Daphne

“Get up, sleepy head!”

My eyes fluttered until they opened wide when a deep voice exploded in my ears. As my sight adjusted to the light, my breathing halted upon figuring out who those fierce sets of amber eyes were.

“A-Alpha Calle?”

I allowed myself to look at his entire appearance for a little while. His loose, shoulder-length hair perfectly framed his chiseled features. His gray shirt, which was neither too loose nor too tight, emphasized the shape of his arms and body. And look how well those pairs of denim pants fit around his long, muscular legs. He was like a living sculpture. Even if he literally agitated the living daylights out of me when he woke me up, I wouldn't judge myself for admiring such a work of art.

He perched on the edge of my bed, and I quickly got up. I could smell the fresh perfume of his aftershave from this close distance. "H-how did you get in here?" I questioned, scratching my forehead.

He sighed. “Surprised? Guess what, I own the whole place so it means I’ll be able to go anywhere in here.”

Such a stupid question would definitely earn a sarcastic answer.

The cool air blew against my skin and I realized that the blanket had been tugged away from my body. I tried to pull it back to conceal myself, but he just unabashedly peeled it off from me eventually.

“My blanket!”

“What’s the point of hiding yourself where I’ve seen all of you before?” He stood from my bed, his strong arms curled over his chest. “Get up at once. You’re starting to work today.”

“O-okay, A-Alpha,” I responded, stuttering. Oh, Goddess, why did he have to bring it up? Was seeing me naked back in the woods a big deal to him? I’d seen him naked as well before he changed into a huge wolf, so we were just even. I stared down at my lap, my fist balling some of the cloth. “Um, what sort of duty will I be assigned? The kitchen? The hall? Or I’ll be washing the—”

“You’ll be training under Beta Degen.”

I raised my head and met his firm gaze. “I, what?”

He tilted his head, giving me a frown. “Don’t say you didn’t hear me. I despise repeating what I just said.”

“O-of course, I heard you,” I said, shifting my eyes to the window. The sunlight rays penetrating through the blinds were like long slender fingers, touching the plain wall in my room. The birds that were chirping outside reminded me of my dream with Reina. Oh, that dream again! These past few days, I’d been dreaming the same dream about Reina.

He sauntered towards the wardrobe and started rummaging in there. Then he glanced back at me with a stern expression. “Get your ass up there, little wolf. You’re going to have a long day today.”

“May I just—hey!”

I nearly leaped off the mattress when something smacked my head. I felt like I’d been slapped in the side of my face from the impact. When it landed on my lap, I realized it was a pair of tops and leggings.

I gave him a sneer. "Why did you need to throw them at my face?”

“Put those damn clothes on and report to the training hall within ten minutes. If you arrive even a minute late, you’ll get your first punishment before the sun sets.”

Before I knew it, he was gone before my very eyes. The sound of the closing door still echoed in my head as I gawked at where he walked out.

Great. How on earth will I hurry up when I have no idea when that freaking training hall is?

What a good start.

***

The Moon Goddess was at least kind to me because I arrived at the training hall ten seconds before the time required for me to check in. I must thank the staff who I bumped into a while ago. She informed me that the room I was looking for was actually above our floor, occupying the whole roof space.

And now here I was, standing frozen at the entrance. All attention from the people sitting on their rubber mats shot in my direction. I noticed that the trainees were not old people. Most of them were more or less my age. I guess?

I wonder where those warriors are. I remembered Alpha Calle had mentioned them once when he talked with Beta Degen.

“Um, h-hi?” I squeaked. Although I wasn’t certain, I responded with a small smile to their ‘who-the-hell-are-you’ stares.

Feeling not welcomed, I was about to get back from the large double doors behind me when a firm voice carved through the still air.

“Meet our newest pack member.”

Slowly, I turned to the well-built form of a man filling my sight. It only took me a nanosecond to recognize him. He was Beta Degen, one of those who I met during my first day here. There was a hint of smugness in him just like Alpha Calle. Regardless, the latter still possessed a brimming amount of arrogance in his aura mixed with superiority.

