off like a piece of property, all because I was ugly, unwanted, and unloved.

How could they do this to me? How could they sell me off to an old man just to rid themselves of the burden of my existence?

My eyes caught my reflection in the kitchen window, and for a moment, I couldn't help but feel a wave of bitter envy wash over me. My sister was so beautiful, with perfect and delicate features that made me hate her, even though she had never done anything to deserve it. Unlike the rest of my family, she showed me nothing but pure love.

Yet, I couldn't help but despise her because she had never known what it was like to be unwanted, unloved, and ugly. I wished, not for the first time, that I could be as beautiful as her, or even switch bodies, just to know what it felt like to be beautiful, even if only for a second.

Maybe then my life would be different. Maybe then I would be happy and also get the man of my dreams, just like her. But deep down, after twenty years of living in this world, I knew that no amount of beauty could erase the pain and loneliness that had always been my constant companions.

A low growl rumbled in my chest, and before I could stop myself, it escaped my lips. My father froze, his eyes narrowing as he stared at me. "What did you just do?" he demanded, his voice deadly quiet.

I took a step back, my instincts screaming at me to run, but my wolf was restless, anger simmering beneath the surface. "I said, I can't marry such a man!" I repeated, my voice trembling in fear.

My father's face twisted with rage, and he took a step closer, raising his hand. "You dare growl at me?" he snarled. Before I could react, his hand came down hard across my face, the force of the blow knocking me to the floor.

Pain radiated through my cheek, but something inside me snapped. My wolf surged forward, taking control, and before I knew it, I had shifted into my small brown wolf. My vision sharpened, my senses heightened, and a fierce growl tore from my throat as I leapt at my father.

He barely had time to react as I clamped my jaws around his ear, biting down with all my strength. He screamed in pain, thrashing beneath me as I tore his ear away.

Blood spurted from the wound, and the metallic taste filled my mouth, fueling my rage. My mother screamed, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. The years of torment, constant belittling, and cruelty had finally pushed me to the breaking point. I wanted them to feel a fraction of the pain they had inflicted on me.

My father managed to throw me off, and I landed heavily on the kitchen floor, panting heavily. He clutched the side of his head, blood pouring between his fingers, his eyes wide with shock and fury.

"You... you monster!" He spat, but there was a tremor of fear in his voice. I rose to my feet, my wolf still in control, and stared at him with cold, unfeeling eyes.

"I'm done being your punching bag," I said, my voice a low growl. "You can try to sell me off, but I won't go quietly." I yelled as the house felt suffocating and unbearable to stay in any longer.

Ignoring the pain in my burned face and the screams of my name coming from my parents, I turned and ran out of the house, my wolf guiding me, desperate to escape and find some small semblance of peace. I knew exactly where to go. For the first time in my life, I was taking control and would find my own way, no matter the cost.

Deep in the woods, hidden away from prying eyes, there was a secret place that only I knew about. A treehouse, nestled high among the branches of a towering oak tree, was my sanctuary, my refuge from the cruelty of the world.

As I ran, my heart pounding in my chest, I pushed myself harder, the pain in my face forgotten in my desperation to escape. Finally, I reached the clearing where the treehouse stood; its weathered planks and tattered roof were a welcome sight.

I climbed the creaky ladder, my breath coming in ragged gasps. As I stepped inside, the familiar scent of wood and earth enveloped me, and I felt a small measure of peace settle over me.

Closing my eyes, I let myself collapse onto the rough wooden floor, the tears finally flowing freely. In this hidden place, I was safe, if only for a little while. And for now, that was enough.