AMAYA

AMAYA 

“Why do you always train this hard? We are not allowed to go to war like the men and by the way, there's no more war, in case you forgot,” my best friend Nelo mumbled with a frown as we tiptoed down the corridor. 

“And really, com'on. Things have changed. We are no longer in the olden days where the packs go to war all the time and everyone can join in just because they can shift into their wolves and—”

“Shhhh.” I quickly shushed her and pinned her to the wall as I heard footsteps approaching. 

“No, for real, tell me honestly. Why are you pushing yourself too hard? Or wait… don't tell me you are hoping to find favour in the eyes of Alpha Lucius?” 

I waited until the footsteps became distant before I let my hand free. 

“No way…” she stared at me with her eyes wide and then gasped. 

“What?” I arranged the warrior kit on my body half listening to more of her unproven and mere gut-feeling suspicions. Knowing Nelo, she was about to say the most ridiculous thing. And of course she did not disappoint. 

“Are you crushing on Alpha Lucius?” she asked. 

Crushing on Alpha Lucius indeed. I rolled my eyes in my head. Yes, I trained really hard but there were better reasons for it than to be found desirable by some tyrant Alpha. My friends thought I enjoyed punishing myself because of how hard I trained. Like Nelo said, not everyone was allowed to join in Pack wars, that was if there would be any with how a lot of things had changed. And the worst part was that women were not allowed to train. One tyrant Alpha had managed to keep the other Packs in their respective territories after he conquered a lot of other Packs. 

After so many stops and hides, ducks and straps to walls, we finally arrived at the training centre. I could feel my wolf leap the second my eyes fell on the machines. The mere sight of the equipment excited us. It was more perfect at this time of the day when they had been cleaned and the men hadn't come in to use them yet. Their freshly cleaned scents and the way they shone made me want to hold them immediately. My favourite machine to use was the automated pair man. I had never seen anything fast and strong like it in my entire life. It amazed me how it could dodge very swiftly and still managed to find a way to land a punch. 

Actually, I had never paired with my fellow wolf before. I always wanted to know what it would be like to have a real fight but sadly I couldn't and might never get to because of a curse that has haunted me since I was born. 

“I will just sit here and watch. You think Selene is still coming?” Nelo’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts. 

“Come on, join me. We may not go to war but our body needs it. You don't want to feel like flip flops when your wolf comes out.”

“Full moon is still not that close. I can slack off. And besides, we do all the damn work here. Isn't it enough training for my body and why should we care about the full moon? We are servants and shouldn't dream of such things. Just like finding our mates.”

“There’s nothing wrong with dreaming, Nelo.”

“Of course. I agree with you,” she scoffed. “Okay. Imagine this scenario. You finally meet your mate but guess what, he rejects you. Why? Because you are nothing but a servant!”

“Tueh!” I spat out scrunching my face. “How can you say that! Take it back! You can jinx us.”

“Okay hear me out. Which man would want to accept us as his mate?”

“Our mates will accept us.”

“You are still dreaming of being accepted?” She gave a mocking laughter. “Snap out of it already Amaya! The men of this pack prefer their women girly and petite. Look what overworking has done to us. We now have men's shoulders and muscles and work like bulls. We don't even have time to put on some make up nor take care of our bodies.”

I shrugged. Nelo wasn't all that wrong. Being a servant was tough. You barely got any time for yourself because you are probably running an errand in the house of one elder or doing something more strenuous for some prominent family. 

“But still our mates will love and appreciate us when they see us. It will be like an opportunity to leave here for a better life. Why don't you look at it from that angle.”

Nelo seemed to think for a moment. Then she shrugged and sighed. “Let's agree that our mate won't reject us. Where, how and when do we meet them? Our lives is basically centred in this—”

“Amaya! Nelo!”

We turned and saw our friend Selene running towards us. 

“What took you so long. Did anyone see you coming?”

Selene stopped, panting. “That's not what is important right now. Alpha Lucius is here!”

“Alpha Lucius? How? He never visits here.”

“That’s what we all thought.”

“Alpha Lucius?” Nelo gasped. “Is he really as handsome as they say? Is he tall with big muscles and are his eyes as sexy and dreamy as that of a demi god as they say too?”

“Also, this is not time for fantasising. We better hurry back. I hear he is here to meet the girls. If instructor Matt notices we are gone, we are doomed.”

“By the girls you mean…us?” I asked. 

“No, she means the girls at the market. Oh stop asking silly questions!” Nelo snapped at me. 

“Hurry! There's no time for this! And Amaya you better hope we get there fast enough. One more strike and you are dead.”

Together, me, Nelo and Selene ran all the way back to the servants quarters. My heart was racing really fast. I wondered why. It definitely wouldn't be because of instructor Matt’s strike or the fear of being punished which fortunately I was already used to. 

“Wait…I think we will have to go around the building. The girls will already be gathering at the hall by now,” Selene suggested. 

We followed the back and in no time we mixed up with the other girls. 

“It’s all over and we are safe. Oh, Amaya, don't make me go through this again,” Nelo stopped to catch her breath.

“Wipe your face. You are sweating like you are about to be slaughtered,” she added pointing at my face. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled and wiped my face. 

The hall was already half filled up by the time we entered. The squeaks and shrills and arguments from the girls blasted against the ceiling and heated the room. Their excitement could be felt thoroughly. It was a rare thing for Alpha Lucius to decide to pay us a visit. 

“Let's sit there.” Nelo pointed at the corner in the front row. 

“No. I would rather sit at the back–” Before I could move she grabbed me and dragged me down to the front row. 

“Silence all of you!” Matt, our instructor, barked at the top of his voice. But even with his barking it took another two minutes for the room to come to silence.

“I know why Nelo chose here,” Selene whispered when we were fully seated on the bare floor. 

“I know too,” I whispered back and we glanced at Nelo whose eyes were firmly rooted at the entrance in anticipation. 

Nelo's eyes may have been the one focused on the entrance but truthfully I

was the most anxious. I didn't understand the reason for the way my heart was racing.