Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Daisy
Zoey takes me into a room and looks back to Aiden. “Alpha, stay out. You’ll make me uncomfortable being in a small room like this.” She says rather bluntly.
Aiden bites his lip and looks at me before nodding. “Of course. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” He then leaves the room and me alone with Zoey. She sets her pup down and sits in a chair motioning for me to do the same.
After I sit in the chair in front of her, Zoey looks me over for a long while. I start to feel uncomfortable and shift around. What is she trying to see in me? After some time, her hard stare softens.
“You’ve been through a lot. I can tell.” Zoey says and leans back. “Beaten and looked down on… you have the air of a submissive and timid wolf but not because you chose to be.”
I flinch at her observation but she continues. “I was where you were at too though I was never a pack wolf like you. Surrounded by those stronger than me and forced to do things I never wanted to do either.” Her brown eyes harden.
I shudder as I can only imagine what she could have gone through. As a rogue with wild wolves all around here, she couldn’t have had an easy life. “I-I’m sorry.” That’s all I manage to say.
Zoey raises an eyebrow. “Why? You didn’t do anything to cause me harm nor did you wish for it.” She points out and shakes her head. “You poor thing…” she sighed.
I do apologize more than I should but it’s more out of habit than anything. I’m always in the wrong in everyone’s eyes so I always just say sorry and try to move on.
“I was born a rogue and raised as one.” Zoey begins. “It was always just my mother and me as I never met my father. Then we caught the attention of a big and bad rogue while traveling. He was a bit too interested in us… Long story short, he captured and harmed us.”
I see her hands become fists and hesitate before deciding to stay silent. This is her story and I want to be respectful. Zoey takes a deep and shaky breath as she remembers bad things and I suddenly want to hug her.
“I watched him ‘play’ with my mother every day. Not by choice obviously… but he killed her spirit and later killed her too when she stopped him from teaching me how to do his sick ‘playing.” She shakes her head. “I was eight when that happened. Seven more years of grooming came and went until I finally escaped.”
Her eyes darken and she falls silent. She looks over to her daughter who is playing on her own with a plush toy. She yips and growls as she shakes her head and runs around.
“I was in bad shape but I kept running. If he caught me, he’d never let me go. Then I ran into Peter as I had crossed into Crimson Moon’s territory.” Zoey closes her eyes. “He talked me down but I was very feral… I’d say I still am now. We had fought for a while but I hurt him while he didn’t try and harm me. I was a young wolf, small and malnourished. He didn’t want to hurt me… he’s like a big teddy bear honestly.”
A fond smile forms on her face as she talks about Peter. Does she have a crush? I don’t ask her though since she’s still talking.
“They keep me in… but then I found out I was pregnant.” Zoey smiles bitterly. “For years… nonstop, he’d touch me. I wanted the pup out of me right then and there. And for months I tried to do everything in my power to rid myself of it as Olivia wouldn’t do anything until I gave it more thought. Throwing myself downstairs, drinking poison, and eating bad food… but nothing worked.”
She sighs faintly and watches her daughter. “It was Peter who gave me something to think about.” she looks at me. “Don’t think of the pup as your abuser’s. It also belongs to you. It’s a life that wants to experience the world. A part of you that will always be by your side. It may seem impossible now but down the line, you may regret losing the chance to meet this pup. His words reminded me of my mother.”
1/2
I can see she’s getting upset and moving to stand. “I’m fine… I’m almost done.” Zoey says and offers a small smile. I hesitate then stay seated. “Mother told me stories about how I was conceived. At first, she didn’t want me. How could a lone wolf care for a pup? How could she provide for me? In the end, she had me and never regretted it. Because the moment I was born, I was her everything.”
Zocy wipes her eyes. “It was after this that I decided I wanted to meet this pup. The moment she was born, I didn’t see him at all… because she looked exactly like my mother. It was like she returned to me at that moment. I even named her after my mother… Ebony…”
Zoey smiles fondly at the pup and then looks at me again. “Your story might be different. You may have gone through something way worse than me… maybe you don’t know who the father is. But in the end, you have to ask yourself.” she leans forward. “Will you regret your decision later if you choose one way or the other?”
***
After listening to Zoey’s story, I find myself in the room they got ready for me. I sit on the edge of my bed and stare at my lap. I know what she meant. I could regret not having this pup but also regret having it. I don’t know what to do at this point..
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