Ade's POV

"Oh my God Adelia," my Mum shouted the moment I stepped into Dad's study. Her mouth was wide open in surprise to see me drenched from head to toe.

"Adelia, why are you drenched?" Dad asked, rolling his eyes before he started glaring at me before he cast a glance at my sister, who was sleeping on the couch.

"Were you playing in the rain?" Dad asked again with his deep rich voice booming in the room.

"No Dad. I had the decision to make, but I couldn't make it without taking a stroll, and the rain started to fall. I had no option but to take my walk in the rain," I explained, grinning at my Dad. I knew I had to wait a second before he grinned back.

He didn't disappoint me as he grinned back a second after my grin appeared on my face. That was my Dad. He could never scold me and my sister for long. I doubted if he even had the ability to stay angry with us for more than two minutes.

"Don't tell me you are actually smiling at her," Mum said to Dad in annoyance.

"Me? No way. What she has done is very bad. In fact, Adelia, you are grounded for the rest of the week," Dad said, but I could see the smile in his eyes even if he had wiped the one on his face completely.

"What are you doing here anyway dropping water all over the house?" Mum asked.

"I came to ask Dad some questions," I said looking at Dad.

"And the questions can't wait until you are dried up and dressed properly?" Mum asked raising a brow at me.

"Let her be sweetheart. She is only a child," Dad said.

"At her age, you were preparing to join the Alphas College for training to become the Alpha of this pack and yet you claim she is still a child?" Mum asked incredulously.

"Stop being dramatic darling. Let her enjoy her childhood. In about three to four months, she will have to face the reality of being an adult," Dad said to Mum pleadingly.

"I am just trying to make her see that she is no longer a baby," Mum said.

"Go change and dry yourself up before the cold gets too much and you come down with flu. I will come to your room and answer all your questions," Dad said reassuringly and I nodded before I turned around and headed to my room.

My Dad's love for us was unquestionable. It made me doubt if he was bothered about the fact that my sister and I were girls.

Dad fulfilled his promise. Thirty minutes after I had dried myself up and changed into dry clothes, Dad came into my room with a cup of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Dad," I said as I collected the cup from him.

"Anything for my Princess," Dad said smiling.

I took a sip of the chocolate, closed my eyes, and moaned. Dad laughed and I opened my eyes to smile happily at Dad in appreciation.

"You wanted to ask me something Princess," Dad said after I finished the hot chocolate and dropped the cup.

"Yes, Dad. It is a lot of questions, and I would appreciate it if you would answer everything truthfully," I said.

"Ok. I will," Dad said.

"Promise not to evade any question?" I asked pouting.

"I promise not to evade any question, Princess, so ask me," Dad said assuringly.

"Ok. Are you going to take another female so that you can have an heir?" I asked.

"Princess, you might be too young to notice but I love your mother too much to want another female. The mate bond is there, yes, but it only brought me closer to your Mum before I fell in love with her, so, no, I am not taking another female," Dad answered passionately.

"But what happens when you step down as the Alpha of this pack?" I asked.

"Then, I will hand over this pack to you and your mate," my Dad answered.

"What if I don't find my mate ever?" I asked making Dad frown.

"You will find your mate Princess. The moon goddess must have prepared a man who you would rule side by side with. A man capable of handling this pack since I don't have a male child," Dad said still frowning at me.

"Dad, I know all about the moon goddess preparing the mate thing, but what if I don't find my mate? What happens then?" I asked.

"I might have to get you an Alpha. A strong Alpha or someone from an Alpha bloodline that can rule with you," Dad said.

"Why can't I be an Alpha dad? You are my father. I should be an Alpha after you. After all, I am your first child," I said.

"It is not that simple Princess. It is a man's world out here. No pack member will accept a female Alpha," Dad said sadly.

"What is the difference between a male and a female Alpha?" I asked.

"To become an Alpha is a rigorous work, Princess. When an Alpha's heir turns eighteen, they are sent to the Blood Moon Pack's training camp for four years where they undergo ruthless training. Some even die in the process. So you see, for a female Alpha to be declared without going through those rigorous trainings the men went through, will be the joke of the century," Dad said.

I was quiet for a while as I was lost in thought. Surprisingly, Dad was also quiet. He was probably thinking of something.

"Do people pay money to go to the training?" I asked.

