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Early the next morning, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen for some breakfast. I'd met the rest of my pack the night before after a good sleep, and I'd felt right at home, even more so than when I'd been with the servants at my old house. Everyone had had a story to tell about how they'd been shunned by their old families for one reason or another, and I'd soon come to learn that my new pack was in fact a rag-tag bunch of misfits, as Harry had jokingly referred to us. I didn't mind in the slightest, and had whiled away quite a few pleasant hours before we'd all retired for the night.
The kitchen staff greeted me warmly as I stepped through the double doors, and before long I had a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice in front of me, and I set to with gusto. I may have scarfed it all down a bit quickly, but I'd been so fearful of having my food taken away from me that it was hard to remember this wouldn't be the case now. None of the staff questioned or judged me, for which I was thankful, and I made sure to thank them profusely as I handed over my used dishes. I almost offered to help wash dishes, but reminded myself I was no longer a servant in my own home, and I exchanged goodbyes with the staff before leaving the kitchen.
Harry had given me permission to make myself at home, and I spent a few hours exploring the castle from top to bottom. It was much more lavishly appointed than its exterior led one to believe, and though I got lost at times, I nevertheless found the place fascinating.
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After lunch, I did some more exploring, and finally came on what I'd been secretly hoping for - a swimming pool. And this one happened to be three times as wide as my parents', and over four times as deep. I'd later find out it was about the equivalent of an olympic size swimming pool, and I lost no time getting thoroughly acquainted with its azure depths.
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Swimming down to the bottom proved a challenge, but I did it anyway, gliding along until lack of air propelled me back to the surface, and I gasped once my head was above water, taking a few deep breaths to get my bearings back before I went under again, this time letting almost all the air in my lungs so I could sink quicker.
When my feet touched the tiles again, I kicked off and swam up, lungs burning as I fought to hold onto to the little air I'd conserved. It felt like a race to get to the surface before I ran out, and though I was lightheaded once my head was above water, I felt alive and free, free to do as I wished, with a family of choice rather than a family of blood who shoved you into a corner and trotted you out to keep up appearances, while behind closed doors they kept you in the dark and gave you only the most minimum of necessities to keep you this side of the Wheel.
It was, I reflected, as I went under again, a good trade off. I had a family who'd warmed up to me surprisingly quickly, and I almost laughed. My parents would be shitting bricks by now, and it served them right.
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Above me, on the surface, my packmates joked and played and splashed about. I could dimly hear their laughter and chatter, and the occasional loud splash as one of them did a cannonball almost on top of me. I moved over to get away from them so I wouldn't end up getting squished, and they playfully swam off, giggling when they surfaced.
They were all having fun, though, that was the important thing. I, on the other hand, was outside of the fun, floating underwater as everyone else had fun around me, not sparing me the slightest thought. And I was okay with that. Because I really wasn't outside of the fun, not here. And my packmates gave me more than just a fleeting thought. That made all the difference tonight.
Lungs burning, I eventually came to the surface, watching the action all around me. As was the norm on summer nights, the castle was busy with friends, packmates and guests, and pool parties were the main way in which we could entertain everyone. Our pool was big enough to accomodate everyone, and there was no lack of space in which everyone could swim, dive, and play. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCmww83xPJ
"Having a good time?" Harry called.
I nodded. "I'm having the time of my life," I assured him, and he gave me a thumbs up before returning to his conversation. My parents had threatened to start a war to take me back, despite my clear desire against such a thing happening, and Harry had begun calling in favours from near and far, including Aunt Prue's pack. The threat had been enough to work; my parents had backed down and subsequently disowned me, which meant I was now free to live the life I'd always wanted.
I had a family who looked out for their own, and I was developing friendships with the local packs, as well as packs from other parts of the country. I was now co-Beta with Harry's half-brother Tom, and Tom's son Jerry ("A complete accident," Tom had assured me when I nearly fell on the floor giggling) had taken a shine to me as well. I wasn't in a hurry to find a mate, and Jerry admitted he was in no rush either; werewolves were ridiculously long-lived, so Jerry and I had all the time in the world to get to know each other.
After watching the action, I went under again, swimming past all the legs, arms and bodies that got in my way. It was actually a fun game now, and as I swam past, I felt my heart sing, happiness practically a default state for me where once before loneliness had been the default. And it was an amazing feeling. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz24l3goFvR
I could finally be who I was always meant to be, and I felt as if sometimes I could have lived all the years of abuse over again to come to this moment, swimming deep below the surface, knowing I had nothing to fear on the surface, because on the surface, I had a kind, wonderful family who would always make time for me.
END
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