Chapter 2 2

Sloane

There was a special night in every girl's life when she turned twenty. The night that all girls of age were presented to the men of the village. It was always held and all girls were to be presented. Twenty when she presented , twenty one when she was married off and went to live with her new family.

No one in the village was spared. Not even me but I hadn't been chosen. I didn't blame them for that. Who would want me anyway. I had too much baggage and there was no dowary. I came with nothing but an alcoholic father and a fussy brother. My father didn't seem to mind,and if I was honest with myself , I didn't mind either.

Although sometimes I thought it might be nice to be wanted and loved and maybe have a family of my own one day.

Still for me, it wasn't going to happen. Girls were betrothed at twenty and married at twenty one and I was already almost nearly twenty one.

I could spend my life looking after my father and serving the village in other ways. It would be a worthwhile life.

Right?

"Sloane."

I turned at the barking command in the voice and bit back a retort that threatened to escape my lips. Why did everyone have to bark at me, order me around like I wasn't a normal human being who could hear them?

Schooling my face into a polite smile , I nodded my head at Lana. The most beautiful girl in the village smiled back at me in her usual condescending smirking way.

"Hello Lana." I nodded my head again. "You're looking great."

She always looked great though. Rosy cheeked and well fed but I was guessing that's what happened when you had money to spare.

"And you are looking-" her lips curled into a sneer. "Well you look the same as always. Still poor?"

I bit back my retort which would have been something like "are you still a bitch?" And smiled instead. "I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Do you?" I asked instead.

Lana liked to torment me. She always had but she didn't like it when I didn't get upset about it. That spoiled her fun.

"If I were you," she stepped closer. "I would just run into the forest and never come back. I just can't imagine how embarrassing it must be to not be chosen." She shook her blonde curls. "You must have heard that I am to be married to Gentry."

She preened and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Only she would think that marrying the son of the head of our village was a good thing. Everyone knew he was a monster and as cruel as any wolf.

"I heard, congratulations."

"I actually sent you an invitation."

I did a double take at her sudden change of subject and sweet smile. Why on earth would she had sent me an invitation? We weren't friends and I was born too poor to be invited to such a great event.

"And then I remembered you don't know your letters "

I stifled a groan. Of course she wasn't being sweet , she was being a bitch as usual.

"I just can't imagine not being able to read." She continued and I bristled. I knew how to read a little because my mother had taught me. But schooling wasn't really high on my agenda when I was trying to help my family not starve.

"But i do hope you will be able to make it." The butter wouldn't melt smile was back on her face, only this time I was going to fall for it.

"Thank you Lana but I have-"

Throwing back her head she laughed. "It wasn't a request Sloane. It was an order." More of her tinkering fake laughter. "I'm not inviting you as a guest but as a server, just like I've put your name down as a server for the next choosing."

I blinked at her in shock. "But the women who serve at the choosing are all old-"

"Yes, all old and unchosen just like you. You will fit right in." She laughed cruelly.

Was there any point in arguing with her? I didn't think so. She was trying to humiliate me but she could only succeed if I let her.

Straightening my shoulders I flashed her a smile that mirrored her own. "It would be my honour Lana. Please excuse me. I have to get food for my family."

She didn't even say goodbye as she turned in her shiny leather boots and walked away.

Sighing heavily I turned and walked in the other direction. Heading away from the centre of the village and into the woods.

I had said I was getting food for my family and I was going to do just that but not at the market. Even if my father hadn't spent all of my hard earned money on booze, I wouldn't really have enough for more than half a load of bread and that wasn't going to feed anyone.

No, I was going into the forest to check the traps I had set up. If I was lucky I would have caught something. Meat for us and fur I could sell or exchange for milk for Dillon.

It was risky to hunt without permission but the risk was worth it so we didn't starve.

I would happily take the punishment if it meant my baby brother got to live.

I walked without thinking, choosing to slip off the main trails and delve deeper into the tightly packed trees and my boots made no sound on the wet forest floor.

Even as I walked the first rain drop hit my head and then another. The weather really was bad this year and that didn't bode well for winter. I needed to hunt more, work harder otherwise none of us were going to survive until spring.

Lifting my shawl over my head I hurried towards the nearest snare.

There was a rabbit laying on the wet ground. It's fur was already soaked. Its eyes open but unseeing. Small , tiny in fact but it was something and it would mean we didn't go hungry tonight.

Looking around I found the other snares with my eyes. Each one of them was empty. But they hadn't always been. There were smears of blood where the bodies of my dinner should be lying. Almost like something had come along and feasted on them.

Shaking my head, I pulled my pocket knife from my pocket and began to saw through the wire and that's when I felt it.

A puff of hot air that wasn't the wind. It blew against the nape of my neck with the smell of metallic blood.

I stiffened. My whole body going rigid as I realised to late what I was feeling.

This wasn't the wind, this was the breath of the creature who had eaten my rabbits and it was right behind me. So close I could feel it.

Paralysed with fear I froze. Even my heart stopped beating as the thing behind me sniffed.

In my mind's eye I could picture it so clearly. A giant shadow in the shape of a massive wolf.

The thing from my nightmares was here. In the daytime.

Crazy or not I had to tell someone now. I couldn't ignore it any longer. No matter what my father said, if the wolves had crossed the wall then we were all in danger.

I leapt forward, dropping the shawl I treasured because it was my mothers as I sprinted into the trees. I ran as fast as I could knowing the entire time that if the thing gave chase then I was going to be dinner.

It didn't matter, I had to run like my life depended on it because it did and I knew I could never set snares to reap my dinner again.

I could never leave the village again because it was waiting for me. I knew that deep down.

I would have to find another way to feed my family because I couldn't hunt. Not without being hunted myself.