"No. Blood Moon is the most powerful Pack in the Wolf World. They don't need anyone's money to run the training camp. They don't even ask you where you come from or what pack you belong to. All you do is go into the camp and do your thing," Dad answered.

"Why don't they want to know where an individual comes from?" I asked in bewilderment. That sounded weird to me.

"It is to avoid favoritism. By knowing where a participant comes from, some of the trainers might favor some more than the rest. So it is a policy to keep the name of your pack to yourself," Dad answered.

"How are those who died identified then?" I asked.

"There is a dog tag that is given to each participant on their first day in camp. You are expected to secretly put the name of your pack in the space in the dog tag. In case of any eventualities, your pack will be contacted," Dad answered patiently.

"What if someone got hold of your dog tag and checked out your pack?" I asked. I was getting more inquisitive as I got more interested.

"It is an immediate eviction for anyone caught doing that. So it never happens," Dad answered.

"That means their identities are never revealed?" I asked with great interest in that particular topic.

"Identities are only revealed when an individual passes all the tests and comes out with flying colors. Pack members are expected to roll out the drums and welcome them," Dad said.

"And no female has ever ventured there? Why?" I asked.

"It is an all-male camp, Princess. What will a female want in their midst?" Dad asked, looking confused. Then he asked, "Why are you asking all these questions, Princess?"

"I am just curious to know if a female Alpha ever existed," I answered, saying the half-truth.

"According to your great grandmother who was my grandmother, there was once a female Alpha," Dad said.

"Really? What happened to her?" I asked as my heart jumped in curiosity.

"According to my grandmother, she is the cause of why female Alphas are no longer acceptable," Dad said.

"What did she do?" I asked frowning.

"She didn't go through any training, but the pack still chose her because her father was a good Alpha, but he had no male child. So when her father died, the pack decided to honor her father by making her their Alpha because they believed she would follow in her father's footsteps," Dad paused.

"What happened after that?" I asked anxiously.

"Take it easy, Princess," Dad chided smiling. "So, after she took the reign, she couldn't wait for her mate after searching for years so she took a chosen mate. He knew nothing about being an Alpha, too, so they ran the pack to the ground. The news traveled far to all packs. The Royal household then came together and decided that no female was allowed to run a pack ever again," Dad said.

I sighed before I asked my last question "Will the Royal family and the pack accept a female Alpha if she went to training?"

"How will she get there? She wouldn't be accepted in the first place," Dad said and got up "I will ask the cook to bring your food up. Keep yourself warm. I will see you tomorrow," Dad said and kissed my head before leaving the room.

I sighed after Dad closed the door. It was time to call my best friends. I had all the information I needed. The Wolf World would get a shocker soon.

Deciding against a call, I sent a text message to them. They were loners like me, but we got together whenever it suited our moods.

What I needed was information and I got that.

Ade's POV

"This might not be a good idea, but I think you have everything in your arsenal to do it, "Will, my male friend, said.

"You are supporting this madness, Will?" Amethyst, my female friend asked glaring at Will.

The three of us were quite a pair. Will was the only son of the Gamma which means he would automatically become the Gamma of our pack. I met Amethyst through him. She was the daughter of one of the high-ranking officers of the pack. They were friends and the three of us bonded in a rather strange way.

We were friends, but we had boundaries, and we did not intrude on each other's privacy. We didn't just visit because we felt like it. We called or sent a text ahead and each time we came together, we were either reading or having a serious discussion about something.

Amethyst was the youngest of us. Will would be eighteen in a month while I still had close to four months and Amethyst had another year before she turned eighteen.

"I didn't ask you guys to come here so that we can do meaningless back and forth. I called you here so that we can find a way forward," I said glaring at Amethyst.

"Look, I am not being pessimistic, but I think it is a suicide mission. What if you are found out and you are taken to the presence of the king for punishment? What will you say for yourself?" Amethyst asked. She was uncomfortable with the plan.

"That is why we must make plans so that she will not be found out," Will said rolling his eyes.

"Ok. Fine. How do you intend to do that, master planner?" Amethyst asked.

"Unlike some people, she hasn't shown any sign of maturity, so..." Will was saying, but Amethyst interrupted him.

"Are you trying to insult me, Will?" Amethyst asked raising a brow.

"No, I am not. I am only stating the obvious," Will said.

"I should be the one feeling insulted, Amethyst. Let him explain, please," I pleaded.

