THE ALPHA'S PROPHECY

Rowena sat quietly on the grassy floor, several thoughts swirling through her mind like restless birds.

It's been too long since I let Abigail out. She's losing patience.

Her inner wolf stirred beneath her ribs, pacing anxiously as if clawing at the walls of her chest. Abigail's voice pushed through their mind link-hoarse, desperate.

> "Let's run, Rowena."

She wasn't giving an order. She was pleading.

Humans are too complicated, Rowena thought with an exhausted sigh. Their world makes no sense. I haven't seen anything here worth staying for.

She missed Moonstone Den-the dense forests drenched in silver mist, the echoing howls under the full moon, the constant music of streams threading through the land. She missed Aiden, Lupus, Maxin-their laughter, their wild chases under the night sky, the freedom to transform without fear of being seen.

Life there had meaning. Rhythm. Spirit.

But here?

Here, everything felt wrong.

The human world was a cage built of rules and secrets. Their bodies were free, but their souls weren't. Transforming was forbidden. Showing their true nature was dangerous. So Rowena had spent nearly a year burying Abigail's instincts-smothering the very thing that made her alive.

Being wolf-blooded in a human world is like hiding a volcano inside a teacup.

> "I miss the wind in our fur," Abigail growled. "Let's just run."

Rowena looked around-the woods behind their house stood empty, still, and blessedly human-free.

"Fine... Just this once."

The transformation hit her like a forgotten pain. Muscles resisted, bones cracked and reshaped, skin rippling as fur bloomed across her body in streaks of oxblood and deep brown. Her eyes flashed emerald.

Abigail burst forward with a joyful snarl and sprinted through the trees. Freedom. Finally.

But the moment was short-lived.

Something-weak, trembling-echoed through the forest. A faint, wounded whimper.

Abigail halted, ears pricked, hackles rising.

She followed the sound swiftly and found a small clearing swallowed by shadows. In it stood a rusted cage... and inside, a wolf.

He was barely alive.

Matted fur. Sharpened ribs. Eyes sunken with pain.

"Hey, buddy... how did you end up like this?" Rowena whispered, shifting back and kneeling beside the cage. Rage rolled through her.

Humans again. Always caging what they can't explain-always destroying what they fear.

With Abigail lending her strength, Rowena forced the latch open. The metal groaned, then finally snapped.

The trapped wolf staggered out... collapsed... and began to shift.

Fur melted away. Bones reshaped. A young man-lean, powerful, around 5'6 with silky black hair-lay breathing heavily on the ground.

He looked up at her, lips curling into a faint, exhausted smile.

"I'm Soro. And you are?"

Rowena blinked. "Rowena..."

Their eyes locked-and something electric passed between them. Recognition? Fate?

She didn't know. But it unsettled her bones.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"My family came for safety." His voice was bitter. "But safety doesn't exist. Not for us."

His gaze softened. "You're a wolf too. It's been years since I met one of our kind."

"How long have you been here?"

Soro's expression dimmed.

"Five years... and counting."

Rowena's mouth parted. "Five-?"

"My parents broke the Circle's law," he said softly. "Dad married a woman from a rival line. Their packs cast them out. Threats followed. We ran."

The Circle. The highest authority among all wolves. Breaking its laws was unforgivable.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"We all carry something," Soro murmured. Then he met her eyes and added, "But listen, Rowena. Learn to blend in. This world isn't kind to wolves... especially ones who stand out."

She swallowed. "I've tried. Humans are exhausting."

"There's a reason I stayed here," he said cryptically. "A reason I can't leave."

Before she could ask, he shifted into his wolf form and vanished into the trees.

Just like that... he was gone.

But something about Soro lingered in her chest. A pull. A whisper. An unfinished story.

---

When Rowena returned home, dinner was already served. Her mother hummed softly in the kitchen, but her father sat rigid at the head of the table-jaw tight, gaze distant. They called this place "home," but it felt anything but.

Their house stood like a shadow over the neighborhood. Black and white walls. Tall, tinted windows. An architecture that unsettled people. Kids whispered it was haunted. Adults avoided it after sunset.

School wasn't much better.

Students either ignored her or stared like she was a museum exhibit. Whispers followed her everywhere.

> "Her hair's so weird."

"She talks like she's from another century."

"Freak."

Her wolf-blooded features-too sharp, too bright, too otherworldly-made her impossible to blend in.

And then there was Ella.

Perfect, polished, cruel Ella. Every insult was a dagger aimed to wound.

One day, Ella bumped her shoulder deliberately.

"Careful, Devil's spawn."

Rowena snapped.

Her instincts surged before her mind could intervene. She grabbed Ella's arm-and bit her. Hard.

A true LUPIVORA bite.

Venomous. Fever-inducing. Hallucination-triggering.

The school erupted in panic. She was summoned to the principal's office. Her father stood beside her, silent and cold as stone.

> "Mr. Aiden, your daughter assaulted another student," the principal said. "This is the final straw."

> "She's been trouble since the first day," the assistant principal added.

Rowena stood outside the door, listening. Her father's voice was quiet, weary.

"It's fine. I've heard enough."

He walked out without a backward glance.

That day marked the end of her time at that school.

