Chapter 2 THE WOLF

CHAPTER TWO: THE WOLF DOCTOR

Thane, the wolf doctor, had long been our family's trusted physician and friend. His past was steeped in sorrow-he had lost his entire family during a crisis between two rival packs. Some said it was a misunderstanding, but whispers of betrayal lingered in the shadows. His mate and two pups had been his whole world.

"One of these days, I will surely find out the cause of my wife and pups' deaths. Until then, I'll stay calm and monitor things... until my plans are in order," Thane often muttered to his father in a voice low and rumbling.

"You need to take things one step at a time. Your wife's death could have just been a mistake-who knows?" his father would respond, his voice uncertain.

"I don't care what it was. Whoever had a hand in Lupa's death will pay, no matter who it may be," Thane would reply, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck, his eyes shadowed by grief-and something far darker.

Thane was the most respected healer in the region. He had trained in both modern science and ancestral medicine-the only wolf I knew who could merge human knowledge with the ways of the Old Blood.

"Oh, my dear wife Lupa... and Akira, my pretty little girl... it's disheartening that I have no power to bring you back," he'd say solemnly at their grave, which lay beneath a weeping tree near the forest's edge. Tears would slip down his weathered cheeks.

"I promise you, Lupa!" he'd cry before storming off, rage and sorrow storming inside him.

---

One day, Doctor Thane received an emergency howl from a nearby pack.

"Doc Thane! My wife is about to give birth, but the pup refuses to come!" Luke shouted into the receiver, his voice trembling with fear and desperation.

"Calm down, Luke. She'll be fine. Give me a second-I'll be there in a jiffy," Thane replied, already grabbing his satchel of herbs and tools.

When he arrived, Luke's relief was instant. The wolf doctor strode into the house, white coat billowing behind him, his stethoscope swinging like a warrior's blade.

Inside the birthing room, Luke's wife writhed in pain. A human midwife stood nearby, visibly shaken and helpless. Thane didn't flinch. He quickly crushed sacred moon herbs and mixed them with bloodroot powder-remedies passed down from generations of wolf healers. The moment she drank the blend, her breathing steadied, and the baby came with ease.

From that day, Thane's legend grew. His name echoed through howling circles and dens far and wide.

He also possessed a rare elixir-a silvery liquid passed down from his great-grandmother, a Moon Priestess. Thane reserved it only for wolves with rare afflictions or spiritual disruptions.

---

"Just hang in there, Rowena. You'll be fine," Doctor Thane said gently, preparing the sacred elixir.

"Aaaaagh!" I screamed when he diagnosed me with Lupus-a disease affecting my joints and, worse, my transformation. The searing pain from my last shift now made sense. My body was rejecting the human world around me.

"Relax. You don't need to be scared," Thane said calmly. "There's a cure-but it's not just about medicine. It's tied to your environment."

"Wait-what do you mean?" my mom asked, her face clouded with worry.

"What I mean," Thane explained, "is that Rowena's illness is triggered by her surroundings. This human city-its noise, its false rhythms-they're choking her wolf spirit. She needs a place that feeds her core."

"Oh, my dear Rowena," Mom sobbed, wrapping her arms around me as I lay on the bed.

Somewhere inside me, a light flickered-hope. For the first time in months, the fog began to lift. I would finally be leaving the miserable city we called home. I wasn't thrilled about leaving my parents behind, but anything was better than slowly wasting away inside these lifeless walls.

---

Within weeks, my dad began applying to new schools. Our living room became a flood of phone calls.

"Hello, good day, sir. This is Mr. Aiden. I submitted my application for my daughter Rowena, but I haven't received a response," Dad said politely.

"Um... about that," the principal responded, hesitant.

"We won't be accepting your application. The admission list is full."

"Wait-what do you mean? I applied before the school year even started!" Dad snapped, frustration rising.

"The thing is..." the principal hesitated again.

"What is it?" Dad demanded.

"It's not that we don't have space. The issue is we don't have space for your daughter."

"Wait, what?" Dad said, stunned.

"The Devil's Daughter," the principal said bluntly. "That's what the city calls her. I wouldn't want to put my students at risk."

"The Devil's Daughter? How does that relate to this discussion?" Dad asked, his voice now tight with fury.

"Look... the incident at her last school went viral. The bite-the LUPIVORA-it wasn't a minor thing. Parents would pull their kids out if she enrolled. I can't take that risk," the principal admitted.

"You know what? You're just a piece of work!" Dad yelled, slamming the phone down.

"These humans are ridiculous," he growled, pounding his fist on the table.

---

One after another, school after school rejected me. Some didn't even bother to explain. The moment they heard my name, it was over. Strangely, I felt both sorrow and relief. It hurt watching my dad try so hard, only to be turned away at every turn. But part of me was glad. Every rejection brought me closer to something I desperately wanted: freedom.

That night, my dad sat beside me in the kitchen. His eyes were tired, but there was something burning beneath them.

"Rowena, darling, I'm really sorry that everyone declined your admission," he said quietly. He took a deep breath. "I think it's time we take a bold step."

"Thank goodness," I whispered under my breath.

"You'll be leaving for Moonstone next week," he said. "I'll apply to the Moonlight Institute."

His voice sounded defeated-but underneath, I felt something else: strength.

Then he left the room, quietly.