A sneer curved across his nice-looking face as he approached me, probing eye contact. “What’s your name again?” he asked, tilting his head down at me.

“ Daphne Forster.” I almost choked when I mentioned my surname. ‘Why am I still using it when I no longer belong to that family?’I thought.

The image of my brother, together with Yvette and Alaine, popped into my mind without my consent. I imagined Jaime looking gloomy, while the two witches grinned at me.

I shook my head inwardly to block the rising sadness creeping into my head.

“ Daphne Forster,” Beta Degen repeated in a friendly but civil tone. He stuck out his large hand. “Nice to meet you. From now on, this will be your family. But do not expect we will be soft on you. You need to double time to update your training lessons.”

I accepted the handshake. “I understand. But please, just call me Daphne .”

He nodded, a wide grin curled up on his face.

“Come follow me.” He turned and proceeded to walk across the hall. I had no choice but to walk after him, though I was more on jogging since his strides were like a kilometer compared to my tiny steps. The people around us gave way, but with the way they stare, I felt like they were accessing me.

I entered another door with Beta Degen. It was a self-sealing door that led us to the vast windy space. I let myself inhale the fresh air. From where I stood, the roof metal roof railings seemed so small.

“Where are the other trainees?” I asked, my feet advancing to the solid fences to have myself a view of the ground. Good thing I wasn’t afraid of heights.

“You’ll be training with me…alone.”

“H-huh?” I turned over my shoulder and looked up at Beta Degen who was now leaning against the railing. His hands were tucked in his pockets. “But why?”

“That’s Alpha Calle’s instruction, Daphne . So, if I were you, I'd stop asking. Haven't yet heard of the saying 'obey first before complain'?"

"Fine," I muttered, letting the strong wind blow against my face as it combed every strand of my hair. My eyes were still locked on the vast wild forest from afar.

"I'm glad you are easy to get things off. Okay, so this is the training's coverage; for the first six months, you'll be training in human form. The other half of the year, you'll train in wolf form, and Alpha Calle will decide if he will pass you or not."

My eyes grew wide, hearing the information from his mouth. Oh, Goddess, am I destined to fail in everything that I will do? How will I pass the training if I can't shift in the first place?

Should I forget about the training? Without it, I had no use in this pack. Unfortunately, Alpha Calle wouldn't let me leave.

"Any violent comment, little wolf?" Beta Degen asked, he frowned as he searched for my eyes. "Is the idea of the training already dreading you?"

"That's not it," I whispered, gritting my teeth. The grip of my hand on the metal railing tightened.

"Then what's bothering that pretty mind of yours, huh?" he chuckled. "Scared of the pain? Then you must also consider the saying 'no pain, no gain."

I shook my head. "I can't shift to my wolf form.”

“Are you serious?”

“I really can’t. I swear,” I muttered.

“No way.” He chuckled but his brows were drawn together. He was only convinced when my eyes became misty with tears. “Then let’s have Alpha Calle decide what to do with you after you tell him your reason."

Daphne

As soon as I told Beta Degen that my wolf was nowhere to be found, he immediately sent me to see Alpha Calle. So the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the couch and silently pinching my hands' skin. My thoughts were racing over what the Alpha would do to a werewolf who couldn't even shift into a wolf. What if he made me his slave and the pack began to mistreat me?

The more time I spent in this room, the more anxious I felt.

I focused on the painted wall to divert my attention from the growing uneasiness. It was a painting depicting the continent of North America where we lived. I got to my feet and gingerly made my way over to the painted wall so I could examine its texture on my own. I couldn't help but be impressed by the monumental artwork. It appeared to be quite lively. The name Calle Earheart was swirled in a lovely round handwriting in the lower left.

‘That man is talented. I wonder what else he can do.’

“You little wolf!”

The door flung wide and a roar erupted across the room, startling me. I unwittingly encountered Alpha Calle's piercing glances which filled me with panic as I spun and looked up

‘Oh, no. He is furious!'

From the way his nostrils flared and his jaws gripped, it looked like he was going to swallow me alive.

"A-Alpha Calle, I'm—" My words became a squeal as he pounded his hand against the wall. I swear, the impact made the wall behind me tremble.

"Look up here and name this spot for me!" ”

“H-huh?

I wiped a few tears from my eyes and tilted my head in the direction of the map where his finger was pointing." That’s where the Dark Vale pack is located," I croaked.

“Right!"

He growled, dragging his finger across the lower section of the map and pausing at a point marked with a "roof" symbol. " It means that you strayed a couple of miles from your goddamn pack and into my domain while in wolf shape. Don't you know that?”

"You believe I'm making up for the loss of my wolf?" I blinked as my eyes throbbed with tears. For some reason, I was starting to think why on earth I was here, to begin with. I escaped from my previous pack and forced myself to leave the family I’d known ever since only to be judged and treated like a useless rogue in this pack. This was too much!

"I witnessed you change into a wolf in front of everyone. So, how am I supposed to buy your alibi to avoid having to go through the training?” His eyes narrowed in on me.

Instead of turning fearful because I had just infuriated the Alpha, his allegations only heightened my irritation and fueled my anger.

"How I wish I were simply telling you lies. I wasn't though! So, you can decide whether to believe it or not. But at the very least, consider wondering why I didn't flee while I was being attacked by humans. Because if only I could have brought Reina out at that moment, I was already far away before you ever arrived to save me! So, if you still want to chastise me for my faults, go ahead. Or, if you prefer, kill me since my life isn't worth living in the first place!”

The room remained silent, but I was still seething within. Even as I stayed motionless in front of Alpha Calle, my frustration continued to hammer in my ears. He remained expressionless in opposition, but his amber eyes were dark—almost black.

"Reina," he murmured, his voice raspy. " Is that your wolf's name? ”

I was unable to discern his expression or whatever was going through his head. But as he drew closer to our faces, I swallowed when a flush of panic crept up my face.

"Y-yes." I turned away and tightened my hand. "I... I've lost her ever since you found me in the woods." I excluded the specifics of how I was still connected to Reina through my dreams. I see no reason for him to be interested in my wolf, anyway.

He took a step back, allowing me to finally breathe normally.

“If that’s the case, I have no choice but to—”

"Calle Alpha!"

Alpha Calle jerked his head toward the door after hearing an agitated voice. He was called out by Beta Degen whose chest was visibly rising and falling.

"What's that?" Alpha Calle walked over to him, his voice calm but rough.

"Alpha Gary has started attacking us. His soldiers have already entered our borders!"

“Is that so?” Alpha Calle muttered, his shoulders becoming broader as he breathed deeply. “Good. I’m actually in the right mood to kill him. Where exactly is the scumbag now?”

“Less than a kilometer from the South perimeter,” Beta Degen said, his hands balled into fists.

“Let’s go.”

Before Alpha Calle closed the door, he shot me a stern look and said, “Remain in this room until I return.”

***

I wanted to stick with the Alpha’s orders so he wouldn’t get pissed off at me again. But hell, I couldn’t just root in my spot and wait while I knew this pack was being attacked.

“That’s it!" I blew out my cheek and stood up, raising out the door.

Despite the mansion's intricate layout, I was able to leave through the hallways while keeping a close eye on anybody nearby or behind me. The last thing I wanted was to be caught and shoved back to the office or my room.

I eventually found myself leaving the ground level through the rear door after a few minutes. The huge field was what I saw. I wrapped myself when I noticed the spread of blood all over the grassland. Its metallic odor was thick in the air.

"Alpha Calle..."

Without realizing it, I heard myself murmuring Alpha Calle's name as my eyes roved about. 'What if that blood is his own? What if he is injured or worse, killed?' Cold fear gripped my heart at that thought.