Will was right, at almost eighteen, I had nothing to single me out as a girl. I was ramrod slim. No sign of a protruding chest or an impressive backside. Mum had said I would fill out with time and I used to wonder when the time would be. Thinking of it at that moment, I was grateful that I didn't have those features yet.

"Since you don't have the features that distinguish you as a female yet, it should be easy to get you into the training camp with a little makeover. Your long hair would have to go through, and I think a little tampering with your eyebrow should be done, too," Will explained.

'I learned a trick when I visited my maternal grandmother's pack. There is a leaf called aura blow. If you use it, it will make you smell masculine, and if you are a male, it will smell feminine," Amethyst said.

"Now you are talking," Will said which made Amethyst glare at him.

"I think I will have to search online to see the best boy cut that will match my face," I said.

"Wait a minute, what if you can't get the leaf Amethyst asked you to use to make your scent smell masculine in the camp?" Will asked frowning.

"Breaking news, it can be made into oil and you only have to apply it once in five days to the armpit and neck. We just have to make sure we produce enough to last a long time. And if need be, we will get more to you," Amethyst explained.

"Does this mean you support my plan?" I asked happily.

"Not entirely because it scares the shit out of me. But then, you are hell-bent on doing it, so I have to do my best to support you and ensure you don't get yourself killed," Amethyst said.

After our very brief but productive meeting, we decided to meet at Amethyst house the next day, so that we could go to the forest in search of the plant and get the leaf. We should take it, make some oil, and test it first.

"Adelia," my sister Ariana shouted when I stepped into the house.

I picked her up and swirled around making her laugh out loud in happiness. She was my little sister and I loved her like life itself. She could be annoying sometimes, but most of the time, she was a sweet, obedient girl. Unlike me, there was no restless bone in her.

"I thought I saw Amethyst and Will. Aren't they coming in for brunch?" Mum asked as she came in bringing a tray of refreshments.

"No. They are both off to somewhere," I said.

"Oh really? Those two are always together. I won't be surprised if Will is Amethyst's mate," Mum said making me laugh hard.

"What?" Mum asked as she was confused as to why I was laughing.

"Mum, Will can never be Amethyst's mate. Amethyst is a handful that Will cannot manage," I said smiling.

"The ways of the moon goddess are unclear to us most times, you know," Mum said, and I nodded and said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Of course, it is very unclear because how will she sit somewhere and watch her creations discriminate against her gender, and yet she does nothing," I hissed.

"Be careful what you say, Adelia. Don't be rash. Don't say things you might later regret," Mum said and I apologized.

"Listen Ariana. What do you think of me cutting my hair?" I asked my sister who was busy trying to arrange her toes on each other.

"Why would you think of cutting your hair, you will end up looking like a boy," Mum said incredulously.

I smiled. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. It was the validation I needed. I happily sat down and had brunch with my Mum and my sister.

The next day, I couldn't wait to get to Amethyst's house. I wasn't surprised to find Will there waiting. Amethyst's Mum welcomed me happily like she always did.

Amethyst took us to the back of the house, where we sat most of the time when we were there to visit.

"Will has something to show you," Amethyst said, making me turn to Will with my brow raised in question.

"Ok, check this out," Will said, then emptied the contents of his bag on the floor and started packing it again, but he left two things behind. A container that looked like it had drugs in it and something that looked like a funnel.

"What are these?" I asked.

"So, I thought about it after I got home yesterday. And I thought of some other loopholes that might give you away if you go to the training camp. Number one' Will started then picked up what looked like a funnel. "The camp is strictly for males; it will be ridiculous if you have to go to a corner and bend down to urinate when others will just turn around and take a leak."

"So?" I prompted.

"That is where this comes in," Will said, smiling and shaking his funnel-like thing.

"What is this thing?"I asked.

"You will wear this under your boxer briefs and you can just turn around and pee wherever and whenever. I will teach you how that works," Will said, then picked up the container, 'and this is a drug to make your voice sound a little masculine.' "

"And you think it would not have negative effects?" Amethyst asked.

"I searched online for any negative reviews so far but I have got none. The drug has been in circulation for ten years. The drug is expected to work for a maximum of five years after you take the last dose, after which you have to use another one if you still want to retain your voice," Will explained.

"Sometimes I just wonder who comes up with some ideas and how you, Will, get to know about them," Amethyst said, glaring at Will.

