CH.2

Daisy

I sit in one of the chairs at the table while my grandmother unpacks the food. She's always been against the idea of me getting a scholarship to study in a school for the rich and A-ranked creatures.

"I don't know, Grandma. But I did everything in my power to pass this test so that I can become eligible for better jobs later. They also train their students to fight. Plus it's a mixed school with Class A wolves and other creatures which means I'll learn from all of them. My rank might even rise and then we'll live in peace and harmony. We won't have to eat leftovers anymore. We could have a big house."

"I'm really worried about you," my grandmother says. "In that school, there are only strong children. There are Beta, Alpha, Gamma wolves, powerful warriors, wizards, very rich vampires and you're only a werewolf of Class S."

Her voice is sad but I just smile at her and pull her into a hug to reassure her that I'll be fine. I have to be.

I help her wash the dishes after dinner then my grandmother goes to the living room to wait for my grandfather's return while I head upstairs to my small bedroom.

My grandfather is always working late. I wonder if he truly enjoys his job, or if he's just doing what he must to keep us afloat.

'Will we also find a mate one day?' Aru wonders in my mind.

A kind of nostalgia and longing washes over me. Aru usually controls her emotions well but the subject of our potential mate always makes her sensitive.

'I don't know,' I answer her. 'Grandma always says the mate bond is a strong connection that no one can break.'

I hear the front door open and my grandfather entering the house. I'm about to turn over and sleep, however, something makes me curious. I quietly move toward my door and open it just a crack to peek out.

What I see makes my eyes widen.

My grandfather is holding my grandmother in his arms and spinning her around as if she weighs nothing. He kisses her while repeating that he misses her.

"Oh, what is this?" I whisper before quickly closing the door. "Aren't they too old for these things?"

Wait a moment. My grandfather was carrying my grandmother in his arms with ease. How is that possible?

My grandfather is supposed to be old and frail. He is barely able to carry himself some days. He's a Class S wolf who works as a guard for the Alpha's palace. However, his actual job is merely keeping small animals like mice and rabbits out of the palace garden.

Something doesn't add up.

I return to my bed yet my mind races with questions. Between the exam, the strange pull I felt toward Damien Grimspire on television, and now my grandfather's unexpected display of strength. Nothing seems normal anymore.

………

I wake up lazily this morning and my body refuses to cooperate when my grandmother's voice echoes up the stairs.

"Daisy! Breakfast is ready! Don't make me come up there!"

The warm cocoon of my blankets tempts me to ignore her, but I know better.

Yesterday's exam makes me want to hide away until the results come out, yet my growling stomach has other ideas. I groan before forcing myself to roll out of bed and letting my feet hit the cold wooden floor.

I drag myself downstairs to see that my grandparents are already seated at our small kitchen table with steam rising from their plates.

"Good morning," my grandfather greets and his weathered face crinkles into a warm smile.

"Good morning grandpa. Good morning grandma," I mumble before sliding into my usual chair and suppressing a yawn.

My grandfather studies my face with concern in his kind eyes. "How did you do in the test yesterday, dear?"

"I think I did well, grandpa." I try to sound confident but the uncertainty creeps into my voice anyway.

I reach for a piece of toast with the hopes that food might settle the butterflies in my stomach.

"Today is the day the results come out, right?" He passes me the jar of homemade jam which is a rare treat in our household.

"Yes." I spread a thin layer across my toast even though my appetite has suddenly diminished at the thought of the results. "I wish I could pass and go to my dream school."

My grandmother's forehead wrinkles with concern. "Isn't it too fast for the results to come out after only one day?"

"That's because the people who passed the exam are very few," I explain while picking at my breakfast. "Perhaps there were ten people or less."

"I am really worried about you with those high-ranking people." My grandmother's voice takes on that familiar tone of apprehension that I've heard a thousand times before.

My grandmother Juna is perpetually anxious. Her face is constantly etched with worry lines that deepen whenever the topic of my future comes up.

My grandpa is her perfect counterbalance. He is optimistic, supportive, and always ready to defend my dreams.

"Dear, let her fulfill her dreams." He reaches across the table to pat my grandmother's hand.

His touch is gentle and his words are firm.

"Yes..." she starts to her protest but it dies on her lips when my grandfather gives her a pointed look.

"I trust you, Daisy." He turns to me. "Don't let your grandmother influence your decisions, my little girl."

His unwavering support brings a genuine smile to my face and I get up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You are the only one who understands me in this world, my love, Grandpa."

"Hey..." My grandma's mock indignation breaks through her worry. "Don't flirt with my mate in front of me. How can you ignore me? Your granddaughter has become… Stop it now."

Grandpa and I exchange glances. We try to hold a serious expression for just a moment before we both burst into laughter.

Grandma tries to keep her offended facade, but soon she's laughing along with us. And that's how the kitchen becomes filled with the warm sound of our shared amusement.

These precious moments with them are what keep me going through all the hardships of being Class S. Even with our struggles, the love in this small house is more valuable than any Class A privilege.

--

"I'm dying of anxiety. If I don't find my name on that list, I'll be finished." My voice comes out higher than normal as my friend and I make our way to the test site.

The morning sun feels too bright and cheerful for the knot of dread in my stomach.

"Fail this test and you will be really finished," Mia agrees but her blunt honesty does not help my nerves at all.

We weave through the growing crowd of students who are all heading to the same place with the same anxious energy. The closer we get, the harder my heart pounds.

"I am afraid they'll prevent me from passing because of my rank." The fear has been gnawing at me since I submitted my application.

What if they just looked at my Class S status and tossed my test aside without even reading it?

"I don't think so." Mia nudges my shoulder with hers. "Did you forget that the student who passed last year was from the same class as us?"

I nod in acknowledgment at her point but the tension refuses to leave my body. Passing this test means I'll get the scholarship that will change everything. Not just for me, but for my grandparents too.

We could move out of our tiny house on the outskirts of the pack. My grandmother wouldn't have to bring home leftover food from the Alpha's table anymore.