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I let myself forget all about Pearl and her prickles as I swam, gliding through the water with ease. I'd always loved swimming, but I loved being underwater more. Here, I could forget all my worries and let myself be one with the water. Here I wasn't judged or made to feel less than what I was.
"1.53," Elise told me when I came up for air. Pearl was off sulking, but I ignored her temper tantrum. "I think you did about two and a half laps," Elise added. "How do you feel?"
"I definitely ran out of air quicker while swimming," I admitted. "Let's go again."
"No, let's not go again," Pearl snapped. "You are not wasting your time on this nonsense. You have a duty, and if I have to drag you to the altar kicking and screaming, I will."
"You don't have any authority over me," I reminded her. "You might be the Theta, but I'm not answerable to any of the pack. Father forswore my oath to the pack when I turned sixteen, and not even he can command me to do something I don't want to do. I am not marrying Alpha Jonas; maybe you should marry him, the way you bang on about my 'duty' so much."
Pearl looked more ready than ever to drown me, but I had her there, and she knew it. With a growl she snatched up her gym back and stalked out, slamming the door behind her with enough force to make it rattle. "The hell is her problem?" Elise demanded.
"She's pissed Coach Jasper wasn't here so she could hang all over him and 'distract' him," I said. "Never mind her. We've still got practice time; let's put it to good use."
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My parents were very annoyed when I got home, and I sighed when I realised Pearl had ratted me out. "You behaved very disgracefully today," Mother said, her eyes like grey ice as she regarded me. "From now on, you won't be attending your training unless I say so. And don't think you can sneak out and lie to me about where you're going; I'm going to be tracking your phone, and if you're not where the phone says you are, you're going to be in even more trouble."
I sighed as I handed my phone over, cursing Pearl and her cattiness. I'd only told the truth; it was her fault for taking it as a personal attack. Mother raised an eyebrow as she gave my phone back. "Don't make me ask you for the passwords to your social media," she warned. "I am very disappointed in you. To that end, I've made some arrangements; Pearl will now be joining your regular swimming classes. You will not speak to Jasper unless he talks to you directly, and you will stay at arm's length from him at all times. You will also now be driven to and from school, and you will wait in the principal's office at the beginning and end of each school day until your father or I come to pick you up. You will no longer go on any excursions or out of school trips unless they're directly connected to your classes. Be thankful I don't ask to have your curriculum changed; you're walking a very thin line as it is."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXadM1aKwM
Pearl would be gloating like nobody's business, but I kept my face smooth. "Oh, and you are no longer allowed to go for a run," Father added. "I don't know what you've been getting up to, but your 'excursions' are coming to an end. You won't be blocked from shifting, but if you mistreat your cousin any further, I'll personally disable your shifting abilities until you've demonstrated you're worthy of them."
"I understand," I said as meekly as I could manage. It stung to have my one true freedom taken from me, but I was still able to do my normal swimming at school. It stank to not be able to attend my training, but I resolved to train extra hard during school hours.
Father grunted. "See that you do," he said. "Now go upstairs. You're to stay in your room at all times, except for using the bathroom. I've ensured you will have the necessities to keep you in relative comfort, but don't think you deserve them. Pearl has been very gracious and has promised to leave you alone, but if I catch you abusing that kindness in any way, I will take you out of school and have you confined to the packhouse at all times. Now go."
Seething, I left, furious beyond belief that I'd been curtailed so strongly following my outburst earlier. Pearl smirked at me from the living room, but I ignored the bait and went upstairs, relieved to see the curtain had been replaced with a sturdy door. But as I entered and dropped onto the new bed that had been placed there, I knew that door wouldn't hold. Pearl wouldn't miss an opportunity to mock and belittle me even further, and she'd do all she could to have me reduced to sleeping on the floor.
My task, therefore, was to not rise to her bait, no matter how sorely she provoked me.
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