Chapter 1

**THE WEAK WOLF**

Sophia's POV

"When would you learn, you'd never be good enough, you're just a weakling, nothing more" Miranda shouted as she walked past me.

"What do you expect Miranda, she's just an orphan, she has no parents " a friend of Miranda responded, as they all laughed.

"Girls, we need to leave here right now, before we get infected by her weakness too" Miranda ordered, as they all were on their way.

They call me so many names, but weakling was a word that hurt more than any. All this because I am not built like every other wolf. Many called it weak, many said it was because I was an orphan, many said I was a curse to the pack, many even said I should be killed. All these because I couldn't shift and transform like every other wolf.

How was she even given birth to? Is that why she can't do anything? Do you think if she had parents she'd have done better?, these and many other questions were what I heard when I passed the streets.

Yes, I was ill-fated, yes I didn't have parents, but there was someone, someone who loved me like family, someone who treated me like I was his own, someone who would do anything just to see me happy. He was the only dad I needed. It was Alpha Baron.

"_No matter what happens you can always come home"_

Alpha Baron's words still sound so sweet after so many years of his death.

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

"Hey you there" I heard Miranda's voice as I walked down the alley. "Didn't you see me?"

"I don't understand what you mean by that Mirander" I answered softly, turning towards Miranda and her friends.

"I said didn't you see me? " Miranda said, as she approached me.

"Miranda, I still don't understand what you mean by that. But I'm not ready for your petty arguments and mockery now" I answered.

"Oh she's becoming wild isn't she?" Miranda laughed slightly, standing right in my way.

"I don't have time for this Miranda just let me leave please" I begged.

"Why do you always have this old piece of rope on your neck" Miranda pointed to my neckpiece.

"Because it's mine, Miranda, can you allow me to leave now" I pressed further.

"You know if this neckpiece of yours could make you shift, maybe you won't be so useless to the pack" she laughed, as the other wolves laughed also.

"Miranda, I will not let you annoy me today.

Please get out of my way" I begged further

"You don't get to tell me what to do... that's what I do. I tell you what you do and now, I want your neckpiece" Miranda continued.

"You can't have my neckpiece, my fa..". "Alpha Baron gave this to me before he died". I pleaded

"She almost said father" Miranda laughed. "You want a father that bad.... now about the neckpiece to me now, and I don't beat you up".

"I will not give it to you Miranda, come on, this is the only property of Alpha Baron I have left please" I pleaded further.

"That's your business. Now give it" Miranda shouted.

"Miranda, your dad and other pack members are coming, we won't want them to see us like this, we have to leave now," Miranda's friend said.

"But I want the neck piece" Miranda replied .

"Let the shiftless wolf be, we will get her next time" her friend replied hurriedly.

"You're lucky today, but I promise you, next time won't be so lucky," Miranda said, running off with her friends, leaving me in the alley.

Miranda had always been so rude, she would treat me like rubbish, especially because her father, Alpha Dave became the leader of the pack after Alpha Baron died.

Before Alpha Baron died, he made sure I was treated like every other person in the pack. He always made sure I was comfortable, even when other members of the pack called me names.

"The shiftless wolf" a name Miranda and her friends gave to me, this name was given to me on the day of shifting practice. It all still seemed like it happened yesterday.

"You can't shift can you?" I remembered Miranda saying as I tried my best to shift.

"She can't shift?" Another asked.

"I always knew you would never be able to shift, you orphan" Miranda shouted.

"Miranda!! That's too much, she has feelings too" Stephanie another member of the pack reproached.

"Hey...you don't tell me what to do!" Miranda replied, turning towards her.

"You shouldn't be doing that," She said.

"You want to fight? You want to show your new powers right? Well do it then, come on" Miranda and her friends moved closer.

They were both about to start a fight when Alpha Baron interrupted.

"You guys should stop that now. How dare you try to fight one another" Alpha Baron interrupted.

"It's Miranda, she keeps trying to pick on Sophia because she can't shift," Stephanie said, turning towards Alpha Baron.

"Sophia, is that true?" He asked looking towards me.

"Y... yes. I don't know what happened" I replied, my voice trembling, filled with embarrassment.

"See me in my office now," he said, turning towards me. "And you Miranda, how can you do that a wolf like you, is that what you've learned so far......" he looked at Miranda.

"But I just said the truth....I just said what it was " Miranda shouted.

"Well you shouldn't do that..... even if that's what it is, you should consider her feelings too." Alpha Baron said as he left.

I remembered how beautifully Alpha Baron reminded me I might not be physically like the other members of the pack, but I was very smart, and no one could take that away from me. And since that day, Alpha Baron became more of a dad to me than the Alpha of the pack. And ever since, my only dream was to make it to the prestigious institution of Wolves.

But since the beta, who is Miranda's father, took over, things haven't been the same. He allowed Miranda to say hurtful things to me and even did so too when he had the chance.

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

"Sophia Sophia" I heard Alpha Dave call out from my room.

"Yes Alpha Dave" I responded, running towards him.

"You have a letter," he said, handing me a brown envelope.

"A letter? But from who sir?" I asked.

"I don't know if you know this, but you can open the letter and find out," he said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir," I said.

"Anyways, it's from the prestigious institution of wolves... I guess it's the results from the test you and Miranda conducted" he said, now looking at the envelope he had handed me.

"Oh"

"So open it will you" he shouted.

"A...alright I will sir" I stammered.

_"__Dear Sophia Clark, this is to inform you that you are part of the few who passed the test conducted at our prestigious university. Due to this, you'd be moving to the final stage of this test. You will be required to have another and final test, at our institution, supervised by officials. Details about this will be given when you get to the institution. Thank you and we hope to see you dear".

I couldn't believe it, I passed the test. This is my chance to prove I'm not a weak wolf. I'm stronger than that and I'm going to prove it.

"So what did the letter say Sophia " Alpha Dave interrupted my thoughts.

"I passed the test, but I'd need to go to their institution for the next phase of the test" I replied.

"Oh, you passed. I guess you're lucky, Miranda didn't, so let's just say you were lucky because there's no way Miranda failed and you passed " he said.

"So sir, I'd be on my way very soon, I just need to pack my bags" I replied.

"Oh yes..you can leave then" he smiled.

I didn't know what, but something about that smile didn't go down well with me.

After that, I immediately left my room, to go and get packed, I was getting ready for my dream. Alpha Baron would be so proud if he was alive.

I was finally packed, and it was time to bid farewell to Alpha Dave. As I approached Alpha Dave's room, I heard voices.

"Dad you must not let her go" I heard Miranda's voice as I got closer to the room.

"I will not, just watch me" Alpha Dave replied.

"So what are you going to do" Mirander shouted.

"Just watch, Sophia thinks she's all smart right, I'd show her no one can be smarter than me.