Chapter 2

　　Louisa's POV

　　My lips were swollen and ruptured.

　　Tears of shame kept falling down my face.

　　Every joint of my bones hurt.

　　I was locked up by Zion in the stable.

　　He didn't chain me up, but said, "Stay here and don't move."

　　Then, he walked away.

　　I started to get restless when he walked away.

　　"You're in pain." I heard my inner wolf's voice.

　　"I'm sorry." I apologized and struggled to get up.

　　"Don't move. You'll hurt yourself," she said.

　　"But I have to find a way to get out of here." I said, "I can go to Uma's tent. She'll save me."

　　Uma was the shaman doctor in our tribe.

　　"Shift and I'll take you there," she said.

　　"I can't shift. I don't have any more strength." I said.

　　"I'll help you," she said.

　　My limbs started to get stiff and numb. The burning sensation of the split was spreading from my abdomen to every inch of skin on my body.

　　White hair started to cover the bruises on my body.

　　My head felt like exploding as my hands were changing into claws.

　　When the shift finally stopped, the pain ceased as well.

　　She swiftly jumped out of the stable through the window.

　　I looked at her reflection in a puddle of water on the ground.

　　A tiny white wolf with timid blue eyes.

　　"I'm as skinny as a fox," she said.

　　"I'm sorry I can't get us enough food," I said.

　　"It's OK. I'll get us some," she said.

　　"Please, let's go to Uma's tent." I begged her, "She might still have some leftovers for us."

　　She sniffed around and said, "I don't want to eat leftovers. I know where we can get some real food."

　　She quickly ran towards the canteen.

　　"Don't steal any food. It's for the soldiers. They need it for the war." I tried to reason with her.

　　"No." she said, "You need it for survival. You can't heal if we're starving."

　　She jumped into the canteen and looked at piles of roasted steak.

　　She took the largest one in her mouth and sneaked out.

　　"See, no one sees us." she said, "All the kitchen helps are summoned to the Grand Hall. They're preparing for tomorrow's feast. The White Walkers are coming."

　　"But stealing is wrong," I said.

　　"I don't care. Being wrong is better than being dead." she munched and champed on the steak.

　　"I'm sorry for putting you through this." I said, "I'm so useless."

　　"You haven't done anything wrong." she gobbled up the rest of the steak and licked her mouth, "You're thought to be weak, but that's not a sin."

　　"I wish I could be stronger." I said, "My old nanny told me that I was a premature child. Nobody believed that I could survive."

　　"But you're still alive. So maybe you're not that weak as people think," she said.

　　"I sense people coming. Could we please go to Uma's tent now?" I asked.

　　"OK, but before that." she jumped up on the roof and howled at the sky.

　　I bathed in the sunshine.

　　I felt that all of my shame were relieved.

　　I felt… happy.

　　"Why do you howl like that all the time?" I asked.

　　"It's a mating call." she said, "Only your mate will hear it. And when he hears it, he will reply."

　　I strained my ears and listened.

　　There was no reply.

　　My wolf must have sensed my disappointment.

　　"One day, there will be," she said with determination.

　　To be honest, I didn't get my wolf.

　　I hadn't met her for very long, but it didn't take me very long to know that she had a very different philosophy of living from me.

　　She was always strong, bold, and optimistic.

　　She had never ever complained about anything.

　　I was a laughing stick in our pack, but she never seemed to care.

　　"Louisa?"

　　It's Uma's voice.

　　"Is that you? What are you doing on the roof? Come down here."

　　"Oops." my wolf said.

　　She jumped down from the roof.

　　Her tail was retracted. She was whining and whimpering like a guilty child.

　　Uma grabbed the hair and skin on her neck and lifted her up like a rabbit in the air.

　　"You little rascal!" Uma grumbled as she carried my wolf into her tent, "What have you been doing? Running around like this? You were supposed to be locked up in the stable. Gosh, I have to give you a bath before sending you away. You look terrible."

　　As soon as Uma took me back to her tent, my wolf shifted into me.

　　"My Goodness." she gasped, "What happened to you? Why are you covered with cuts and bruises?"

　　"I rolled down from a slope," I said.

　　"Well, how many times? Because they're just too many cuts." Uma took out her potion box and rubbed some purple powder on my wounds.

　　"Sorry, Uma," I said. The powder raised the pain of my wound, but I didn't dare to make an objection.

　　"You don't have to apologize for everything," Uma looked at me with her olive—green eyes, "especially when it's not your fault."

　　I lowered my head and didn't say anything.

　　She lifted my chin and wiped some purple powder on my fractured lips.

　　My lips were distorted because of the pain.

　　"Does it hurt?" Uma looked concerned.

　　"Yes." I nodded slightly.

　　Most wolves would heal themselves when they're in good condition.

　　Only wolves who get too sick or weak would lose this vital ability.

　　I was both sick and weak.

　　So I often ask Uma to treat my wounds with the potion.

　　"Well, you have to let the prunella powder sit on your wound for a while before they're healed," Uma said.

　　After my wounds were healed, I took a bath.

　　Then, I lowered my head and said to Uma, "I've been sold to Alpha Lucas of White Walkers. Father has owned them a lot of money."

　　Uma said with tears in her eyes and said, "I've heard of that. Zion asked me to dress you up."

　　I cried and said, "This may be the last time I see you in my life, Uma. And you're the only one that cares about me in this world."

　　"Don't say that." Uma wiped her tears and said, "You're not as weak as you look. You're a tough little she—wolf. You've got a heart of gold, so do not ever change that. Here, I'll give you my potion box. I labeled them very carefully with a prescription underneath. When the White Walkers want to kill you, tell them that you can help them to heal the wounded soldiers. They might let you survive. And this…"

　　Uma took out a V—neck maroon—colored dress with corals as decoration.

　　"This is for you. I was wearing it on my wedding day."

　　"Uma, I can't have this… This is too precious." I said.

　　"You're precious," she said and helped me to put it on.

　　I looked into the mirror and frowned.

　　The prunella powder healed my wound, but the scars still existed.

　　They zigzagged and spread all over my body.

　　"What is it?" Uma held me in her arms.

　　"All the scars. I look ugly." I covered my face.

　　Uma took down my hands and said, "Scars tell what we've been through. They show people that you're strong. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

　　I touched the coral on the dress.

　　"It's such a beautiful dress. I wish I could wear it to see my mate. But I haven't even met him yet." I whispered.

　　"You will meet him. Eventually, you will. And when you meet him, all the bad things that happened to you will be gone. You will have two heartbeats in you. And then, three. Because you'll bear his baby. And that is the most beautiful thing in this world." Uma stroked my hair and said.