2. Shunned and Welcomed

Training had me perplex… Indeed, the hairs at the back of my neck stood to attention, and my skin warmed up deliciously, as I felt stares on me.

I was not usually as vain as to want attention on me. I was, however, cursed to draw attention at each and every event, seeing as I was the only wolfless member in the pack.

A week ago, my parents and I were welcomed into this new pack. And what a nice change of pace it was!

My previous pack couldn’t even tolerate the sight of me after they found out, on my sixteenth birthday, that no other entity – no wolf – manifested itself in my brain, and that I was unable to shift.

I went from the easygoing girl, who only had friends, to the outcast, the disgrace of the pack in less time than anyone would need to say wolf.

No matter what I did or said, no matter if I defended myself against the insults thrown my way, or just fought as viciously as the next wolf when a rogue attack occurred – in an attempt to prove myself worthy of belonging to the pack – their distaste for me knew no bounds.

When my parents found out, nearly 2 years later, that I was being heavily judged and kind of bullied for the fact that I had no wolf, they decided to take action.

They requested an audience with the alpha, and as warriors, they got one easily.

While I might be an abomination to the whole werewolf community, my parents were still some of the best warriors the pack ever had.

Needless to say, it didn’t go as well as they would have hoped for.

I wasn’t sure what had transpired, but even I knew that my mom’s pained expression, when they returned home, meant that there was trouble looming in the horizon.

“Pack your things, Jade,” my dad instructed in a soft albeit firm tone. “We leave at down.”

I knew not to argue.

This was something I had anticipated.

Warriors or not, if the alpha himself decided I was a disgrace to be shunned, my family would suffer the consequences.

It was not until I was in the car the following morning that I dared to ask, “Did the alpha really have to ban us?”

My mom giggled softly. “We were not banned sweetheart.”

I was taken aback at that. “But we’re…”

“We’re leaving of our own accord,” my dad supplied.

“What?” My eyes bulged.

Surely, he didn’t forsake his future as head warrior… Dad had coveted the title for so long after all.

“We cannot stand by and let you get bullied for something that is beyond your control,” she then told me in a soft tone. Then, tears flooded her eyes, and I was about to ask them to turn around and ask for forgiveness from the alpha. I could bear whatever happened to me. I just didn’t want my parents, my only family, to suffer because of me.

“We are sorry it took us so long to notice the bullying. We should have noticed the signs, how you became a little bit of a recluse after you didn’t manage to shift. We just thought you were the one who no longer wanted to mingle…” my dad, the proud warrior who rarely ever had to apologize for anyone, pleaded with me to understand as he kept on driving.

“It’s okay, dad,” I sniffled and did my best to keep my own tears at bay. “It’s not your fault. If anything, I’m the one who’s sorry for troubling you...”

“Nonsense,” he said almost gruffly.

Mom, on the other hand, remained silent in the passenger seat, but I noticed that her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.

She was crying because of me. And the thought alone brought tears to my eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered under my breath.

“Never apologize for being who you are,” she told me sternly and yet affectionately at the same time. “I’m just sad you didn’t trust me – us – enough to tell us what you were going through.”

I thought you knew and were turning a blind eye to it all.

I didn’t have the courage to say this, and thus, only opted for telling her how sorry I was instead.

Mom had originally come from a pack other than the one dad belonged to.

And since she had found love in his arms, she didn’t hesitate to leave her family and friends for him. And now, it seemed like they both didn’t mind leaving their friends, their home, for little boring wolfless me.

I felt protected, cherished, and most importantly loved.

It was sad, however, that we had to leave, only because most pack members couldn’t accept that I was different.

Why couldn’t they understand that I had the senses of a wolf but just lacked the wolf itself?

“You’re awfully silent, sweetheart,” she commented after some time.

“I’m just thinking,” I told her with a bleak smile. “What if no pack accepts me – us?”

“My old pack’s alpha knows of our reasons for leaving, and he accepted us readily.”