"Let's just say I like looking for new things. I don't just sit pretty in my Dad's living room expecting things to fall into my lap. I am going to be a Gamma after all," Will said smiling teasingly at Amethyst.

"Shut up Will," I said, rolling my eyes. Will needed to stop before he and Amethyst started bickering again.

"I am sorry, Alpha," Will said, making Amethyst and I gasp in surprise. "What, I am doing all this to make sure you become my Alpha. I believe you can do it," Will added when he saw our expression.

"Thank you, Will," I said gratefully.

"Ok. So you will not start using this drug until about a month before your departure. We don't want your parents asking questions," Will said.

We all agreed and headed to the forest to look for the leaf Amethyst talked about and make our first sample of aura solution.

Days flew by and it was Will's eighteenth birthday. His father threw him a birthday bash. We all attended and had great fun while I impatiently waited for my birthday.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and my birthday was finally here. I was so happy. I couldn't wait for the morning to arrive. I could finally meet my wolf and in less than one month, I could join the Alpha training camp without anyone's knowledge.

My parents were also giving me a birthday party, and of course, I was looking forward to it.

I sighed as I got into bed hoping I wouldn't be able to sleep because of the excitement of what the following day held. Surprisingly, I fell asleep but I suddenly came awake to the noise of commotion. I could hear wolves howling loudly. I could see the moon peeking in through my curtains.

I rushed to my door and opened it to see people rushing outside the house. I followed them, and when I got outside, the sight before me made me speechless.

There stood not far from each other, two moons. The brightest I had seen all my life with my father in his wolf form howling loudly at the moons.

"This has not happened in eighteen years," someone said from behind me.

I had never seen the double moon even if the pack was named after them. I could only hope it was a good omen.

Ade's POV

"Now we confirm that she is special," Mum whispered to Dad

"Yes. I think I understand what my Mum meant, but how is that going to manifest? She can't rule the pack, she is a female," Dad whispered back.

They were both in my room and they thought I was asleep. After pack members had turned into their wolves and welcomed the moons enough, we all returned to our rooms. But I suddenly felt dizzy and fell.

Dad had to carry me to my room but when he put me on the bed, I started to convulse. Mum had wanted to raise the alarm, but Dad closed the door and told her to be quiet.

Right there in the presence of my parents, I shifted into my wolf for the first time. Dad talked me through it. By the time I shifted back to my human form, I was so weak that I couldn't lift a finger.

"I am sure that she is not bearing the mark of the double moon for nothing. The moon came out on the day I gave birth to her and today again when she turns eighteen. It is not mere coincidence sweetheart," Mum said.

"I remembered that my mother said that the moon coming on the day she was born was not a mere coincidence," my Dad said.

"Let's just hope the journey ahead of her won't be a hard and difficult one. She is a precious one in the sight of the moon goddess," Mum said sounding sad.

"She might wake up. Let's go. We will talk about this later," Dad said and they both left my room.

I didn't understand most of what they were saying about my grandmother, but I understood the fact that my wolf had the mark of the moons, and the moons also appeared the day I was born.

I groaned weakly as I tried to sit up. I gave up when I saw that it was too much work on my limbs to sit up. I closed my eyes and slept off.

When I woke up again, It was the sound of Amethyst shrieking that jolted me out of sleep. Surprisingly, I no longer felt weak; in fact,, I felt as if I had suddenly become powerful.

"Can you keep it down Amethyst?" I hissed.

"No. I am not keeping it down. Happy birthday, bestie," she said again at the top of her voice.

"She is not your bestie. She is mine," Will said, coming to stand at the wide-opened door. Amethyst had obviously left it open.

"Will, can you excuse me for a minute before you come back in?" I said to Will. I could see his confusion, but he didn't argue and just left, but he also closed the door behind him.

I quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, and put them on. I could see the shred of my night dress in a corner of the room. It tore to pieces when I shifted the previous night.

"Why were you naked under the duvet Adelia?" Amethyst asked raising a brow.

"I shifted last night after we came inside from welcoming the Double Moon," I explained.

"What?" Amethyst asked in surprise. I ignored her and walked to the door, opened it, and asked Will to come in.

"Why is your face like that Amethyst?" Will asked.

"Adelia shifted last night," Amethyst answered.

"What?" Will frowned looking lost in thought. I wasn't supposed to shift until I shared blood with my father. I was supposed to shift in front of everyone present for the party. They cheered in happiness, after which I was supposed to go back to my room and wear the original clothes prepared for the party. So it has never been heard of.

