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Chapter 6

Daphne

“Get up, sleepy head!”

My eyes fluttered until they opened wide when a deep voice exploded in my ears. As my sight adjusted to the light, my breathing halted upon figuring out who those fierce sets of amber eyes were.

“A-Alpha Calle?”

I allowed myself to look at his entire appearance for a little while. His loose, shoulder-length hair perfectly framed his chiseled features. His gray shirt, which was neither too loose nor too tight, emphasized the shape of his arms and body. And look how well those pairs of denim pants fit around his long, muscular legs. He was like a living sculpture. Even if he literally agitated the living daylights out of me when he woke me up, I wouldn't judge myself for admiring such a work of art.

He perched on the edge of my bed, and I quickly got up. I could smell the fresh perfume of his aftershave from this close distance. "H-how did you get in here?" I questioned, scratching my forehead.

He sighed. “Surprised? Guess what, I own the whole place so it means I’ll be able to go anywhere in here.”

Such a stupid question would definitely earn a sarcastic answer.

The cool air blew against my skin and I realized that the blanket had been tugged away from my body. I tried to pull it back to conceal myself, but he just unabashedly peeled it off from me eventually.

“My blanket!”

“What’s the point of hiding yourself where I’ve seen all of you before?” He stood from my bed, his strong arms curled over his chest. “Get up at once. You’re starting to work today.”

“O-okay, A-Alpha,” I responded, stuttering. Oh, Goddess, why did he have to bring it up? Was seeing me naked back in the woods a big deal to him? I’d seen him naked as well before he changed into a huge wolf, so we were just even. I stared down at my lap, my fist balling some of the cloth. “Um, what sort of duty will I be assigned? The kitchen? The hall? Or I’ll be washing the—”

“You’ll be training under Beta Degen.”

I raised my head and met his firm gaze. “I, what?”

He tilted his head, giving me a frown. “Don’t say you didn’t hear me. I despise repeating what I just said.”

“O-of course, I heard you,” I said, shifting my eyes to the window. The sunlight rays penetrating through the blinds were like long slender fingers, touching the plain wall in my room. The birds that were chirping outside reminded me of my dream with Reina. Oh, that dream again! These past few days, I’d been dreaming the same dream about Reina.

He sauntered towards the wardrobe and started rummaging in there. Then he glanced back at me with a stern expression. “Get your ass up there, little wolf. You’re going to have a long day today.”

“May I just—hey!”

I nearly leaped off the mattress when something smacked my head. I felt like I’d been slapped in the side of my face from the impact. When it landed on my lap, I realized it was a pair of tops and leggings.

I gave him a sneer. "Why did you need to throw them at my face?”

“Put those damn clothes on and report to the training hall within ten minutes. If you arrive even a minute late, you’ll get your first punishment before the sun sets.”

Before I knew it, he was gone before my very eyes. The sound of the closing door still echoed in my head as I gawked at where he walked out.

Great. How on earth will I hurry up when I have no idea when that freaking training hall is?

What a good start.


The Moon Goddess was at least kind to me because I arrived at the training hall ten seconds before the time required for me to check in. I must thank the staff who I bumped into a while ago. She informed me that the room I was looking for was actually above our floor, occupying the whole roof space.

And now here I was, standing frozen at the entrance. All attention from the people sitting on their rubber mats shot in my direction. I noticed that the trainees were not old people. Most of them were more or less my age. I guess?

I wonder where those warriors are. I remembered Alpha Calle had mentioned them once when he talked with Beta Degen.

“Um, h-hi?” I squeaked. Although I wasn’t certain, I responded with a small smile to their ‘who-the-hell-are-you’ stares.

Feeling not welcomed, I was about to get back from the large double doors behind me when a firm voice carved through the still air.

“Meet our newest pack member.”

Slowly, I turned to the well-built form of a man filling my sight. It only took me a nanosecond to recognize him. He was Beta Degen, one of those who I met during my first day here. There was a hint of smugness in him just like Alpha Calle. Regardless, the latter still possessed a brimming amount of arrogance in his aura mixed with superiority.

A sneer curved across his nice-looking face as he approached me, probing eye contact. “What’s your name again?” he asked, tilting his head down at me.

“ Daphne Forster.” I almost choked when I mentioned my surname. ‘Why am I still using it when I no longer belong to that family?’I thought.

The image of my brother, together with Yvette and Alaine, popped into my mind without my consent. I imagined Jaime looking gloomy, while the two witches grinned at me.

I shook my head inwardly to block the rising sadness creeping into my head.

“ Daphne Forster,” Beta Degen repeated in a friendly but civil tone. He stuck out his large hand. “Nice to meet you. From now on, this will be your family. But do not expect we will be soft on you. You need to double time to update your training lessons.”

I accepted the handshake. “I understand. But please, just call me Daphne .”

He nodded, a wide grin curled up on his face.

“Come follow me.” He turned and proceeded to walk across the hall. I had no choice but to walk after him, though I was more on jogging since his strides were like a kilometer compared to my tiny steps. The people around us gave way, but with the way they stare, I felt like they were accessing me.

I entered another door with Beta Degen. It was a self-sealing door that led us to the vast windy space. I let myself inhale the fresh air. From where I stood, the roof metal roof railings seemed so small.

“Where are the other trainees?” I asked, my feet advancing to the solid fences to have myself a view of the ground. Good thing I wasn’t afraid of heights.

“You’ll be training with me…alone.”

“H-huh?” I turned over my shoulder and looked up at Beta Degen who was now leaning against the railing. His hands were tucked in his pockets. “But why?”

“That’s Alpha Calle’s instruction, Daphne . So, if I were you, I'd stop asking. Haven't yet heard of the saying 'obey first before complain'?"

"Fine," I muttered, letting the strong wind blow against my face as it combed every strand of my hair. My eyes were still locked on the vast wild forest from afar.

"I'm glad you are easy to get things off. Okay, so this is the training's coverage; for the first six months, you'll be training in human form. The other half of the year, you'll train in wolf form, and Alpha Calle will decide if he will pass you or not."

My eyes grew wide, hearing the information from his mouth. Oh, Goddess, am I destined to fail in everything that I will do? How will I pass the training if I can't shift in the first place?

Should I forget about the training? Without it, I had no use in this pack. Unfortunately, Alpha Calle wouldn't let me leave.

"Any violent comment, little wolf?" Beta Degen asked, he frowned as he searched for my eyes. "Is the idea of the training already dreading you?"

"That's not it," I whispered, gritting my teeth. The grip of my hand on the metal railing tightened.

"Then what's bothering that pretty mind of yours, huh?" he chuckled. "Scared of the pain? Then you must also consider the saying 'no pain, no gain."

I shook my head. "I can't shift to my wolf form.”

“Are you serious?”

“I really can’t. I swear,” I muttered.

“No way.” He chuckled but his brows were drawn together. He was only convinced when my eyes became misty with tears. “Then let’s have Alpha Calle decide what to do with you after you tell him your reason.”

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