Barely Breathing

FLASHBACK (Willow's age 13)

"Make tomorrow never come." Willow prayed each night before she sleeps but her prayer never answered, her misery never ends.

It had been almost nine years since she was taken captive along with the other children and adults whose lives were spared. The war had ceased a couple of years ago but they remained as slaves of Darkwood Pack. No signs of rescuing what was left of their pack on its previous glory.

She however was treated well compared to others if eating three times a day and not working from sunrise to sunset were the basis.

But fate wasn't so kind to her either. She was Jasper's toy doll, the alpha's son. She was forced to play with him when she was a child. A broken child with a broken heart.

However, things changed when Jasper grew up and made friends at school, taking home girls as well. She had to clean their mess, prepare food for him and wash his clothes.

During spare time, she steals one of his books and reads on her bed at the servants’ quarters, but bringing it back before he went home. It was hard at first because she was never allowed to go to school yet she patiently read word afterword.

It wasn't until a month before Jasper's first shifting that her world turned into a nightmare. He started to notice her again. She always caught him staring at her and never taking his eyes away.

She felt nervous each time she saw him staring. Her instinct tells her something was amiss. She had changed into a young lady of her age at thirteen and tried to hide her figure with the worn-out, shabby clothes they were graced with.

Willow's pack members too started to notice Jasper's excess kindness to their alpha's only daughter. They noticed how lovely Willow had become, just like her mother and that bothers them.

told like a robot with eyes that look distant as always. He never talks, never did even spare a glance at her daughter for years. The death of his chosen had killed

with poison when a guard knocked at the servant's

opened the door, troubled like the others for each knows what it means. Before the knock, a scream

come with me. The new

They knew this day would come. Mason was staring at a distance again, no life in his eyes and deaf of his daughter's pleas of protest as the

look on their faces was enough to tell her

room and stumbled on the floor. The room was dark and it took her seconds before her sight adjusted. There in the bed sat a

 Willow could tell he had changed physically. He had gained muscles and his smile was cynical like he was plotting

called for me?" She was

patted a seat on his side, extending his hands

oddity of

back instead until she felt the doorknob. She twisted it but it was

dropped on the floor. He was wearing a short and Willow

with his arms on either side of her head. She ducked under his arm and tried to open

like to play games first." He shook his head, enjoying

funny!" She pleaded, she kept looking around