"That is weird," Will said after a while so I went ahead and told them what I heard from my parents.

We sat down in silence for a while after I told them what I heard. Will was the one who broke the silence.

"If I previously didn't know what I lived for, I think I have now. You are special Adelia. Put your heart to it, and you will surely achieve this, and I will be supporting you all the way," Will said, then stood from where he sat beside Amethyst and bowed the way one would bow to his Alpha.

"Me too Alpha. I will support you," Amethyst said and also assumed the same position as Will.

My chest puffed in pride. I could feel a part of me stare awake and howled in pride. I smiled and asked them to rise just the way I had seen my father address pack members.

We soon got so wrapped up in preparation for the party that we threw all the discussion into the background and enjoyed ourselves.

When it was time for the exchange of blood with my father, my Dad made a cut on his wrist and poured the blood into a bronze cup and he made a cut on mine and poured it into the cup.

The moment my wound sealed up, the cup caught fire, and everyone gasped in surprise. Before the fire went out, I shifted into my wolf making the murmur increase.

Mum stylishly blocked everyone from my view as she led me upstairs to my room. When she asked me to shift back, I shook my head to indicate that I wasn't shifting yet.

I walked to the mirror to see what my wolf looked like. It was black like the night but on my forehead was the Double Moon, standing side by side. Because of my black fur, the drawings of the moon were so obvious. I knew then what my parents meant that I had the marking of the Double Moon.

I shifted back and Mum helped me get dressed. Amethyst was happy but I could see the wheels of her brain turning loudly. She had questions just like me.

"Mum, why did the cup start burning? I have never seen or heard of that before?" I asked my Mum.

"It happened because you are special," Mum said simply then kissed my head before she rushed us out of the room.

The party was a success quite alright and people talked about it for days. Dad evaded my question about the burning cup so I let it slide.

Will, Amethyst, and I only speculated about it. Drawing and dumping a lot of conclusions but at the end of the day, we had to let go and focus on the task ahead.

"The training camp will be opening in less than two months; I think you should start using the medication,' Will said two weeks after my birthday, so I started using it.

I minimized my discussion with my parents because, within two weeks, I began to notice a change in my voice. I was happy; in fact, I was ecstatic.

The first time I used Amethyst oil for shifting body aura, I purposely went into my mum's room and she looked at me with a frown.

"I would have sworn that it was a man that walked in. What perfume are you wearing? It doesn't suit you," Mum hissed.

"I am sorry. Will gave it to me," I said smiling happily. My aim was achieved.

Will helped me get a friend of his that cut my hair to the style I liked a night before I left for the camp. I had to cover my hair with my nightcap to avoid suspicion.

As the time to go drew closer, I felt sad. Leaving my parents and sister was going to be hard. I had been too concentrated on my mission to see the pain my disappearance was likely going to cause.

Will was waiting for me with a car he arranged to take me to the training camp. I almost changed my mind about going but I didn't.

I took the bag that had all the male wears we had bought, and for one last time, I opened my parents' door and peeked at them before I walked away. Then I stopped at my sister's room. I went inside and kissed her on the head. She stirred but she didn't wake up as she murmured my name in her sleep.

As I walked away from her room, tears streamed down my face. It was the most difficult goodbye I had ever said. A silent but painful goodbye.

I got to where Will was waiting and kissed him goodbye before I got into the car. Amethyst wasn't there. I knew she was not just able to say goodbye so I sent my love to her through Will.

The car took off, but I was looking back, staring at Will until I couldn't see him again. Then I let the tears flow freely. Yes! I was going to cry that night, but I was going to let all the pain of staying away from all my loved ones for that long be my driving force, and the fact that I was going to see them again was the reason I kept pushing.

By morning, the car got to the camp, and I got down, walking perfectly the way I had practiced, like a boy.

When I got to the gates. Two males dressed like soldiers sat with a registration book in front of them.

"Your name?" One of them barked at me.

"Tate. My name is Tate Side," I said confidently.

"You are the first to arrive. Go inside. The first turning by your right is where you take your Alpha blood test," one of them said.

My heart missed a beat. As prepared as I was, I didn't know we were going to take a test to prove I was of Alpha blood. I just hoped it wouldn't be detected that I was female.

I wasn't so confident anymore as I walked inside. My heart kept beating so fast. Was it going to end before it even started?