Chapter Eleven
Rylee
“Iknew at a very young age that I wasn’t wanted.
” I swallow hard and ignore the anger emanating from Ezra.
“My parents had two boys. I was the youngest and not expected. My brothers were teenagers when I showed up. I was soft and needed attention. My mom was a hard woman and couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to me.
Some of the rumors about foxes are true.
My family are career scammers. We lived off the money they stole from humans.
They taught my brothers to do the same, so by the time I arrived, they were too far gone to change.
We moved around a lot. Staying in one place for long wasn’t good since eventually someone caught on to their schemes.
“I was always hungry, and my mom didn’t cook; none of them did.
We lived on takeout food and frozen meals.
I still don’t have a talent for cooking.
She didn’t teach me that or much of anything.
I was left home alone all the time. I remember at age ten, they left me for a week, targeting an older couple intent on taking all of their money.
I know because they bragged about everything.
It was a game between them to see who could get the most money.
That one was my mom's idea, and she bought a new car from the winnings. They didn’t like me because I didn’t want to join them.
I thought it was wrong, and no matter what they said, I stayed firm. I didn’t want to be like them.
“School was horrible. I dressed in rags, and I was always the new girl. I couldn’t make friends.
How could I? How did I explain my family?
I would rather die than bring anyone home.
Wherever we lived was never clean. I always wondered why we didn’t buy a house with the money, but we couldn’t settle anywhere, always on the run.
I raised myself. I found out I was a fox when I shifted when I was seven.
I never saw their animals, but I knew we were different. ”
“Did your animal talk to you?” he asks roughly.
“Not until that day. I think she was hiding. Before that, I knew I didn’t get sick or feel tired like other people.
I was afraid to ask, and I was terrified when I couldn’t shift back.
My fox wanted to be free, but so did I. After I swore that I would let her out again, I was able to be human again.
My dad slapped me when I told him what happened.
I had questions, but they didn’t care. He told me to hide what I was and to never let anyone see me shift.
I didn’t understand. In my young mind, I thought, why shouldn’t we celebrate the gift of an animal?
I never talked about our species again and instead explored when they weren’t around.
I shifted in my room as much as possible.
I needed to know what I was,” I whisper.
“You had the right to know,” he rumbles.
“They had their priorities, and I wasn’t one of them.
I was careful, and for years didn’t shift outside.
I didn’t know where it was safe. They ignored me most of the time, but I never felt safe.
” Ezra grips the edge of the table, and the wood creaks.
“I don’t know how I survived, just that I had to.
I wanted to leave, but I knew it would be worse in the world.
Who could I trust? I was small and skinny.
I didn’t get the amount of nutrients my shifter body needed. I learned by trial and error.”
“They couldn’t buy food with the money they stole,” he growls.
“It wasn’t important. They ate before they came home and spent the money on frivolous things.
I lived in the same house, yet I was alone.
We didn’t have conversations. A new town meant Mom would have to go to the school with me on the first day.
She hated that because she had to act like she gave a shit.
Once all the paperwork was signed, she would leave me to it and never come back.
They watched me warily. I was the odd kid.
I don’t know why she bothered, but she kept up appearances in front of others.
At home, it was different, and I looked forward to the next time.
I was starved for any kind of affection.
I didn’t tell anyone what happened at home, and instead, shoved my feelings away.
I hid who I was, so why not hide how I lived? ” I shrug, and his eyes glow.
“They should have protected you,” he hisses.
“Yes, but I learned not to expect anything from them.
I started to write stories. One of my teachers gave out paper for free, so I wrote down how I wished my life were, and I fell in love.
I could check out books in the school libraries.
That began my love for books and the way they could make me feel.
I could escape into the words and see the world the author painted.
If something happened with my parents or brothers, I could hide in my room with a book and forget, even if for a little while.
“The house was always dirty. If I didn’t clean, it would have been unbearable.
It smelled, and it made school worse since the scent clung to me and my clothes.
I picked up after them. They left their clothes everywhere.
Once they saw I would use them, they bought cleaning supplies regularly.
I was so tired of living in shit. I kept my room spotless.
We usually had access to a washer and dryer, so I learned how to use them and did the household laundry.
I can’t stand things out of place.” I look around my space.
“Your home is beautiful,” he says softly.
“Clutter would send me over the edge. For so long, I lived in chaos, so now I need everything in its place. I’m not as bad as I used to be.
Yesterday, I couldn't find something to wear, and my clothes were scattered across the floor.” I laugh.
“Years ago, I would have had a panic attack.” My mate doesn’t laugh with me, and his grip tightens.
“I’m alright now. I value my things. I worked hard to earn them, so I treat them with respect.
I’m cautious with money. I don’t spend much.
Once I settled here, I didn’t need much cash. My fights supply me with plenty.”
“What happened to your family?” he asks.
“I haven’t spoken to them in ten years.” I exhale slowly.
The next part of the story will be difficult, and saying the words out loud to my mate will take some courage.
Two people know my story, and it was agony telling them.
“We had been living in a new place, and I had just started school. They decided to leave me alone again, except this time, they left for several weeks. I was struggling to fit in at school, which wasn’t new to me, but for some reason, it felt different.
Being a shifter teenager was challenging on its own, but when my body was going through changes, I felt like I was coming out of my skin.
My fox was angry. I hadn’t let her out in months.
Classes were hard since I kept starting and stopping.
I could never catch up, but the teachers kept moving me on regardless of whether I passed my assignments.
“I met a boy.” I stare out the window, unable to meet Ezra’s gaze.
“He was older and told me I was pretty. He bought me food when I said I hadn’t eaten that day.
He looked at me like I was worthy of his attention.
At that time, I knew nothing about mates.
He was human, and I didn’t care. We took walks, and he listened to me.
It didn’t matter what the topic was; he cared about my opinion and emotions.
I’d never experienced that, and I reveled in his attention.
We met in the park and sat for hours. I fell in love.
“My family didn’t know, but I hadn’t seen them for weeks.
I told Bobbie all about them, and he was angry on my behalf.
That’s when I knew. He was the one. I would be loyal and never leave him.
I thought he was handsome, and he made me feel things that I didn’t think I could.
Everything was going how I dreamed.” I shift on my seat and cross my arms. “My fox was demanding out, so I found a spot that was secluded, and shifted. I ran through the trees, and I’d never been so happy.
I had a boyfriend who loved me, and my animal could be free.
I planned to tell him, and I prayed he would react well. ”
I lick my lips and close my eyes. “I never got the chance to. I didn’t know that he followed me, and saw me strip and let my animal out.
I didn’t question why he was there.” I open my eyes and stare at the food on the table.
“He still wanted to be near me, but not in the way I wanted. I shifted back and got dressed, waiting for his judgment. He was sweet and told me he thought it was fascinating. He wanted to drive me back, and we could have a meal. I went with him willingly, but he didn’t take me to a restaurant.
“He told me his friends were having a party, and asked if we could stop there. The party was a lie, as was everything I thought I knew about him. My search for love and acceptance led me to an abandoned house full of humans and shifters. They played a game. They took turns finding girls like me, alone, starving, and gullible. My boyfriend turned into a monster who kidnapped me.” Ezra’s claws puncture the table.
“I spent a week under their control. Bobbie forced himself on me in front of them. They watched.”
I tip my head back, trying to keep my tears from falling.