Nveah looked down the road, her mind racing: why were Sin and his friends so nice to her? Then his words about wolves mating for life brought her back into the present moment, her face lit up with a bright smile as she explained, "actually that's why I love wolves so much, their loyalty is amazing and the fact that they mate for life is beautiful. They have a very pure love for their pack, and I think I love them so much because no matter what wolves stay together-they are never alone."

Sin felt a mixture of emotion clashing at away him like waves eroding cliffs. He couldn't help but feel Nveah might be projecting, revealing a desire to escape her own loneliness and find loyalty and love. He could give her that, he would give her that. He'd give her the world, the universe.

But equally he wore an expression of pride as he watched Nveah talk about wolves, watching the sparkle in her fiery eyes. "They sure are magnificent creatures. Full of love, misunderstood...I'm sure you can relate to that."

So badly he wanted to tell her what he was. He was a mythical beast but he was no monster.

"Loyalty and love is all we have in this world I think," Sin said profoundly, "I promise you'll never be alone from now on Nveah. I'm here. My friends are here. Only better things are ahead," he said before he looked to the gloriously blazing sun that injected heat into the crisp autumn chill in the air.

"The future," he said, "is bright."

Nveah couldn't help but hide a smile, her heart fluttered against her chest, leaning against the wall of the restaurant unable to take her eyes off of Sin when suddenly her phone ringing snapped her out of her moment of pure bliss.

She slipped the phone out of her back pocket, all colour drained from her face when she read the name of the person calling her: her stepfather.

With hesitancy she answered, being greeted with an instant barrage of yells that she closed her eyes to try and block it out.

Sin could hear her stepfather yelling through the phone and instantly his protective instinct took over, determined to keep her safe. He wouldn't allow her to be abused.

"Hi dad, no sorry I'm so late, I was dealing with school things...".

"I'll be home soon please I'm so sorry...".

"Yes sir, I understand I'll be home soon."

She hung up her phone, forcing a weak smile that barely held back the tears as she pushed her hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry Sin," she said, her words bleeding apologies and forgiveness, "I have to head home, I missed curfew."

"That's okay, want me to walk you home?" he asked.

Nveah looked down, nerves consuming her as her eyes bolted downward to stare at the floor, unable to meet his gaze. Eventually she mumbled shyly, "um well the thing is I'm not really aloud to be alone with guys but you can walk with me tell we get close to my place my stepfather is really strict."

"Sounds alright to me," Sin smiled before allowing Nveah to led the way as she hugged her remaining book close to her chest as if it a bulletproof vest. "Has he always been this strict?" he asked her.

"Well he was really nice when my mom was around, but after she left he got really strict with me lots of rules-I'm not really aloud to do anything and if he seen me with you he would be pissed."

"That's fair enough, break ups happen," Sin said with weariness, desperately hoping he was wrong about his sneaking suspicions, as if he was trying to convince himself no one could hurt someone as pure as Nveah. "I promise I won't do anything to get you in trouble with him," Sin said before he finally said what he was dying to say, "I have a house in the forest, me and my friends live there. You could live with us?" he almost begged her, pleading with her.

Nveah's eyes rose from the ground, looking to him with complete surprise, she rubbed on her sweater sleeve as they came to a stop nearby her house, "I...I don't know about that, he won't just let me leave," she said before pointing at an old baby blue, rundown house "that's me right there" she said.

"It's okay, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to," Sin said as he let Nveah go to house,

"I'll think about it" she smiled softly, both waving each other goodbye as she turned around, walking up to her home she slowly made her way in side closing the door behind her.

The next day she stared at her nude reflection in the dusty mirror. The fire had left her eyes, the corners of her lips slumped in defeat and last night's punches had turned to today's sore and swollen bruises. But her spirit was not broken. She was not a victim but a survivor.

The next morning Sin woke up to the scent of Nveah's blood again. More than a nosebleed but less than a trip to the hospital. As soon as the smell hit his nose and threw his clothes on before rushing towards the scent.

As she worked to conceal her injuries the nightmarish memories of last night flooded her mind like water rushing into a sinking sink. What started as him screaming at her for losing everything but her favourite book, escalated to him pushing her to the floor and straddling her as blow after blow impacted her chest, her arms, her rib cage.

He was a cunning as he was sick minded, making sure to only punch her where she could hide the marks he inflicted upon her.

