CHAPTER ONE

"You can emerge, Melnyk, it is safe now, my dear son," his father called out. With the environment calm, Melnyk jumped out from his hiding spot in the barn behind the horses.

Seeing the coast was clear, he ran toward his beloved parents. Melnyk could still see the humans riding away from his village. He turned and hurried to his mother and father.

Melnyk's mother embraced him and lifted him up. "You know you are always safe when we are around, so do not worry, young one," she reassured Melnyk.

He could see the agony written across her beautiful face. Her slender frame caused her to drop Melnyk as he was growing rapidly. "Phew, you are heavy, Melnyk," she sighed.

The inquisitive Melnyk had many questions weighing on his mind, frustrated as to why he always had to hide whenever the humans visited.

"Why must I run every time the humans come? Why are we afraid of them?" he mustered the courage to ask his father. His average-looking werewolf father's gaze was fixed on his food, his face etched with disappointment from the earlier events.

One thing was certain – he had to address his son, for the curious Melnyk would persist in asking questions until he received satisfactory answers.

Frank finally raised his head, looked to his right where his son stood, and said

"It's a bit complicated for a boy your age to understand," ending with a smile.

Unfortunately, Melnyk was keen on knowing, so he continued pressing his father, asking,

"We are werewolves, why don't we use our powers to fight back?" Frank knew the conversation would not end unless he admonished his son.

He stood up from his chair and walked toward his son while his wife watched the unfolding drama. Frank rubbed Melnyk's head and said,

"Sometimes, it's not just about fighting. Someday you will understand, and remember, I told you to stop asking these types of questions. Now eat your food, boy." Melnyk seemed satisfied with the answer, even though he wasn't entirely, but he knew he was not allowed to bring up questions about his family's history before his father.

Frank detested being reminded of his past – the memories came along with grief and agony, and he was always reminded of his late father's lack of will and his grandfather's failures.

Melnyk had many lingering questions in his mind, but he decided to let the day's conversation rest, knowing there would be numerous opportunities to ask those questions later.

Frank was a renowned warrior, a tall man blessed with huge muscles and green eyes that complemented his long face.

He was the Alpha Lord of Dass, a village bordering the disputed areas around the Murky Forest between the human kingdom of Burgundy to the east and the werewolves to the west, making it a resting place for the humans.

Humans and werewolves inhabited some villages in the area. He had told his son long ago about how they ended up here – the great dispute between his father, the king, and his most trusted Alpha Lord alongside his Beta, which brought an end to a united kingdom.

Due to betrayal, Frank's father lost almost everything in his kingdom as a result of internal disputes and old age.

Sadly, after that, he was exiled to this village at the edge of the kingdom until his death. After his passing, what was left of the entire kingdom descended into chaos, with every Alpha Lord carving out a piece for himself.

***

"When I grow up, I want to be an Alpha-King," Zafira said to her father, who stood close to the rock in their bailey as he watched his marvelous daughter train with her wooden sword.

"I always have the feeling Azuul has big plans for you," he said to her, a proud father with a hint of a grin on his face.

After a while, he remembered what had brought him to where his daughter was training and said,

"Your mother wishes for your presence." Zafira pouted her lips, dropped her wooden sword, and walked toward her father, whom she saw as her hero.

Lord Halalnik noticed his daughter's clothes and told her, "You know you're not supposed to dress like this; besides, it's the job of men to use swords," as they walked towards the palace.

"But father, a woman should also be able to defend herself; when I become an Alpha-King, I will empower women to fight for themselves. Besides, why are you even running errands for Mother?" Lord Halalnik laughed heartily and said,

"Oh my God, Zafira, you're just a young girl, what do you know about empowerment? And as for the errands, I was on my way out and thought it was no trouble to tell my lovely daughter that her mother had called." They both laughed together as he rubbed her black curly hair.

"I've seen the way you treat your subordinates; you pay more attention to the men than the women."

"And you want me to treat women better?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy," Zafira said with a smirk.

"When you grow older, I believe you will understand why I pay more attention to the male subordinates," he said as the father and daughter parted at the palace door.

Zafira's mother, a beautiful brunette who looked pale as if ill, was already waiting impatiently for her daughter in the castle. Zafira's mother began to yell as she fixed her gaze upon her daughter, "You are a princess; you shouldn't be going out the way you did."

"But Momma, I was in the courtyard," Zafira said, gesturing her hands toward the door.

"Does it matter?" her mother asked.

"But it's still within the walls of the castle," Zafira tried to argue her innocence.

"Young woman, do not argue with me." Zafira stood there numb, thinking maybe her mother was furious enough to pounce on her – anything she uttered might trigger the mother, so she decided to remain mute.

With her daughter's silence, Zafira's mother kept ranting about how her daughter was supposed to grow up as a lady, the decorum and manners a princess is supposed to possess. She expressed how furious she was with the clothes Zafira had worn and ended her ranting with, "Go to your room, take a shower, and dress like the princess you are."

Deep down, Zafira wanted to tell her mother she was training to be an Alpha. She wanted to tell her mother how she craved to be the hero and not the wife of a hero, but as usual, she knew she might be scolded or grounded within the palace walls, preventing her from training for a long period. She decided to keep her mouth shut and walked to her room.

Walking through the corridor, Zafira noticed her favorite maid, Agatha, standing in front of what seemed like the door of her room, already waiting for her.

"Why do you always like standing on your mother's nerve?" she asked as Zafira got closer.

"I don't know, maybe because she hates me," Zafira answered with her head down as she opened the door.

"Why can't you just obey her and be on her good side?"

"She does not want to see the world from my perspective."

"But you know your perspective can be somewhat ridiculous, right?"

"Are you on my side or hers?" Zafira asked as she removed a purple gown from her wardrobe, the clothes she planned to wear after taking her bath.

"I am always on your side, Princess, but then we should take a look at the situation on the ground," her nanny said.

"I want to be the Alpha King."

"But you know it's called King for a reason, right? Because it's for men."

"Is there an Alpha Queen?" Zafira asked, and Agatha laughed heartily.

"There is someone called a Luna – she is the wife of the Alpha-King. Why don't you make your way and be the wife of an Alpha?"

"No," Zafira answered, feeling irritated. She tied her towel around her waist and continued, "I don't want to sit by the side like my Mom. I want to be part of something big; I want to be in control of everything," Zafira answered.

"You're supposed to give the order to control things the way you want – that's what your mother does. If you think about it,"

She knew Agatha had a point, but Zafira's major problem was that she had no intention of being ordinary. The small girl with a big heart wanted to be more than her mom, who was known as a great queen all over the kingdom. She decided to keep quiet and moved into the bathroom to wash away the dirt.