She let the cool breeze play with her dark, messy hair.
She stopped writing in the logbook for a moment.
This breeze was just like the one in her dreams, the same playful nature only that in her dreams, it would take her afar off in the woods to see dead wolves, with their bodies marked by claws and teeth.
She would hear a voice calling out for help. The closer she got, the farther it went, coming from all directions.
In that confusion, a large wolf hand as cold as death with unusually sharp claws would grab her shoulder from behind. What it looked like or who it was, she didn't know.
Each time she attempted to turn around, she would find herself awake. Whatever the dream meant was still unclear to her. Just then, a cold sensation filled her shoulder, it was an arm
"Ahh!" Rose let out a frightened scream and fell to the ground.
She was a dark haired girl with fair skin and an oval face
"Rose? Are you okay?" Tracey, her chubby blonde friend rushed to pick her from the floor
"Yeah.. I guess" she examined her bruised elbow "Why did you scare me like that Tee? I thought it was.."
"The Alpha wolf?" Tracey raised an eyebrow
"Don't give me that look. He's real and I know it'
"They are just dreams, Rose. You probably have them because you're a destined to be a Luna" Tracey suggested
"So why does it keep coming back? Same wind, same woods, same voice, same everything. It can't be just dreams, can't you see? Something's lurking and I have something to do with it. If only I could find a link to all of this" Rose argued
"Come, sit" she directed Rose to the chair so she could dress the bruised spot
"Why don't you ask your mother? I'm sure she would know a thing or two"
Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow
"Of course she knows a whole lot but asking her would be a total waste of energy, I tell you. I can as well use that energy to sell more goods for Mrs Michaels" Rose said with a cunning face
A wild laughter erupted from Tracey first and then Rose. Rose's cellphone rang almost immediately, interrupting their fun.
"It's Jack" she gave Tracey a confused stare
"Hey Jack, hope everything is… whoa whoa whoa, calm down alright? I can't understand a single word you've said" she paused attentively
"Mother? No no no. How come? You know what? I'll be there right away. Just make sure she's in good condition till I come" she brought the phone down and held it to her chest nervously.
"Hey what did he say?" Tracey poked her head, worry written all over her face
"It's about my mother" Rose spoke in a low, frightened tone
"What about her? Is she sick again?"
"It's worse this time Tracey, she passed out earlier" Rose answered
"What? How come? She's still unconscious?" Tracey's eyes widened
"No, Jack says she's awake now but hasn't uttered a word" Rose said almost immediately
"That's really bad girl. What are you going to do?" Tracey inquired
"I need to go to her now, I can't even think straight anymore" Tear filled Rose's eyes
"Hey, look at me. It's going to be fine alright? Go see her at once" she tapped Rose's back.
Rose took hold of her bag swiftly and made for the door. She halted and turned to her friend
"What of Mrs Michaels? How do I deal with that?" Rose asked in a squeaky voice
"I'll cover up for you, she won't even suspect a thing" Tracey gave her a smile of assurance.
Without thinking, she ran back to Tracey and gave her a surrounding embrace
"Thank you Tracey, I don't know what I'd do without you" she sobbed on her shoulder
"It's okay already. You better stop or you're gonna make me cry too. I just need you to look after your mom, okay?" Tracey held her
"Okay" Rose sucked in the tears
"Now run along Luna girl" Tracey said
And off Rose went, running through the streets
"Rose?" A woman who lay feebly called out weakly
"I'm here mother" Rose advanced closer to where the woman lay. Her mother was a very pretty lady who had emaciated from the constant attack on her health. But despite her pale dead colour, her beauty shone
"Do you feel any better mom?" Jack, Rose's robust brother asked. Jack was a round boy with chubby cheeks and an innocent look
"Yes son, I'm much stronger" their mother kept a gaze at the ceiling until two lines of tears streamed down the sides of her eyes.
