Chapter 4

Sassy lay on her bed, too lazy to get up. It was her eighteenth birthday, the long-awaited eighteen. All she wanted as a birthday gift was her mate. She just wanted a new life, away from everything and everyone.

She finally got up from the bed and went to brush her teeth.

"Finally free." She heard a voice say.

She turned to see who that was, as she was alone in the room.

"Who was that?" She asked, but no response.

"Hello." She said again.

"Be quiet." She heard the voice say again.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Oh dear. Look in the mirror." The voice said.

Sassy looked at the mirror and her eyes were yellow again.

"Huh?" She said.

"I'm your wolf. Call me Sage." The voice said.

"Wolf? Do you mean I can now have my first transformation?" Sassy asked with a look of excitement.

"Of course. You can also locate your fated mate. I know how long you've been longing for this." Sage said.

"Yes! I'm an adult now!" Sassy said excitedly.

"Do not be so excited. You have the whole world to explore and of course, you will encounter a lot of troubles." Sage advised.

"Pfft. My whole life is trouble on its own, I can handle it." Sassy said and her eyes became normal again.

She quickly washed her face and went back to the room. She changed into a floral dress and did a little dance.

She stood in front of the mirror and admired herself. She was now more pretty and was thicker in all the right places. Her blonde hair was at her waist length and, her eyes were darker than before.

She blew a kiss to her reflection and walked out of the room.

She helped the gardener water the garden and trimmed off the excesses before he was up.

She also helped organize the younger orphans.

Nobody knew what was with her and why she was so happy because she was normally cold and kept to herself all the time.

The matron noticed it soon and had to satisfy her curiosity.

So, while Sassy was feeding some of the kids, she decided to go talk to her.

"Hey, Sassy." The matron said.

Sassy looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi, matron. It's a beautiful day isn't it?" She asked.

"I guess so. Your smile makes it even more beautiful." The matron said.

"Really?" Sassy asked and smiled even harder.

The matron laughed.

"So, tell me. Is there a special occasion?"

"How do you mean, matron?" Sassy asked.

" I mean...you don't...I'm not saying it's not good, but you've been so happy and excited today. Unlike the usual gloomy Sassy, we're all used to," the matron explained.

Sassy looked at the matron again and laughed.

"It's my birthday!" She announced.

"Okay?? You don't celebrate birthdays, so what's the big deal?" The matron asked again, staring intently at Sassy.

"It's my eighteenth birthday. I'm an adult now plus I already got my wolf."

Sassy said, grinning.

For the first time, the Matron noticed two dimples on Sassy's cheeks.

Had they been there all these years?

Sassy needed to smile more often.

"Oh! You're eighteen. I see. Happy birthday Sassy, welcome to a new dispensation and I hope you enjoy all the adventure and trouble that comes with it," wished the matron.

"Thank you, matron," Sassy responded.

"Alright, I'll go ahead now." The matron said and Sassy nodded.

The matron smiled at her and patted her back.

But as soon as the matron went out the door, the smile on her face faded and she sighed.

She brought out her phone and called someone.

"Speak." The male voice said over the phone.

"It's her eighteenth birthday. Should I still go ahead with the plan?" the matron asked.

"Of course. You have been paid in full for this a long time ago. Go ahead with the plan." The male voice said.

"Alright." The matron said and ended the call.

She sighed again and walked out.

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

Murphy was at the gym working out, he was sweating profusely as he tried to do two hundred push-ups.

As soon as he was done, he got up and a beautiful maiden walked up to him with a towel and thoroughly wiped his sweat dry.

He had a phone call and another maiden brought the phone to him.

"Yes, Beta?" He said.

"We're done with all the arrangements, Alpha. The letters have been sent out to all the neighboring packs." The beta said.

"Good job," Murphy said and hung up the call.

That's right, he was now the Alpha of the Black Knights pack.

He was more striking and dashing than ever before. As the leader of the pack, he had honed his cunning and intellect, enabling him to make calculated moves that could mean the difference between life and death.

In order to advance his agenda, he had severed ties with most of his juvenile cronies, recognizing that they were no longer beneficial to him.

Despite his newfound maturity and power, there was one thing that remained constant: his deep-seated animosity towards Sassy.

***********

Sassy was taken aback when the matron threw her a surprise birthday party. She had never experienced such a celebration in her entire life, and it filled her with a newfound sense of hope. Perhaps, she thought, her life was finally taking a turn for the better, and the best years of her existence were yet to come.

As she stood in the midst of the party, surrounded by her peers, she cut into her cake, and the room erupted in cheers and applause. With a smile on her face, she divided the cake into smaller portions and shared it with everyone present.

While the children were cheering and eating cake, the matron called Sassy out, she wanted to speak to her in private.

"Thank you so much for this, Matron. This is the best birthday present ever. I don't know how to thank you enough, thanks for making my day," Sassy expressed and hugged the matron.

"You're welcome," the matron responded.

Sassy broke the hug and sat next to the Matron.

"What did you wanna tell me?"

The matron moved closer to Sassy and held her hands.

"I don't know how to say this," the matron uttered.

Sassy looked confused.

"Say what? You can tell me, no matter what it is." She probed.

The matron sighed.

"There are a lot of kids here for us to take care of. And we don't get enough funds for it, the previous Alpha always made sure to help, but Alpha Murphy changed the rule. You're eighteen now, and an adult. I'm afraid we won't be able to cater for you anymore." The Matron said.

Sassy swallowed.

"Are...are you saying I can't stay here anymore?" She asked.

"I'm not saying you can't, but it's inconvenient for the others. You've been here for too long." The matron said.

She immediately regretted saying the last sentence.

Sassy removed her hand from the matron's.

"Okay." She said and got up.

So, this is what life as an adult is like?

Sassy went back to her room and gathered up her small stuff.

Since they wanted her to leave, she will...