She came back to reality, tears were sliding down her numb cheeks as her bodily tremors shook her otherwise paralysed body. She felt dead inside, like her life force had been stolen from her. She couldn't stop the tears, even though the bruises were hidden by clothes and makeup. But it was a thin veil, nothing could hide the flashbacks burned into her mind like a red hot cattle brand.

She couldn't force a smile when she felt so...defeated. This gnawing emptiness ate away her insides, something inside of her demanded to drink from the bottles that he left lying around the house in his blackouts. To taste the thing that made him a monster, to understand it. She was desperate to know just one thing: why?.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and dried her tears, taking a deep breath and composing herself. Underneath her controlled exterior she could see she was just barely holding it together hanging by a thread. But she had to be strong. She was strong.

She knew what she had to do. Do her time and study as hard as she possibly could, so she could grow her wings and fly free of his cage. It was why she was such a driven student, and why she had bags under her eyes. Staying up all night studying with her bedroom door locked, staying as quiet as a house mouse while he drank himself into a stupor.

It won't last forever, she told herself, soon it'll just be as if it was a bad dream.

Grabbing her spare bag she made her way through the woods, keeping her head down and hair covering the bruises on her face.

Meanwhile Sin observed through the gaps in the forest as Nveah walking to school, noticing she wore her head differently and she walked with a slight limp. She'd spent the whole night with her stepdad. He's the only one who could've done this to her.

Immediately his blood boiled with rage, he knew something had to be done. He ran to Nveah, desperate to be with her, tears welled in his eyes as he sunk to his knees before her, hugging her waist as tears slid down his cheeks, "I failed you, I failed to protect you," he choked out bitterly.

Nveah couldn't help but flinch as his touch was raw on her bruises, her knees went weak and as she succumbed to the crushing power of gravity. She struggled futilely to hide her tears as she shook her head "no please thus isn't your fault-I broke the rules and he punched me, please don't be upset I'll be alright and I've really thought about what you said yesterday."

Sin wiped his tears away, swallowing the hard lump in his throat as he looked to Nveah with eyes that brimmed over hope, "what have you decided? Please Nveah, you don't have to stay with us but please just get away from him, don't let him hurt you," he begged, starting to blubber as devastation overwhelmed him.

Nveah settled on the ground next to him, wiping away tears as they fell, "well I went to move in with you and your friends, but only if it's ok with them too, and I cant go to school like this, I cant let them see me-and I just don't understand why you all are being so kind to me, I mean no one likes me at all," she said, her words growing increasingly flustered as she continued to speak, jumbling together till eventually she admitted defeat and stared down at the ground and crunched some leaves in her fist.

Sin gently wiped her tears as they fell, and he smiled when he heard the news, "we'd all be delighted to have you! We like you, it might not be much but hopefully this is the start something new and beautiful for you-a new place, a new friends. It could be a new you!" he exclaimed excitedly.

She blushed deeply, leaning her head against Sin's shoulder, laughing softly as he got excited. She allowed herself exactly one moment of pure happiness before it was tainted by the wetness on her cheeks, the aching bruises all over her body, the puffiness of her eyes and the weight of the bags underneath them. Her skin was as pale as China and she felt just as fragile, a porcelain doll that deserved nothing but misery.

But yet here he was. Staying loyally by her side, and she didn't understand why. She was nothing special, a plain Jane. What did he see in her? She had tried to look inside herself, but she saw nothing but a tortured loser.

She looked into his smile, and she saw hope. Pure, unadulterated hope. Hope she would survive. Hope for a better future. Hope that would outlive all bad things. Hope for a day filled with nothing but bliss. He brought out her inner sense of hope.

"What do you say?" he asked eagerly.

"I believe that," she began, "I don't really know what it is yet but I can feel everything changing, it's like it's in the air," she said, she mustered her courage he gave her in his smile and made herself smile back at him, it was watery but genuine.

"I'm glad you believe that. You're worth more than you realise, you're a beautiful girl inside and out," he said.

The wind blew past them in a second gust, making her hair whip around crazily, strands sticking to her lipstick coated lips that she fiddled to spit and pluck out. As she sorted herself she found her strength was slowly turning, her resolve especially was strengthening. Her tears were dry, and she was a warrior who could never be broken, a warrior who's spirit would never die.

"I'm really sorry you had to see me like this," she apologised, knowing the her that sobbed over her bruises wasn't her. That was her at her lowest. She was not her weakness, her aches and pains, her past. Like Sin said the future is bright.

"But, I have to ask, how did you know where I was?".

