1
The road to my house was utterly deserted, windows shuttered tight against the wall. Everything was so quiet except for the drumming of the rain and the squelch of my boots in the mud. I held my bags close to my chest and quickened my pace, my heart thudding painfully. Home wasn't far off. Just a few more blocks and I'd be safe inside, windows closed and doors bolted... A sudden rustling sounded behind me, barely audible over the downpour. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I forced myself to turn around and stare into the darkness. Nothing. Just the deserted road glistening wetly in the lamplight. "Get a grip, Freya," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "It's just your imagination playing tricks." But as I faced forward again to resume walking, I couldn't shake the prickling sensation on the back of my neck, the uncanny feeling of being watched. Of no longer being alone out here in the dark and the rain. Swallowing hard, I broke into a run, my bags banging against my legs as I ran for home, praying I was just being paranoid. Praying it was all in my head. Because in this town, you never knew what might be lurking in the shadows. And you never, ever wanted to find out. My lungs burned and my legs ached as I ran, but I didn't dare slow down. The weird feeling of being pursued only intensified with each splashing footfall. I risked a glance over my shoulder and my blood turned to ice. Something huge and dark was bounding after me, it was huge, tall and I couldn't decipher the color of whatsoever was chasing me, and it closed the distance with terrifying speed. A scream rose in my throat but got trapped there. I was choked off by sheer terror and then it dawned on me. I was being chased by a werewolf. I have heard of wolves who seek after weak ones like me, especially at dawn… "I see you little girl" I heard an eerie whisper. The hairs on my neck tangled up in terror. Faster, I had to run faster! But my feet tangled together and I went sprawling onto a bunch of logs, my bags flying. Winded and stunned, I rolled over with a gasp. The beast loomed over me, its dark eyes caused a shiver to run through my body, its terrifying form blacking out the lamplight. A werewolf, covered in shaggy black fur, my body racked with fear, that you could see my breath shaking and my heart beating so intensely fast. "You don't work alone late at night WEAK little girl." I heard the wolf whisper and I could see the snare that emitted from his razor-sharp teeth which gleamed as its lips peeled back in a snarl It probably knew I was wolfless and could not fight it. Oh my God.. I opened my mouth to scream again but only a strangled croak emerged. This was it. I was going to die here, torn apart by a monster, my blood mingling with the rain. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling as the werewolf brushed its claws at my face which made me shiver, bracing for the killing blow. But it never came. A thunderous roar shook the air and the weight of the beast vanished from my chest. My eyes flew open again to see an even larger wolf, more massive than the first, barreling into the black one in a furious tangle of fangs and claws. They rolled across the street in a vicious blur of combat, snarling and snapping. The big newcomer seemed to have the upper hand, using its superior size to pin the black wolf down. I heard the snap of bones, a high yelp of pain. The black wolf struggled frantically, but the larger one was too strong The larger wolf stood victorious over the smaller one who was whimpering painfully, chest heaving, his huge form dark against the stormy sky. Power rippled through every line of its body, raw and barely contained. I could feel the force of its presence pressing against my skin like a physical thing, I didn't know how I could feel his sheer strength, but it was happening, his aura all but encompassed me, forcing me to want to go closer to him. Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, never taking my eyes from the beast. I knew I should run, but fear and fascination stopped me in place. Some primal part of me sensed that this was no ordinary werewolf. The energy crackling around it was ancient, almost god-like in its potency. As if drawn by my gaze, the wolf's head swiftly turned in my direction. Even through the gloom and rain, I could see its eyes - twin pools of blood red, boring into mine with laser intensity. The breath seized in my lungs. I felt stripped bare, my soul laid open and vulnerable beneath that hard stare. Time seemed to stop, the world narrowing down to that single burning point of contact. The wolf's eyes held me in thrall, drowning me in depths of wildness and something else I couldn't name. Something almost...human. A flash of lightning shattered the moment, jolting me back to myself. Gasping, I wrenched my eyes away from the wolf's, a scream building in my throat. I whirled and ran, not daring to look back. I raced through the empty streets, the wolf's presence searing my back long after I left it behind. My mind whirled as I ran, trying desperately to process what I'd witnessed. The first wolf had almost killed me but somehow, impossibly, I'd been saved. The huge wolf couldn't have known me, but he had saved me. It still felt surreal. My mind cleared as I reached the familiar premises of my house. The lights were turned on, signaling that people were inside. I sighed as trepidation washed through me. It was time to face the nightmare I called family. ****
TWOThe front door creaked open, announcing my arrival home. My heart sank when I saw Kelly at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a dress that wasn't hers. That dress was mine. More than that, it was a piece of my soul, the only memory I had of my mother before she died. I can still clearly recall the time when my mother fell ill. It all happened so quickly, and I was too young to understand what was happening. My father didn't seem to care much, and whenever I asked my mom about it, she would brush it off and tell me not to dwell on it. She insisted that everything was fine, but deep down, I knew it wasn't.As I looked at Kelly, my anger surged. She had altered the dress in ways that completely changed its style. It had been a long gown before, but now there were cuts and additions that made it almost unrecognizable. My blood boiled as I realized that she had ruined something important to me."Kelly," I said, my voice trembling with emotion, "that's my dress. You have no right to be w
