| Body |
What was held on my 14th birthday was not my celebration party, but my sister's funeral ceremony.
The 14th birthday is a really big deal to werewolves. It's the day that we first meet our wolves.
But on my big day, no one was happy for me, and no one was by my side.
Everyone was grieving the death of Stephanie, who was my sister. The loss of Stephanie was a really big deal for our pack.
Not only was she my sister and my parents' oldest and favorite child, she was also widely anticipated to be the mate of Alpha Randall's son, James, which meant she was most likely the future luna of our pack.
In the eyes of my parents and the pack, Stephanie was beautiful, kind, smart, and energetic. She was a being that has all the best qualities, and everyone loved her.
Actually, I also loved my sister, and her death was hitting me really hard.
It’s just that…. I knew a different side of my sister than everyone else, and I knew more than anyone that my sister was far from perfect.
But I won't say it, especially on such a serious occasion as my sister's funeral.
If I spoke out now I would be accused of being jealous or lying.
The funeral began at 2:00 PM, I was seated next to my mother in one of the most visible places in the entire amphitheater.
The closer the night got, the more miserable I became.
Even though no one remembered today as the day I shifted, my body remembered.
I was full of pain and felt feverish and dizzy, I knew that I was minutes away from making a spectacle of myself.
I needed to get out of there and fast.
As I got up, I felt angry eyes on me. I couldn’t help but turn to see.
It was James.
I was puzzled by his angry gaze, but I had no time to explore. I had to leave immediately.
I hurriedly ran out of the venue towards the nearby forest, accidentally knocking over a few flower arrangements on the way.
Waves of pain hit me, and I stumbled down and stood up again, almost wanting to give up.
Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head.
"Keep going, Lily. Keep going. Get to the waterfall. I'll help you"
I struggled to get up. The pain in my body forced me to crawl forward.
I got myself on all fours and crawled as quickly as I could through the forest towards the waterfall.
"Hold on, Lily. You are going to be fine. " That voice kept pushing me forward.
The pain hurt too much to fight or question, so I closed my eyes and just did as I was told. I heard and felt the sound of bones breaking, and I felt like my body was essentially self-imploding.
After a few minutes, the pain disappeared and I felt a huge change in my body.
I opened my eyes and immediately noticed that I was not human anymore. My feet and hands were paws.
I then looked into the water that pooled at the edge of the waterfall, and I saw my reflection.
What a beautiful wolf! This was the most beautiful wolf I had seen in fourteen years.
My fur was a beautiful bluish-silver color that almost glowed. My body had also grown so large, even as large as some alpha wolves.
"I am your wolf. My name is Rose." The voice in my head sounded again.
My transition was successful, and I thought the rest of my life would be bright.
Unexpectedly, the first important day in my life was also the beginning of my nightmare.
From that day on, everyone in the pack distanced themselves from me. Including my biological mother, she would even hurt me.
And all this was because of James. He indiscriminately attributed my sister's death to me and spread this rumor everywhere.
For the next six years, I always tried to stay away from the pack and not meet everyone.
But there were two special days when I had to come back, my sister's birthday and death anniversary.
Because the two days were designated as a pack holiday and somber celebrations must be held to commemorate Stephanie on each occasion. All pack members must be present.
My father's indifference still stung me when I came back. I knew he hasn't gotten over the grief after my sister died.
My father was the best person to me now. He was not directly involved in the harm to me, he just looked on with a cold eye.
For my mother, I could serve as a literal punching bag to help her relieve her grief. But, I was nothing to my father.
Perhaps that's why my father's pain upset me more than the pain of everyone else.
This uneasiness made me want to find inner peace.
So I went to the waterfall that I had shifted in front of six years ago. I came here often because this waterfall always brings me odd peace.
I found a flat rock, sat down, closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment of peace.
"Mate! Lily, our mate is here! Mate, mate, mate, mate, mate!!!" Suddenly Rose started speaking excitedly through the link.
Rose's excitement carried me. Like most werewolves, I looked forward to a mate when I reach adulthood.
I stood, dusted the ashes off of my jeans, and turned around. My heart dropped when I recognize the werewolf standing about 200 feet away from me.
This had to be a joke!
This couldn't be happening!
It's James, who hated me the most in the pack...
|