ISABELLA FAULKNER
ISABELLA`S POV
In the Faulkner pack, I am the Lowest of the low; it is just me, my mother, my uncle, my step-sister, and my step-brother, everybody looks down on me, the omega...and the worst part? I am twenty-one years old and still haven't turned, nobody believes it will ever happen for me, and honestly, even I have given up hope.
I grew up in NEW PORT and have lived here all my life, my whole life, my family and I have lived in debt and abject poverty, not just that, I live a very miserable life, my own mother hates me, my father abandoned me when I was an infant, and my mother remarried his brother, Victor Faulkner and even then, we continued living in poverty, we have been so terribly broke for as long as I can remember.
Mother had two children with my uncle, Selene Faulkner and Magnus Faulkner, and because they mattered more, my uncle took out massive loans from shady places to send them to college while I was told school was a waste of money that we already don't have.
Magnus is a menace to society, a wolf who has no control over himself, killing and eating humans whenever his urges spike, his excuse is always the same: "It just happens, I can't control it." and somehow, despite everything, despite the blood on his hands, despite the debt his existence has burdened us with, I am still the useless one in my family's eyes; sometimes he threatens to kill my best friend, Rosa Morales, the only person in this world who has ever shown me kindness...he laughs when he says it, but I know he means it, and if anything were ever to happen to her, I would kill Magnus myself.
We have lived in debt for as long as I can remember, and for as long as I know, I have lived as an outcast in my own home, sometimes, I hear Magnus tell Selene that I should be grateful to even be allowed to remain in the Faulkner pack, that if it were up to him, he'd have kicked me out a long time ago.
They always laugh about it, as if my existence was nothing butn a joke and asides that, I am treated like an animal, all that I am apparently good for is to take up multiple jobs to support the family, a family that loathes my very existence; I am not allowed to do things that other girls or people my age do; I can't keep too many friends, I can't go out and God forbid I had any passions or hobbies.
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Today, I decided to have some alone time to decompress and so I was painting in my room, the door slammed open and as I looked over, I saw my uncle stand there with his eyes scanning the mess of brushes and colors I had made, he locked onto me like I had committed a crime, "You're serious?" His voice was sharp with disbelief "We're drowning in debt, and this is what you're doing?"
I didn't even get a chance to defend myself before he turned and stormed out, I barely had time to brace before my mother came in next, rolling in fury and without hesitation, she grabbed my canvas and threw it to the floor, the wet paint smeared across my rug, but she didn't stop there, my sketches! the pages I had spent hours on were ripped apart and the pieces, she threw in my face "You're useless, Isabella! Sitting here painting while the rest of us suffer?"
I swallowed hard, "How is me painting affecting—" "Shut up!" she snapped, "You think you have the luxury to waste time? You're a burden! A disgrace! A pathetic excuse for a wolf, you haven't even shifted!"
My chest tightened, "I know I haven't shifted, you don't have to remind me of my inadequacies everyday! You don't even let me do anything, you don't let me breathe."
Slap!
The sting spread sharp across my cheek, "You should be working! but you're here pursuing flimsy passion" My mother remarked, I wondered how a mother could loathe her child so much?
"I'm the one who never got to go to college but im the one who's supposed to work and support the family? when the two people who actually did go to college have absolutely nothing to show for it mother, all they do is sit arou—" another slap lands on my face, "dont you dare talk back at me ever again in your miserable life, stupid girl" she screamed but I kept shut, it was all I could do.
Mother continued, "You're a terrible example to Selene and Magnus," she spat. "At least they have a future, unlike you." the tears wouldn't stop, I couldn't control my legs, I ran out of the room and went into the attic and immediately curled up on the dusty old bed there, I needed somewhere to cry and not be heard and I also needed to talk to my best friend, this was the best location.
My whole body was shaking as I reached for my phone and dialed Rosa She picked up on the first ring,
"Hey girllll!" she sang, full of life as always, but the second she heard me crying, her tone shifted "Isa? What's wrong? What happened?" I tried to speak, but nothing came out except a sob, I cried and cried, barely able to breathe,
Rosa stayed quiet and listened, she has always known about my family dynamic and how poorly I was treated but what she didn't and will never know is that we are a family of wolves.
She waited patiently until I finally calmed down before she spoke,
"Do you want me to come over?" she asked softly, "I'll sneak in, we can binge stupid movies and eat till we pass out, or we can go somewhere, anywhere, just say the word."
I wiped my eyes, "I don't know..."
"Isa, you can't stay in that house, not tonight at least, please let me do something."
I still didn't answer, and she sighed "Okay, you don't have to decide now, but if you change your mind, I know a place we can go, one of my friends is opening a club tonight, VIP access, no stress, no problems, just fun. You don't even have to drink, we can just go to get out of your head for a while."
I hesitated, but before I could respond, she said, "Whatever you need, I'm here, okay?" I nodded even though she couldn't see me, "Okay..."
After the conversation with rosa, I felt so much better, everyone had settled down and the house was quiet, I went back down to my room and I just Lay in my bed and later that night, it began to rain, I watched water drops trickle down the window and I didn't realise that things were about to get so much worse for me.
The rain poured heavily outside and I had forgotten to bring in Selene's clothes from the drying line, the second she saw them, she screamed and completely lost it "Mother!!!!! my entire wardrobe is ruined because of this witch!" she ran into my room and my mum followed suit shortly after; mother didn't even hesitate before slapping me across the face, "Useless! You're nothing but a waste of space!"
I clutched my cheek, but she wasn't done "How many times are you going to have me slap you today before you develop a brain cell?...Kneel before your sister and apologize!" I was so frustrated and had it up to a point where I couldn't take it anymore! I clenched my fists, "No."
The next thing I knew, she landed a slap on my face, the next one was hard, and the next was harder, over and over until my ears rang, my vision blurred and my knees hit the floor, I gave up "I'm sorry," I whispered with my hollow voice, Selene smirked in satisfaction and mother finally backed off, muttering about how shameful I was and how I should be grateful that they tolerate my uselessness in this house; I was choking so much on my tears that I couldn't breathe.
They all left my room and I sat on the floor, hopeless and dejected, all I needed in that moment was to forget about my reality even for a little moment, suddenly, I got hit by a wave, I didn't know what it was, all I knew was that tonight, I really didn't give a crap anymore; I then stood up and locked the door, I then yanked open the window, the cold air hit me, I swung my legs over and jumped, landing hard on the wet ground before I sprinted away.
My hands shook as I picked up my phone and called Rosa, "About that party," I said with a burdened tone "I'll go… if you promise to drown me in alcohol until I don't know who I am anymore."