Without much hesitation, I confirmed, "Yes, I'm a human." Sabrina's expression subtly tightened as she tried to mask the apparent disgust she felt. It seemed safer to maintain this falsehood than to reveal the truth about being a wolfless pup – an abomination in their eyes.
"I knew you didn't smell right," Anthony sneered with bitterness, scrunching his nose as if he had detected a foul odor – me, obviously.
"Why are you here, exactly?" I faced him, anger coursing through my veins as he locked his dark and soulless gaze onto mine. Were all the attractive men here douche bags?
"He's the Delta of our pack," Jasmine chimed in, her voice still as lively as ever. She had shifted her attention to play with various decorations around the sitting room, humming merrily.
"Delta? What's a Delta?" I processed the information, eyeing him curiously. A small smirk settled on his lips in turn, and I turned to Jasmine.
"A Delta is a messenger more or less, just slightly above Omegas." Sabrina explained this time, pursing her lips into a firm line afterwards. With a nod of acknowledgment, I faced Jasmine once more and as I stroked her pigtailed hair, curiosity got the better of me. "How old are you?"
"Oh, I'm 13," she answered cheerfully, gesturing towards Anthony and Sabrina. "Anthony's 24, and Sabrina's 23." Her casual disclosure of their ages earned her a withering glare from Anthony, who was clearly displeased at her for revealing his age to a "human" like me. But yeah it didn't make much of a difference since I was more or less a human.
"I'm 20," I disclosed, joining in the age-sharing.
Jasmine flashed her pearly white teeth at me and then seized my hand, surprising me with her strength and agility. She began to drag me to the entrance of the house.
"Jasmine, where are we—"
"Let's go on a tour! I'm sure there are plenty of places you haven't seen around here," she exclaimed with enthusiasm, her radiant smile acting as an irresistible invitation. Eager to explore, I readily agreed. What could possibly go wrong?
"Alright, lead the way."
~
"And that's the pack hospital," Jasmine gestured toward a white building resembling a hospital, our final stop on the tour. The pack's territory was a vast space, and we had gone all round, with Sabrina and Anthony walking behind us, careful not to interrupt the little girl's constant chatter.
"Oh, I see," I responded, noticing that this hospital was also much larger than the one in my previous pack.
"The pack grounds are quieter today because everyone's at the mystic falls. It's the Day of the Goddess," Jasmine explained, addressing the question that had popped into my head, her amber eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
"Mystic falls? Day of the Goddess?" I asked, settling onto a gray, flower-lined staircase leading to the hospital. More of these staircases were located in front of the building.
In my old pack, the Goddess was treated as a myth, not real – just something people talked about to give us something to believe in.
Every werewolf pup knew the story of our creation – how the Moon Goddess herself had created us and divided us into five separate packs, each bestowed with their own unique skill. In my pack, some werewolves had been gifted with the ability to foresee the future. They acted as advisors to the Alphas, sometimes accurately predicting impending attacks. In the Shadowpaw pack, they knew how to conceal themselves and even mask their scent, making them exceptional spies.
"Yes, the Day of the Goddess," Jasmine confirmed, pointing up at the crescent moon that had started to appear in the evening sky.
"It's a day we pray to her and deepen our relationship with her, as well as a day pups undergo their first transformation. Usually at mystic falls, a waterfall north east of our pack. That's where Jakayla went, to assist them and ensure they don't run wild." Jasmine explained again, joining me to sit on the staircase, lying her back on the bare floor.
I stared at the moon for a while, wondering why the Goddess had brought me to life and pondering how much she disliked me for being a wolfless creature.
"By the way, not all of us are Lycans. The Alpha, Jaxon, my sister, Damon, and I are Lycans. The rest of the pack consists of werewolves," Jasmine chimed in.
"Why's that?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by the distinction and wondering what had caused such a demarcation within the pack.
"Jasmine, don't you think that's enough?" Anthony muttered, still towering over us along with Sabrina. He had his arms crossed over his chest, exuding a very powerful aura, probably his werewolf—Lycan form. "Lycan" was such a strange word. But according to what Jasmine had just said, he wasn't a Lycan.
Nevertheless, from his aura alone I could tell he was much stronger than the average werewolf from Nightfang.
"I'll tell her whatever I want to." Jasmine barked.
I smiled quietly, admiring her spirit despite her young age and Anthony scoffed, glaring at me. Jasmine kept quiet thought, possibly deterred by Anthony.
"Jasmine!"
"Jakayla!" Her excitement was palpable as she leaped up to hug Jakayla, who had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Jakayla laughed heartily, returning the hug with equal enthusiasm.
"Is Jasmine your sister?" I asked Jakayla, my shyness evident. She turned to me, crouching to meet my eye level on the stairway.
"Yes, she is. How are you, Unatha? How have they been treating you?" Jakayla asked with genuine concern.
"I feel good, honestly, and your sister has been wonderful," I replied with a laugh, the weight on my chest easing in the presence of Jakayla and her little sister's warmth.
"I'm sorry I couldn't spend more time with you. I wish I could honestly, but duties," Jakayla apologized sincerely.
"Oh, I know. Jasmine told me all about it," I assured Jakayla, whose eyes went wide and darted to meet her sister's. Her face transformed into an expression of pride, and Jasmine suddenly puffed her chest up, visibly delighted.
"Do you wanna see them shift? It's a joy watching the children get it," Jakayla asked innocently, but I knew I couldn't. It hit too close to home.
With a remorseful nod, I shook my head. "No, thank you."
"It's alright, Unatha," she answered with an understanding smile, one that completely melted my heart.
"I'll assume you're done with the tour, so Jasmine will take you back to your campus. Tomorrow is a busy day, you know," Jakayla instructed her younger sister, who looked both wide-eyed and cheery.
"Busy day? What do you—"
"You'll find out tomorrow."