The week started with clear skies. I felt the sun on my face as I warmed up for the race. I glanced around at the unfamiliar faces of the other competitors, but none of them seemed to notice me. Meanwhile, Lorraine was getting looks from everyone, as if she were the strongest rival at Siram High."Ready to lose again?"A tall girl with curly black hair and dark skin stood face-to-face with Lorraine. A logo was printed on her white uniform—a red bow and arrow inside a stylish crest. Judging by the symbol, I could bet this was the school Nicolas had said was better than ours in this category. Apparently, they were better at racing too…"Sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t even notice you," Lorraine mocked. "Maybe that’s because you’re not good enough to win again this year.""Excuse me? You think you're better than me now?" The irritation on the competitor’s face was obvious in her aggressive stance. Lorraine just snorted and shrugged."I’m not talking about myself. I’m talking about our newbie
I woke up early the next day. It was the first time I’d been back to the forest since the incident. I ran with my wolf until I was exhausted, then turned to my bow, which was still hanging from the tree. After retrieving it, I headed home for a hearty breakfast before heading out for the third day of the tournament.Unlike the other competitors I’d faced throughout the week, the young woman gearing up next to me seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She was from Alvorada High, and her long brown hair was tied up in a bun. Every subtle move she made told me she’d been practicing archery since she was a kid. I wasn’t wrong!The targets were set up outdoors. As soon as she started warming up, I noticed her perfect form. After taking careful aim, her first shot was flawless.A worthy opponent, my wolf said from inside me. I studied her profile: oval face, thin lips, dark brown eyes. She was about my height, around 5'5".Without worrying too much about my posture or other details, I q
The sun had already started rising over the horizon when I slipped back into my room. I barely avoided getting caught sneaking into the bathroom. I needed a shower to wash off my wolf’s strong scent.When I stepped out of the shower, I noticed a different smell in the air and walked down the hallway to take a peek. The table was set for breakfast, and an unexpected guest was sitting there. Clutching my towel tightly around me, I rushed back to my room, embarrassed, hoping I hadn’t been seen.What’s he doing here? Lisa asked.I have no idea.The scent of freshly baked cookies, rich with spices, masked William’s woody fragrance. My heart pounded as I hurried to get dressed, then I reluctantly returned to the kitchen. William gave me a small smile when he saw me, but I ignored him and sat as far away as possible, on the opposite side of the table."Good morning, Grandma! Good morning, Auntie!""Aren’t you going to greet our guest?" Grandma chided, setting two mugs on the table."What are
He didn’t say a word on the way back, nor did he show any signs of regret. As soon as we stopped, I hurried out of the car without looking back. There was no time to grab something to eat—I had to run straight to the ring to make it in time for the tournament.I pity your opponents today, my wolf said in a serious tone. She knew very well that all this rage inside me would be taken out on them.I tightened my white gi, securing it with a simple gray belt from the locker room. It didn’t match my rank—when I left Heington, I was already a purple belt—but I hadn’t brought it with me when I moved. I kicked off my shoes, tossing them carelessly into the locker, and started stretching.The moment I stepped onto the tatami, I noticed a huge crowd gathered around, watching the final moments of an ongoing match."Eliza!" my instructor called the moment she saw me. "Where were you? I thought you wouldn’t make it in time. You’re up next!"I nodded at her and took my position.My first opponent w
Annie walked with me and waited while I changed. After that, we crossed the garden to leave the school and walked down the street for about ten minutes in complete silence."How about that diner?" I asked Annie, pointing to a rustic brick building with a large sign above its wooden double doors that read: "Parada Certa Diner.""The portions aren’t very well-seasoned, but the pastries and pies are amazing.""Then it’s settled."Even though the sign on the door said "Open," there were no customers or waitstaff inside. The only person there was an older woman near the counter, placing a freshly made pie next to two others on the back counter."Oh, hi! Good morning, girls!" The woman turned to us with a bright, welcoming smile."Are you really open?" Annie asked. I thought the sign on the door made that pretty clear."I decided to open a little earlier today. Lucky you! The first customers of the day get a ten percent discount. What can I get you?""A slice of each pie and a cappuccino wi
The sky was overcast, but the fresh breeze and the birds soaring happily overhead suggested it wouldn’t rain today. I sat on the edge of the fountain in the town’s main square, and Annie settled beside me.“Why did you want to walk to the square?” she asked.“I thought it would be a good place to wait.” Since I had managed to push the pain down, even if only temporarily, a ray of light broke through the fog in my mind. This wasn’t about me anymore.“Wait for what?”“I’ve already opened up. Now it’s your turn.” I was sure her strange behavior earlier hadn’t been for nothing.“So you noticed…” She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed thoughtfully at the water.“Annie, you can count on me too. I saw that Liam and the others deliberately gave us this time alone. What’s on your mind?”“It’s about my birthday. Liam thinks I’m going to ask you to help with the party preparations, but my mom’s already handling that…”“Go on,” I encouraged her.She let out a long sigh, then met my eyes. “