"Mom, please don't cry. I can imagine how traumatizing this predicament must be but you'll be fine alright? The doctor says there's a chance of you getting completely healed. I'm willing to work harder, even if I have to take a second job so I can take care of you and Jack" Rose cuddled her mother's hand
Carol gave a wry smile and placed a hand on her daughter's forehead
"No my dear, you don't have to. You've got such a good heart and you don't deserve any of this. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you and Jack enough. I'm sorry it had to come to this. It's time now, they'll be here any moment" Carol heaved
Rose and Jack looked at each other, they were obviously lost.
"Who is coming mother?" Jack spoke
Carol didn't answer, she just lay there quietly
"Mother, I don't feel good about this. Is there something you're hiding?" Rose was curious
"Sshh… stay still child. I feel the presence around" Carol hushed the young girl as she strained her ears to hear
"For goodness sake, who are they?" Rose pressed on, getting a bit frustrated
"Ahhh" a cry rang from outside followed by the fearful growling of a wolf"
Fear gripped Rose tightly. She could hear her own heart beat faster against her chest
"What was that sound?" Jack squeaked
His eyes bulged and his hands shook. Rose was equally scared if not more. She had never felt this much anxiety in fifteen years.
Her wolf wanted to scream out, and cry for help but no, she couldn't do that especially not when Jack needed her to be strong.
"Jack, come here" Rose gave him a hand
"Shh.. quietly" she cautioned. The last thing she could afford was drawing the attention of whatever was out there.
The growl came closer, they could hear how desperately it sniffed
She scrutinised the Alpha wolf in awe, she had seen nothing like that. It was thirty feet tall, with three inches canines, and paws as large as saucepansSuch huge stature, sharp claws and fierce nature were no match for smaller wolves like the OmegaOn the opposite side stood the Omega wolves, numbering up to thirty Despite being weaker, their courage stood out. Their eyes were resolute. Rose knew all the familiar faces from the Omega pack"Ro..ose?" Carol called out. She had been laying still all along. She struggled to sit up"Yes mom, you've got to lay still" Rose tried to keep her on her back "There's an Alpha wolf out there Mom" she announced"Help me sit, will you?" Carol leaned forward "I know and it's come to take you" Carol replied her fidgeting daughter calmlyRose's eyes widened. The words were hard to chew on "W.. what? But why mom? Why me?" Her voice shook, tear filled her eyes"You have to be stronger than ever now darling, you'll need to fight" Carol held her s
He pinned her to the wall with his claws"Mmm" Carol groaned in pain, struggling to break free from its choking claws, kicking her legs fervently high above the ground which she was held. "Mom's in danger, I have to do something" Rose pushed the door of the closet open and leaped out, Jack crawled behind her. "It's so tragic that it had to come to this Carol. I gave you a choice" It elevated it's sharp hand in the air attempting to strike "Let her go, you monster!" Rose advanced towards it with a sharp rod. Wayne turned his bright red eyes towards her and kicked the poor girl away before she had a chance to hit it"So you weren't that smart after all Carolyn? I knew I smelt other wolves in this room" he released his paws from Carol's neck and made towards the girl who lay writhing in pain.Carol fell hard to the floor and broke a leg. She gnashed her teeth in pain"I see that you got your mother's stubbornness" he pulled Rose up by her hair "Your mother's stubborn spirit is what
She knew he didn't feel any pain but she had to fight. Her mother, the very root of her being was murdered in cold bloodThe reality that she would never see her mother again, not even as a sick person dawned on her and she gave up punching and fighting, letting fate do whatever it wished with herWayne grabbed Jack and let him hang on his arm like a jacket as he swindled his way through the dead bodies of Omega wolvesThe dried leaves crunched under Wayne's feet as he trod the woodsRose felt dizzy, blood had flowed into her head. She stole a few glances at the trees they passed by. There were claw marks on the barks of the trees, broken wolf teeth littered the ground. Wayne proceeded to the gate of the castle. A werewolf still in his human form jerked up immediately"These little wolves could run but never hide from someone like you. You're the best hunter wolf in the Alpha pack aren't you? I'm sure you'd be duly rewarded" the gate guard grinned foolishly "How about I come along w
