**Chapter 7**
**Athena POV**
Anticipation danced in my chest, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me. A pink Barbie jeep, of all things, stood before me—an absolute monstrosity. I could hardly fathom Millie behind the wheel of such a ridiculous vehicle. Yet, here we were, reality defying all expectations.
“Alright. Spit it out,” Millie huffed, striding over to her… well, her vehicle, if one could call it that.
“What, did you think the real world was going to be all sunshine and rainbows?” I teased, a smirk creeping onto my face. “Every night is a girl’s night out, right?”
“Are you done?” she shot back, eyes narrowing.
“Even if I can’t make your life perfect, I can at least make it a bit better,” I retorted, unable to resist the playful banter.
“That’s enough of the Barbie quotes,” she said, exasperated.
“Nooo, it’s Kenough!” I burst out laughing, plopping myself into her abomination of a car. “But seriously, what on earth happened to this thing? Did a candy cane throw up all over it?”
With a dramatic sigh, she began her tale as we rolled away. “Mom thought it would be cute. Don’t even get me started. I nearly had a heart attack when I first laid eyes on it. But what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t break my momma’s heart.”
We chatted and giggled all the way home, the laughter flowing freely, my smile unwavering. That is, until I opened the front door and was greeted by the sight of my father inside. The warmth of our earlier joy evaporated in an instant, replaced by a cold dread. Part of me wanted to sarcastically inquire what I had done to deserve the pleasure of his presence, but I held my tongue. Mom adored him, for reasons I could never comprehend, and she absolutely detested conflict. She was here too, but she always shrank in his presence, like a timid field mouse when a hawk looms overhead.
“Athena! Alpha called me and ordered me to come home. He mentioned you had an altercation with Jake and Jerry,” he barked, his voice as stern as a judge’s gavel, though I could detect the simmering anger beneath the surface.
“An altercation? That’s what he calls it?” I scoffed, a humorless laugh escaping my lips. Millie, ever the loyal sidekick, chimed in.
“Sir, Jake and Jerry nearly beat your daughter to a pulp. For no reason at all.”
“I’m sure they did, considering how weak she is,” my father sneered, disdain dripping from his words. “And I’m quite certain she deserved it.”
Ah, my father—never one to miss an opportunity to disappoint.
Millie’s jaw dropped, her shock evident as she struggled to find words. It was a rarity for her, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. Mom remained silent, as she always did, unwilling to confront him, having faced his threats to leave us too many times to count. Yet, I could see the disagreement flickering in her eyes, and that provided me with a small measure of comfort. I had long since given up on earning his approval.
A part of me screamed to stand up to him, to show him just how weak we weren’t, but I couldn’t—not for Mom’s sake. I would love to take him on, though; I was confident I could take him down. I wasn’t claiming to be stronger, just more motivated. The same went for Jake and Jerry and their band of bullies. If it came to motivation, I would obliterate them all.
“Let’s go, Mills.” I grabbed her hand, pulling her upstairs to my sanctuary, deliberately avoiding a glance back at my “father.” Thank the goddess for my adoption; I couldn’t imagine sharing his genes.
Mom, bless her heart, was far too gentle. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. It was a clear sign that I wasn’t biologically linked to her, because I would relish the chance to set this entire pack ablaze, preferably with everyone inside except for Mom and the Luna.
Morbid? Absolutely. I embraced the darkness.
“What the hell is wrong with your father?!” Millie exclaimed as soon as I shut the door to my room. I longed to tell her that he wasn’t my biological father, but a part of me hesitated. I trusted her, without a doubt, but this was sensitive information. I felt like a mouse trying to navigate a den of wolf shifters.
‘Human, I am not a mouse!’ Ares huffed, irritation lacing her voice, and I rolled my eyes in response.
‘How would you know? We’ve never shifted. You don’t even know yourself yet,’ I shot back, relishing the small victory.
‘Do you even know me at all?! I’m far too feisty to be a mouse!’ She sounded utterly appalled at the very suggestion. It was too funny.
‘You could be a feisty field mouse. Or maybe a grasshopper mouse! They’re known to be quite aggressive, you know…’
‘Pfffft, humans!’
“Ath? Is he always like this?” Millie interrupted our internal debate, and I shrugged nonchalantly.
