Alora.
My ears rang as my cheeks stung from the Aiden smack against it. My mind went blank as my head swerved to the right at the contact. The slap had echoed in the kitchen, freezing everyone in their spot as soft gasps escaped their lips.
"What the hell Camilla?!" I heard Carmen yell, as she finally caught up with her sister who was still glaring at me.
"It's all her fault!" Camilla yelled. I felt her hand on my shoulder as she forced my eyes to meet hers.
My shoulder stung in irritation at her touch but not as much as my cheeks did, so I raised my hand to it, ribbing it softly and trying to recall how I had managed to anger Camilla.
What had I done to deserve this?
I thought, my eyes tearing up immediately. I had been locked up in Ares' room for three nights in a row. And the only time I had spoken to the girls was on the second day of my arrival.
How could a one time moment cause Camilla so much anger that she would slap me?
Camilla's blue eyes sparkled with so much anger to fill the room, the light highlighted them so they sparkled angrily. There was a heavy frown on her face and I was almost compelled to step back from her.
But I was in so much shock to even blink and the tears fell past my eyes. But even at the sight of them, Camilla didn't waver as she opened her mouth to speak again.
"It wasn't her fault Camilla, and you know that!" Carmen yelled, reaching for her sister and pulling her away from me but Camilla snatched her arm away, turning to glare at her twin.
"How can you say that? You know damn well it was because of her Ares stopped us from attending school!"
"She didn't mean to." Carmen said softly, as she looked from me to the floor sadly.
"Who knows?! She probably saw how excited we were about senior year and she obviously knew we wouldn't be of much help in the estate so she tried to sabotage it by making us stay back so she wouldn't do all the work by herself!" Camilla yelled, stepping towards me again and I staggered backwards fearfully.
"That's enough Camilla! What has gotten into you?!" Lana yelled, holding back Camilla who sighed in frustration, turning to get mother.
"Mom! Don't you see what she's trying to do? She just came and suddenly Ares is punishing us and hitting Seth? This has never happened before!" Camilla shouted again, making my ears hurt so much.
All this yelling was getting to me as my heart sank deeper in my chest. Twenty years of abuse had taught me to never hope or expect anything from anyone.
So why was today different?
Why had I expected to be welcomed with open arms?
Why the hell did I expect to be missed? Hugged?
Why did I think they would be concerned about me? My well-being?
It had never happened before. I have never expected anything from anyone, not even my parents.
So why did I think things would be different?
Because I was shown a little kindness by the girls?
Because Ares had released my shackles?
I almost laughed at my thoughts. Just a few days and I had forgotten that I was a slave. A nobody.
"Don't assume things Camilla! I didn't raise you this way to hit other people, especially someone who couldn't defend herself!" Lana yelled angrily, raising her spatula at her daughter who scoffed.
"She can't defend herself because she knows she's been caught. She knows what she did. She can fool you with all her scared, soft girl acts. But not me mom."
"I told you it was because the Alpha was mad at me for not telling her about the piano." Lana said tiredly, as if she had been saying it for a while with Camilla turning deaf ears to it.
The piano?
What did that have to do with any of this?
"What did the piano have to do with this?" Raya asked, confused, wiping her wet hand on a soft cloth and coming to stand in front of us.
No one said anything and I grew more confused as well as Raya who eyed the girls that had looked away from each other, including Lana.
My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I tried to think of why the piano was the cause of Camilla's anger.
"Guys?" Raya said slowly and Carmen sighed.
"Alora played the piano in the west wing." She said, making Raya gasp as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"She did what?" Raya asked in bewilderment as she faced me in horror.
I panicked. Why was everyone reacting this way to me playing the piano? I remembered Ares had been angry too when I played it. But I didn't see anything wrong with it. It was just an instrument that I loved. And it was sitting there eating dust.
"She played it! Was she stupid as well as mute and dumb too?" Camilla yelled, facing me angrily as she gritted her teeth.
Stupid.
Why did everyone have to call me that?
Jax. Ares. Mom. Dad. Now Camilla who I had just met twice.
"She knew fully well that the west wing was off-limits, but she went ahead to play the piano. Didn't you see it covered? It means no one is allowed there!" Camilla told me, speaking like she was talking to a petulant child.
"Why did you go there Alora?" Raya asked softly, her eyes watching me sadly.
I didn't know.
Stop looking at me that way.
They all faced me accusingly, and even while Carmen and Lana acted like they were on my side. It didn't stop the look they gave me.
They were judging me, accusing me for touching it, when I didn't even know.
