I turned back around to face Billy, "I'm sorry... I just-"

"Don't worry about him." Billy stuttered quietly. "H-How did you find me?"

"I-I found out about you when I was twelve." I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I've been looking for you ever since."

"How old are you?" He choked before closing his eyes. "Sorry, stupid question."

"I just turned seventeen." I answered anyway, "In October."

He nodded slowly and opened his eyes, "I'm sorry."

I closed my own eyes, inhaling through my nose to stop my body from shaking. I felt the tears before they fell and choked out a soft sob. "Why?"

He stayed silent and I opened my eyes, staring at his still form. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry!" I screamed, standing. "Why did you and my mother abandon me?"

"W-We couldn't... I mean, you... We'd just had a baby and... Your mom-"

"She gave me away because she already had a baby?" I laughed without humour and started pacing. "That's such horse shit! Did you talk her into it?"

He looked infinitely sad as he gazed at me before sighing defeatedly, "Yes."

"Why?" I repeated, more tears falling down my cheeks.

"I couldn't cope." He said simply. "I was in my wheelchair by that time and... One small baby was tiring as it was and- I'm sorry, Alina."

"You know, I always thought it would be better than this." I murmured, gathering my papers. "I thought that if I finally met you and my mother, you'd say it was money problems or snobbish grandparents, but now I understand..."

"Alina!" He called after me as I stormed away from the living room, "Alina, please, don't leave."

"I've said my piece and you've said yours, Billy..." I raised my chin. "I think it's best if we both just went on with out lives now."

"How?" He scowled. "How can I go on now that I know you're alive?"

"Like you've been going on for the past seventeen years knowing I exist." I snapped before I opened the door and left him.

I trudged over to my car, already soaked to the bone, and got in; screamed loudly and hit the steering wheel repeatedly, hurting my hand in the process.

(...)

I felt numb as I signed into the little bed and breakfast.

The greying woman smiled kindly at me, "You're in the Kwoli cottage..."

I took the keys from her as she glanced down at the register before looking back up at me in surprise.

I didn't give her time to ask, though, before I turned sharply and sauntered out onto the porch again with my luggage in tow.

I only planned on staying the night here, so I could get rest for my two day drive back to New York.

I found the small cottage quickly and unlocked it, going inside before taking a deep breath and breaking down as I sunk down against the door.

After my sobbing session was done, I stood up shakily and made my way to my bed with my suitcase to get my sleep things.

A short shower later I fell onto the double bed, closing my eyes and humming an old lullaby that my house mother used to sing when I used to have nightmares.

The nightmares were usually always the same. Me, at whatever age I had the dream, sitting on a damp bed of leaves in the middle of the woods. Then, out of nowhere, a very big grey wolf would appear and lay down next to me...

I inhaled quietly as I ran my hands through the silky fur of his shoulder, causing his chest to rumble contently.

The sound of a twig snapping made my head turn quickly and the wolf suddenly tensed and started growling next to me as the beautiful woman stepped into view.

'Hello.' The melodious voice flitted towards me and I blinked at her. 'Come, my dear, come with me.'

I started towards her but before I could reach the mesmerising woman, the wolf had lurched forward and ripped her head off with a sickening metallic screech.

I jolted upright and panted, clutching my stomach as the images flashed through my mind. Glancing around the room, I noticed a branch scratching against the window, causing an awful sound to thunder through my head. I stood up slowly, padding across the cold floor towards the bathroom.

I splashed my face and pulled my hair away from my eyes, studying my features in the mirror. My hair was completely dishevelled as it hung in sporadic strands down my shoulders and ended above the lower curve of my breasts. My eyes held deep bags under them, my lips were chapped and my tongue felt like the sole of a shoe.

"God, I look awful." I groaned, sighing deeply as I returned to my bed and sat down. The bedside clock read just past two in the morning but I didn't have the will to go back to bed, so I turned to my suitcase and dug out the novel I had started along with my reading glasses, to keep me occupied.

(...)

A timid knock woke me up from my stupor and I looked towards the door slowly. I rubbed a hand over my face and stood up, placing the book upside down on the bed.

I opened the door and regretted it immediately. Jacob was filling the entire frame of the door as he stared down at me, trembling slightly like the day before.

"What?" I snapped, eyes narrowing.

"I want to talk." He said as he pushed past me, looking around the cottage before he rounded on me once more.

"Well, I don't... So if you'd kindly leave, it would be appreciated." I sighed, walking towards the bed where my luggage stood.

"You're my sister." Jacob said, more quietly than I would have expected, and I froze. "Billy told me everything."

"Billy?" I questioned, "You call your own dad by his first name?"

"Yes, well, he hasn't warranted kindness from either of us lately." Jacob muttered. "I'm sorry about what they did, Alina, really."

"Why?" I asked, "You didn't abandon me..."

"It still isn't right." Jacob said, "You're my little sister and I wanna be there for you... It might take time, but I want to get to know you better."

I stared up and him before frowning and glaring down at the ground. "Ok fine. But I don't have a place to stay and-"

"I have a place you can stay, don't worry." He said, "Get your things."

"Wh- now?" I asked, cocking my eyebrows. "I haven't even dressed yet!"

"Then get ready." He grinned, "I'll wait."

I shook my head at his bossiness and gathered some clothes.

I let the hot water run over my body for the second time in twelve hours as I thought about what I had just agreed to. A guy, my brother, who I had never met before offers me some sense of family and I agree without questioning anything... It was so unlike me. I shuddered as the cold hit me and dried myself quickly, pulling on the underwear, jeans and t-shirt before returning to the room.

Jacob was sprawled out on the messy bed, flipping through the pages of my book and my glasses perched on his forehead.

"I never would have pegged you for a reading glasses type of girl." He said when his eyes fell on me.

"I never would have pegged you for a guy who would actually pick up a book." I smiled sarcastically, running my brush through my hair. "Or the tattoo type."

He froze midway through getting up, "How did you see it?"

"Your sweater is white and very tight." I said pointedly before smiling. "And that rhymes."

"Do you have tattoos?" Jacob asked as I started gathering my things to pack away.

I shook my head 'no' and turned to him, "I'm affraid of needles."

He nodded understandingly before taking my bags from my hands, "Come on."