THREEThe zipper of my duffel bag whined as I dragged it across the teeth, securing the sparse contents of what I could call mine. My hands shuffled through the drawer one last time, searching for a cloth that didn't scream neglect or poverty—a task akin to finding a diamond in a coal mine. All I found were tattered jeans and faded shirts, each holding the scent of despair like a stubborn stain. I let out a frustrated sigh.I pulled out a simple, worn dress that had once been blue but now bore the uncertain hue of the twilight sky, dulled by too many washes. It was the best among the worst, and with shaking fingers, I folded it into a neat square, laying it atop the pile of clothes. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat an echo of the fear swirling in my chest. The decision to leave was a wild beast pacing within me, its presence terrifying yet somehow empowering. I would face the auditions to be one of the Alpha king's breeders, a thought that sent shivers down my spine, not
FOUR "Hey miss.. miss?" The continuous tap on my shoulder pulled me out of my short nap. I opened my eyes slowly with a yawn. My body felt so tired and I knew I needed more sleep. "Miss, you are at the palace road. You should get down before the train takes off" My eyes shot open at the mention of Train. "Oh! We are here? Oh!" I hastily pulled my bag from under me and bolted out of the train in excitement. I stood in front of the Crimson palace. My breath caught in my throat at the beautiful sight before me. The palace stood tall and so huge, white marble gleaming in the sunlight. I'd never seen anything like it before. I couldn't help but stare at the beauty. As I made my way towards the palace gates, I noticed that I wasn't the only one here. Women from all over the kingdom have also come to audition to be the alpha king's breeder. everyone was talking excitedly amongst themselves as we all waited for the gates to open. I could hear whispers filling the courtyard as we waited t
FIVE If looks could kill, I would be long dead by now. I stood still and speechless as I stared at my sister who was glaring at me with fire in her eyes. Connor beside me, watched the both of us confusedly. "Do you know each other or something Freya?" He asked me. I opened my mouth to form a response but Kelly beat me to it. "Oh, I would have you know that Freya is my house maid. She must have sneaked out of the house the moment I left to join the auditions." Kelly said, she stepped closer to Connor who was frowning at me. I took a shallow breath, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "You should send her home Mister. I will make sure my mother deals with her for deceiving everyone." "I seem to remember that the audition is open to every female in the land that is not married or promised to another man. So Miss Freya is just as free as you to partake in this program. If you will excuse me now, I have to be with the king." Conner said, brushing my shoulder lightly with a ki
SIX I scooped up the apple pie sitting beautifully on my plate and ate it generously, savoring the sweet taste as it melted in my mouth. I closed my eyes, feeling so content in that moment and even nostalgic. When I was smaller, my mom used to make pies like this. I remember how excited I always was whenever she announced that we would be having Apple pie for dinner. If only... "Hey, Freya. That's your name right?" Addy whispered to me as she shifted her seat closer with a cheerful smile on her face. I nodded. "Where are you and your sister? Hope you don't mind me asking" "Not at all. We stay at the western part of the kingdom, Not too far from the border. What about you?" "Oh I stay in the kingdom city. My house is only a 30 minutes drive away from here." Addy replied enthusiastically. You just know she was from a wealthy family and she has been showered love her whole life. Unlike me, who had been maltreated for as long as I can remember. My gaze turned to Kelly who wa
SEVENI awoke with a dry throat, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. I wondered if the ladies were still waiting outside my door. Now I wish I had just told them to get me some water before going to bed last night when they had asked if I needed anything. It was past midnight already. "I need some water or else I might die." I whispered to myself as if taking permission from myself. What could happen? The highest was that I would get caught by a staff member or the guards. I decided I would find my way to the kitchen and try as much as possible not to get caught. Though I knew I shouldn't wander the werewolf palace alone at night. Our guide had mentioned that we should never step out of our rooms without being called for. But I couldn't wait inside my room when I was dying of thirst could I? "There goes nothing.." I said as I gathered my dark long hair into a braid and slipped on a modest nightdress before creeping to the door. Stepping into the shadowy hallway, I shu
Eight "Rise and shine miss!" "Good morning miss!"I groaned as the cheerful voices of my maids woke me up, followed by the curtains being drawn, revealing the early morning sun that brightened my whole room so much that I had to raise the thick duvet over my head. "Ughh.." "Miss Freya, the orientation begins in an hour. We must get you ready as soon as possible." It was Grace speaking now. She slowly pulled the covers over me and smiled at me despite my scowl. I had never been a morning person even though I always woke up early to do the house chores back at home. But then I had Gerard who sometimes allowed me to sleep in. But now, I had no choice but to obey my maids. "Okay, okay, I'm up." I huffed as I exited my sweet soft bed. I couldn't believe how soft it was. It was like I should never get up from the soft tresses again. It was so unfair that the rich and privileged got to enjoy this every single day of their life and there was some of us that has never known what
NINE I couldn't figure out why Kelly was being so nice to me. It was so unusual of her. Kelly had never hugged me before, not even when I'd gotten her Christmas presents hoping to make her like me. I had given up trying to create the love between us when she had crushed the chocolates and tore out the fur of a pretty pink teddy bear I had gotten her 3 years ago. She had said to my face that my gifts were fake and useless and it should be the last time I ever got her any gifts. I had spent the whole evening crying in my room and feeling sorry for myself. Why did I desperately want my stepsister to like me? Maybe because I missed my mom so much and i just needed to fill the void that she had left when she died. But I had to learn the hard way that I couldn't make anybody like me. I just had to be myself and whoever wanted to like me will do so without being forced. My gaze trailed over to Addy. As if she sensed me looking, she also turned to me at that moment. We shared a know