CHAPTER 4

Atarah finished cleaning up and she waited for a while for Alaric but he never came, she grew bored of sitting still at home in her room but someone unexpected walked into her room for a request. She had about two hours more before the trials at night would start.

As the only human on an island filled with werewolves, there wasn't much to do except run mundane errants. It was the only thing Atarah could do outside or maybe read outdoors as she always have, she fingered her necklace as she walked beside her sister.

Ezra was the Alpha's blood daughter and thus Atarah sister, she took after her mother with snow white long straight hair, she was built like a doll with petite lips and small pointy nose and perfectly shaped monolid eyes, She was luscious to most people especially men.

It wouldn't be surprising if she had already received proposals from suitors already.

"Atarah, thank you so much for helping me carry these herbs." She spoke politely with a smile almost with a singing voice, she always acted too feminine like she wasn't strong enough to snap a goat's neck with an ordinary slap.

"You are welcome." Atarah said as both of them walked towards the herbalist shop, Since werewolves were immune to virtually every disease and they had a strong healing factor, there wasn't any point of hospitals.

It would be useless to build hospital because there would rarely be sick people, at best it would only be used for delivering babies but there was already structures built for that.

Which begged the question for which Atarah could never really answer, why she has never experienced sickness?

They walked into a large hut which was covered with green vines, many exotic and medicinal and different range of colors of plants.

The front door was slightly opened and Erza who was in front of Atarah walked in.

"Olga, I brought the herbs." Erza said with a singing voice as she dropped the basket on the ground, along with other plants.

"Oh, thanks you so much. Dear." Olga was an old woman who had become the pack's herbalist, it was essential to have one in a pack because, the herbs are used in the ritual to crown an Alpha which in turn the goddess turns the Alpha fur silver.

Atarah dropped her basket beside Erza's basket, Olga came close to them and grabbed Atarah by the ear.

"You have been avoiding me, little one. You used to come here all the time, when you were a kid, you were so interested in plants." She said with her old weary voice.

"I have started school recently, so I don't have much time." Atarah lied as she pulled away from her.

"Hmmmmm......You are still not a very good liar, are you?" Olga said and Erza giggled cutely.

"Probably, it's because she has been hanging out a lot with Alaric. Brother is not very good at lying, to me though." Erza giggled.

Atarah stiffed for a moment, she was completely caught off guard. A glance memory of her kissing Alaric earlier made her blush as she turned her face away.

"It's probably because, I don't have much people to talk too and infact, Alaric just arrived from scouting.”

"Wait! Alaric is around, how come he didn't come to see me? Did you see him?" Erza asked surprised as she hadn't seen her brother in a while.

"Well........." Atarah couldn't tell Erza the truth about her and her brother being lovers.

"I didn't see him for long, it was only momentarily." She said quickly and Erza frowned and Atarah lightly rubbed her head.

"So, Atarah have you found out why your eyes are so special?" Olga asked her carefully as if she knew something about it.

Erza paid no interest in their talk and walked away to brew some aromatic herbs for tea.

"No, I haven't and I can't understand why the four of you told me never to ask questions about it and absolutely told me never to take off my necklace." Atarah said tiredly.

There were numerous questions and sundry things she wanted to do but she was too limited by her Father or the pack.

"I believe, you will understand the truth behind these things. In time." Olga replied her with her wisdom.

Atarah didn't bother asking about her parents because, they never gave her an answer. No matter how hard she tried, once she had tried to run away from home but when you are surrounded by beings capable of dodging bullets and smelling water, you couldn't really  get far now.

"When? I hate being kept in the dark, it feels like I don't even know who I am." Olga comforted Atarah with a hand on her cheek.

"The Alpha, your father has all the answers you need. It is not my place to tell you anything about it, you may dislike that fact but in time, you will understand little one." 

Olga left Atarah as she went to meet Erza who was brewing some things.

"It's my past, so why don't they tell me anything about it?" She said softly to herself clutching her fists tight.

She didn't get the point of this necklace, she wrapped her hand around the pearl and it tingled her hand almost as if it was giving her a burning sensation.

She wanted to pull it away from her neck and just toss it away, but she heard the alpha's voice as if he were there.

'Don't ever lose that necklace.' She slowly released her hand from it and sighed tiredly.

"Atarah, would you like some tea?" Erza asked her with a singing voice, Atarah wanted to brush her away but the aromatic scents of the herbs called her.

"Yes, please." 

Erza quickly brewed some tea and offered the cup to her sister.

"Thank you." The scent made her forget about her anger and a sip sent her to a dream state, it was like she had forgotten completely why she was here. The whole world stopped and a calm, serene waterfall sang honey songs to her ears. She had fallen into a sweet trance state and didn’t want to wake up.

"Atarah....... Atarah........ Atarah!" A familiar voice dispelled her dream state, she blinked twice she saw Tiana looking at her.

"Are you okay? You seemed to have………..transcended." Tiana said looking worried.

Atarah looked at her empty cup and shook her head as she dropped it on at table nearby.

"I'm fine, what are you doing here Tia?" She asked and Tiana carried the baskets that Atarah and Erza brought.

"Well, I'm sort of in charge of brewing the wine that we will be drinking during the trails." 

“oh alright.” 

A thought sparked into Atarah's head as her lips curled into a mischievous smile and she wrapped a hand around Tiana neck.

"So, how did it go with Amon?"

Tiana caught off guard blushed and stammered as she lied patently

“I………I……not- nothing.........happened." 

"You don't have to lie, your face says it all." Atarah giggled and she shook her head vehemently but after seeing Atarah press on, she decided to give up.

"Fine, I will tell you but I have to finish the preparations of the wine first." 

They were still in Olga's hut with Erza listening to Olga as she spoke inaudibly pointing at some herbs.

Atarah followed Tiana outside as she was carrying the baskets and they strolled off into another big hut.