Chapter 2

Today was her twentieth birthday. She was stargazing in the tree. Knowing everyone in her foster family was asleep.

She lay comfortably in her makeshift swinging bed with ropes lassoed on both ends and the thick branch of the tall old tree, near a small lake where the calm water reflected the beauty beyond the earth.

She often did this routine while listening to relaxing tunes on her iPod.

The device she had was a gift given to her by Dayanne after her eighteenth birthday. Which she didn't expect. Maybe because she knows about her situation and pitied her.

She sighed, reminiscing about the day when she hugged her stiff posture. She was thankful enough to receive such a gift that it was priceless in her heart.

Sad to say, most of her precious belongings from her parents were burned to ashes because of her...wonderful foster family...And the thing that Dayanne gave her was enough to make her feel a bit of love coming from her blank persona.

I wonder why she is like that.

The stars twinkled brightly in the sky, which captivated her. The moon was the brightest of them all.

With a heavy sigh, she enjoyed the languor of the silent night. This was her sanctuary, where no wolf, surprisingly, could find her.

Her peaceful night should've continued; however, there was a sudden twinging pain all over her body that made her frazzled.

The sudden, foreign feeling of pain was growing stronger and stronger. With the strength she had, she slowly climbed down, hissing and grunting with every move she made.

"Arrrgggghhh!" Her eyes were squinting with pain. It felt like her insides were ripped apart.

She was three meters above the ground, but she couldn't take it much longer.

She lost control of her fingers and arms, which loosened from the stem of the tree, and she fell with a loud thud.

Her painful fall took her breath away. Her breathing became labored after lying on her side like a fetus.

She gasped for more air, not just because of the impact of her fall but because the throes of pain she felt all over her body intensified.

For what felt like hours. Gradually, her mouth and ears elongated, her bones slowly rearranged, and a black furry tail emerged from her behind.

She cried, or more like whined, like a puppy.

All her clothes were shredded into pieces, and thick, long black fur emerged from the layers of her epidermis, flaunting itself externally. Her once bruised skin was replaced.

Her breathing was still labored. Opening her eyes, she took a moment to compose herself and stood on all fours.

To her shock, her once soft fingers turned into huge paws with midnight black fur, and the hours of excruciating pain in her body subsided.

Her senses were heightened.

Light snores and running water invaded her ears. She was far from any houses where no one could hear her deafening screams of a painful shift earlier, and she was glad.

Surprisingly, the patrols didn't care to investigate.

Her curiosity peaked, and she slowly trotted, looking for a lake nearby. She was still getting the hang of walking on all fours. Quite foreign, but she was a bit fast.

A minute passed, and she spotted a small lake and slowly looked at her reflection. There she stood, black and furry, fierce and deadly.

Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Dear Moon Goddess, I shifted!

Is this my wolf? she thought. Why is it so big? Why is it black? Dear me, my wolf is so beautiful!

She was finding it hard to believe that the wolf in front of her was her. Gazing at her own yellow-green eyes glowing like fireflies.

~We're beautiful, aren't we?~ a soft, melodic voice echoed in her mind, making her leap in surprise.

~Are you my wolf?~ she hesitantly questioned.

~Yes~ her wolf simply said.

~This is so amazing, but why did you turn up now?~ curious as to how she appeared late.

~Your body was preparing for my coming. If you shifted in your teenage years, you wouldn't have survived. I'm so sorry, Zainne.~

Now she was bemused: ~It's okay, you're here now, and I'm grateful. Thank you~ she smiled internally ~but why would I die if I shifted in my teenage years? Isn't that the exact age pups shift?~ she continued.

~We aren't any ordinary wolf my dear; we are one of her chosen.~

She gasped internally, now that she thought of it. She was a black wolf. No female nor male wolf has black fur except for the alpha and now, her.

Furthermore, she was bigger than any other wolf, even an alpha wolf.

~Wow...~ she was speechless for a while, blinking her eyes in bewilderment. ~why me though? Many others were much more worthy, I think~ she sadly thought, thinking about the predicament she lived in.

~You are chosen for a reason, Zainne, and you are more worthy to be with me.~

With that, she happily leaped with joy, trotting on the ground like an excited pup.

