Oh, how much I've underestimated myself. I thought I owned a lot of things, but as I filled my bag, it didn't even fill up half of it.
Most of the clothes I had were gifts from Allan or Bane. I remember Allan saying, "Rebecca is the person who everyone wants to paint. She's picture perfect, of course she should wear beautiful dresses every day."
Those clothes were now torn and drenched in mud water, moulds growing on the surface.
Obviously, the image that I was a queen in their hearts, who turned into a parasite with a sailor's temper.
As I moved the clothes aside, pictures and portraits scattered on the muddy floor.
Bane was a gifted photographer. He used to love taking photos of beautiful things and me. He would take candid photos of me, often fighting with Allan to stand next to me for a 'couples' picture.
I scoffed as I realized who carved my face out in every picture out of spite and jealousy. I didn't want to remind myself of my past, so I threw them away.
"Whoa. You sure don't mind wasting our money." Bane commented, looking around my hut with pure and sheer disgust. Behind him stood Jane who probably tagged along to double the taunting.
I sighed, knowing I had no energy to talk back so I replied with, "I'll pay you back."
"Ha! Don't bother about the money. You should only think about not getting on Jane's nerves again."
Jane pulled on Allan's sleeve again, "I don't feel good here, what a filthy place to live in. Stop wasting your time. Take me to the secret garden right away."
That caught me off guard. The secret garden was what Bane and Allan built for me five years ago. It was a beautiful space within the garden bound with lush green trees and a bioluminescent pond. They've constructed it just for me, making it look as natural as possible. It was my special place for peace. How long has Jane been going there?
Since the day I came, they've been building and modelling the secret garden for three years. Allan and I shared our first kiss there. Bane followed next, one week after.
I was their first everything, but it didn't matter anymore.
I took a deep breath and turned to leave forever. I didn't feel anything towards either of them anymore.
Suddenly, Jane grabbed my wrist and held the burned skin very tightly. She was yelling at me, "Are you looking down on me!? Why are you not listening to me!? I told you something!"
It wasn't my fault when I instinctively pushed her away. It was hard, but not enough to make her fall. But she fell on damn mud, strategically.
"Bane! Bane! Help me! She's abusing me!" I lifted an eyebrow. Where is Jane's well deserved Oscar?
Before I could react, Bane flew into my hut and slapped me across my cheek. He picked the sobbing damsel bridal style and barked at me, "Rebecca why are you always tormenting my precious Jane!? Don't forget where you came from. If my pack and parents hadn't taken you in, you'd have died somewhere in the woods as a filthy rogue! You don't feel gratitude, but also repay us with cruelty bitch!"
The words rang in my ears. Bane was always respectful to me. But he called me a bitch, joining Allan.
But something made Bane not rush out instantly. Something dawned on him, maybe guilt. He asked, "Are you crying...?"
"It's fine. You were looking out for her." I said and wiped my tears. I looked at my hand and saw red too.
I smiled and didn't blame him for the slap because that was my repayment for everything his family and pack had done for me all these years. We were even. I had no debt to settle between us left.
Although, Bane growled at me ferociously when I put my bad over the shoulder, "You're not going anywhere. Not until you apologize to Jane after she recovers."
Recovers? Pft! It was as if she had broken her hip or something.
Bane was never the one to raise his hand or even his voice at me. The sweet little teenager was long gone.
One day during my hunting shift, I was bullied by a trespassing rogue. Bane fought with the adult rogue all by himself and ripped him to shreds with Allan's help. They took care of the aftermath and disposed of him.
That also contributed to accidentally expanding our territory. They were reinforced as Lightning Storm pack heroes.
Who could have thought that one day they both would gang up on me the same way? The same cruelty towards me was shown on a deeper level than physical. I can proudly say that I contributed to the Ferguson brothers to be top tier tormentors.
As I looked at Jane's smug face while being carried away delicately, I gulped down all the words that I wanted to vomit. I had nothing or no one to fear anymore.
Even without them forcing me out of the pack that they've been trying for years, good news was that I was already ready to leave.