"She didn't know. I didn't have the time to tell her yet that the west wing was off-limits. Ares came back a few nights ago to find her there. He got mad, locked her in his room for days without food or water and then punished me by stopping Carmen and Camilla from attending school for a week. He said he knew they were excited about senior year and that he couldn't find a punishment for me, so he directed his anger at my children." Lana explained, causing Carmen to look away sadly and Raya's eyes widening in understanding.
I finally understood.
It was all my fault.
Just while I had been accepted, I had fucked it all up.
Guilt filled me, my heart became heavy. My eyes filled with tears and I wanted to cower away and hide under the bed without all these accusing gazes on me.
"Exactly! Now I'm going to miss tryouts for cheerleading and Carmen's gonna miss the journalism club president election happening this week." Camilla said.
"It's ok. I can ask Mom to send a message to Mrs Davis to postpone it till next week, so I can take part in it." Carmen replied softly and Camilla rolled her eyes.
"They wouldn't put it on hold because of us Carmen, stop acting like miss goody two shoes. It's gone and this year is going to be the worst for us. We won't pick lockers close to the football team anymore, no cheerleading, no journalism club president, and I'm very sure all the front rows for classes have been picked. Now we are stuck with staying in the back row with Tommy the daft." Camilla growled, before she turned to me.
"I hope you're happy now. You better don't try to sabotage prom next year. Because everywhere you go, you make people upset. It's better if you hadn't arrived here in the first place. I pray you go back to where you came from. That way everyone would be happy, because you're not needed here." Camilla finished, turning away from me and snatching her phone from the table before leaving the kitchen.
Her words hurt me so much that I started to cry. It was the first time someone had said such things to me. It was like I could feel myself drowning in a sea of guilt and pain. Because it hurts from all angles.
"I'll go make sure she's ok." Carmen broke the silence, her voice tired as she walked out of the kitchen after her sister.
"They were so excited about senior year. They even had matching outfits set for this week." Raya said sadly, reaching for what appeared like ear speakers that blasted with music on her neck, and placing it back on her ears as she went back to continue with the dishes.
Lana stood alone in front of me and I knew what she was about to say next. She was going to blame me for the pain her children were going through. I had heard when they were arguing about the clothes to wear today.
She was obviously angry at me too for making her children sad. And I don't think I could bear her accusing me also.
It would be too much to bear.
"Alo-" Lana started, her hand reaching to me but I stepped back, wrapping my hands around my torso and running past her.
I ran to the back door that they claimed led to the garden and pushed the door open, running into the bright sun.
I didn't stop running as I reached the garden, found a bench and collapsed on it. I pulled my knees to my chest, rested my head against my knees and started to cry.
"I didn't know. I didn't mean to." I sobbed hard, my body racking with each sob as I let everything out.
I was tired. Hungry. Weak. Filled with guilt and shame.
I don't think I could go back there, the accusing gazes, the glare and Camilla's loud voice rang in my ears again and I pulled my knees closer to me.
I have never felt anything like it before. Maybe it was because I hadn't been expecting it, that was why it hurt so much.
I sat there crying for hours, the sun heated the coat and made it hot from the insides but I couldn't feel it. I didn't feel anything anymore.
I didn't realize someone had sat beside me until I felt a soft touch on my toes and I raised my head to see Lana sitting beside me with a plate of food I couldn't recognize.
"I figured you might be hungry." She said, smiling sadly as she placed the food between us. I heard her sigh as she looked at the garden, her eyes softening.
"I remember when the Alpha used to come here to play." She said, and I sniffed following her gaze as I started at the garden for the first time since I ran here.
A gasp escaped my lips at the sight in front of me. The garden was beautiful, green and blue. There were flowers of different colors surrounding us. They bloomed under the bright sun. Birds pecked on small trees and there was a small pool at the center of the garden where a duck sat with her ducklings. I didn't know how many they were because I couldn't count past three.
But the scenery was peaceful, quiet and beautiful. It was so different from the forest I had grown up in. There was something soothing sitting here listening to the chirping of birds, the gentle dance of small trees and the soft swift of breeze.
I found myself becoming calm, as I rested my jaw against my knees and just admired the view. The tears dried up against my face as I didn't feel hot anymore despite the blazing sun. The wind ruffled with my hair, coming against my face but I didn't swipe it away.
I could almost imagine Ares playing here in the garden. He must have been young then, because now he was cold and didn't look like he came here anymore.
"The piano was his brother's favorite instrument. He played it for Ares everyday." Lana said and I turned to her.
She finally looked away from the garden and at me, because of the sun, I could see the tears that glittered around bright brown eyes.
"He's dead now."
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