~Hey I never got to know your name~ she adorably asked, tilting her head sideways.

~We are one, and I am you.~

~Huh? I thought one plus one equaled two. Why are we one?~ she playfully asked.

~Nice try. Don't play dumb with me, I know you're smarter than that~ her wolf chided.

~You're no fun. I was getting you to laugh as per greeting your arrival~ her voice held disappointment, inclining her to play along.

~How thoughtful of you. Here, let me laugh. Ha. Ha. Ha.~ There was no humor in her wolf's laugh ~how's that?~ her wolf cheekily said.

~Barely succeeded in my expectations.~

~Hm. Funny~ she chuckled ~you have a weird way of greeting me... Now let's hunt!~ her wolf became ecstatic.

~We should head back, Mrs. Belle will punish me if she notices I'm gone~ she worriedly said.

~But it's still dawn. I still wanted to hunt~ her wolf was eager for a run.

~Alright. But we'll just be quick.~

Soon, they ran as fast as they could, feeling the cold breeze glaze her fur.

Moments later, a huge deer was spotted drinking by the stream. Large three-vine bushes surrounded their prey, which gave them the advantage of getting unnoticed, and with her black fur, she blended in the night.

She was having second thoughts about killing the innocent creature; not accustomed to hunting.

But she needed to satisfy her wolf. She felt so strong and wild.

They were now stalking their prey, and with a blink of an eye, their sharp teeth dug deep into the deer's neck.

The metallic taste of the animal's blood and the warm flesh of their hunt were a delight. She devoured the meat with such hunger that she felt like she had been starving for days.

This made her moan for every bite.

This is so good!

Once they had their fill, her wolf spoke ~Hey Zainne?~ They were lying on their belly on the ground while their paws extended and ears perked with their eyes closed, being vigilant near the stream.

~Yeah?~ she answered.

~Can you keep me a secret for a while?~

~What do you mean?~

~I mean, you shouldn't tell anyone yet that you shifted.~

~Why?~ her curiosity got the best of her, and her tone grizzled.

~We are the first female black werewolf in centuries. Many would want to hunt us with the thought of breeding stronger pups. Plus, we are gifted~ she cautiously said.

~I have a gift?~ she was taken aback, still conflicted at the moment.

~Yes, and you will know more soon. Right now, we should focus on keeping ourselves a secret.~

~How about after meeting our mate? Can he know?~

~That depends on you. I wouldn't hesitate to tell him~ she purred.

~Well, I wouldn't tell him yet. I want to see if he will accept us for who and what we are first.~

~And then, we'll pounce on our mate and make pups~ her wolf excitedly said, not ashamed of the innuendo she thought of.

~Hmmm. Look at you, already getting down and dirty. Horny wolf~ a laugh reigned in her inner thoughts.

~I know. It's so hot; just thinking about our future mate excites me.~

~I would suggest a date first.~

~Hm. I wouldn't be surprised~ her wolf internally rolled her eyes, making them both giggle.

She was happy that she had a wolf. After finding out the reason, she agreed to be classified.

No one wants to be a breeding machine; the thought of that irks her. Even the constant attack from her pack wouldn't faze her because she knew her wolf was always with her.

And so she will be...completely human to their eyes; they planned to make it that way.

~How would I prevent them from knowing I have you? I think they could smell our scent, you know.~

Any werewolf can determine if he or she has a wolf by their scent. When they first shifted during their eighteenth birthday, their scent would also change, making them marked as wolves.

~Good thing we aren't normal. We can change our scent anytime we want.~

~Wow...I think my life would be one heck of a roller-coaster ride... How, though? ~

~Just think of me having no scent..~

Following her wolf's instructions, she sniffs herself a second later.

~No scent!~ She was taken aback for a moment.

~Told yah~ her wolf's placid tone rang in her head.

They hurried back to her so-called family and sneaked into her small room, which was the size of a closet, and dressed for her upcoming chores. It was now six o'clock in the morning.

She wore a brown crumpled dress that ended at her knee, with long sleeves that also covered her shoulders. She took her slippers and slowly walked down the basement to do the laundry.

After two hours...

"Zainnne!" a very angry Mrs. Belle called out and quickly entered the basement she was in.