*Starting anew*

It hurts

My whole body feels like I have been run down by a truck over and over again.

It didn't help that I had trouble sleeping last night when my demons continued to hunt me.

There is no rest when hunted by these demon.

A disturbance outside the room door had my wolf on alert, fighting to wake me up.

"Nessa! They are not in here, I can't find them"

"What!!"

My hearing heightened listening to every tumble happening two doors away.

"Keep checking Maya while I check on Annabelle"

I begged my wolf to let me sleep behind my closed lid, but hey my senses were already in active mode so....

"Annabelle, Good morning my dear"

I opened my lid to gaze at her Irish face, her brown hair rolled up in a bun and dark coffee brown eyes.

"Oh you are all here"

She exclaimed shocking, releasing a deep breath before her eyes glaze over.

"Wake up my little angels, rise and shine it's a beautiful day"

I groans loudly along with my brothers as she started opening the curtains to let in sunlight.

"Ten more minutes aunt Vanessa"

We cried out in plea, a chuckles was our response before a stern voice command us.

"Nil No sorry dear but no. You have to get up take a bath, eat and enjoy another God given day"

Oh well we tried.

We groaned louder, sluggishly trying to move our body, not taking notice of the other presence that had entered the room.

"Oh let them be Nessa, they are probably very exhausted"

Her voice was like a twinkle in the air very unknown and having me on full defense mode in front of my brothers.

Aunt Vanessa had a sad frown on her face once she notice my features, she was quickly looking close to tears.

"This is Maya Devin my beta female, its okay Annabelle"

I relaxed a little bit, call me paranoid but past experiences has taught me to never let my guards down.

"Now come on kids up you go Harries?, Christopher? Do you want me to bath you?"

They jerked off the bed as thought they were burnt, their wolf speed taking them to the far corner from our aunt while yelling loudly in horror.

"No!!!!!"

Aunt Vanessa along with Maya and forcefully me let out a chuckle at their childish attic.

"Well then run along little grasshoppers, Maya will show you where you will bath"

They shared a look before staring back at the dark haired woman with Olive eyes suspiciously. They left the room with a rackets on their way.

I wasn't too comfortable not having them by my side. Aunt Vanessa noticed this, she assured me cover and over again that they were in safe hands.

She directed me to a conjoining room that was the bathroom. It was big and fancy, having a big bath tub in the middle that immediately called to me.

Having lost my sense of shame a long time ago I started stripping off my clothes while aunt Vanessa filled up the tub with scented soap that tickled my nose.

Her horrid gasp broke me out of my trance filling me with feelings of uncomfortableness with the way she stared at my body.

I watched her watered with unshed tear. Determined to ignore it I rushed into the water letting the bubbles cover each part of my body.

I knew what she saw. We might be werewolves with fast healing abilities but these scars on my body would never heal especially the recent wound below my hip.

I didn't want to think about it.

Aunt Vanessa took a while to gather herself together, she went behind me and started pouring more scenting fruits on my hair, watching and rinsing it while I sigh and purr in content.

"Do you speak your mother's tongue, Spanish? What about Irish?"

I shook my head too comfortable to speak.

"I think your father was France or wasn't he american?"

I shrugged at that, "I know French, my father did speak it along with other languages but I was only able to get the French"

"Oh, well I can teach you if you want"

I didn't know what made me agree to it, I wasn't here to learn but for my brothers then what made me agree.

"I knew little to what was happening over there. Your mother, Veronica was suppose to mate with Luke an agreement to strengthen both pack but Donald turned out to be her mate. I believe it was at that moment it all began"

Yeah the start of a horrible love triangle, a vengeful jealousy, a traumatizing fate. And above all a sinful debt needed to be paid.

I enjoyed the rest of the bath in a ticking silence, the only sound were the bubbles popping and our sorrowful mind mourning.
She helped me rise up, taking the towel with me, I walked into the walk-in closet close to the room. I was surprised to see more than one suitcase there, taking a look at the clothes I immediately knew who would do it. I sighed annoyed.

'That girl's just too much'

Ignoring the clothes, I put on my own clothes of a old boyfriend jean and a tee before walking out.

I was quite comfortable with my clothes but aunt Vanessa wasn't,she scowled in distaste at my choice before walking past me to definitely open the other new bag.

With a deep sigh I changed into the outfit she came out with.

A black skinny jean with a cardigan and flat.

Aunt Vanessa smiled proudly at the outfit.

"And now my dear, I have a surprise for you"

I frowned., shaking my head venomously.

"I don't like surprises aunt Nessa"

"Really? But you used to when you were a little child, now look at you all grown up"

I blinked at her not remembering ever being one as a child but settle with a small smile.

"Thanks aunt"

When life is sweet, say thank you & celebrate and When life is bitter, say thank you & grow.

Next, we headed downstairs to another part of the room that led to the kitchen. It was those modernized ones with the counter and stool for easy watching and eating of food and it was currently occupied.

"Jason!!"

Aunt Vanessa yelled for the attention of a young man that was talking to another man, he turned to regard her with a wide smile.

