Star

Slowly and methodically Uncle Howard buttoned the back of the dress as my body laid slumped against his shoulder. My forehead was pressed against him and his scent was filling my nostrils. That awful, overpowering scent that had always made me feel sick to my stomach.

Tonight, for some reason, his scent seemed so much stronger. And not just stronger, it seemed to be worse somehow. He smelled even more rotten, like something in his was spoiling by the second. There were the same old smells that there always were, but now there seemed to be an undertone to his scent. Something that was far worse than the rest of his odors combined. It had a sulfurous smell, something that made me think of a match being lit only much stronger.

Internally I gagged, feeling sick to my stomach just by the sheer power of that scent, but outwardly I didn't make a sound. I really hated this. Not being able to move, not being able to talk. The most that I could manage was a blink of my own accord. I wonder if I could keep my eyes closed and not look at him? That would make me marginally happier.

After the dress had been buttoned Uncle Howard pushed me gently away from him, but that was just so he could slide his arms around me and sit me on a chair. There was a vanity in the corner that I hadn't noticed when I looked around the room earlier, I was now sitting in front of that vanity.

This vanity was nothing like the one that Chay had given me, instead of a beautifully carved wooden vanity this one was a cheap looking thin metal one. Still, I knew what it was, mostly because it had makeup and hair accessories on it.

"We need to make you pretty for our wedding." Uncle Howard's voice seemed to be full of excitement. He truly was looking forward to this. I hoped I could just die before he could marry me, or before he could do anything to me.

When Uncle Howard sat me in the chair I slumped a little, still nothing more than an empty shell awaiting his commands.

"Come now, Astraia, sit up. I can't do your hair and make up if you're slouching over." Instantly my body followed his command. I wonder why I was not able to move until he told me to? Did he do something to me other than that compulsion that I felt toward Artem and now him?

While I contemplated what was going on with me Uncle Howard started to undo the braid that was in my hair. Following that he took a clean bowl of water and started to clean the rest of the blood and dirt from my hair.

Following the cleaning my hair was fully wet and offered no resistance when Uncle Howard started to pull a brush through it.

"Such beautiful Brown hair you have. It truly is soft. You will gift our children with this lovely hair, I am sure of it."

'OH MY GOD!' What was he talking about? He just said that we were going to have children! I do not want to have children with Uncle Howard. If I was going to have children with someone I would want it to be with Artem. I don't want Uncle Howard to touch me, not at all.

"If we have daughters they will be beautiful like you. If we have sons they will be strong like me. Well, I hope that even the girls will be strong, given their powerful lineage." He was tying a ribbon in my hair now as he spoke. "You have such a unique lineage Astraia, and my lineage is quite powerful and unique as well. Together we will make the world's strongest children."

'Stop talking. Just shut up you disgusting asshole. I don't want to hear another word of your ramblings. I don't want to know what horrible fantasies and thoughts have gone through your mind about me. Please just leave me alone and stop touching me, don't look at me either.' My inner monologue was helping me to stay sane while I had to listen to everything that Uncle Howard was saying to me. 'Artem I'm so sorry that I messed up. If I hadn't messed up so badly then this probably wouldn't be happening to me at all. I'm so sorry to you, and to Chay, and to everyone else. I'm so sorry.' I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch Uncle Howard in his stupid disgusting face.

"You don't know this, Astraia, but I came here for you. Not this house of course, but to this pack. I was so delighted when I found out about what you truly are. When I learned of your true lineage, what that meant, I was so excited. I knew then that I needed to have you. I needed to use that to my benefit."

'I am nothing. I am just a girl that was trapped in a useless, powerless, existence. I am just Astraia Westbrook. I am Star. I am weak. I am a lost wolf. I am a mate that can't feel the mate. I am nothing.' I realized that I was letting the despair get to me. I realized that I was not being fair to myself, but I couldn't help it. I was spiraling out of control. This was the worst situation I had ever been in.

I had known that Uncle Howard had wanted me, that he wanted to marry me, but I never really knew what that entailed. I never knew I would be this sickened, this disgusted, this scared by all of it.

To be honest, I always kept that last little bit of hope that I would escape, that I would get away and never have to see him or any of the others again. And that small taste of freedom I had was not enough. I had gotten away, I was safe, but all of it came crashing down around me like shattered glass.