I walked slowly into the small bathroom that was connected to the tiny room and stared into the vanity there. I stared at my face. The scar of the burn that had healed ran across the thin hairline on one side of my face, the tip of my ears, and the front part of my red hair on that side was burnt off.
I took a deep breath and opened the cupboard that was situated above the vanity and luckily I found what I sort.
I grabbed the pair of scissors and a new shaving stick I found there and placed them on the sink in front of me. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath then picked up the scissors and began to chop off my red hair
"What are you doing?" Rieka who had been watching and listening to my train of thought silently asked.
"Getting reborn." I answered as I dropped the chopped-off length into the sink basin. I stared at the hair that I have carried on me for so long slowly disappeared from behind me.
It was painful.
But as painful as it was I knew I had to shed off my old skin and finally embrace myself without looking back.
When I was done chopping it off I dropped the scissors and looked at the low-cut hair on my head for a second before taking the shaving stick. With it, I began to shave off the hair left on my head.
"Must you do this? Isn't this too extreme?" she asked but I didn't reply. This wasn't easy for me. But I was pleased that she called me extreme. It means I was starting to be just like her.
When I was done shaving I stared at my bare scalp, then the sink filled with the hair that was once mine, and sighed.
"Now the weak Silveen is dead. Let's reborn as the one the world would fear." I said to myself as I looked into my own eyes in the mirror.
"Help me Rieka. Teach me how to get stronger." I said again.
I felt Rieka smile a bit, "Let's start by achieving that twenty laps without breaking a sweat." she said and I nodded then headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To start the twenty laps." I said as I walked out of the bathroom towards the door in nothing but the clothes I had fought in some night ago.
"Now?"
"Yes. Now." I replied as I walked out the door to begin my training.
I had cut my hair, there was no going back now. With the new hair that would grow would rise a new Silveen.
...............…..
I never returned to the hospital nor did I listen to the nagging of the pack doctor on how I needed to rest. I didn't listen to the protest of my lazy limbs when I ran or the cramps I felt either.
I kept pushing and training seriously. I rose before the others and did my own laps and bout of training before the others even thought of rising up. I had my nightmares to wake up in the middle of the night after all.
I also stayed in the training arena and continued training when all the others were gone. I did the running, the press up, and privately practiced every other thing I had been taught during the training session. I also went into the wild, hunting and fighting with wild animals in both my wolf and human form, continuously beating and challenging myself to beat my previous achievement.
By the end of the first month, I finally understood the true speed and strength of an Austan wolf because I could run as fast as Rieka had that day without her help. I had also learned how to defend myself as opposed to before when I needed my wolf or my bloodlust to do it for me.
I had beaten the other members of my group in various challenges. I had even challenged and won against Jake, who had taken over the leadership of the group after July.
This promoted me to another group where the training was more vigorous. There I also officially began to train both in my human and wolf forms. Naturally, no one I met and fought with was a match for Rieka but increasing my strength and fighting ability as a human also made her stronger in ways I did not understand.
Rosie was never found. She probably ran away that night with the money she made. The underground arena was no longer in use as everyone had heard of the massacre of that night and everyone was scared of encountering the wolf who had done it.
Most of the members were also scared of me, as they have not only heard but knew that I was the wolf who created the massacre that happened in the underground arena that night. Not that I minded, I had a different goal now, I wasn't going to be at the mercy of other wolves anymore.
I was becoming the strong version of myself that I desired and it made me stand tall in pride of my heritage as an Austan wolf.
I got off my bed, it was noon and I had just allowed myself a quick nap. Now, I was going for another round of personal training. I pulled my boots out of the walk-in closet and began to put it on because this ice mountain seemed to be stuck in the winter season. The season here was harsh and it never seem to change.
I know what I wanted to start practicing today. The use of weapons. Unlike anything that I have ever seen the black knights used all sort of conventional weapons that was uncommon to our kind. They even used and carried around silver knives without fear. They seemed more like assassins than a pack to me if you ask me and I have decided that I too would learn how to use those knives.
I would learn all they had to offer then I would seek those whose retribution laid in my hands.
A knock on my door detached me from my thoughts and I looked up to see Ramon leaning against the ajar door, his hands folded around his chest.
I had started leaving my door ajar whenever I was in the room during the day because I thought it was a hassle to open and close it constantly.
I stared at him for a second with an expressionless face wondering what he might want. When he didn't give a reply but stared back, I ignored him and continue tying the lace of my boots.
I didn't have the time to chat with anyone.
"You have really changed as they say." he said as his hands fell to his side and he walked towards me.
I continued with what I was doing almost as if I didn't hear him. What he just said was absolutely meaningless to me. No one here knew me. How can they say I have changed?
"They think you are scary. Scarier than you use to be. Some even said they can't tell when you were angry." he said with amusement.
I stood up when I was done with the shoe laces and looked him. "These rumors have nothing to do with me beta." I said staring at him indifferently.
"How can you say that? They are about you." He declared as he stood in front of me, his hands still across his chest.
"Why don't you tell me why you are really here?" I asked with a raised brow.
Of all the people who had brought me here. He was the one person who ignored me and never spoke to me. So why the sudden interest and chat as if we were old friends?
He smiled. "What do you think? To confirm the rumors of course." he said as he walked to the sofa and sat on it lazily.
I just stared at him. He was a little right. I had lost interest in everything that had nothing to do with me getting stronger. Only a few things stirred my emotions these days and all those things were related to fighting.
The others had misunderstood that for being cold and indifferent.
"They say your heart was seared with silver in that arena." Ramon said lazily and I knew what he was doing. He knew that I had other places to be but he was delaying me.
I turned around and began to leave, he can see himself out when he was done.
He immediately stood up. "Where are you going?"
I turned around and stared at him and he realized he wasn't going to get an answer.
"The dark mistress asked me to begin to train you from now on." he said seriously staring at me.
A second passed, "When do we start." I asked.
"Now." he replied with a stern face and I nodded.
"Good." I said and he nodded back in return then headed for the door.
I followed.