Chapter 02

"Okay, that will be all for today!" I announced authoritatively to the girls of Moonville Pack. My Father's Pack. I could hear their sighs of relief as they wobbled on their feet. Some of them resting by the tree side and others scurrying to their changing rooms. But my eyes particularly fell on a young girl. Her hair were long and straight, donning a stunning shade of black just like mine. 

"Rose!" I called.

"Yes commander." She chirped as she approached me courteously.  Her anxiety and quivery status evidently displaying. So instead of being the overly stern trainer of the girls of Moonville Pack, I beamed a tiny smile at her.

"You seem to be bad at wielding the Knife." I uttered calmly while her grip tightened on the wooden knife. One, we usually used for practice. 

"I'm sorry Commander. I promise to do better." She muttered with lack of conviction as her eyes fixated to the ground. I inched closer to her, held her jaw so her gaze found mine. 

"First lesson," I chorused while her shivery status relatively lessened. "Your stance should be rigid." I stated while I adjusted her posture. Making her shoes bury firmly into the loamy soil and her shoulder upright.

"Second, cling onto your weapon like your life depends on it." I continued as my hands flowed to hers. Adjusting the carved knife in her right hand.

"Third, steady your breaths. It should be calm and stealth. Hold your opponent's gaze thoroughly so they find it impossible to decipher your attack moves." My smiled deepened as she followed my orders efficiently. 

"Fourthly," I encircled about her in a slow fashion.

"let this weapon feel like an extension of your body. Let your werewolf powers be in perfect sync with your weapon. Allow your wolf to guide you." She nodded slowly. 

"And the most important part of it all, your aim should be at critical points. The neck, the chest, the thighs--" I explained while her lips parted into a tiny smile.

"I need you to practice more and I hope to see great improvements huh."

"Yes commander." She answered softly. 

"Alright you can go now." I flashed a grin before she parted away.

"Claire." An overly familiar voice called behind my back. I turned in surprise as I witnessed the Lycan King, Issac Perkins, my father expressing a smile of admiration.

"Dad!" I chirped and hurriedly threw him a hug. 

"Careful darling, you're going to squeeze the life out of me." He joked. I giggled as we separated. 

"What are you doing here? Old man." I teased as I playfully eyed him. He rolled his eyes. But I was curiously waiting for his answer. My Father rarely spent time with me these days. We were always entangled in one work or the other.

"I just came to see how my little angel is faring, is that bad?" He finally answered but I could literally feel his lie tell from his eyes. 

"We live in the same Pack house, Dad." I pointed out while he frowned. As if trying to feign ignorance to the truth. "Just skip to it." 

"Fine you got me." He chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender. "Let's go for a walk." 

  I tried to study his eyes. To decipher what he was probably up too but one thing the Lycan was good at, you could never read him. Except his lie of course. So I quietly followed, we toured the woods for several minutes in silence. Our ears entertained by the tweeting of birds, the soft winds breezing across our bodies but it wasn't allaying my fears. His silence was disturbing and my mind couldn't help but race for various scary things he was probably going to say.

"Tomorrow, you'll be leaving for Greenville Pack." He finally broke the tensioned moment. 

I gasped whilst my eyes exclaimed in awe. His words had easily slammed a wave of shock against my thoughts.

I didn't know if I should be happy or not. But on second thoughts, I figured I should be sad. 

My Father didn't like that Pack in the very least. His hatred for the beloved Pack happened during the time of my mother's death. I really didn't know much details about it at that time and even now, he still refused to talk about it. 

"Why?" I asked as I stared at him but all he did was stare at the birds tweeting on their nest. Wearing a smile I couldn't quite depict. Whether it was sad or not.

"For work of course." He answered nonchalantly.

"But I thought you hate that place." 

He faced me while our pace slowed. 

"As the Lycan, I should show equal love and care for every Pack I rule." 

I nodded even though his answer felt like they weren't the deserving one to my question.

"Greenville is crumbling and I can't stand to watch how the most blissful Pack relapse into ruins." He said in a worriedly fashion. 

"What do you need me to do?" I replied in a whisper. 

