one

Aurelia Johnson was sweating heavily even though she was in an open space. Today was her eighteenth birthday and she was supposed to have her first shift tonight. 

Her father Francis noticed her discomfort and held her sweaty palms, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't be nervous, ok? Daddy is right here with you, "Francis said, smiling at his favorite child. 

 However, in his heart he was nervous for her, today is her eighteenth birthday yet he can't still feel her wolf. He is afraid of discovering she inherited her mother's weak bloodline after all. In his lineage, they normally have their first shift at seventeen. Scarlett, his second daughter, already shifted when she turned seventeen three months ago. 

 When Aurelia turned seventeen, she had been unable to shift. He intensified the training he gave her and fed her some precious elixir that cost him millions of wolf currency. However, he still couldn't feel her wolf, he feared for her. 

He had noticed the way the bullying she received at school increased exponentially. Even Scarlett and her mom Sabina often pokes the fact she couldn't shift in her face. Sabina had been angry when she discovered that Francis spent a fortune on elixir for his useless daughter. 

Aurelia was the daughter of Francis's first wife and true mate. Even though she was dead, it was no secret she was the only woman Francis ever loved. 

 Sabina was forced on him by the clan and it was no secret he would rather be without her. Sabina had been jealous of the dead woman for years, even going as far as poisoning her, causing her weak body to cave in during childbirth. 

 Aurelia's mom was a weak omega slave, Francis was meant to guard her from escape but ended up falling in love with her when he found out she was his mate. Due to his influence in the clan, she was released. 

 But they insisted he will take Sabina as his second wife and chosen mate. He had agreed, to protect his weak first love from attack. 

Aurelia looked behind her and noticed the gloating look on her stepmother's face. Even her sister Scarlett and her friends were waiting for her to fail. As usual it's only her and her dad in this whole wide world. 

 "Goddess, please help me to shift into a powerful wolf. Do not let them gloat over me sweet goddess." Aurelia prayed looking at the moon with tears in her eyes. 

 "The Alpha's son is here" the butler announced, making Aurelia's heart skip a bit. She turned and sure enough, the Alpha's son came with Oliver Walker, one of her chief bullies and Scarlett's friend.

 Oliver was to be the next Gamma. 

Aurelia detested the Alpha's son too. He had watched her being bullied at his twentieth birthday party a few months ago and simply looked away, leaving Scarlett and her friends to beat her up. 

"It's time", Francis whispered to her as the moon became brighter.

 Francis took her to a clearing in the woods that's a little secluded. Her bag of extra clothes was in his hands. 

 

"Just let go, I'm right beside you." Francis said to the sweating Aurelia, cleaning her face. Aurelia gave him a weak smile. 

"Your strong baby, no matter what anyone else says. Dad will always love you. Whether you shift or not" Francis said with a smile and turned his back on her.

 His heart was breaking, as a bad premonition arose in him. His intuitions have never been wrong before. He heard his daughter groan in pain and quickly turned around. There were green veins on her body, and only her hands managed to transform into claws. 

She was too weak to shift!