The day started off calm and sunny. Sunlight streamed through the window, waking me from a long and pleasant sleep. Lisa was still feeling a bit down, so I decided to skip my usual early-morning run, which gave me some extra time in bed.I got up and got ready, applying a little more makeup than usual since today was the awards ceremony, and I wanted to make a good impression.I stretched out my breakfast longer than usual, avoiding the busiest time to enter the massive auditorium at the back of the school. By the time I reached the entrance, most of the students were already seated, and there were no empty chairs left.Many students stood at the back, while others lined the sides. I slowly made my way along the side until I reached the row where the band was positioned. Leaning comfortably against the wall, I waved to the group as Principal Silvia picked up the microphone to start the ceremony."Do you want to sit?" Nicolas whispered in my direction.I shook my head and smiled, letti
"A mural? Am I on it?" I kept wondering about that as we walked into the gourmet area of the house. The smell of homemade food in the air distracted me enough to put that thought aside for later—besides, I couldn’t check it out at that moment anyway. If the internet signal was bad in the city, it was even worse out here.“Welcome! Make yourselves at home!” Maxsuel’s mother greeted us warmly. She was notably beautiful—petite, with fair skin, long wavy brown hair, and expressive brown eyes. Beside her, two identical children looked eager to grab some food. One of them, already holding a plate, picked up a potato with his fork.“Boys, have some manners! Greet our guests first!”“Hey, everyone!” said one of the boys.“Hello!” said the other twin. They both looked about ten years old and were dressed in matching outfits. Even their short brown hair was cut exactly the same.“My name is Sophie,” Maxsuel’s mother said directly to me, offering a handshake. “These are my youngest, David and Da
The next day, wolf training got real. After getting sidelined with serious injuries from dueling with me, Nicolas and Arthur had to train with each other until John was finally satisfied. Meanwhile, I took a dip in the lake and sunbathed with Kate during two full days off.When they finally called me back to training, they looked confident. Arthur had that revenge spark in his eyes as he teamed up with Nicolas to take me on. It wasn’t a fair fight. Unable to intimidate me, the beta joined in, turning it into a three-against-one brawl. They snarled around me, circling, looking for any opening to strike. No matter how strong you are, when you're outnumbered, it takes more than skill to win. I started dodging defensively, avoiding hits while my mind raced to come up with a strategy. A few times, I had to shift into semi-human form to fully dodge the attacks and hit back. Eventually, I decided to cut down the numbers—starting with the weakest link.I aimed for Arthur, but mid-air I change
The real training was about to begin. A fight between two wolves was way more intense—and brutal. I felt awkward as I undressed and slipped on the robe they gave me.“No need to be shy, sweetheart. I’ll help you through it, okay?” said Kate, who was in the room with me, trying to reassure me.I walked barefoot out onto the backyard patio, with Kate right behind me. John and his sons were already there, standing at attention. The way they all stared as I approached made my face burn with embarrassment, and I ended up lowering my gaze.“Well, well… doesn’t look so tough now,” Arthur took the opportunity to tease me.“Since we know you’re a shy little wolf, we figured this was more appropriate,” John said, referring to the fact that his sons weren’t naked—they were wearing men’s robes.Wolves were used to running in packs, so nudity wasn’t a big deal for them. But for a lone wolf like me, it was a bit much. I was genuinely touched that they had considered how I’d feel.John went over a b
I took care of my hygiene before heading to my room and setting my alarm for the next morning. When I woke up, I felt completely refreshed and even helped Kate set the table for breakfast. When Nicolas and Arthur showed up, they looked like a pair of zombies."I'm dead. Do I really have to train today, Dad?" Arthur groaned."More than anyone," John replied. I could feel Arthur shooting daggers at me with his eyes, but I pretended not to notice. "Today and tomorrow, you’ll be doing hand-to-hand combat in human form. Eliza will be your opponent, and I’ll be supervising the whole thing."“I get to fight Eliza? Can’t wait,” Arthur said with a sly grin.“Should I tell him or do you want to?” Nicolas whispered, barely holding back a laugh.“Let the kid enjoy the moment,” I whispered back.“Just go easy on me, okay?” Arthur asked. I gave him a nod as I finished my breakfast.I stopped by my room to grab the training outfit they’d given me, then headed out to the garden. I started warming up
