Kaari sat on a wooden stool in the kitchen, wishing more than ever for Akira's company. The white wolf had left the group halfway through the journey home to return to her pack. 

Now, she sat beside her brothers, fingers pointed at, of course, only her. Father and Mother stood in front of the twins and her, Mother leaning against the wall. Her flowing brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and her soft brown eyes gazed upon her with disappointment and anger. Father on the other hand, stood rigid with anger and resentment, his cold blue eyes bore into hers, obviously blaming her for James' blood pooling on the floor. He ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair, heaving a sigh. 

Through all the anger and sorrow she was feeling, she refused to look bothered. She straitened in her seat and cleared her throat. "William told his side of the story. Will you hear mine?"

Father hesitated, glancing at his wife. Mother shrugged and closed her eyes, clearly weary. "Fine, but your still the one to blame," Father mumbled, his gruff  voice crackling with anger. 

Kaari took a deep breath and began her tale of events, starting with when Kia woke her up, tweaking it a bit so that she wouldn't appear to be lying about talking animals. 

She finished her story and uncomfortably waited her parents' response. Mother opened her eyes and glanced at James. He was swaying slightly and his eyes were half closed, his hand clutching his shoulder. Kaari knew he would pass out if they didn't treat his injury soon. Why was Mother delaying?

Father snapped her out of her thoughts as he walked up to her. "I say your still to blame because if you had just come home yesterday, maybe none of this would've happened. If they hadn't come looking for you, James wouldn't be bleeding all over the floor. And what about that other boy? Should he be to blame too? Why did he threaten my boys with—"

"Don't I count too? Aren't I your child too?" she shouted at him, her rage bubbling over. 

Father glared at her and she could tell he was having trouble restraining himself from yelling at her. "I don't think you my son," he said. "Your clearly a girl."

Kaari swallowed the pain. He didn't say that she was his daughter. It stung more than she wanted to admit. But why should she care if he even wanted her? He hated her so what was the point? She pushed the morbid thoughts into the back of her mind, struggling to control herself. Her father clearly noted this by the expression displayed on his face.

"Moving onto your punishment," Father hissed, turning away from her to pace the length of the room. "I suppose we could make you do all of the chores for the week, or—"

"Like you don't make me do that already," Kaari muttered under her breath, earning a stern glare from her father. 

"—or we could ban you from the outside for a bit. Maybe you could skip supper for tonight?" He ceased his pacing and stood next to Mother again. "What do you think?" He asked, watching his exhausted wife. 

She shifted her position and gazed around the room, her gaze resting on the blood. James was still swaying and moaning. William kept giving him worried glances. 

"Are you gonna help him?" Kaari asked, surprised they hadn't yet. Mother nodded but didn't make any move. Kaari continued to watch her usually awful brother with concern, a hint of sympathy worming itself into her brain. 

James' eyelids fluttered as he battled with consciousness. He was noticeably pale and he tipped to the side, grabbing the edges of the stool to steady himself. "Hello?" Kaari asked again, hating her voice for the obvious fright edging it. 

Mother snapped herself out of a daze and straightened. Just as she took a step forward, James went limp, almost falling off the stool if William hadn't caught him. Kaari jumped off the stool and helped William. 

She began to reach for him but Father threw his hand in front of her. "Stay back!" He barked, glaring at her. 

"But I can help!" Kaari protested, desperation choking her as she realized that they didn't trust her, even if she did save both if their lives. 

Father's glare hardened. Kaari held it for a what felt like eternity but was only for a few minutes until she finally gave in. "Fine."

She fell back and sat on the stool again, shutting out the world and fighting the hurt building in the back of her mind. She glanced out the window, realizing the sun had set and the moon was a glittering disk in the pitch black sky. Stars dusted the sky, showering the world with a glittering hope. She pondered how such a simple beauty could give her so much determination. 

Maybe it was the way the moon glowed that night. 

Or maybe it was how her parents rejected her. 

But Kaari gained a new determination fueled by her life with her parents. She wanted to be loved. To make her parents proud. And if she was lucky enough, wanted.

Kaari hoped that maybe someday, those dreams would come true. And she knew that for the rest of her life living with her parents, she would try her hardest too prove herself to them.  

Even as she thought this, Kaari felt a very small niggle of doubt worm it's way into the back of her mind, whispering to her that it would never happen. She tried to push it away but it didn't budge. 

Kaari quickly excuses herself from the situation in the kitchen with James and she doubted anyone heard her, but as she ran up the stairs to her room, the voice in her brain wouldn't stop whispering. It bothered her for the rest of the night, working it's way into her dreams, too.