Chapter 2

[Aurora’s POV]

“Who are you?” I asked the white spirit wolf, because I didn’t have a wolf.

My sister had a brown wolf and she was strong, but since I turned fourteen and couldn’t shift, my parents’ behaviour toward me had grown worse.

“I am your wolf. A spirit wolf. The Moon Goddess gifted me to you, to keep you safe and help you through your life’s journey,” she said. It felt like a dream.

“Are you for real?” I asked her, doubting the reality of my situation.

“Of course,” the wolf replied, before she came forward to meet me.

“Do you want me or not?” the spirit wolf asked. I hesitated, not knowing if I could trust her.

“Trust me, Aurora. The Moon Goddess hears all your cries,” she said. I sighed and accepted her hand.

The moment my hand touched the wolf’s, a magnetic force pulled her into me. A light glowed in my chest until it vanished.

“Spirit wolf, are you there? Spirit wolf, can you hear me?” I tried to reach out to the white wolf, but she was gone.

My heart grew heavy and I started sobbing again. “Why did you leave me?”

“I have not left you, Aurora. I am in you. I am taking time to adjust to my new body. We are together in this, and I am your wolf,” she said. I felt happy.

“Can I shift into you?” I asked her nervously, remembering the day of my fourteenth birthday when my parents had taken me out to the woods to shift.

It had snowed heavily that morning, but they wanted to know if I had a wolf.

They waited in vain. When I couldn’t shift, they looked at me with disappointment and hoped I would shift on my fifteenth birthday. Seeing that I was wolfless, they focused all their love and attention on Quincy.

“You do not have to think about all that,” my wolf said.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

“Malani,” she replied.

“Well, Malani, my parents wouldn’t allow me to go out of the house. Today is our Alpha’s son’s birthday—Alpha Xander Roland. My parents believe he will propose to Quincy, my older sister. They believe she will become the next Luna, so I am forbidden from going out tonight. How about we shift tomorrow?” I asked, excited to shift into her.

“Mmm. I do not think that’s a good idea. You shouldn’t weaken yourself because of your family. They don’t care about you, and you should prioritise your happiness first,” Malani said. I sighed.

“Mmm. Let’s wait. Next weekend is my eighteenth birthday. I am so happy to have you, Malani,” I purred. She laughed, making my heart flutter.

“You’re welcome, Aurora,” Malani replied. I left the room to find the maids and ask for dinner. After all, I had the big house to myself.

When I found the two maids, they looked away from me, gossiping in the kitchen. They were taller than me. Because of my parents’ maltreatment, I hadn’t been feeding well, so I was short and slim.

But now I chose to believe Malani, my wolf. I wanted to eat as much as possible instead of sobbing over a crime I didn’t commit.

I met the two maids, Lola and Linda, in the kitchen. They were older than me—both above twenty-two.

“Can I have my dinner?” I asked Lola first. She wore a brown dress and black slippers, and she had long brown hair.

“Haha! Did you hear anyone talking?” she asked Linda, who laughed. “No. I cannot see anyone beneath my feet. Haha!”

“Mmm,” I fumed with rage and realised this wasn’t me—it was Malani.

“Serve my dinner now, unless you both are fired!” I yelled. They trembled, looking at me in shock. I had never talked back to them before.

“Fine. We will serve it,” Linda murmured as she turned and went back into the kitchen.

Lola looked at me in surprise, wondering where I had gotten such bravery. As I peered at her face, I saw through her past, as if I could see a vision in that moment.

*Was this Malani’s doing too?* I panicked, but I trusted my wolf.

“You stole the jade earring and tried to frame me for it?” I asked Lola. She trembled.

“I do not know what you’re talking about. Do not try to frame me,” she said. My brows furrowed.

“Mmm. We shall see about that,” I replied.

Linda came out of the kitchen and handed me the tray of food.

“Here’s your meal,” she said, but I refused to take it.

“Take it to the dining table, and you will have to taste it first,” I said with a smile, even though I knew Linda hadn’t put anything dangerous in the food.

Not wanting to lose her job, Linda muttered, “Fine.” She swiftly marched away and set the food on the silver dining table.

I walked to the first chair and sat there like a princess.

“Over here,” I gestured. Linda carried the tray and came over to serve me again.

“Good. You can leave my sight, and do not forget who is in charge here,” I said in a firm voice, meeting Linda’s gaze. She lowered her head and replied, “Understood.”

She left my side. I picked up the spoon and started eating.

My mind wandered to Quincy and Lola. I knew Lola was Quincy’s favourite maid. I caught a snippet of Linda and Lola’s conversation in the kitchen. Surprisingly, I could hear them from the dining room, which was farther away from the kitchen with closed doors.

“What has come over Aurora?” Lola spat, subtly angry. “How dare she talk to us like that? Did she forget who she is? She’s an Omega too—and a wolfless Omega.”

Linda lowered her voice for fear of losing her job. “Lola, I advise that we avoid Aurora. Didn’t you notice how her voice held so much command? What if she has found her wolf? You know her family will resume loving her and punish us for disrespecting her. After all, she is part of the Stanley family.”

“Tsk. I doubt they want anything to do with that shorty. Don’t waste your energy respecting Aurora. She doesn’t have a wolf and she is not above us. The Stanleys said it themselves that Aurora is a maid here,” Lola said, her voice irritable.

“Mmm. I still do not want to provoke Aurora. So you can choose to provoke her on your own,” Linda said. She walked out of the kitchen and met my gaze. Her voice softened as she asked, “Do you need anything?”

A vision reflected to me. I saw Linda’s father remarrying another woman, and her being cast out of her father’s home, just like me.

“Your father is going to marry a new mate. You and your mother should prepare to leave the house before next weekend,” I said. Linda panicked.

“What do you mean? My dad loves my mother so much,” she said, subtly annoyed. I smiled.

“A word is enough for the wise. In just five days you will be invited home to pack your things. The new mistress is pregnant by another man, but she has pinned the baby on your father. Since he wants a son badly, she plans to kill your father and blame it on your mother. Not just that—she plans to advise your father to marry you off too. So get prepared. It’s either you move out now with your mother, or face the doom that lies ahead,” I said.

Linda stood staring at me in shock, as if she were already connecting the dots.

“Are you sure about this?” Linda asked. “My mother and I have nowhere to go,” she sobbed. I shook my head.

“I am sorry, but I cannot help you. You both have to figure a way out for yourselves. Before you leave, clear the table.” I picked up a napkin and wiped my lips and hands.

That was the message Malani had passed to Linda—not me. Before I met my wolf, I didn’t have any abilities. Now, discovering that I could see the past, present, and future was amazing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see my own.