The Rare She-Wolf: Twice the Power, Zero Forgiveness Chapter 02

The Rare She-Wolf: Twice the Power, Zero Forgiveness Chapter 02

The razor stopped.

Mom’s hand froze mid-air.

She set the razor down, stepped around in front of me, and squatted down to look at me.

“What did you say?”

Years of abuse made me flinch and hunch my shoulders.

But I still forced out the words I’d practiced over and over in my head.

“I… I don’t want to play my brother anymore…”

Mom stared blankly. It took her several seconds to react.

Slowly she stood up and loomed over me.

She blew the stray hair off her razor.

The little clippings drifted onto my face, tickling my skin.

“Well, well,” she said coldly. “All grown up now, huh? Got the guts to talk back to me now?

“You owe me so much, and you’re already sick of paying it back?”

“No,” I blurted out quickly, my voice small and frantic.

“I want to give my brother back to you.

“Then you can go back to the Ironfang Pack.”

I didn’t say the other reason out loud. I felt too selfish for it.

“Mom, you said it yourself, just send me back and let my brother eat me. That’s all it takes.”

I thought if I offered to do this myself, Mom would be over the moon.

But her eyes just got colder and colder, bit by bit.

“Wren Ashborne!”

Mom spun me around roughly.

She pressed the razor against my scalp again, hard enough to hurt.

“You think I don’t know what you’re thinking?”

Mom’s voice got louder and shriller.

“You’re just like Elias! You’re sick of putting up with me, aren’t you!

“You both ruined my life, and you think you can just walk away like that?!”

Her breathing came in ragged gasps.

“You never mean what you said! All you ever do is sweet talk!”

The razor jerked hard, and a sharp, stinging pain shot through my scalp.

I couldn’t help but hiss.

I touched my head, and my fingers came away bloody.

Mom saw it too, but she didn’t stop.

She just lightened the pressure a tiny bit.

“What right do you have, you useless thing, to trade yourself for your brother!

“I told you! You owe me, and you’ll pay me back for the rest of your life!”

The razor clicked faster, crueler than ever.

I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare say another word.

I just let the razor raze across my head.

That night, Mom cried for a long time.

…

The next morning, Mom acted like nothing was wrong.

She got up, made breakfast, helped me into my male academy uniform, and walked me to school.

When we got to Pack academy, my teacher, Ms. Blythe Maren glanced at me and froze.

“Ms. Ashborne.” She gestured to my head. “What happened to Wren’s scalp?”

She tried to touch my head, but Mom swatted her hand away.

“It’s nothing. She was being naughty, cut it herself playing around and nicked it,” Mom said smoothly.

Ms. Maren didn’t push it, but her brow stayed furrowed the whole time.

After Mom left, Ms. Maren pulled me quietly aside.

“Wren, is there anyone else living in your house?”

I shook my head. “Just Mom and me.”

“Then your mom…” Ms. Maren paused, like she was picking her words carefully.

“Is… is she good to you, most days?”

I froze.

I’d never thought about that question before.

Was Mom good to me?

I remembered when Mom was in a good mood, she could be gentle too.

It was just that most of the time, she was in a bad mood.

She pinched me, yanked my hair, locked me in the bathroom.

But all that was because I owed her.

I was the one who ate my brother first.

Thinking that, I looked up at Ms. Maren.

“Ms. Maren, my mom is really good to me.”

Ms. Maren looked at me, her eyes soft and twisted with sadness.

“Then what happened to your head?

“Why do you dress like a male wolf?”

I hesitated for a long time, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to the teacher.

“I… I ate my brother, so I have to pay Mom back.

“This is how it’s been my whole life.

“This week I’m supposed to play my brother, so Mom cut my hair.”

When I finished, I lowered my head and didn’t dare look Ms. Maren in the eye.

I was scared she’d think I was a freak too.

But Ms. Maren didn’t say anything.

She just sighed softly, then touched my wounded scalp.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

I shook my head, then nodded.

“A little bit.

“But it’s okay. I’m a male wolf right now, I don’t mind pain.”

Ms. Maren’s eyes suddenly turned red.

But she turned away quickly, wiped her eyes, then turned back and smiled at me.

“Wren, you’re so brave.”

That one sentence warmed my heart for the whole entire day.

When school let out that afternoon, Mom came to pick me up.

Ms. Maren walked out with me, and when she saw Mom she asked, “Ms. Ashborne, would it be okay if I came home with you to chat?”