I didn’t want to upset her. I really didn’t. So I spoke as carefully as possible, like I was walking on broken glass with my bare feet.
A single tear rolled down her creek, and I wiped it off immediately.
“Kester, baby…” She turned to face me again, taking my hands in her. The moment they wrapped around mine, I felt the truth: she had been holding so much pain, all alone.
And now, she was crying. And I felt sad about it.
Tears spilled fast. She wasn’t hiding them anymore. “You’ve been a good boy, and I’ve always been so proud of you. I just… It’s just…” Her voice broke, and she folded in, burying her face into my small hands as if she could hide there.
I hated seeing her like that.
And I hated not knowing what to do.
“I’m sorry, Mum. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” I tried wiping the many tears I could, but they wouldn’t stop coming. “Please don’t cry…”
“Listen to me,” she said, looking up suddenly. She cupped my cheeks. “Listen well, my boy. This is very important, and you must do exactly as I-
BAM!
The bedroom door slammed open so hard it banged against the wall with so much force that I almost jumped out of my skin. sessive Stepbrother
KESTER.
“Dad!” I yelled out of shock with my eyes wide open when I saw my father storming into the room.
His eyes weren’t just angry-they were wild. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and his whole body shook like something was about to explode from inside him.
“Oh no,” I breathed. Not again. Please, not again.
“Go to school, Kester. You’re running late,” my dad said to me, but his eyes were burning into my mum’s face, and his whole body was shaking so much.
I looked at Mum. She wasn’t crying anymore. Now, she was standing staring back at him with fire in her eyes. But I could tell-she was scared. She just didn’t want to show it in front of me.
“Now!” Dad yelled at me, but maybe today should be the day I stood up for Mum.
“No,” I said, barely above a whisper.
Dad’s head snapped toward me.
I swallowed and took a step forward. My knees were shaking, but I kept my feet still. “No. I’m not leaving.”
I moved in front of Mum. I was so small compared to him, but I spread my arms a little like I’d seen in movies.
My chest was pounding so hard I was sure they could hear it.
I saw the shock on his face.
Yes. I was becoming a big boy, and from today on… I’ll protect my mum from a monster like him.
“Get out of my way now before I do something you will regret,” my dad said.
“No! I won’t let you hurt her today, Dad. Leave alone!” I yelled at him.
I heard my Mum gasp behind me, but I didn’t care. I was going to protect her whether she liked it or not.
Then I felt Mum’s hand on my shoulder. I looked up. She was crying again, but it was different now. She looked like/she was seeing me for the first time.
And maybe… maybe she was proud.
“Kester,” she called me, and I could hear her voice shaking, “You can stand up for me. Go to school. Your father and I need to talk about some things…” She said, but I didn’t believe her.
They weren’t going to talk. They were going to fight.
No, Mum!”, I yelled loader than I ever had before. My voice cracked. My throat burned. “I want to protect you from this man!” I yelled.
I felt angry. Too angry. And I noticed that all the anger I’d been feeling toward both of them over the years was piling up and gathering in my chest all at once.
I had always wished I could beat Dad up someday because of the way he had been treating Mum. But Dad was too big. I wasn’t strong yet-but I was trying. I had to gain more strength to be able to fight him, and that’s why I started using the school gym last month.
Dad was charging toward us, and I wouldn’t.lie, I was scared, but I didn’t move.
Even though my knees felt like jelly and my heart was thudding like crazy, I stayed.
He grabbed me. His hand grabbed my uniform so tight I couldn’t breathe.
“Let go of me!” I cried.
He didn’t. Instead, he shoved me with all his strength, like I was just piece of paper in his way.
I flew backward and smashed into the closet behind me. The loud crack of wood breaking made my ears ring. Something sharp hit my back, and I screamed.
I lay there for a second, trying not to cry. I wanted to be brave. But couldn’t breathe right. My ribs hurt. My arms stung from the fall.
When I saw him gripping Mum’s throat and pulling her off her chair. I gathered some more strength and stood up, rushing toward him.
“Stop it, Dad!” I screamed, grabbing his thick arm with both hands, yanking at it, hitting it with my fists. “Let go of her! Let her go!”
I did all I could to make him lego of my mum. Instead, he forceful swung his free hand across my face.
For the first time in my life, I saw stars. So many of them. It was like someone turned the lights off and threw stars at me. They were like tiny white explosions in my eyes. Like fireflies bursting against a dark sky.
I fell to the ground.
That was the first time he ever hit me.
And he didn’t even look down to see if I was oku
***
I had no choice but to leave the house in anger. They’d stop fighting eventually like they always did. I had an important assessment to write today and I didn’t want to miss it.
While doing my best to get on my parents’ good side again, especially my mum, who showed signs of remorse today, I still had to maintain good grades.
I arrived at school late. Everyone was in class already. The principal didn’t punish me. She just let me go to class after asking what happened to my face. I lied to her. I told her I tripped while rushing to get ready. She gave me this weird look, like she didn’t believe a word I said, but she let me go anyway.
I walked into class with my backpack hanging off one shoulder, still sore from when I slammed into the closet. Everyone was already seated. Heads turned to look at me, but I kept my eyes on the floor.
The bruise on my cheek still stung. It had started turning a weird shade of purple-blue, and I was sure anyone with eyes could see it.
I sauntered to my seat, dragging my feet. My chest was still tight from everything that happened this morning. My head was all over the place. I was still angry. Not just about Dad. About everything. The way Mum cried. The way I couldn’t do anything. The way I got tossed around like a ragdoll. The way Dad hit me like I didn’t even matter.
I sat in the front, in the second row from the window. I tried not to look at the back of the class where he sat.
Troy.
And his two dumb friends who laughed like donkeys at every stupid thing he said.
I kept my eyes on my table and took a deep breath. The teacher wasn’t in yet, and the room was noisy like always. I figured I’d just ignore everyone today since Norlan won’t be coming to school. I’d pretend I was invisible. Maybe sketch something in my book to distract myself. Maybe think of Mum and how I’d hug her when I got home-if Dad wasn’t around.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply