Narrated by Elizabeth
I'm not quite sure what's happening; yesterday my father introduced me to the village, showed me why I was different and why I couldn't leave the house, and soon after he left to find his mate.
"Elizabeth, it's breakfast time or you'll be late for school!" Uncle Alec called out, but I was wishing it was my father.
"I'm coming down," I replied. I'm scared about school because I'm the only one who isn't a wolf. Uncle Alec said that as the supreme alpha's daughter, I have nothing to fear, and he's sending his son along for my protection.
"Elizabeth, this is my son Athos, he will be by your side to assist you in whatever is needed," Uncle Alec introduces us. I'm a bit puzzled but still greet him.
"Hello, Athos, nice to meet you. You're the first boy I've ever seen." He is dark-haired with brown hair, black eyes, and quite tall for a six-year-old.
"Shall we go, Eliz? Or we'll be late for the first day of class," Athos, whom I've just met, has already given me a nickname. I have a feeling I can trust him.
"Yes, let's go," I look at Uncle Alec.
"I can't come with you because I have a lot of work to do, but the driver will drop you off at the school door, okay?"
"See you later," we say in unison and then head for school.
Standing in front of the school, I feel a chill in my stomach as if thousands of butterflies had decided to migrate.
"Athos, can you hold my hand? I'm scared," I say, looking down at the ground, and then I feel his hand in mine.
"Don't be silly, lift your head. My father told me that as the supreme alpha's daughter, you shouldn't fear the others," Athos encourages me just as we enter the classroom and an immediate silence falls. Everyone is looking at us, and there's a table set for me and Athos right at the front.
"Good morning, little wolves, I am Mirian Tales, I am your teacher," she enters with a ray of sunshine, smiling and joyful, but when she sets eyes on me, it's as if she's seen a monster.
"What is a human child doing here?" she obviously doesn't know I'm the supreme alpha's daughter. She moves closer and I become acutely aware as Athos jumps in front of me and growls at the teacher.
"What's gotten into you? Can't you see she shouldn't be in the pack?" Athos is angry, beginning to transform as the school security comes in to calm him.
"Teacher Mirian, sorry there wasn't time to notify you. This little one here is Elizabeth Müller, and this young wolf is her future beta. She was introduced last night by the supreme," the security explains. When she backs away from me, Athos sits and straightens his clothes.
"I said I would take care of you," Athos says with a smile that enchants me; I really can believe in him.
"Thank you. I'm just not used to other people," I say, returning a shy smile.
We spend the whole morning listening to what they will teach us, but above all, the first hunt attracted my attention. If you're not successful, you'll fail and have to repeat the year. This worries me because I'm not a wolf. How will I catch my prey? I raise my hand and wait.
"Yes, Elizabeth, what is your question?" she addresses me, and I freeze. Athos nudges me to speak. I look at him and gather my courage.
"I am not a wolf. How will I hunt?" I take a deep breath and crouch in my chair, and Teacher Mirian bends down, looks into my eyes, and says:
"Well, this is the first time I've had a non-wolf student, and I can't exclude you just because you're the supreme alpha's daughter; it wouldn't be fair to the others." She speaks, and my eyes start to well up; this isn't how I'm going to make my father proud.
"My father won't be proud of me if I don't pass the year," I say with a trembling voice. The bell rings, and everyone leaves. Mirian looks at me and says:
"There's no rule in the school preventing the use of a weapon on the hunt." I look at her, wiping away tears so they don't fall. I give her a smile, and she returns it; I can hardly believe it – she's helped me even though she doesn't like having a human in her class. I go home and have lunch; I still have to go to the gym.
In the gym, the wolves are trained in hand-to-hand combat, and when they are older, they start using firearms. I arrive and head to the office because, as a human, I need a private teacher.
"Good afternoon, I'm Elizabeth. I'm here for my first lesson," the secretary tells me to sit because my teacher is a bit late but won't be long. I play with my cell phone when a man about 27 years old enters. He has straight long hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and the physique of someone who works out every day.
"Sorry I'm late; got a flat tire on the bike," he says to the secretary. I wonder if this is my teacher; he turns to me.
"You're tinier than I thought," he comments.
"I'm only five years old; I've still got a lot of growing to do," I retort like the spoiled child I am.
"Easy there, tiny fury. I'm Filipi, your combat and edged weapons instructor," he introduces himself with a wide smile.
"Let's begin with the warm-up," he says. After we warm up, he has me run 10 laps around the gym; I'm already tired, and he motivates me:
"Come on, don't lose the pace. I know you have more strength than it seems." He's quite demanding. After the run, we begin with the basic movements of feet and hands.
"Look, you've got a knack. With a lot of training, you might even be able to take me down," he remarks, and I smile and start again. After two hours of training, I'm ready to collapse.
"What weapon would you recommend for my first hunt?" Filipi considers the question; he must be pondering since no one has used one before.
"Let me think. If it were me, I would take a crossbow and a knife," he suggests.
"Good, will you teach me how to use them? I have six months to learn to hunt before the first chase," I say. He seems to ponder before responding.
"Alright, we'll train hand-to-hand combat twice a week and the other days we'll practice with the crossbow and knife. Does that sound good to you?" Filipi asks. I just nod my head, ready for the training sessions.
"I WILL MAKE MY DAD PROUD!" I end up shouting. He looks at me and smiles:
"See you tomorrow at the same time, don't be late." The irony doesn't escape me as I was punctual, but I keep the comment to myself.
"See you later," I say goodbye and head towards the door when I see Athos being harassed by other students his age.
"You've become the pet of that filthy human," one of the harassers states.
"Athos, have you no pride in being a wolf, serving a human as though she were one of us?" says another. I can't ignore the unfair fight; I know they are stronger than me, but 2 against 1 is cowardly. I run to Athos's aid just as he takes a punch.
"STOP, LEAVE ATHOS ALONE!". The cowards—one grabbing him, the other punching—don’t stop, so I step in front and, somehow finding strength and courage, I land a punch on one's nose, breaking it. Athos seizes the chance to break free and beats the one who was holding him. I didn't come out unscathed, though, as I take a punch below my left eye, which angers Athos even more, and he beats the other boy until he nearly loses consciousness. We look at each other, worse for wear.
"How are we going to get into the house without Uncle Alec seeing us in this state?" I ask Athos. He shrugs and says:
"Well, I'm going to be grounded for letting you get hurt; I'll just tell the truth," I admire his bravery as we walk into the house, Uncle Alec comes towards us and inquires about our state. I explain that the day hasn't been the best and that many people dislike me, so we got into a fight.
"Miss Elizabeth, your father on the phone," a maid announces. I reach for my cell phone and notice it's dead.
"Thank you, I'll take it in my room."
When I reach my room, I collapse on the bed and pick up the phone, telling him about my day and that I'm grounded for a week for fighting, which means no cell phone or TV. My father laughs a lot, saying he misses me already and apologizing for not being with me on my first day of many new experiences. He says he's on his way to the next pack, still with no sign of his mate. I bid my dad goodnight and hang up.
I miss him, but I'll strive so that when he returns, I'm not just a spoiled girl but a true warrior. After dinner, I head up for a bath, get into my pajamas, and lie down waiting for Uncle Alec to wish me goodnight. I hear footsteps in the corridor; unexpectedly, it's Athos who enters.
"Hi, just came to say goodnight. If you need anything, I'm next door. Just yell. My dad sends a kiss and says goodnight; he's still working," he says. I respond with a "goodnight," watch him turn and close the door, then snuggle into bed and fall into sleep.
Months have passed since my father left me in the care of his beta Alec and his son Athos, and now there's only a month until the first hunt. I thought my father would be with me on this important day. Not much has changed: I still go to school and face harassment. At the gym, I'm getting better every day, now able to take down wolves my age. Filipi says I'm progressing much faster than expected, which is great, but I still encounter the annoying duo, Amom and Alvaro, after training. They always tease me and Athos. My father calls almost every night, and lately, I've been lying to him; the last time he was ready to abandon his search to return and be with me. I can't deny him the chance to find a mate.
The long-awaited day arrives—the first hunt. Filipi says I'm ready because I've trained hard and hunted several times with Athos, even catching rabbits. I prepare my gear, check the crossbow, strap the knife to my waist and wear neutral clothes to blend in with the forest.
At the clearing, which is the starting point for the hunt, we all listen carefully to Teacher Mirian's instructions.
"Everybody ready?" Teacher Mirian asks.
"You will have three hours to catch your prey and return to school. Even if you don't succeed, come back to the meeting point. Understood?" In unison, everyone responds, "YES."
"Athos, I'm going alone, okay?" I want to prove that I'm capable even though I'm not a wolf.
"Okay, Eliz, but if you don't make it, we meet here!" I give him a determined look, frown and say:
"There's no 'not making it.' I've worked hard for this test, and I won't fail—no way am I letting myself and my dad down." I focus, saving time.
"On your mark, get set, go bring your hunts!" Instantly, I head towards where I know there are many rabbits. It takes about an hour to get there, and when I do, I find a deer and no rabbits. Without time to search further, I must take this chance.
I lay on the ground, crawling to find a better position, knowing I can't miss as there won't be time to chase it. Holding my breath, I aim for its heart and shoot. The deer runs towards me before I have time to reload the crossbow. Rising with the knife, I leap at the right moment, latching onto its neck. It tries to throw me off, but I have no choice; I stab it in the neck, and it tosses me off, running a few meters before collapsing. Done, I hurry to it, relieved to see it lifeless and small—roughly 35 kilograms, way too heavy for me to carry. I bind it with a rope and start pulling. With almost two hours left, I should be able to make it back. After an hour dragging it through the woods, I rest for five minutes then resume, the finish line within reach, I can't fail now.
Approaching the clearing utterly drained, Teacher Mirian checks her watch.
"Congratulations, Elizabeth, you made it with one minute to spare—and with the best catch of the day." Overwhelmed with fatigue and success, I fall asleep on the spot.
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 35 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments