Chapter 4

The night was covered in dense clouds. The sun had yet to rise when I got out of bed and went for a run with my she-wolf, knowing that most of the other clan members would still be asleep at this hour. It was very dark, which forced me to sharpen all my senses—a great training exercise before another boring day of classes with repetitive subjects.

I ran swiftly, releasing all my adrenaline while trying to memorize the spots where there were no recent scents of other wolves. It was my first time going out in wolf form since I arrived, and I needed to map out the forested area near my grandmother’s house to know my way around. Now, I would have to resume my solo training to stay in good shape.

Alright, Lisa! Time to head back.

She was happy, and so was I. Starting tomorrow, we will train together again every day, just like we used to before we got here. We had a deep bond, but above all, I had earned Lisa’s deep respect by showing her that I wouldn’t be a burden but the dominant force.

I passed through the orchard in the backyard and silently leaped through my bedroom window before shifting back into my human form. I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before going to school. Not worrying about getting all dolled up saved me time and effort, allowing me to dedicate more time to training.

"Good morning, Grandma. Good morning, Auntie!"

Both were already at the table, eating and talking about a meeting the Alpha had with the leader of the neighboring clan regarding recent border incursions from the dark world.

"You better hurry, or you’ll be late!" my aunt warned.

"You’re right!" I grabbed one of those delicious little bread rolls that only my grandmother knew how to make and rushed toward the door. "I’m off! See you later!"

"Wait!" my grandmother called out. She calmly stood up, went into the kitchen, and returned with a lunchbox and an umbrella. "I made you a snack. Take the umbrella; it looks like it’s going to rain."

I could never say no to my grandmother when she treated me with such sweetness. After accepting her kind gestures, I kissed her cheek and thanked her. Before moving here, I used to visit her only once a year with my mother. I would stay for just a week, but it was enough to see how affectionate she was with me. Unlike my mother’s cold demeanor, my grandmother was tender and loving. I think that played a role in my decision to move here.

"Good morning, Eliza!" Annie’s voice rang out just as I walked through the school gates. I looked back and saw her arriving, hand in hand with Liam.

"Good morning!" I replied, waiting for them to catch up.

I walked in silence as I listened to Annie talk about how great the band rehearsal looked and how precise the sheet music I had handed over was. Liam didn’t thank me directly, but I could see the look of approval in his eyes as he listened to everything she said.

The sweet moment quickly turned into a mushy kiss as they parted ways for their respective classrooms. Liam was a senior, while Annie and I were in our second year.

"Do you already feel the bond?" I asked curiously, noticing the passion in her eyes.

"Not yet, but it won’t be long. Either way, I don’t think it’ll change much. I already love him so much!" she replied, her cheeks turning pink.

"Then how do you know it’s him?"

"After he turned eighteen, he had a big birthday party. During it, he declared in front of everyone, including the future alpha, that I am his mate. I nearly exploded with joy because I already liked him."

"I see." For some, what could be a blessing for others could be a curse. Not everyone was lucky enough to find a worthy and good mate.

"What do you expect from your mate?" she asked, stopping in her tracks and looking at me intently. We were on the second floor. I walked to the nearest window, looked at the countless faces entering the school, and answered honestly:

"What I expect is not to have one…" The mate curse. Yes, ever since I learned that my mother’s lineage carried it, I hoped I had inherited my father’s genes. "I want to choose for myself."

Annie seemed like she wanted to say something but stayed silent. As if some supposed goddess wanted to toy with me, I suddenly felt the hairs on my arms stand on end, and a woody scent reached my nostrils, forcing me to search for its source. I turned my gaze toward the parking lot and spotted a tall, strong man with straight black hair, tan skin, and intimidating eyes staring right at me. The moment our eyes met, I felt a crushing force of attraction pulling me toward him, while my wolf howled: Mate!

She repeated it over and over inside me as my heart pounded wildly. I forced myself to look away and took a deep breath to try and contain my wolf, who foolishly fell for this damn curse.

"Well… at least you don’t have to worry about that now," Annie said, finally gathering the courage to respond. "You still have some time before your wolf awakens, and even after that, there’s no guarantee you’ll find him, so maybe you really can choose."

"Sure…" I turned to her, forcing a nervous smile. I wanted to believe that what had just happened was a complete lie.

I’d say he was already in his twenties and wasn’t wearing a uniform, so it was just a coincidence that I saw him here at school. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed me. That’s what I wanted to believe. I took a slow breath, closed my eyes, and focused on calming myself before opening them again and heading to class as if nothing had happened.

If it were up to my wolf, I would be sprinting across the courtyard to find him. Even now, she kept begging me to go to him, but there was no way I would! Going after my mate would mean revealing my wolf, something I had no intention of doing before turning eighteen. Besides, he saw me too, so if he was interested, he would come after me!

There are four classes of clans that guard the borders of the dark world: New Moon, Crescent Moon, Full Moon, and Waning Moon. Each has distinct characteristics that set them apart, from the predominant fur coloration to the "blessings received."

Siram was a clan of Full Moon wolves, my mother’s lineage. Their predominant fur color ranged in various shades of brown. Wolves only awakened at the peak of the first Full Moon closest to their eighteenth birthday. Upon awakening, the clan’s greatest blessing was granted: the ability to find their destined mate—a bond that no one questioned, only accepted as a gift from the Moon Goddess.

However, my father belonged to the Arches clan, the New Moon wolves, whose fur came in various shades of gray. In this clan, wolves could awaken as early as twelve, with no fixed timing for it. The upside of this clan was the so-called "love scent." They could sense the scent of potential future partners and choose for themselves, free from the pressure the mate bond imposed.

My wolf, as if the world didn’t want her to belong to either clan, had white fur. She was large, agile, and had the same green eyes as me.

Lisa awakened when I was twelve, making me go through one of the most humiliating moments of my life. Unlike in Siram, I had no time to prepare for it—I truly wasn’t ready. My first transformation happened at my old school. Feeling violent tremors take over me, I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. Before I could even take off my clothes, Lisa emerged. I had to endure all the pain in silence while my bones and muscles reshaped during the transformation. They said the first time was the most painful; now, just imagine doing it in the cramped space of a bathroom stall and having to hold in all the agony of the transformation while trying not to break anything. It was impossible!

That day, I thought I was going to die, but little by little, I regained control and managed to return to my human form. When I finally gathered myself, I saw the shattered toilet and the shower door marked by my claws. Me, my crushed backpack, and the floor around us were soaked with toilet water, while my clothes had turned into mere rags scattered across the floor.

Gathering the last of my strength, I reached for my backpack and grabbed my phone. The screen was completely cracked, but thankfully, it still worked. I called my mom, begging for help. I had never experienced so much humiliation and despair in my life!

Now, this whole mate thing came up, and my wolf kept bugging me for the rest of the day, insisting that we should go find him, so I couldn’t focus on anything. Looks like I inherited the bad traits from both clans.