Her response startled me and I let out a long relieved sigh. They had already made plans, and I didn’t need to worry.

That took a weight off my shoulders for sure.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Seven hours of driving and two stops later, my mom exclaimed, “We’re here.”

We were in the smallest and the most recluse town – or village – ever. Ironically – and maybe on purpose - it was called Moonlight Village.

My dad stopped at the sign, and no sooner had he, did someone appear before us.

“Who are you?” The man, buff and menacing, demanded to know in a tone that didn’t sit well with me but which I had to ignore.

“The name’s Falls, and we’re here to see the alpha of The Moonlight Pack,” was my father’s matter of fact response.

The man’s eyes glazed over. He was no doubt mind-linking someone from the pack to report that this wasn’t a trespassing attempt, maybe he was even contacting a higher-ranked wolf to know if our story stood…

“The imposing white mansion next to the high school is where you should be heading,” he told us simply, and then was off on his nonchalant way.

It wasn’t hard to find at all. The whole village consisted of small cozy looking homes, and there was but one mansion standing proudly next to the high school I no doubt was going to attend from now on.

To my surprise, the mansion buzzed with life, even though it was a week day. Servants came and went every each way, other casually dressed older wolves roamed the hallways freely and didn’t even bother looking at us.

One of them did come to greet us, a smile on his face, “You must be the Falls.”

My father nodded and confirmed the man’s assumption with a strong yes.

And we were soon ushered in the direction of a door.

A knock and a barely audible “Come in” later, and we were in front of the most handsome man I ever had the chance to look at.

I was an avid reader of romance, and he was what I would have easily called tall, dark, and handsome. Moreover, he had this dangerous aura to him that made me want to submit to him, in every possible way, even though I had no wolf to speak of.

He looked up from his paperwork at us, and I was almost taken aback by how vivid the green of his eyes was.

He didn’t smile but appraised us three with kind warm eyes.

My father didn’t utter a word. As tradition would have it, common wolves only spoke to an alpha when they were spoken to.

Were we even considered common wolves? We didn’t even belong to his pack yet.

He rose to his feet. His lips went from a thin line to a lopsided smile.

“Welcome to the pack,” he told us before coming nearer.

He shook hands with my parents successively before he focused his eyes on me.

I was never one to provoke a higher-ranked wolf, but instead of acting with the deference he was due, I unconsciously kept staring into his fascinatingly green eyes.

“Sweetheart,” mom exclaimed almost nervously.

I blushed a deep crimson and cast my eyes down.

And then, she nudged me, and it was only then that I noticed his extended hand.

Oh god! How long did I keep him waiting? I inwardly shrieked.

Then, trying to compose myself, I shook his hand timidly.

“You must be Jade,” he said, and his voice and proximity both did wonders to the butterflies having a field day in my belly.

I nodded, feeling like I might just faint. The alpha – this hunk of a man – knew my name.

I, Jade Falls, felt stupid at how that knowledge left me elated, and eager to make this moment memorable. Truth be told, I was surely doing a poor job at making a good impression on the one who was to be my alpha.

He then freed my hand and told us, “Your initiation ceremony will be tomorrow evening.”

“Thank you, alpha,” my dad told him, gratitude filling his voice.

“I hope you’ll enjoy staying in the first floor. Arrangements were made and you may get settled in as soon as right now.”

And with that, he nodded at us, silently and efficiently dismissing us.

When we exited his office, I felt like I could breathe properly again. The man was sure intense.

Handsome or not, he was bad – bad for my sanity and piece of mind.

We were soon enough escorted to the wing in which we were going to stay.

“What’s the alpha’s name, mom?” I asked, feeling my curiosity get the best of me.

“Oh, you don’t know? He’s the renowned Alexander Bad,” was her response.

Alexander Bad? I nearly had a heart attack at the mere name.

Everybody knew the rumors, and if even one of them was true, I reasoned I should stay clear of this heartthrob of an alpha... not that I stood a chance anyway.