The slave

Murray's Flashback

“When Enid was born, she was declared to be dead due to her extremely small size. No one would have thought she would survive until now. So they threw her away, only for the nurses to hear her cry four hours after the declaration.

So they called us. I was sent to collect her. When I arrived they had her in a basket, her ears and tail were out, and she yipping softly. I thought she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen.

I was quick to drive back to the clan in hopes of someone claiming her, but when they smelled that she was an omega they turn her away. Esther hated her the most, berated on how Sinclairs were the alphas of the alphas clan.

She said that Enid was to be raised away from the other pups. She often forgot that Enid existed, sometimes she even forgot to feed her even when Enid was crying for food. She couldn’t hear her as she was always busy with the other pups.

When no one was looking I would try my best to look after Enid and on her first birthday, Esther was declared the heir of the head alpha. After defeating her siblings in the war for the head alpha position, and there was even a pup that was already chosen to replace Esther if anything happened to Esther.

Thus, Enid was cast further into the shadow of non-existence, I was there when Enid first rolled over and how she managed to hold onto her milk bottle.

I’ve got videos of times Enid succeeded. But when Enid begin walking that was when all hell broke loose for Enid. She was forced to wash clothes and clean the hallway where the other pups brought in mud and dirt.

When Enid whined softly Esther would kick her as punishment. Apparently, Enid had already identified us as her sire and dame, Enid yearn for any kind of love from Esther, even if that meant she had to take every punishment.

Enid was the messenger in the clan, she only wore clothes that were battered up like cleaning rags. I watched from afar as during that time her brain was starting to develop along with her memory.

I kept a distance, even when I saw how they treated her, while she cleaned the pups’ playroom, she would take the opportunity to look at the toys. I saw her eyes crave to want to play with the other pups but they were warned to stay away.

Around the time she turned three, that was when the bullying started. They would throw mud and dirt all over her and Esther would kick her for dirtying the house, and when a toy disappears from the playroom, Enid was the first she blames.

Because of this, Enid was forced to be punished and she was banned from going near anywhere the other pups were.”

W: “Answer me this before you continue. Where was Enid sleeping as a newborn?”

“In the same basket, I bought her home in. There was nothing in that basket, not a cushion or a blanket.”

I continued without missing a beat of Enid’s story.

“Around the time Enid began speaking, her brothers were all making fun of her for having to clean the house. I saw how she would look at Esther when her brothers were carried and showered with love. I know how much she wanted the same thing.

She would look at Esther with yearning eyes, her pheromones were quite potent despite being a toddler. But even releasing them was in Esther’s bad book so I showed her silently without anyone noticing how to seal up her pheromones.

Once she learnt it, she tried to look for praise, but Esther continued to look at her with disdain. Her first word was ‘papa’, she’d learn it while cleaning and listening to the other pups. She said it once while she was in her basket.

When we celebrated Duncane and Dulcan’s or any other pups’ birthdays, she would listen to us sing the songs outside. She was forced to clean the leftover dirt from the celebration and if she ate anything she would be punished.

She learned it the hard way when she saw whip cream on the floor while cleaning. There were many instances when she picked up food from the floor and put them in her mouth. But it was either that or wait until Esther remembered she existed and that only seems to happen when Esther was angry.

Enid loved colours, despite being forced to wear the same shirt and pants every day that was covered in dirt, sweat, dust, and even her own blood. She never complained out loud. When she turned four I couldn’t control myself and went to talk with her after she had accidentally bumped into me.

At the time she was carrying a whole basket of adult clothes, and she was forced to wash them, she also had to clean the floor. I had offered to help her but she was quick to deny it, at the time her eyes were still shining with life and light.

Now they were emotionless, I like watching how her eyes would lit up when she saw me when she was still a babe pup. Anyway, she turned me down and said she could handle it with no problem. She didn’t even get to enjoy the chance for me to give her some small talk.

Esther had seen me talk to her, clear to say she wasn’t happy. She had kicked Enid in the head, stomach and even her legs. Enid begged for her to stop but the anger in Esther was uncontrollable. Everyone nearby could hear Enid beg, but they knew that stopping Esther was asking for a death wish and many wanted Enid dead.

Leo, Enid’s second oldest brother, happened to be looking for Esther at the time and saved Enid. Enid had gotten up from the ground and her eyes became lifeless, I saw how her wounds didn’t heal as fast as they should which meant two things; firstly, it was that Enid was a late bloomer in wolfing out or she had suppressed her wolf entirely.

Enid had looked up to Leo with jealousy when Esther wasn’t paying attention, but she was quick to look away when Esther turned her head towards her. She had quickly gotten up, crying and removed herself from that scene after we walk away.

Somewhere, around the time she finish cleaning the hallways and washing the clothes, I was asked to get some food for the pups as they were hungry. But then I dropped some on the floor, it was extremely obvious because Enid came from a corner from where her cell was and look at me with tired eyes,

I apologized to her but she denied that it was alright, that she wouldn’t sleep until the hallway was clean once more. Kept repeating, ‘Enid will clean. Enid will not sleep’ the evidence of exhaustion was so obvious. I saw how she flinch before Esther brought a hand down on her; she would shut her eyes and her body stiffens.

Esther didn’t take pity nor did she give mercy, simply telling Enid to shut up. From then on, every time I tried to help her or even communicate with her Esther was there and Enid would get punished for me initiating contact.

Enid didn’t say anything when she saw me every time, I believe she was happy that someone was treating her with kindness. But sooner or later, I would’ve found out, so I stop talking to her. She thought it was her fault…that she had done something wrong, but it wasn’t, I was simply too much of a coward to interact with her.

Over time, I made myself busy with the other pups, making sure I never saw Enid, that was until I saw Enid again when she was seven. She was covered with cuts, wounds and bruises from her ‘punishments’, her eyes didn’t shine; they were as dull as the room that had no window for light to enter.

It was winter and she had asked for a blanket, she was freezing her hands had turned blue, her nose was red, and while everyone was wrapped up like a warm burrito she was freezing herself away. The guards would kick her in the stomach and even then she believes it was also her fault for whining.

I went to her once, I had asked the guards to leave, and all I did was ask her to lift her shirt up and even with trembling hands filled with fear she still did as told. She asked me if she did something wrong again, and I told her I wanted to check on her.

She was quivering in the corner of the cage which was technically a little further from the gate into the cage. She wouldn’t come out so I had to use my alpha’s authority. I taught her to apply medications to her wounds and bruises. Once I was sure every wound had medication, I left.

I had heard a thank you in the quietest of whispers. I could feel her eyes bore right into my back. Esther had punished her that day but she looked as though she was just tired. Esther had stepped on her legs with her whole weight, almost breaking them. Said there won’t be any mercy next time. ”