“Aegis, run faster, you’re too slow!”

“It hurts!” She said favoring her left sprained ankle as she ran laps.

“Just grind your teeth, ignore the pain and run, stop limping!” Her mother shouted as Aegis reached the end of the ‘yard’ and made a hundred-and-eighty degree turn to dash back to the other side. Her continuous running and training day after day kept her leg from healing – it’s been almost a week now and the swelling was worse today.

For the last six years her parents has been teaching her everything from fighting, to tracking, to hunting, traps of all kinds either to catch or to kill… fishing and botany. Cleaning her catch, skinning animals and how to use the furs. Not even her brothers were ever drilled like this, heck they were currently out with friends, said friends including Harold and Valerie’s mate, Matthew. Over the years she had little – actually no – interaction with people outside of her family, and even then sometimes their ‘family time’ spend together felt a little strained…

After fours years studying abroad, Aaron returned home and stayed home, Harold traveled back-and-forth whenever he had a break from his studies, like he currently had, he was to return to Europe in three weeks, but in all the time he never made the effort to come see her...

But everything wasn't all bad.

While Valerie had found her mate, as soon as she turned sixteen five months ago, Aiden and Aaron was still out of luck, with Valerie's mate being fromt he Dew pack she wasn't around so much, and thus gave Aegis some 'time' away from being the target of her hate. Aiden was to be the Beta of their pack, he already finished all his studies and was currently the Pack’s fourth strongest fighter.

The twins had just turned nineteen and hence the ‘outing’ it was supposed to be a surprise, but everyone knew about it. Aegis winched thinking about her own birthday smack dab in the middle of winter, five month before she’d be twelve.

Her little brother Tristan was her only light and joy, often sneaking into her room at night to sleep with her because he hated sleeping alone. Aiden would then sneak in with ice cream and they’d talk a bit, he was the only one that ‘tried’ to be close with her, and for whatever reason Aaron mostly ignored her (though she knew he still ‘cared’ or so she hoped) and with all Valerie's growing hate and 'pain' she loved to inflict on her each time they ‘meet’ it was surprising that Tristan was so very ignorant of it, still so very naïve… Please let him stay like that forever – she prayed to the moon-goddess.

Valerie’s abusive attitude had slightly escalated recently as well – hence the sprained ankle.

Even thought their family had become a little torn… Like a patched blanket – it was still warm and comforting spite all the little holes.

Distracted by her thoughts, she fell scraping her knees and before her mom would scold her she got back up and finished the last lap, but knew her mom wasn’t pleased with the time it took.

“Here, eat up and we’ll continue.” She handed Aegis a plate of pasta, taking a seat in the shade, Aegis took the time to relish in the last of the warmth the sun would offer before winter would take it all away from her.

Her memories from when she was younger were a bit fuzzy, but while sitting her feeling like she wanted to cry… She could distinctly recall a friend hugging her until she was done. She could remember playing with her brothers, especially Aiden, and she could recall following the neighboring Pack's little Alpha heir, Harold, wherever he went; together they caused quite a lot of trouble too!

She remembered how her parents would throw her into the air and catch her – she’d laugh so much back then… But the memories were fading fast. All she knows is that one day, after she got really sick and wasn't getting any better, her parents started fighting regularly and one day they stopped… And her life changed.

Her baby sister was already three months old, and she hoped she’d get to play with her more than she got to play with Tristan, but the fact is she was kept busy with training and her parents didn't like her getting 'close' to Clara at all, they, especially her mother, treated her like the plague.

Once she was done eating she took her plate to the kitchen, washed it and placed it on the rack to dry. She took out a little brown plastic bottle, inside were really small fine pills – one after every meal; three times a day…

“All done?” Her mother asked. In the beginning the medicine had made her sick - vomiting and a burning sensation down her neck to her chest and stomach was a daily struggle to get over her illness that plagued her as a child - but now she was fine, and hoped to keep it that way, so even though she hated taking the medicine she did it.

It was after her eyes ‘changed’ color that she got so sick having caught one ot other rare virus. 

“Good. A hundred more laps.” Her mother shooed her out of the house.

“I want to see a clear improvement in your speed by the end of this week!” It was final so she did what was instructed of her and more, hoping to please her mother – to see her proud smile… but there was no such luck…

…

“Come now Aegis! You need to act faster!” Andrew said as he sliced through the air with a real sword, sharp and fierce; she – armed with only two small daggers – weaved and tried her best to close the distance between them, but to no avail. The first snow wasn’t far gone, maybe a few more days… It was freezing, but she was burning up, not being spared even two seconds to take a breather to ease her aching muscles or to tend to the thin shallow cut to her side when she had failed to dodge her father’s strike earlier - thankfully he noticed and diverted his sword just in time not to impale her on it.

 But even after more than a two months she was still being drilled to run and with the added sparring with weapons… she’d picked up more than her fair share of scratches. But it still wasn’t enough.