I tapped my cheeks to shake off the horrible thoughts that were engulfing me. Why would I care about him? He was the Alpha of this pack. Even without making an effort, he can fight and defend himself. I was the one who needed protection because I couldn't even defend myself. And now I felt bad about violating his orders to stay in his office.

I willed my legs to move back towards the house. With each step I took, my level of fear increased. As the pounding in my chest skyrocketed, my body seemed to move in slow motion, dragging my legs through the air as though I were trying to run through pottage.

I stopped dead in my tracks when a strong hand clutched my arm, sending a jolt through my body.

“Nowhere to go, little girl?”

I never got the chance to cry for help as he pulled me and spun around until I was crushed against a hard wall of a chest. And before I tried to move, he lifted my chin with his thumb and forced me to look at his face.

“I am nearly convinced that Calle is good at preserving his little pups. But here you are, exposed and unprotected.” The long and fresh scar across his face was enough for my body to go cold with dread when he leaned forward. His dark huge eyes glowed as he sniffed me. “Well, I’m still lucky after all. I got Calle’s whore.”

“I’m what?” My blood boiled in my veins at the label he called me. It made my hand fly until it landed on his hard face. “I’m not a whore!”

“Did you just slap me?” He gritted and wrapped his hands around my neck. “You little whore! I’m almost at the idea of keeping you for myself. But since you disrespected an Alpha, I’m going to kill you instead!”

“H-help… somebody…” Those were the last words that escaped my lips as pain squeezed my system. But before I lost my consciousness, my ears still managed to catch a familiar deep voice, screaming until it morphed into a wolf’s growl.

Daphne

“I’m tired. Let’s stop by here for a while,” Reina pleaded to me.

My eyes wandered around as Reina and I rested at the base of a massive root system. Some of the trees around us withered, rising out of the earth to brush against the sky. Sunlight danced across fern fronds and glistened off of morning dew. Meanwhile, just meters away from us was a quiet crystal clear stream. The water flow had a perfect sequence as it rushed across the rough rocks.

“Can we just stay here forever?”

I shot Reina a small smile when I turned to her. She was beautiful. Her silky fur shone as if she rolled over a thousand silver glitters. “Of course, girl. Here in the forest, no one’s going to harm us both. No one will tell us what to do and what not to do. We are free to decide for ourselves. We’ll only do fun stuff—running, hunting, playing in the streams, and sleeping until the sun is high again.”

“Well, that’s fun.” She made a low whimper and snuggled against me.

I cuddled her back when the cold morning fog burrowed into my skin and at the same time, sent a shudder of movement through the branches of the birch trees.

“Um, Daphne ?”

“Yes, Reina?” I responded. My face was buried under her ear. She smelled of fresh grass and earth. The nerves in my system began to calm, and the beating of my worried heart returned to its normal rhythm.

“I don’t want to be separated from you ever again,” she moaned, making my heart sink.

“Not going to happen again. I’d rather die,” I mumbled, my hand reaching up, brushing the fluffy hair from the back of her head. “You and I are like twins with a single soul. We’re always counting on each other.”

“Sure thing,” she said. “I love you, Daphne .”

“I love you too,” I whispered. “Um, Reina. There’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Why can’t I shift? Why are you staying out of my body? Aren't we all meant to exist as a single being?”

She did nothing but cuddle up to my neck in return. Her tiny whimper was unaccompanied by any words.

***

“ Daphne, wake up! Wake up!”

As I opened my eyes, I gasped sharply and the strong urge to cough made me sit up. I touched my neck because it hurt like it had been knotted by a thick rope. That was the moment I remembered I was attacked. Still a bit disoriented, I looked up at the person who was rubbing my back.

“B-Beta Degen?” My eyes grew wide, noticing his bruised face. But he seemed not affected by his wounds, even the blood dripping from the side of his face. I couldn’t help but feel dead worried about him, though. “You’re hurt.”