“Yeah, pretty much. When he bothers to show up, that is.”
“That’s awful…” Millie shook her head, but I brushed it off. I was used to it by now.
“Anyway, how long are you staying again? And where exactly will you be staying?”
“The plan is for the entire semester. They’ve got a room for me at the pack house, which is supposedly ‘better protected’ with the Alphas around, blah blah blah. But honestly, I’d much prefer staying with you.”
“I’d love that too! I’ll ask Mom when Dad isn’t around. You might have to crash at the pack house tonight, though.”
“I’ll survive a night, I suppose,” Millie sighed dramatically, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
We spent the remainder of the day catching up on everything happening at Red Runner. Not that I wasn’t already in the loop—Millie, Maxim, and I texted constantly. But there was something about face-to-face conversations that felt richer, more genuine. We could read each other’s expressions, the gestures that accompanied our words. And trust me, Millie had a plethora of them. I did too when I was with her. I felt different, more vibrant, not the drab field mouse I often felt like. Ares growled softly at the mere mention of a mouse, prompting a laugh from me. Maybe I had intentionally used that analogy; who could say?
“Oh, by the way, there’s something we really need to discuss. The elephant in the room: the red eyes,” Millie said, her gaze piercing through me. She probably expected me to confide sooner, but the truth was, I wasn’t even sure I was a wolf yet. So perhaps having red eyes was perfectly normal for me. I just didn’t know how to bring it up without revealing my adoption.
“Uhm… yeah. What do you want to know?” I asked, my heart racing.
To my surprise, she started with the last question I anticipated. “What’s her name?”
“Ares,” I replied, a smile breaking through despite the weight of the conversation.
“That’s a cool name! What’s she like? And how long have you had her? And most importantly: why didn’t you tell me?”
I sighed, mentally bracing myself to reveal that Ares had been with me for as long as our friendship had existed. “She’s feisty. But also funny. And, um… since I was six.”
Millie stared at me, her expression blank for a heartbeat before she erupted. “SINCE YOU WERE SIX?!”
“Yes! I’m sorry I never mentioned it, Mills…”
“That’s fine. But seriously? Since you were six?! How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she came early because I was having a rough time.”
“When you were six? What was so hard, did someone steal your lollipop?” Millie grinned, but my smile faltered as memories of those days flooded back. The days when I was blissfully unaware of cruelty, until suddenly, my friends vanished, and the bullying began—not just from Jake and Jerry, but from the entire pack.
“Well, she showed up a few days after they tried to push me off a cliff. So, there’s that. But it could also have been all the bullying. With the entire pack against me, I had no one to lean on. I was sinking into a dark place, honestly. And then Ares came, ready to torch the whole pack down to the ground, haha.” I chuckled, recalling her fiery spirit. There was no doubt in my mind that she would do it if she could.
“Sh*t, Ath… I’m so sorry… Did you report that to the Alpha?”
I laughed bitterly. “Have you heard my dad’s reaction? Now imagine that, but it involved his own sons. The Alpha is a misogynistic jerk if you ask me.” Millie’s expression turned to pity, and I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. Life was a b*tch, and you rolled with the punches.
Just as I was about to voice my thoughts, a knock echoed through the room. I recognized the soft footsteps immediately. It was Mom. My father never ventured into my sanctuary.
“Come in,” I called out, and she entered with her usual warmth.
“Hi, darling. It’s almost time for supper. Will your friend be joining us?”
Before I could respond, Millie jumped in. “I would love to!”
I was tempted to say it depended on whether my father would be there, but I bit my tongue. On the rare occasions he was home for dinner, I preferred to stay hidden in my room. Not that Mom would allow it; she believed our relationship was salvageable. Fat chance. That relationship was as salvageable as a politician’s integrity.
“Wonderful! Be down in ten, girls,” she said cheerfully.
“Will Father be there?” I asked, trying to mask my dread.
“Yes, he will!” Mom exclaimed, her excitement almost comical, and I grimaced at her answer, suppressing a groan. She shot me a pointed look before leaving the room.
“Wow. There’s really no love lost between you two, huh?” Millie remarked, her tone incredulous.
“Nope,” I replied, the word dripping with finality.
