Portia Fidler's POV
I gently unfurled my eyelids, and a tempest of thunderstorms greeted me like a choir of chaos. As I emerged from the depths of slumber, my sight was muddled like a foggy window, with transparency dancing like a wisp of smoke. The raindrops, falling on my face with rhythmic persistence, added an extra layer of challenge; the waters obscured my view. The sky was as obscure as a black hole, devoid of any clouds. It stretched out before me like an endless abyss, its darkness enveloping everything. I sensed that the rainwater, mingling with my blood, was working its magic, healing my wounds like a soothing elixir.
The waves of the sea, thick like a blanket, tenderly kissed my fingertips. My jaw is as frozen as a fossil fuel trapped in the icy depths of Antarctica. I heard the ear-splitting footsteps of horses approaching my spot, reverberating in my ears like a symphony of hopes.
"Norma, she's here!"
A voice as manly as a roaring lion shrieked. And in the blink of an eye, I'm as clueless about myself as a lost wanderer in the ocean. Why did I find myself sprawled on this seashore, as freezing as an ice cube, so grimy that not even the relentless rain and crashing waves couldn't scrub away my incompetence?
"She still has a pulse!
"Let's bring her to the palace as soon as we can!"
Ever so gently, I could sense their touch caressing my skin like a delicate breeze, as if they were attempting to carry me with them or maybe to put me in the horses carts pulling carts until we could meet the sun-kissed meadow. The coldness melted away like a snowflake on a warm palm, and I could feel my shoulders being embraced by a blanket as big and cozy as a bear's hug. A man swooped in like a hawk from behind, causing my senses to tingle with panic. I felt like there were swarms of bees buzzing in my head. All I knew before the curtains closed was that they laid me down inside the cart with soothing pillows.
Ah, it's my mother, again…
I mustered up all my strength to pry open my eyes and steal a quick glimpse at my mother sitting beside me.
"W-Where am I?"
My mother rolled her eyes and reprimanded me, "You were pushing yourself too hard in the training. Now look at what happened to you."
—
As I gradually shifted back to my human form, I ran in a straight line with my feet pointed down. My mother told me I have the blood of an alpha which still left me confused knowing I have not met my father yet. All I ever know is that I have an exceptional strength that makes me different from the rest of our town. I was able to kill all the unwanted animals and get through the hurdles with almost no mistakes. The war general of the Zeka Palace pack greeted me as I crossed the finish line. He clapped his hands together twice.
I shook my head to get those pieces of hair off my face. Sweat was running down my neck, but the breeze helped cool it down.
"You're getting better and better every day," Troi Howards commended. "You're surely as strong as Alpha Antonio," he added with a smile on his face. He knew that ever since I was younger, I always looked up to our alpha. I heard a lot of wonderful stories about him and his admirable strength. Although the story of the reason behind him leaving was left as a myth, his existence still makes up to what we are today.
I wiped my sweat from my foreheads with a clean sheet towel that my mom diligently prepared for every training session. "We don't know about that. Besides, both of us haven't met him yet," I replied while letting out puffs in between intervals. However, Troi didn't reply which made me wonder.
"Or have you?" I asked in a whisper. But instead of answering me, he just let out a huge sigh and clapped his hands twice, asking everyone to get prepared for the last part of the training.
I saw my mom waving at me from a distance with a meal she prepared on top of her hands. Growing up, I learned about the difference between Cassidy Palace and Zeka Palace, mainly that they are rivals. And now they are strengthening their forces against possible attacks from Cassidy. I made sure to communicate to my mother countless times about our alpha.
-
Troi snapped his fingers in front of my face to poke back at me. I startled off, and my eyes landed on him. Two gigantic werewolves, almost the same height as him, were tailing him like shadows. They peered at me with eyes as ravenous as starving wolves. They opened their mouths like a pair of scissors, revealing their razor-sharp teeth. Their saliva slipped from their lips like a sly serpent, causing me to shriek like a startled bird.
"Ew…"
"Portia, are you paying attention to me?"
I blinked my eyes several times and shook my head to shake back my focus. "Ahm… yes I am…"
Troi laughed, like a mischievous fox baring his cunning teeth. The werewolves howled at me like a chorus of wild banshees, but Troi swooped in to silence their haunting cries. Damn, are they thinking of devouring me alive? Their howling voices were like icy fingers, sending shivers down the spine and making the hair on my skin stand up like a field of startled porcupines.
"Then repeat what I told you," Troi challenged.
I straightened my back and looked at him with confidence. "I'll be as fierce as my alpha blood, so I must train like a lioness hunting her prey, honing my stamina and fighting skills, and growing wiser than ever before."
"What else?"
I heaved a sigh. "That my home is Zeka and not Cassidy." To tell you the truth, I have no idea what this statement is supposed to signify at all.
"And what's the most important one?"
"Find the alpha of the Zeka pack."
Troi nodded three times in a row. "Good."
But there is one thing that concerns me. "War general…"
"Hm?"
"What do you think my mother would miss me once I start my mission?" I asked. It sounds like a random thing to ask but I couldn't keep wondering about it.
Troi patted his wolves. "Your mother has been so excited for you to grow up. Ever since you arrived in her world, she kept on boasting to us that you will be as strong as her," he answered.
When he faced me, he placed his hand over my shoulder. "You have already stirred up your wolf, haven't you? Your alpha blood in your veins will define your future," he reasoned out. His remarks helped me feel less anxious in some strange way. "Cheer up, you still have to meet our alpha soon!"
I smiled at him. At this time, some of the warriors of the pack entered the training grounds with werewolves and lycans.
"Let's resume training, Agent Beta Portia," Troi convinced himself before he left and guided the pack."
I dashed towards the training area. My claw gripped onto the wall like an anchor as I morphed back to my lycan form.
This will be my last training since I'll be assigned to my mission officially by tomorrow.