"It hurts like hell" Gal said.

"You are a wolf Gal, is not so bad. It just looks ugly, that's all!" Sarah said and pull over her sleeve trying to hide all the marks she got after she donate blood for her sister again.

"It hurts and you know it, Sarah, there is not even a single place on our arms where you can put a finger and that place not to be bruised." Gal howled but his time Sarah just stood still.

"I am tired" she whispered to her wolf, looking at the doctor that leaves the room holding the bag with blood in his hand. She just stood there, seeing how everyone ignores her after hey took her blood and when she was finally alone she opened a little box from her desk and took out a simple chocolate muffin. She placed a little candle on it and smiled sadly.

"Another birthday alone".

"You've got me" Gal whispered. "You've got me, Sarah!"

"I know, but is my birthday and nobody knows it. After all those years, nobody cares."

She stood there , looking blank at the muffin.

"Let's make a wish, Sarah!" Gal says and she tries to be more vivid for Sarah 'sake.

“Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me!” Gal sings while Sarah is holding a muffin in her hands. She closes her eyes again and makes a wish.

Is not an instant wish, but a wish she thought about for the last two years at least. Today she is eighteen and soon there will be a full moon and everything she dreams of will come true. She will find him. She will find the one who will love her forever and help her to have that happy life she always hoped to have.

So she just opens her eyes and looks at the little candlelight, like a glimpse on the top of her muffin, she takes a deep breath and blows the candle out, smiling.

“We will be happy, Gal!” she said to her wolf, because that was her only wish for her birthday.

“We will, Sarah!” Gal, her wolf said. “We will find our mate and we will leave from here.”

"You know what ,Gal? Let's find her. Let's try again to speak with her. Maybe today, just today she will be more kind with us. After all she gave birth to me, not every day I turn eighteen." she says but she is interrupted by one of the omegas who sees her while she exist her room.

“Do you know where she is?” Sarah asked the omega with a sad smile.

"Who shall it be?" the omega asked trying to pass her.

"Ms. Tania..." and this time Sarah almost whispered, calling the forbidden word in her head " my mother".

Her mother was never eager to see her. And now seriously? Why she would be when Sarah was like a slap on her ego. She was the result of an atrocity. She was the bastard child of this proud and beautiful woman, a fantastic healer, who almost lost her desire to live after having Sarah.

Do you know how is it to look every day at something that hurts you? This is the way Tania Thompson felt seeing her daughter. Sarah was a part of her life that she never wished to have it, , she was forced to have the child.

"She's on that lake again." the omega said and seeing that Sarah was on her way just, she pushed her a little so that she can walk from there.

"Let her alone," the omega said while she went from there "You know that she hates seeing you."

"I want to see her, Gal" and Sarah started to run, holding her muffin and praying that she will not be punished again after that.

The Blood Moon Pack was one of the biggest and strongest in the world. Some said that there is no other alpha more stronger than her father is, only the Alpha King outpaces him in strength and wealth. Yes you've got it right. Her biological father is the alpha. He raped his own sister-in-law. This territory is any werewolf’s dream. The dense forests are everywhere and in the middle of the pack an splendid crystal lake is placed.

That’s her mother's favorite place in this pack, it makes her calm, to clear her memory of all the sadness.

"There she is...Shit! Sarah do you really want to ruin our day?" and seeing Tania's face, Gal is scared even if she understand Sarah.

“She is our mother, Gal. She didn’t want us but a mother is a mother. Maybe she will let me stay with her today.” she said.

“See, she looks calm today” and Sarah’s heart softened a little seeing her beautiful mother sitting on the shore of the lake. She looked at her hand and at her arms. She was full of needle marks and she carefully pulled her sleeves over those bruised parts of her body so as to hide the marks. She didn't want to irritate her mother, she was a healer and a healer is always sensitive to the suffering of other people.

“Ms. Tania!” she whispered and in an instant Tania turned her head and saw her coming.

“Go away !” Tania said in panic and pushed her daughter. “Why are you here?”

Sarah just looked at the poor woman, with her broken heart ,and then looked at the muffin she had in her hands and said in a very sweet voice.

“... is my birthday, please just stay a little with me. Just today! You are the closest person to me, and you are the only one that knows it is my birthday!”

“No, go away!” Tania becomes a little bit agitated triggered by her daughter's presence, remembering the darkest day of her life. "Just get the hell out of here and leave me alone!"

“Please Ms. Tania, I am already here. Look! I also brought a cake, please share it with me!” and even if Sarah was used to this continuous back and forth marathon of emotions so many times in the past, today she has got it in her mind that she will have this little moment with her mother.

She caught Tania's arms and placed the muffin in front of her :

“Let’s share this!” she said, smiling at her mom. “ Today is my eighteenth birthday and I am alone. Please let’s share it!”

And she stretches her hand to Tania and it gives her the muffin but just before being able to say something Sarah’s bruised arms catch Tania’s eyes and some pin and needle marks appear from under the sleeve.

“What the hell is that?” and Tania’s heart almost stops and she tries to grab Sarah’s arm, but Sarah just covers her arms, pulling her sleeves over her fists.

“It’s nothing!” she said almost stuttering: "It’s really nothing, Ms. Tania!"

But Tania knows exactly what kind of mark is that and she caught her arms using her force and rolled up her sleeve.

It is said that blood is thicker than water and who said that was right. Maybe Sarah was the product of a rape, and maybe her presence was unwanted every time she appeared in Tania’s face, but Tania never hated her daughter. She knew that the child was innocent. She hated the memory she was related with. She hated that damned drunken alpha who destroyed her life, but she never hated Sarah, she just couldn't stand her presence.

She hoped that the child would find happiness in this world. She even wanted to tell her something nice today, but her beautiful face that was in reality her biological father's face made her lock herself away with her memories.

“Who is taking your blood?” Tania growled seeing the marks on her arm, and she lifts the author sleeve just to find more marks”

“Alpha Thompson, let it go please, it's nothing!” Sarah said, trying to be calm.

Tania just looked at Sarah and she closed her eyes.

"This is too much..."she whispered and looking in Sarah eyes and with trembling hands she grabbed Sarah's arms in her hands. She looked at her so calm and for the first time in her life Sarah saw a glimpse of care. The compassion .

"Sarah..."Tania said looking directly into her daughter eyes.

"You have to trust your mother, let's be free together."

"Mother?" Gal asked in shock. "Did she said mother?" and her heart is beating so hard. "I she accepting us as her daughter?

Sarah looked at her and tears moisture her eyes. She waited for this moment her whole life.'

Tania looked at her and she also had tears in her eyes.

"Do you trust me, Sarah? Do you trust your mother?"

And Sarah just nodded her head and her heart was bleeding under the attack of her own emotions.

"I trust you..."

And she closed her eyes to find the strength to say it.

"Mom!"