"Well, you're going to be the new administrator of Greenville High." He grinned but my jaw dropped as I stared in disbelief.

"What, that's impossible!" I protested. "Greenville High is the second largest school amongst packs. Dad of all work, I'm not gonna do this." 

"Claire, you need to understand that there's a reason behind everything." He voiced calmly while I rolled my eyes. This accustomed statement was what he referred to any time he tried persuading me.

  And I being the soft hearted one, would simply answer to his call unlike Blake, my twin brother.

"The School's population is reducing. More and more werewolves keep leaving the Pack. I need you to be there, to be the agent of change, feed me with what's going on. And as the administrator, you could indirectly influence matters relating to the Pack itself." My Father clarified even before asking the question. 

"Dad, can't you choose an administrator for the Pack itself or send Blake?"  

"Claire," he called almost in a pleading tone. 

"there's already enough tension between you and your twin brother. This job would at least save us the daily dramas..."

My mind slowly drifted after hearing those words. In oblivion, I began to reminisce on constant arguments and fights with my brother. Just this morning, we still argued fiercely with each other. If one didn't know our family closely, it would be easy to conclude us as natural enemies.

"Besides, You haven't failed me once, and I trust you." My Father's words tousled my burdensome thoughts.

"So you don't trust your son?" I queried. My Father looked me in the eye, hesitating for a split moment. He was just about to answer when Blake's voice protruded the chill air.

"Of course he doesn't trust his son!" My Twin brother announced as he approached us in his black regal clothing, followed alongside guards. His blonde hair glimmered under the sun and his blue eyes expressed discrete anger.

"That's not true." My Father outrightly denied as he focused on his hot headed son. But his words lacked conviction.

"You give every important work to Claire. Claire this, Claire that, like she's the only child you have!" Blake raised his voice as he gestured his hands mockingly. "You even made Claire a commander but what do I get?" He pursed his lips. 

"Nothing!" He bellowed. "I'm not even your Beta. Yet you call me the heir! Sometimes I think perhaps you're not my biological father!" 

"You are my son, Blake." Father stated in his Alpha tone. "You're just not ready yet." 

My brother scoffed. 

"So Claire is the one ready?!" He pointed to me without even a glance. 

"Blak-" I tried to say.

"Don't you say anything there!" He barked at me, with icy glare boring holes in me. "Don't make me hate you more than I already have." 

  And in an unprecedented moment, My Father rewarded Blake with a slap. I gasped as redness shined to life on my brother's cheek. I glanced at my Father, whose countenance expressed just how irritated he already was. 

   I always wondered why these two hated each other. They were family for Goodness sakes! 

"Take that word back." My Father ordered in an icy Alpha tone. 

"You hit me!" Blake retorted, almost letting out a growl. 

"I. Said," My Father neared him. "Apologize to your sister now." 

My entirety froze as both men exchanged threatening glares at each other. At this point, I knew intervening would be the wrong idea. I could worsen it all.

"I won't!" Blake retorted and my heart skipped a beat. Wondering the next action my Father could take.

"Beta Conrad!" My Father yelled and in a swift mannerism, the Beta approached the scenery from goodness knows where with his werewolf speed. 

"Yes Lycan." Beta Conrad answered with a stern expression imprinted on his face.

"Lock him in his Chambers." My Father ordered. Although there was hesitation on the Beta's part, he still yielded to the Lycan's order. 

   I watched in bewilderment as the guards alongside Beta Conrad escorted my brother away from us. 

"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked. This is the same question I've been asking over the years but as usual he responded with,

"I don't hate him." 

I heaved an heavy sigh. 

"Forgive your brother's attitude, darling." My Father's voice reverted to it's soothing nature. I looked to his face which already carried a smile.

"Please don't lock him up." I pleaded.

"He his the heir, he needs to be handled under strict measures." My Father calmly denied my pleas. 

"But-"

"There will be no Buts." He abruptly interjected. "Please pack your stuffs, you're leaving for Greenville Pack tomorrow." 

  I sighed, loathing the feeling of emptiness that dawned. I didn't want to oblige but there was no Nay to my Father either. As we toured in silence, I pondered what kind of life awaits me at Greenville.