Sin feel into silence at her question, "when the time's right," he began, "I'll tell you."

She nodded in understanding, "alright I can wait for now. but still how can I ever thank you for helping me?" she asked.

"You helped yourself. I just watched you dine your inner strength," he smiled politely, a smile she reflected.

"Just be yourself and there for me. That's more than enough," he said before saying 'let's ditch school, what do you wanna do today?" he asked.

Redness filled her cheeks and she but into her bottom lip, unable to stop staring at the boy who somehow made everything impossibly better, "Well I don't really know...is there anything you like to see? There's a really big pond we could go to, there's even a rope swing!" she exclaimed, barely concealing her childlike sense of wonder and excitement.

Sin saw her blush and felt his own blushing overcome his face, "a pond and a rope swing sounds like fun, let's go there. And for lunch I'll buy you whatever you want from that burgers and shakes place you took me when we first met," he smiled happily, without thinking he moved his hands to interlock with hers, feeling the warmth of her soft, pale skin made his heart flutter, "I-I hope that's okay, to hold your hand I mean," he stammered.

She smiled cheerily as Sin helped her to her feet, taking her hand made her heart pound once again as a feeling sweetness as rich as honey drenched her. Warm and gooey, like her heart was melting, "it's okay, I don't mind you holding my hand now come on let's go the pond is just down the hill."

"Awesome!" Sin said as Nveah led him to the pond, a rope swing hung from the thick branch of an old oak tree, "c'mon let's go on the swing!" Sin exclaimed cheerfully as he jumped onto the rope swing, gesturing for Nveah to join him. He only hoped he made her as happy as she made him.

Sin jumped off from the rope swing, landing in the water with a gigantic splash, calling out for Nveah to join him as she chewed nervously on her fingernail, before dropping her bag by the rope swing. She grabbed ahold of the swing before lurching it forward, her holding on, launching herself into the water.

Nveah came up for air and pushed her hair from her eyes, looking for Sin.

"I'm right here!" Sin explained as he wore a gigantic grin, splashing Nveah with some of the pond's water before he slicked his hair behind him with his hand, "I can't believe I never knew this place existed!" he explained in pure, wonderful joy as she splashed him, giggling and completely care free.

She allowed needle to float calmly in the water, "honestly I don't think anyone knows about it, I found this place a few years ago and I loved it-so much so I came here every summer, just to get away from the world, and sometimes I like to sit out here after school before heading home and draw, there's so many beautiful things here the wild life is amazing," she explained, it was the one place in the world she felt safe, the same feeling of safety she got when Sin held her hand.

"It's a lucky find," Sin beamed cheerfully, "it's the perfect place to relax and unwind," he said before saying, "speaking of wild life, there's a bird's next up in that old oak tree, want me to carry you up there so you can see it?" he asked.

"Oh wow really?" she swam over to him, her fiery eyes igniting with joy as she nodded her head happily. As she closed the distance she placed her hand on his chest, "yes I would love that very much".

"Let's go then!" Sin cheered, swimming out of the water and waiting for Nveah, he told her to hold onto his shoulders before dashing up the oak tree as she felt his warmth against her skin; gently setting Nveah down where she could easily observe the baby chicks chirping for their mother, "nature is a beautiful thing isn't it?" he said, his face inches from hers.

"Yes; very beautiful," she said as she felt his hot breath against her neck, sending shivers to shoot down her spine as she slowly turned her head to face Sin, "it's like another world, one without pain. Paradise," she explained, instantly cowering when she saw how close they were. She couldn't help but take in his looks, his kind eyes that made her feel so adored, his toned and tattooed arms that made her feel so safe. She was sucked in immediately, her heartstrings pulling in a way she had never felt before-it was such a new feeling, one she didn't want to end.

Sin caught her looking at him. Her natural gravity was drawing them closer and closer, a force beyond their comprehensions was compelling them to collide like two meteors burning bright through space and stardust.

Without thinking, acting purely on instinct, he slowly leaned in. Foreheads touching. He couldn't fight the feeling anymore. Her very being was intoxicating, and he allowed himself to be swept away. First his lips merely brushed hers, prolonging the touch as if to savour every sweet second of it.

For a brief moment they hovered in the tree, perfectly still and absolutely soundless, he felt urged to comfort her in a grand display of adoration. But she was a shy girl and he was a simple boy, so he simply pressed his lips against her shy lips in a gentle, unyielding kiss that unravelled every emotion they'd ever felt for one another.