“Your balance is off, fix it!” He ordered when he saw her take a step towards him and stagger ever so slightly. Knowing It was because she long since passed her limit and was just exhausted, but he pushed her further non the less.

Only when the sun was setting did he let up, and allow her to go have her dinner.

"Aegis, we'll go fishing tomorrow, you deserve it after today, you did well." While she did love 'fishing' since she could just 'relax', she would have loved it more if he'd just let her sleep in the whole day tomorrow.

"Thank you Dad." Aegis said pushing the food that had long since gone cold around in her plate. 

"And I got you an early birthday present, I'll give it to you tomorrow." Andrew said grinning.

"Dear don't you think you're spoiling her a bit too much this past few weeks?" Vanessa asked, it was true, he was being uncharacteristically nice to her these last few days and not just to with her, even Aiden, Aaron and Tristan was being 'spoiled' more than usual.

"Why can't a father be nice to his children? Besides Aegis is excelling in her training, she might not be able to ever beat another trained warrior or higher ranked wolf but at least she'll be able to protect herself and our family." He spoke, referring to her ever weakening health. She could never understand why she had to train this hard, but always thought it had something to do with being a Beta's daughter and having to be strong... something she wasn't... Even though it was what she supposed to be and what she despratly wanted to be...

She headed up to her room and went to take a long shower; the steam fogging up the mirror, Aegis wiped it,clearing a small patch so she could see herself. She touched where during a sparring session last week with her dad ended up with her falling on the blade in her father’s hand grazing her shoulder, even it wasn’t healing properly and was scaring…

This was the effect of the ‘virus’, it had slowed down her healing drastically! She had a few scars now... from accidents while fixing her ‘traps’ to falling out of trees… But she didn’t mind, as a Beta’s daughter carrying Beta blood in her veins, scars were proof that she was ‘strong’ – she would keep telling herself – envious of her sister’s flawless skin, she was almost as beautiful as their mother. She was the odd one out...

While Aiden and Aaron looked like their father with their Dark brown messy hair and yellow eyes, Valerie was like their mom with rich honey blond hair and blue eyes, Valerie's though wasn't as clear and bright as Vanessa's. Even Tristan his sky blue eyes suited him perfectly with his dark hair. and Clara, the thin soft platinum blond hair and her grey blue eyes were just 'perfect'... Maybe Valerie's taunts about her not being their 'sister' was real? She quickly shook the thought... No! She was as much a part of this family as Valerie was! She held her own eyes in sight… Her eyes were losing the vibrancy they once held and it was as though it was happening faster and faster.

Getting dressed, readying for bed she winched as she bumped her arm on the door frame, the ‘scratch’ she picked up from a missed attempt to dodge a flying dagger flung at her by none other than her sister. Without Aiden there to talk to she was feeling really feeling the weight of her harsh reality... Her parents really have abandoned her… They hate her for being ‘cursed’… For becoming this weak... But before she could continue with her train of thoughts, she saw Tristan open the door and nervously look at her pleadingly to let him sleep with her again. She waved him in and laid on her side hugging him close to her, her face buried in soft pine scented hair.

“Night-night Tris.” She whispered and he scooted even deeper into bed against her, closing his eyes.

…

She stirred awake, Tristan wasn’t there, in the distance she could hear screams, and then she smelled the distinct smell of fire and blood.

Getting out of bed Aegis peered out the window to see the Pack house burning in the distance, running out to go help like she was trained to, Vanessa stopped her.

“No, don’t go! Take you sister and run!” Her mother handed a sleeping Clara to her. The rains before winter were always the worst... the area around their house was still fair but…

“What’s going on? Where’s Tristan?”

“I’ll take him… Remember your medicine and take care of Clara, I’ll come find you. Now you need to run, get as far away as possible!” Vanessa had already swung a bag over Aegis’ shoulders and was just finishing up making sure everything was in and all was ‘secured’ – nothing would fall out – she pushed Aegis out the back door, the forest just three hundred meters away.

“Go!” Vanessa ordered, her head snapping towards the front door that was kicked open. Aegis didn’t wait for more answers, knowing that she had to protect Clara, she ran as fast she could. The ground giving way, muddy puddles, from the rain over the last two days, sucking at her bare feet as it tried to slow her down.

Her tracks… She thought; it would be too easy to follow; she had to think of something… anything… for now getting some more distance till she could ‘think’ straight couldn’t hurt, so she just kept running! This was what she was ‘trained’ for… But where was Tristan? What happened to him? She had this sinking feeling in her heart as she realized she might never see him again.

She heard Clara starting to cry and quickly slowed down hiding behind a tree as she cradled her baby sister trying to get her to stay quiet down, it didn’t take long and Clara was silent as a church mouse. She stared at Aegis with big dark blue-grey eyes, the look in the infant’s eyes clearing the panic her big sister felt and replacing it with one clear goal and a destination… But… she shook her head… Knowing that she couldn’t do that…