“This is nothing. Just a little scratch,” he said in a rough tone, his brows contracting when his eyes lowered to my neck. When he pressed the area beneath my ear, he clenched his teeth when I groaned in pain.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

“I have no idea who Alpha Calle killed first—you for disobeying your Alpha’s orders or Gary for nearly murdering you.”

My senses had been slowly brought back to life when he mentioned Alpha Calle. I was about to utter a word when a disturbing and thunder-like growl sliced through the air. When I cocked my head over my shoulder, my heart hammered in my chest at the sight of two massive werewolves growling at each other. One of them had a gray coat with a reddish line of fur down its spine. The other wolf had a fiery auburn coat, with a rich copper mass across his back. I was certain that the latter was Alpha Calle. From that moment I’d seen him in wolf form, it seemed like he was the only beautiful thing that I could recognize.

“Can you walk? If you have any broken bones, I’ll just carry you,” Beta Degen said.

He was about to scope me from the ground when I protested. “I am capable of standing up, even running!”

“Don’t dare run,” he warned in a low tone.

I rolled my eyes and focused on the two wolves instead as I finally got to my balance. Then I noticed that we were not the only people around. The men who were witnessing the tension had huge builds like Beta Degen, all looked intimidating as they shot cautious stares at the gray wolf. They might be the warriors of their pack.

‘Something was wrong around here,’ I thought and gazed up at Beta Degen. “What’s going on? Why are you not helping the Alpha? Or anyone from the Warriors? Are they just going to watch them?”

Beta Degen shook his head. He looked calm, but the way his eyes glued on the two Alphas, he seemed very troubled. I could feel his tension in the way his large hand wrapped around my wrist. He might have known I would run from him when I got the chance. “Alpha Gary came to challenge Alpha Calle in a duel.”

“A-a duel?”

I couldn’t help but recall what my brother, Jaime, had told me about challenging an Alpha. He’d said the moment a challenge was issued, they couldn't turn it down to protect their pride and maintain the respect of the pack members toward them. When the challenger killed the Alpha, it would make them the new Alpha of his pack.

The gray wolf groaned something, making Alpha Calle snap his head up, baring his teeth. Then Alpha Gary turned his direction to me, locking his brown stares into mine as if I was his prey. My throat closed. It looked like the subject of their chat before they went to a fight was none other than me.

I glanced up at Beta Degen. “What are they speaking about?” It was frustrating that I couldn’t catch all of their conversations. I guess the Alpha only picked words that he wanted to say directly to anyone within his pack members—like how he spoke to me in his wolf form that day in the woods.

Beta Degen’s jaw tightened. “Alpha Gary says he wants the pack… and you.”

“M-me?”

My stomach plummeted to my knees. Why in the world did he want me? What if the gray wolf whom they called Alpha Gary won? For as long as I remembered, he was in the process of killing me before I passed out. Anxiety throbbed inside me as that disturbing thought streamed inside my head.

‘I have to trust Alpha Calle.’ I could tell that he was stronger than the other Alpha even though he looked younger.

Time seemed to slow as the gray wolf pounced, galloping toward Alpha Calle on strong paws. His shoulder muscles rippled as he narrowed the space between them. And then he pulled back his jaws, revealing those rows of sharp teeth.

Alpha Calle, on the other hand, charged him with a dangerous growl. His red coat was like a raging flame as he soared over the gray wolf to dodge its sharp grasp. He landed behind him only to be attacked again with the other wolf’s claws. This time, the ashen beast was aiming for his neck.

“No!”

I was about to step forward when Beta Degen yanked me closer. “I need to get you back in the house, Daphne,” Beta Degen gritted. “That’s your Alpha’s order.”

“I don’t want to hide there and lose my mind while I know the threat is around!” I yelled, pulling my arm from his grasp.

