Novels by Odinaka Nweke

My stomach betrayed me again.The loud growl echoed in my room, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since morning. I had been lying on the bed crying since sunrise, and now it was almost evening. My eyes were swollen, my chest heavy, and my head ached.I wanted to keep lying there, but the hunger dragged me back. My body was weak. I pushed myself up slowly, dragging my feet to the door. Even the wooden handle felt heavy in my palm. With all my strength, I pulled it open.The air outside my room felt cooler, but my legs didn’t want to carry me. I had curled them so long while crying that they had gone numb. Limping, I held on to the railing as I went downstairs, one step at a time. Each step was like fire shooting through my veins, but I knew I had to get food or I would faint.The smell hit me before I even reached the kitchen. Meat. Roasted, seasoned, still warm. I could also smell butter, mashed potatoes, and the sweet citrus of orange juice. My stomach tightened so hard it almost hurt

The night after the dream was long. I kept turning and turning until my back ached. The voice kept coming back like a sting soft and strange. Nora… I kept hearing it. I don’t understand this dream at all. What did it mean? Is the Moon Goddess playing tricks on me? Or is my head finally breaking from all the loneliness?I drifted, and the sleep was thin. This time, nature came into the dream, wind through trees, the smell of wet earth. It felt safe for a little while, like a hand I hadn’t known I wanted. But peace never lasted. I woke with the beeping machine and sunlight in my face, my heart hammering like I had run a long way.The nurse was there with her same glowing smile. She must keep a sun in her pocket because she always comes in like a bright thing. “Good afternoon, Nora. How are you doing today?” she said like she always asked and always meant it.“Afternoon?” I muttered. For a second I lost time. Past two already? Where did the morning go? At home, I was up by seven. I go fo

“I have to take my leave now, Nora,” Elias smiled, his dimples pressing into his cheeks like they were carved just for moments like this. “The Alpha has me running errands all day. I just came to see if you finally woke up.” His voice carried a playful tune, like he was trying to hide the weight of his duties behind light words.“Alright,” I chuckled, though it sounded thinner than I wanted. My lips pulled into a smile, genuine this time. “Thank you for coming. I really appreciate your kindness. Thank you once again.”He paused for a second, his eyes lingering on mine like he wanted to say more. Instead, his shadow stretched across the pale wall of my room as he turned toward the door. “I will see you around after you’re discharged,” he said, his voice echoing softly, almost too gentle for a warrior.“You’ll be discharged tomorrow, Nora. You are already healing, and I can see you’re getting stronger,” the nurse added with a bright smile. Her presence always reminded me of sunlight bre

“How are you, my princess?” Alpha Johnson’s voice was gentle, carrying the kind of warmth every child dreamed of receiving from their father. His lips curved into a soft smile as his gaze settled on Helen.“Daddy, I would like to see you,” Helen said, her tone sharp, her eyes flickering in my direction with a look of pure disdain.Her glance pierced through me like knives. What did I do to this girl? No matter what I said, no matter how I behaved, she always found a way to ruin my peace. It was as if my mere existence was an offense to her.“Little Nora,” Alpha Johnson said, turning to me. “I will talk to you later. I need to attend to my daughter first.”My heart clenched painfully at his words. The man who stood before me, the one who was supposed to protect me, to guide me, to value me as family, dismissed me with such ease. He chose Helen, again. He always chose Helen.I tried to hold my composure, tried not to let my face betray the storm raging inside. “Okay,” I whispered, noddi

I was running.All around me were wolves of many colors black, brown, grey, even white. Their glowing eyes pierced the night, but not a single one of them looked at me. My chest rose and fell in panic. As wolves, they should have been able to smell my scent, feel my presence. But no one turned. No one saw me.“Why can’t you see me?” I whispered, my voice weak.They passed me like shadows, their paws pounding the earth, their breath heavy in unison. It was like I didn’t exist. My legs trembled beneath me, the weight of the silence pressing against my chest. What if I really were dead?I reached out desperately to touch one of them, but my hand slipped through like smoke. A chill spread up my arm. My knees buckled, and I fell to the ground. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out only emptiness.And then beep.The sharp sound cut through the darkness like a knife. I turned, searching, but the wolves vanished as if they were never there.I snapped my eyes open.The white ceiling

Nora“Hey, where are you going with those tiny legs of yours?” Helen scoffed, coming closer towards me.Oh shit, not again. I cursed under my breath.“I-I’m going to my room,” I stuttered, my hand shaking and my whole body shivering.“Did a cat catch your tongue?” Felicity blurted out. Her voice echoed, making me realize Helen was never alone. She and her friends always followed, like shadows that brought nothing but pain.They laughed. They always laughed.“Oh baby girl, don’t mind that piglet of a girl. Maybe her dead parents died with her tongue,” Helen chuckled. The sound of her cruel voice stabbed through me, and her friends burst out laughing behind her.Hot water,no, tears dropped down my cheeks before I could stop them. Reminding me of my parents’ death was always their favorite weapon. My precious uncle had told me the story again and again. He said my parents were brutally killed by rogues that stormed the pack sixteen years ago.My father had fought bravely. He tried to pro