I gazed out the window watching the trees and morning birds. I was over having to live this life. My stepfather was a cruel man, and he was the Alpha of one of the most notorious Packs in the city. I would have left when our mother died, but he wouldn't let me take Lily. I don't know why, it's not like he was ever a father to her. He hated her from the moment she was born, blamed her for our mother's death. I still remember when he brought her home and told me my mother died during childbirth. He shoved little Lily in my arms and said, "Look after it." I remember being confused. I was only thirteen at the time. I knew nothing about babies. I had to drop out of school, give up my entire life. I raised her, loved her, and she became my whole world. I didn't understand how he could reject his own pup, his own flesh and blood.
Lily was an adorable baby; Mum would have loved her. I named her Lily since David didn't even bother to do the paperwork. Lily was Mum's middle name. She was so excited when she found out she was expecting, and so was David, but when my mother died that excitement turned to hate. The Pack suffered for 6 years since. Petrified of him, they would never go against him. He was Alpha for a reason. So here I was, a high school dropout raising my baby sister. Luckily, Mum had everything ready for her arrival before she passed because the Alpha didn't help me with anything. I had to get formula off Pack members. Luckily, even after Mum's death, they didn't hate her or me. They felt sorry for Lily so they would sneak me tins of formula and nappies.
When Lily turned five and was old enough for school, I enrolled her and started looking for a job so I could try and provide for her. It wasn't much, but it was better than having to ask or beg Pack members for anything she needed. I still remember the beating I got when I asked David for some money to buy her school uniform. He split my lip open before dragging me to the basement, where he beat me until I passed out. I shook my head at the memory before looking down at Lily, who was playing with my father's necklace that hung from my neck.
The necklace had a wolf on one side and a man with fangs on the other side. My father died when I was two, I don't remember him. My mother used to tell me how loving he was, but after the Alpha took us in when I was seven, she didn't really speak about him. Alpha David didn't want to hear about her past life. She was his mate, he always thought it was a betrayal that she had a child with someone who wasn't her mate sent by the Moon Goddess.
What made it worse is my father wasn't a wolf. He was a Vampire and my mother was a wolf, therefore making me a Hybrid, which isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm an abomination. I can't completely shift like other wolves. I can grow claws when needed, which is quite painful, and I can also mind link. From my vamp side, I get their speed and sense of smell. I also can't heal like a wolf or a Vampire unless I drink human blood. Being raised in a wolf Pack means I don't get blood, which is okay. I can live without it simply fine, but it means I'm always weaker and I can't heal. Alpha David forbids me from drinking blood, and besides him, the only other people who know what I am are my mother and Lily. I hoped one day, Lily and I would be free of this hellhole so I no longer must hide what I am, but that will never happen.
The bus pulled up out the front of the diner I worked at. I quickly pushed Lily towards the exit, stepping onto the footpath.
"Come on, Lily. If we hurry, I will get Marcus to make you some pancakes before school."
Lily took off into the diner to her usual spot, which was close to the kitchen. I watched as she slid along the booth seat, placing her bag down on the red leather seat beside her. Lily loved the diner; she came with me every morning before school and after school, because my shift didn't finish until 6. I would use my lunch break to pick her up from school, but the biggest bonus of working here was Zoe.
The owner was a human woman who owned "Joe's Diner". Her husband was Joe. He died years ago, and she took over her husband's business. Zoe was in her late sixties. She has long white hair that's always pulled into a bun with green eyes and rosy cheeks. She is a bigger woman but one of my most favourite people I know. She always smiled and loved Lily, and since she didn't have children of her own, she kind of took me and Lily in. Zoe always made sure Lily had lunch for school and breakfast and dinner. After Lily got seated in the booth, I greeted Zoe with a hug before walking out to the kitchen. Marcus was standing at the stove with his hippy tie-dyed shirt and jeans, already making Lily pancakes.
Marcus was probably my only real friend; he was a good-looking bloke with his blonde hair and blue eyes, but unfortunately for me, he was also gay. I waved to him as I walked past to find my apron. Lily has pancakes every morning before school. I grabbed my apron and wrapped it around my waist before walking back out to grab the coffee. I started refilling a few customers' cups. Joe's Diner was always busy no matter the time of the day. When I finished refilling cups, I walked back into the kitchen to grab Lily her pancakes.
By the time Lily finished her breakfast, it was 8 AM. I cleaned up the booth Lily was at and ducked back into the kitchen to grab Lily's school bag, which I kept in the duffle bag. As I was walking back through the kitchen, Zoe was already waiting with a paper bag.