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t gone back to talk to the Phantom Guy. Weeks had passed, and my routine of visiting the waterfall had become solid. Senior graduation was right around the corner—in fact, it was happening next week. Because of that, Beta John decided to run an intensive training program with his sons to get Nicolas ready for the alpha oath.“Phantom Guy, school’s officially over, and I passed with flying colors. I got the highest scores in the whole school, so I’m top of the class. Smart, huh? I even gave myself a little break from the piano lessons I teach Caroline. Some people aren’t on vacation yet, so they’re still going to school for tutoring or makeup classes. Anyone who doesn’t pass the retakes is gonna fail the year—but thankfully, that’s not my problem.” I laughed softly, swinging my feet in the water.“Anyway, I’ve got some news you might not like. Next Thursday is senior graduation, when students take the alpha oath. Then Saturday is the end-of-year dance. I’m
What felt like a long run for the wolves following me—clearly exhausted—had already become routine for me. I hardly noticed time passing anymore when I came here. I stopped in front of the waterfall and let out a howl. This was our final stop. Catching Annie’s attention, I motioned for her to follow me, and we stepped into the tent to change."You okay?" I asked. Her breathing was way too fast."Just a little tired. Try to go easier next time," she said with a gentle smile."Sure!" I was already finishing getting dressed while she was still sprawled out on the ground, catching her breath. "Don’t forget to put your swimsuit on underneath."She nodded slightly, and I stepped out of the tent, zipping it closed behind me. I didn’t see the boys, but I could smell they were nearby. I walked up to the waterfall and stood there for a while, staring at the water."Your wolf is beautiful," Nicolas said, coming up beside me."Thanks," I replied with a smile, then turned my gaze back to the water
John’s request totally caught me off guard. Kate ended up dropping her silverware in surprise, while Arthur was left speechless, totally confused. I looked down and thought about it for a bit. He didn’t pressure me, but I was worried it’d make things awkward if I just said no.“Why did you agree to that?” Nicolas asked once we were alone. He’d taken me to the practice room so we could talk. I sat on the floor, crossed my legs, and looked down.“I just wanted to show you some songs, but your dad answered the door—and he recognized me as the white wolf.” I shrugged, feeling a little discouraged. “So we ended up talking, and I kinda said more than I should’ve. I’m sorry.”Nicolas sat down in front of me on the floor. He didn’t look upset at all.“I’m surprised you opened up like that, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Actually, I’m kinda excited. My dad’s good at keeping secrets, so don’t worry. Plus, the training’s on private property outside of town, so no one’s gonna see us.”“I’m n
It hadn’t been easy to focus on studying, and I couldn’t concentrate on the classes I had to teach last week either. I’d spent three days in a row talking to the mysterious ghost, and I already missed being there. It was wildly irrational, but being at the waterfall had somehow become the best part of my day—the moment I looked forward to the most.“Aunt Lisa, is this right?” It was Tuesday’s class. Caroline tugged gently at the hem of my shirt, trying to get my attention.“You’re off on the timing, sweetheart,” I replied patiently.“You seem different. You were like this last class too.”“Like what?” I asked, puzzled.“Smiley! You’re smiling a lot.” I paused for a few seconds and realized she was right—I was smiling. I wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t pointed it out.“It’s like the music’s just flowing through my head, like a waterfall,” I said. Since the first time I interacted with Mr. Ghost, I’d written two brand-new songs from scratch and finished four others I’d left incomple
The week started off pretty much like any other—same old routine—but with one big difference that came from inside me. My feelings weren’t all over the place anymore. With my head clear, I started sketching out notes in one of my sheet music books during my free time. Even with exams going on, I managed to juggle studying and composing.I’ve always had a great memory, so one focused read-through was usually all I needed to do well on tests. A lot of the time, while answering questions, I could clearly picture the teacher explaining the material, word for word. Same with the textbooks—I could even recall the chapter and page the info was on.Thursday’s test was in the morning. I took my time turning it in so I could leave with Annie. Morgan quickly caught up to us and walked with us down the hallway. She and Annie were going back and forth about the questions. I could tell Morgan was straight-up complaining, while Annie was kinda defending the test, saying it wasn’t that bad. I stayed
Exactly three days had passed since I last saw him. Lisa’s heart was finally starting to calm down again. It was a Sunday morning, and all I wanted was to finish a song I’d been working on for the past few weeks. I strummed Preciosa, a persistent melody stuck in my head, but the words just wouldn’t come.I decided it was time to be alone for a few hours, to try and reconnect with myself. Leaving Preciosa behind, I walked into the forest and started running in my human form, completely shutting out all thoughts and feelings—including Lisa’s voice. I trained with her every night at dawn, but her constant longing for our mate had been draining my energy and killing my appetite.“I can’t believe this thing’s still here—and untouched,” I said, circling the tent I’d set up near the waterfall. There was no sign it had been used since. I was drenched in sweat after the long run. My eyes locked onto the waterfall, completely mesmerized by the view. It was the first time I’d come here during th