What no one knew was that Ella's bite wasn't the end-

It was only the beginning.

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.

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad!" I waved excitedly, standing beside Ma on the staircase. Dad stood near the car, arms folded, visibly impatient.

"Time... We don't have time, dear," he said, tapping his wristwatch.

I hopped into the private car and-voom-Dad was already behind the wheel. The road stretched smoothly ahead, the sky wide and inviting.

Somewhere along the ride, it happened-I transformed. My wolf tongue lolled in the cool breeze, ears perked, tail flicking behind me. Abigail was thrilled, running freely inside me as Dad sped along. The wind and earth welcomed us back like a long-lost daughter.

"Rowena... come on," Dad called, his voice calm but firm.

I got the message. "Okay, Pa," I said with a sigh, shifting back into my human form.

"Yay! Finally, we're free again!" Abigail howled with joy in my mind. Her tail swished excitedly, and I felt her relief deep in my chest.

Moonstone carried a scent unlike anywhere else-pine, fresh soil, and ancient magic. I inhaled deeply. My life was about to change again-forever.

"That's Maxin's home! Dad, can I say hi?" I asked, excitement sparkling across my face.

"You must be really happy, dear," he said with a small grin.

"Of course, Dad! I missed Moonstone. It's my home. It's where I belong." I smiled as I looked out at the familiar rooftops and trees. This was the place where I'd grown up. Dad, Mom, my friends-we were happy here. No masks, no hiding. Here, we were wolves, and we were free.

"It's me, Rowena," I said gently after knocking on the door. A familiar voice answered-Maxin's mom.

"Hey, dear..." she stammered as she opened the door. "It's been so long. Maxin and the others haven't stopped talking about you. They missed you, sweetie."

"But where are they?" I asked, curiosity tugging at me.

"They're in school," she replied. Then, after a pause, she added, "Maxin's... not quite the same since you left. The night howls changed him."

"Okay. Tell them I came by," I said with a wave.

"Hey honey, I'll drop you at Mama Lupa's," Dad said, changing course.

Mama Lupa-my grandmother, Dad's mom-is both sweet and fierce. Everyone in the park adores her. One night, under a full moon, she hosted a massive feast. Guests from every pack gathered around her overflowing table-rice soup, chicken, wine, drinks... the works.

"Thank you all for honoring my invitation," Grandma announced. "It's a blessing to see the park united."

She was celebrating the 30th anniversary of discovering her wolf self. Before that, she'd lived a normal human life. Her father, a wolf; her mother, a human. After he died when she was five, she was raised by human relatives in London, unaware of her wolf blood until she met my grandfather-her mate. He brought her home to the wild. He's still alive, strong and loyal, always by her side.

"Mama Lupa!" I screamed, dropping my box as I raced into her arms.

"Be careful, Rowena," Dad warned, muttering, "These kids..." as he picked up my box.

"Rowena, you've grown into a beautiful young woman," Mama said, smiling warmly.

"Thank you, Mama," I replied, cheeks glowing.

"Hey there, grumpy!" Mama teased Dad.

"Hi, Mom," he replied with a little wave.

Dad carried my box inside as I chatted with Mama Lupa. I told her everything-especially about the humans and how much I disliked them. As expected, she gave me the usual wisdom about tolerance. But later, she leaned in and whispered how proud she was of how I'd handled that Ella girl. That's probably why we get along so well.

Papa sat quietly on the sofa shaped like a lounging wolf, eyes fixed on the TV-his favorite channel. He didn't even notice me until I blocked the screen.

"Peach!" he called, using the nickname he gave me. "How are you?" He stretched out his arms.

"I missed you, Papa," I said, hugging him tight.

"I missed you too, Peach," he chuckled. "What the hell is this guy playing?" Papa suddenly yelled at the screen. Classic him-always too fired up over golf.

"Come on in," Mama said, leading us upstairs. Dad would spend the night, while I settled in until school resumed next week.

---

"Come in," I said, responding to the gentle knock on my door. I had just settled in from the journey.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you?" Mama Lupa asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Mama Lupa," I said softly, a smile tugging at my lips.

"How have you been coping?"

"I've been fine... although those humans!" I growled, fists clenched.

"Shhh... don't be like that. You know, my Pa was human and he was... kind. Everyone loved him. Not all humans are the same-"

"Blend in, understand them, blah blah blah..." I interrupted, rolling my eyes. I'd heard this lecture a dozen times.

"Hey, don't do that," she scolded playfully, tapping my shoulder.

"Mama!" I giggled, rubbing the spot.

"Just get some sleep. You have a long day ahead," she said, kissing my forehead.

---

Before lying down, I paused. Moonlight streaked across the floorboards. Something felt... off. Not just warm, but watchful.

"You know she's not safe here," Mama Lupa whispered later that night outside Dad's room.

"I know, Ma. But things went bad. Her name back home is now... in quotes-'The Devil's Daughter.' I tried enrolling her elsewhere, but no school would take her. They say she's dangerous."

"Still, she must remain hidden. Her life is at stake here in Moonstone," Mama warned.

---

"AHHHHHHHH!" a scream shattered the silence from the living room-raw, loud, and filled with pain.

"What was that?" Mama gasped, turning sharply toward the stairs.