“You’re just as stubborn as you look like, aren’t you?” he huffed, his nose crinkled. “Good thing I’m no longer the one to train you after this whole mess is done. Better off dealing with my well-disciplined warriors than you.”

I frowned. “What do you mean you’re not training me anymore?”

My question was left hanging in the charged air when thunderous roars rolled around like an earthquake. I turned my attention back to the duel with a gasp upon seeing Alpha Calle having a vicious locked battle with the gray wolf. The two beasts trundled across the ground.

The second wolf was forced to the ground by Alpha Calle, who also snapped his jaws in its face. I held back a scream as I braced myself for him to rip Alpha Gary's face off. The wolf's shoulders were bitten by Alpha Calle when he knelt to do so. The gray one screamed in agony and hatred as blood poured from the wound until his body finally gave way and he fell to the ground unconscious.

‘Is… is the fight finally over?’

Our Alpha stepped back, growling, his teeth bared and tail twitching. Then he turned in my direction, but his gaze was on Beta Degen.

Beta Degen nodded as though he just got orders from Alpha Calle’s wolf form.

“What did he say?” I asked impatiently.

“He wants Gary to be imprisoned in the darkest dungeon,” he said and gave me a hard gaze. “You see, not everything's about you.”

I grimaced a hint of embarrassment pricked inside my chest. ‘He has a point. How stupid of me to expect that I’m the priority of this pack.’

Still, in wolf form, Alpha Calle ambled towards us, his amber eyes wide as they met mine. I held my hand to my chest. I wasn’t sure if the thudding in my chest was because of my tension during the duel or the fact that he chose to approach me first after a triumphant fight. Anyhow, I was relieved that he won and was alive—that even though he showered me with a sermon for breaking his orders, I would carry it with no hard feelings.

I was about to give him a small smile when I noticed that the gray wolf stirred from afar. And before the warriors realized it, he was sprinting just before Alpha Calle.

“Watch out!”

Alpha Calle paused. Estimating the attack, the wolf Gary would be already breaking Alpha Calle's bones before he could even spin in the direction of the threat. Beta Degen also roared, screaming at him that the gray wolf was behind him.

Maybe it was the panic that was fueling me… or the adrenaline pumping through my body that made me move in a way I didn’t expect. Because in just a flash of light, I found myself standing right in front of the charging wolf.

“Stop!” I squeaked.

Gary’s brown eyes widened in surprise. But his pace didn’t seem to hold up when I showed up out of nowhere to block him from advancing to Alpha Calle. His speed only accelerated.

I froze in horror, watching the huge gray wolf sprinting as he locked his irises toward me as though I was his favorite food. My misty gaze spotted those sharp claws, I felt dead already just by imagining them piercing through my body.

‘Is this my end?’

I still had a lot of dreams that needed to come true. I aspired to complete my education to have a respectable profession, just like everybody. I yearned to have my wolf back most of all. Though I had no idea how to search for a way to get her back. Without my wolf, I had nothing. I also didn't want to pass away without her.

“Help!” I sank to my knees, wrapping my arms around my nape. My eyes shut, waiting for death to claim me.

Just as I was preparing to be sliced in two when I heard a thud in front of me. Slowly, I raised my face, and my eyes widened as Alpha Calle continued to bang the gray wolf to the ground like a dead log. He was already in a human form when he wrapped his long arms around the beast’s neck, his muscles contracted as he tightened his grip. Shortly, the sound of bone breaking cracked through the stilled air, and its tongue hung after an agonizing howl.

Alpha Calle glared at me, the huge wolf still inside his arms. “How did you move that f*cking fast, huh?” he asked, panting. “And why the hell did you have to do that? Do you want to die?”

My lips were trembling when I parted them. But before I could even utter a word, I was startled as a huge flame engulfed the gray wolf. I wanted to think that my eyes were only deceiving me. But I was too close to witnessing what happened.

‘How did he do it?’

The fire started from his hands. And he didn’t let go of the wolf as the flame continued to devour it until it became fine ashes.