"Echo Lowel! You freakin child. Get down and make me breakfast." Mom screamed at me.

I groaned as I rolled over to look at my alarm clock, I wanted to crawl in a hole and die as it read twelve.

My mom has been an absolute wreck for as long as I can remember. My father did this to her. Ever since he left she resorted to drinking and fucking anything with a dick as her only escape.

And if you're asking why I have to wake up at twelve every morning, is because I have to

make her breakfast and her precious dumb ass boyfriend.

Today was my sixteenth birthday so I had to be extra careful. She dreaded this day more than anything in her life. Every August seventh, she woke up before sunrise and screamed at the memory of my father until her voice cracked. Today was no different.

"Damiennn!!," I heard her wail as I made my way down the kitchen.

She expected breakfast ready on the table for her at 12:30 with her stupid lover. If not well, let's just say, I would end up having to buy more concealer to cover up the marks.

I quietly opened the fridge, took out the eggs, grabbed the toast and started with the magic. I set everything on the table not forgetting the cold beer ofcourse.

The woman drinks like 10 times a day. Dont get me wrong, am not exaggerating. Am just being brutally honest.

I heard her bedroom door open."Oh, shit." I quickly grabbed some napkins and added them on the table. I heard her groan as she walked down the stairs.

The beer! I thought to myself rushing to get the opener. Where is it? I started to panic when I felt my mom make her way through the living room. She was going to kill me.

I quickly grabbed the bottle, placed the cap beside the counter, lined it up and I smacked

my hand down on the cap and it popped off.

I tossed the cap away and placed the

beer next to her plate and got in my soldier position right as mom walked into the kitchen.

Damn that was close.

"I see you managed to follow orders correctly for once," she mumbled as she looked at her plate and then at me.

"Thank you mom." I breathed out, feeling relieved.

She stood into the doorway still in her sleep rumbled night gown, blonde hair clung messily to her cheeks and eyes red and swollen from crying for my dad.

"If only you had been about," she murmured taking a seat. "He would still be here...with me."

I said nothing, there was no point defending myself. This had been my reality for as long as I could remember. I had come to accept it.

Sometimes I wondered why she kept me if she saw it as punishment for bringing me into this ugly world. Why keep me, if she could have easily given me away to anyone when I was a child.

But instead she chose to keep around as her punching bag whenever the pain of the memories became too much.

My good for nothing father Damien, meanwhile left with a word, not even a goodbye all because I was a girl. What kind of jerk does that?

Mates were supposed to stay together forever. What happened to that? The jerk found her, marked her, mated with her, they had me. He didn't even have the audacity to reject her before he left.

She couldn't move on, no matter how many men she had. And in her mind, twisted by grief, I was to blame.

"Mom, I have to get ready for school."

"Whatever, just get the hell out of my sight," she said as she took a sip of her beer.

I turned away and hurried to my room. Beside my bed were three pairs of jeans, two hoodies, a few t-shirts and none were in good shape. I quickly showered, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a messy pony tail, it's not like anyone would waste their time looking at me.

I pulled on dark jeans and a hoodie, the thrift store tags had been ripped off months ago but I knew the looks I would get the second I stepped into school.

Charity case that's what they called me. What He

...called me.

"Bye mom," I muttered. Ofcourse she didn't respond. She never did. Maybe deep down she hoped I would run away like father had.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and paused at the door, glancing back at her one last time.

After the bus dropped me at school, a voice suddenly shouted in my direction. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ECHO!"

I flinched, spun around only to be crushed in a tight embrace by my two best friends, Rhea and Freya.

"Are you coming over today after school, my parents have a surprise prepared?" Rhea squeezed me so hard I nearly lost my breath.

Rhea's mom and dad were the Alpha and Luna of our pack, crimson Ridge. As their daughter she had power, privilege, a loving family, everything I had spent my life wishing for.

Three packs went to Crimson High, Crimson Ridge, Silvercrest and Stormhowl. The school was on Crimson Ridge ground but the school was declared neutral to all.

I guess, Stormhowl wolves never got the memo. They walked through the halls like they owned them. Like the rest of us were just trespassers in their world.

They were the strongest and wealthiest pack in Europe and so, ughh..they were the biggest sponsors of the school. They never let us forget that. They were nothing but trouble.

"It's your birthday girl, you have to loosen up a bit." Rhea told me.

"I know but I've got and you know how busy Thursdays are."

"You can come after," she insisted. "Just for a while. Mom would kill me if you spend your birthday alone."

I was about to refuse but she gave me that pleading look, the one I couldn’t say no to. "Please Echo. We will watch a movie, eat cake and Ralph can drive you to work after ward. You know Ralph won't mind." She added with googly eyes. "He would do anything for you."

"Ralph would do anything for you," I corrected not wanting anyone to misunderstand. "He's your brother."

"For you too," she said with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes. This girl had known me like forever. She knew about the bruises, the hunger, the way my mother treated me.

When she found out, she wanted to tell her father, to make it stop. I stopped her. As bad as it was, Mara Lowel was still the woman who gave birth to me. I didn't want her to get in trouble because of me.

"Thursdays are so tight. Maybe be tomorrow."

"Yes," Rhea squealed bouncing up and down like and easter bunny.

"You're going to have so much fun. Wait till you see the surprise!" Freya added as we made our way to our lockers.

People assumed Rhea as the Alpha's daughter would be proper, composed. Well they were wrong. She was wild, reckless, fierce and I loved every bit of her.

Inside the halls were already crowded, students clustered by their lockers, voices getting louder as the bell rung. I kept mybhead down, eyes forward, trying to take as little space as I could.

I was almost at locker 247, I froze looking at the blue liquid dripping down my back, soaking through my shirt, then green, then red.

Stupid laughter exploded around me. I turned around to see Blair, grinning.

"Gor her!" Did you see her face?" Rory shouted as she high fived lucas. "Perfect shot... right in the back!"

They reached for more balloons, I tried to get away but they just couldn't stop even for a second, hitting me.

Another balloon flew toward me, I dodged but my shoes slipped on the floor and I fell on the floor.

"Ohhh, look...she fell!" Blair mocked. "You okay down there, little Echo? Need a towel?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

I pushed myself up but my palms slid on the wet tile, sending me back down. My clothes clung to me, hair stuck on my face.

A group of boys walked past me without a glance. To them, I was just Echo Lowell...the charity case.

All sound got swallowed out of the room, except for footsteps, slow and steady like they had all the time in the world.

Black designer sneakers appeared infront of me , custom made with a small embroidered "A" on the side. My heart stopped for a beat. I knew those shoes. I looked up to confirm what I already knew.

And there he was... his dark hair slightly disheveled, a mop of soft waves falling across his face. A single silver ear stud glinted from his ear, so small you could easily miss it.

The A was for Ares freakin Greymoor! The most insufferable, arrogant creature alive.

He crouched down, grinning. I could tell her was enjoying every second of this. In his hand was a white paper bag. My pulse started pounding. I knew what was coming.

"Please don't..."

His grin just widened and he dumped the bag over my head.

"Happy birthday, loser."​