Chapter five

[Avira]

Instead of a silver spark which I had desperately hoped for, my spark was green! This is so not good, I repeated in my head as I stepped out of the chalk drawn circle, and took my position close to the members of my group. Not close though but closer than any other wolf or hunting group.

Much to my relief, the members of my hunting group were all wolves. Male! Male wolves had the tendency to mind their business way more than she-wolves. But there was a strange wolf in my group, one I have never seen, and I immediately wished it was not the stranger from earlier today. The strange wolf in my group was glaring at me, and I couldn't understand why. Again, I wished it was not him.

Alpha Demian had shifted back into his human form, and was about to address the rest of us, and while the rest of us shifted our gaze towards his direction, I still felt like I was was being watched, and I didn't need to look too far to know who was staring at me.

"Now that you know the group you belong to, the hunting will commence tomorrow by 10:00 PM which means there will be an assembly an hour before. Beta Maverick will give directions on the ground each group is to cover come tomorrow." Alpha Demian spelled out, and reached for the Alpha's moonbrand which now laid on the floor where the moon crystal was moved from.

Once he lifted the moonbrand off the floor, he chanted an incantation from the scroll, and the moon crystal slowly descended until it landed softly on the floor at the centre of the circle. While the moon crystal descended, the cloud gradually shifted from darkness into broad daylight, and this was followed by another round of loud cries as we all shifted from our wolf forms back to our human forms.

We stood with each other as group members only we were now in our human forms. I peered at the members of my group and realized that that the strange wolf was no one else but the same stranger. He was staring at me, and didn't look away even when our eyes locked.

Jerk!

I cussed in my head and looked away but his stares kept boring into the side of my face. All I had to do was to completely ignore him although I had a feeling that ignoring him wouldn't be easy. But seriously, how did we end up in the same hunting group?

Well, I shrugged after some time. It could only be a coincidence which happens all the time. I already had a bad feeling about him, and I will do all I can to avoid having anything to do with him.

"We shall assemble tomorrow by 09:00 PM to begin the hunt. Remember, the rogue Wolf will be killed on sight." Alpha Demian instructed the pack, dismissing us.

I hurried out of the shed, and headed home. The Beta will not arrive until about an hour later, and I needed to prepare lunch before he arrived or face been placed at the stock again, and beaten.

"Avira!" I heard from behind me. It was my name alright, and I was the only one in the pack that bore the name. The voice was not familiar, and was far too polite to be anyone in the pack. Besides I had nothing to do with anyone from the pack, and no one would dare call my name.

I turned towards the direction where the voice had sounded from when I heard it a second time, and my face twisted up in a frown. It was the stranger, and he was heading towards me with so much speed. What the fuck does he want, and how the fuck did he know my name?

I decided I did not want the answers to those questions as much as I did not want anything to do with him, and continued my walk towards the Beta's quarters. My action would discourage any other person, and make him back off but not this jerk as he continued to walk after me, and even increased his pace.

I was the Beta's ward or slave sometimes, and had nothing to do with anyone else. Whatever I faced as the Beta's slave or enjoyed as his ward was my business, and mine alone. Although at first, it was difficult for me but I soon got used to it, and even relished in the freedom now. But then this jerk had come from god-knows-where to stir things up.

"What is it that you want?" I snapped when he got to where I was. I wanted him to let me be but he seemed too much of a blockhead to get it.

"I just want to be friends." He said, and I didn't hide my displeasure. Friends? What does that even mean? I could barely exchange pleasantries with a she-wolf let alone have a male as a friend. If the Beta should see me in such close proximity with a male, I know just what will happen to me, and it wouldn't be funny.

"We can't be friends," I said, increasing my pace, and walking out of him but he easily fell into place with me, which made me let out a frustrated sigh.

"But why? I don't bite. Well, my wolf does, sometimes." He joked and I rolled my eyes. I'm not laughing at his stupid joke. He can ride straight to hell for all I care, and take his joke along.

"I'll tell you this just once," I said, looking around to see if there was anyone within earshot. Not that they would report me to the Beta though. It was more like I didn't exist in this pack until I am fully initiated which would only happen when I am mated.

"I am the Beta's..." I hesitated, not sure whether to say ward or slave. "I live with the pack's Beta, and it's safer for you if you stayed away." I had wanted to sound as harsh as possible but I had ended up talking to him politely which I hated.

"The Beta," he said as if something just fell into place. "Are you happy with him?" He asked, and I shook my head once I realized what he meant.

"I'm not his mate." I said quickly. He let out a relieved sigh, and I scoffed. Whatever thought was running through his mind was vain.

"I have an obligation to protect you." He said, bringing down his voice, and I scoffed.

"From the Beta." He added when I said nothing, and I shot him a look. It was obvious he was trying to get himself killed. I realized that I had wasted quite a lot of time already, and continued my walk towards the Beta's quarters.

"I feel every pain you feel, and every whip you receive from the Beta." He declared, and again, I wondered how that was even possible. "By the way what did you apply to your stomach?" He asked, disrupting my moment. The stomach ache as I had just realized, was gone.

Who are you? I wanted to ask but instead, I stopped abruptly, and faced him. We had walked to the spot where I couldn't dare let him go any further. My face had lost all of it's softness and gentleness as I stared hard at him. I was trying to decipher the truthfulness of his claims but it wasn't easy or possible anymore. His claims was beginning to sound less like a coincidence even though I wouldn't dare believe it to be true.

"Stop following me." I said instead, and walked away through the footpath that led to Beta Maverick's quarters, leaving him to stare at me while I went out of his sight.