Chapter 05

FRANKIE POV (Age 16/ 4 years ago)

It’s been well over an hour since I stormed out of the match. I washed my wounds and applied some tree salve to the open wounds as a protective anti-bacterial agent to avoid further infection.

What a joke!

Not that I expected them all to come running to my aid, but no one came after me at all.

No one cared.

The matches went on as usual. The one advantage of not having a wolf yet was that I didn’t have to tolerate my parents' shared disappointment in me, filling my peace and quiet through mind-link. I was at the matches, which meant there was also no cellphone for them to blow up with warnings to return and accept public punishment.

Heaven forbid they actually parent and talk to me in person.

No, I knew their expectations of both Ryner and me.

Ryner was to train and become the next Gamma. He would be responsible for being the future Luna’s right-hand and protector whenever she was outside of the pack. Ha! I laughed at the thought.

Good luck to that Luna. My brother couldn’t even step up to protect his own sister. How would he justify giving it all to a stranger, but not his own flesh and blood family member? It didn’t make sense to me.

Their expectations of me? Simple— be the best at everything, stay silent and obedient, and above all, don’t ever embarrass the family.

Well, too late. Time to send me off to the farm, as the saying goes.

I was practically a lost cause for them, especially now that I was just publicly disqualified. I had no interest in the legal field, unlike my mother, so she didn’t have time for me. Additionally, I was the wrong gender to be considered Gamma, which meant my father's focus was always on Ryner.

I’m just their big walking disappointment over here. I had always liked more modest paths like teaching, but I couldn’t express that to anyone but Luna Margie and Aria. My mother would never support that career path unless it earned six figures; she considered it beneath us.

I looked down at my ribs and saw that even though I cleaned them properly, they were still bleeding through the torn shirt I used for bandage padding. I started to realize that the adrenaline was wearing off, and I was losing focus. Was it from blood loss or exhaustion? I wasn't certain, but I knew I couldn’t listen to my body. I couldn’t allow myself to fall asleep.

“There you are!” Aria’s voice called out with a sigh of relief. “I knew you would be in one of your three favourite hiding spots. Figures it was the last one we checked.”

“I am not hiding!” I sulked. I knew I was being a brat, but I couldn't control my emotions.

“No? Is that why you are choosing to bleed out alone in the woods instead of asking for help?” Aria challenged back, her hands on her hips, like a parent scolding a misbehaving child, rather than a peer her own age.

Aria and I were best friends. She was the baby of the Alpha family, and we were born only a few months apart. Although my mother and Luna Margie were never close, Aria and I were. We were nearly inseparable most of the time. I knew my mother was the reason she and Luna never really got along behind closed doors. I knew that because Luna Margie was kind to everyone, even my bulldog of an attorney mother, who loved challenging and testing people. It tends to get exhausting after a while. I honestly have no idea how my father managed to do it.

I adored Luna Margie. As a child, I often wished she were my real mother, but I would never voice that out loud. I would never want to hurt my mother with information like that. I was sure that even though it was like hugging a block of ice, she still cared in her own way.

Looking over at Aria, I wasn’t surprised to find Luna Margie standing next to her. Her face was etched in concern as her eyes stayed trained on my side.

“Troy had been disqualified for cheating and breaking the rules within a match by partially shifting against a wolfless opponent. You are now permitted to retry next week, if you wish to. After you are given a proper inspection of your wounds, and are cleared by the pack doctor, that is.” There was a finality in Luna Margie's words. The doctor visit was non-negotiable.

“It doesn’t matter. I have no interest in playing these games any further.” I huffed.

Luna Margie took a step forward. “Don’t be like that, Frankie. I supported what you did out there, and you’d be surprised by how many others did as well. Troy attempted to cheat for a false victory to save his ego. That is not someone who has honour, and is not a warrior we want to rely on in battle. Many warriors witnessed what happened, and I suspect they have lost a great deal of trust and respect for him as a result of his actions. You, however, have earned quite a bit today. You defended yourself against someone who had an extreme advantage, and you were the one who walked away after the match. He was dragged away, despite it all. Be proud of that, because I am.” Her words left me stunned.

I turned and looked at Luna Margie. She has always been a strong supporter of mine. I wish my actual parents were like this, even just for a moment.

“You will need to address how you spoke to Tom, however. You publicly challenged and disrespected the pack's Alpha, and you know that is a big no-no, Frankie. Regardless of how heated the situation was, you will need to apologize. Tom loves you just as much as Aria and I do. He thought he had done the right thing by the pack, unaware of the full situation. No one saw the claws; all we saw was you become triggered and nearly kill that boy. Tom does regret acting as swiftly as he had before gathering the information; however, you need to hold your own accountability for what happened back there.”

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