"Ma mère, her food is ready" one of the maidens who had left earlier announced as she wheeled in a tray of covered food"Good. What about the bath?" The elderly woman enquired "Vanessa is having it done ma mère" the lady answered.Rose took hold of every information she heard, the senior lady was called mother, maybe she birthed the two younger women. Among the two, the shorter one was referred to as Vanessa."Where do I place it?""Over to this side, child" Ma mère directed her. The slender maiden obeyed quietly and made for the door"Miriam?" Ma mère called her attention"Yes, good mother" she turned"Go get some rest. You've been working since the midnight hour""I sure will" Miriam nodded her head before leaving the room"Dear child" Ma mère sprang up "Fill your belly with this meal so you can have your bath there after" she looked up at the clock ticking stealthily on the wall "It's already past one? Good gracious! Hurry child, you must be ready to see Madame Gloria by three" M
"Your brother is safe, Rose," Ma mére said, her voice firm and reassuring"I can assure you of that. I have my eyes on him, no one would dare lay a finger on him, and he is being well cared for. You don't need to worry about him." Rose sat there, still feeling a bit uncertain. "How can you be so sure?" she asked. "What if they find a way to get to him?"Ma mére took Rose's hand in hers. "I am sure because I am Headmaid and nothing is done without my consent " she said"Rose, I understand your desire to see your brother," Ma mére said, "but I cannot allow that to happen, at least not now. I know that you are worried about him, but I can assure you that he is safe and well-cared for. I am responsible for ensuring his safety, and I cannot compromise that by letting you see him. I hope you can understand that my child" Rose let out a sigh. She knew that Ma mére was right, but it was still difficult to accept "I understand," she said, even though it was hard to say the words."Thank you
"Rose," Madame Gloria said, "I must confess something to you. I am not just a woman who found you. I am your aunt. I am the sister of your father." Rose's eyes widened in shock. "My father?" she whispered. "You are my aunt?" Madame Gloria nodded. "Yes, my dear," she said. "Your mother never told you about me, but I assure you that I am telling the truth. I was separated from your father when we were children, and we were not reunited until many years later. By then, I knew that you and your mother were in hiding. I wanted to find you, to bring you home. But I knew that your mother was stubborn, and I did not want to pull you away when you were still so young . So I waited, and I watched, and I did what I could to make sure you were safeWhen I heard that your mother had been killed, I was glad you'd finally come to be with me. So I brought you here, to where you truly belong. I hope you can understand, and that you can forgive me for not telling you the truth sooner."Rose sat in si
Rose felt like the walls were closing in around her. She couldn't breathe, and she felt like she was about to pass outShe had never felt this much fear and confusion before, and she didn't know what to do. She looked up at Madame Gloria, and her eyes were filled with tears"Please, Madame," she said, her voice shaking. "I can't do this. I can't marry Conrad. I can't leave my brother. Please, let us go. I will do anything, just please, let us go."Madame Gloria's expression remained firm. "I truly understand my dear," she said softly. "I know this is difficult, but I need you to understand something. You are not just a prisoner here. You are from a royal family. You have so many privileges and immunities now. You're going to be married into the wealthiest wolf pack, you'd attain status and be rest assured that your brother will be fine. You owe this much to your father and the Kingdom. But I need you to understand the consequences of your actions. If you refuse to marry Conrad, the
Rose lay on her bed, her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn't believe what had just happenedShe had been told that she had to marry someone she didn't know, or her brother would be killed. She felt like she was trapped, with no way outAnd on top of it all, she was missing her mother more than ever. She felt like she was lost in a maze of despair, with no way out. She curled up into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest, and wept.After what felt like hours, the door opened, and Ma mére enteredthe room. She looked at Rose with concern, and approached her"My dear child," she said, her voice gentle. "What is wrong? Tell me what happened." Rose looked up at her, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "It's... it's..." she stammered, trying to find the words. "It's the woman," she said, her voice cracking. "Madame Gloria. She told me... she told me that I had to marry someone... or... or she would... she would... hurt my brother!" She dissolved into tears again, una