"Mama Vanessa"

He had dark brown hair with olive eyes, he looked around my age probably by a few years. There was this boyish charm in him as he wrapped his arms around aunt Vanessa, drawing back to kiss both her cheeks.

"Oh Annabelle this here is Jason, he is Maya's son and a son to me, Jason this is Annabelle Mcvinci, Pedro's niece from the Immaculate pack she arrived here with her brothers last night"

I don't think I did justice to his looks, he was of lean built with muscles and caramel skin tone, he had this sexy appeal to him and oozed of raw confidence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Annabelle"

Is it just me or are my cheeks getting warm here.

"Likewise"

Oh goddess I felt a mini shudder rack through my body when our hands touched.

This is so unlike me, I don't ever giggle and gaggle over a hot guy.

"Annabelle and her brothers will be staying here for sometimes I would really love it of you could show them around sometimes"

"Of course anything for you mama Vanessa. Breakfast anyone?"

She grin in approval pulling me along with her to a stool.

I found my eyes searching around for my brother worried that I didn't know where they where.

"Aunt Vanessa, where are my brothers?"

She must have seen the panic look in my eyes cause her next words were spoken with caution. I never liked not having my brothers within my line of sight.

"Oh ! Maya took them to the game room for sight seeing, they are children and deserve to be treated as such"

I wasn't too sure if I wanted to be alone without them, they were my anchor and my strength. There was still that fear of danger in me.

"I think I would like to see them aunt"

"Nonsense, we have far more important things to be doing that for you babysitting"

Dare I ask what rich people consider important.

"Like what?"

Her eyes lit up like the forth of July, like a kid who just got the biggest cookie.

Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into!.

"Shopping of course its part of your surprise and then we will go to the spa, get your hair trimmed.....etcetera etcetera"

That would be pure torture, even when I had to buy things for Tyler's girlfriends I always hated it.

"Psst! Good luck with her, you'll need"

The boy Jason bend sideways to whisper into my ear. It took all of me to suppress the shivers.

Yeah dare I say I am so gonna exhilarate this day.

Note the sarcasm.

Hours later I was this close to pulling off my hair, It was better shopping online than this. I mean come on don't you ever get tired of walking all day, fighting for just one piece of cloth, having your toe thumb by the shopping cart and lets not forget picking different colors of clothes you might never wear.

"Aunt Nessa? Where's Uncle Pedro?"

I fucking need to get out of here and do what I fucking came here to do.

She was in the between the casual dresses and ball gowns trying to pick out which color and style best fitted me. She was oblivious to my reason of questioning.

"Oh that dear, he's either at the pack house or the mines doing some work"

On a fucking weekends? Even when I did work back at Immaculate my weekends were less work. I understand the work needed to be done since Lupez was one of the multi billion pack out there, I have always been fascinated with their Mining and extraction of rare gems for important and exportation.

The natural nature of beauty.

"But it's the weekends, doesn't he rest?"

She shrugged mindlessly it cut off my mulling over the workloads of Lupez.

"Duty always calls, he has to do it or things falls apart"

There was something in her voice that gave me doubt.

"Now this dress will surely fit, it goes with the color of your eyes"

I deep panned at the dress

"Aunt Nessa that's like the 20th dress you have chosen for me, I still have clothes you know"

She waved me off moving to the ball gowns.

"You need a new wardrobe girl, I saw what you had in your bag and those will not do. Goodness how could Raphael accept that"

I tense up, feeling my breath knocking out of me.

"I never really got out, I was on bed rest healing from the incidents that had occurred"

She snapped her attention to me her brows raising in concern.

"The incident at the Royal assemble?"

I nodded,

"That and the attack on Apex"

Her eyes shut close while she whispered words in her native tongue before opening back her eyes.

"Well then, that shows how very much you do need a new wardrobe and who better than me with a fabulous taste"

She didn't dwell more on the fact that I wasn't bearing his mark or the little pieces she could had put together. Like the fact that I was here and he was there most likely rejecting me as a weak broken piece for a mate.

Next was the saloon which I was partly glad for. My hair was so unruly with its thick bangs always covering my eyes, I gave the stylist freedom to do whatever they could to it and lets just say I was satisfied with the result.

The heavy thickness of my bangs were cut to perfect shape and put in my front, I was once a overly thick hair but now I had a fringe.

I was surprised that it brought out my eyes.

"You look good my dear"

I lock eyes with her through the mirror drawing out my worlds softly and slowly.

"I look different"

Aunt Vanessa smiled warmly at me, the stylist left to give us privacy.

I felt choked up, like I might explode anytime.

"Which is good, you are stepping into a new life so every thing needs to be new in your life"

I could already see the tears fighting to escape, everything was getting to me. Coming here, meeting them, going shopping and now changing a part of myself.

It felt so surreal, like a dream.

"Annabelle, life is a given, living is optional which you chose to do all these years. Don't be a passenger when you are already the captain".

I hiccupped with a teary smile.

"Now all that remains is to grow and know the direction of growth, this is the source of strength and confidence in life. You are strong Annabelle, believe that".

I did oh I so did but still.............. The darkness looms