DIANA
"Diana, catch!"
I immediately caught the white flag that was thrown at me and then gripped it tightly. After that, I immediately started running away as fast as I could, leaving the others in our line.
If you're wondering what the heck we're doing then, what I will tell you is that we're now having our daily training—more like some daily competitions.
I don't know when it started, but it was supposed to be a daily training program where we trained both our physical strength and agility by doing some sports, such as running. Then suddenly, in one of our training sessions, one of them suggested that we add something to make our training more fun and exciting.
And so, our training ends up being a daily competition, either between groups or individuals. Just like what is going on right now—a relay race.
We are divided into eight groups with five members each. The one circular track became our race track, where each member per group needed to run the whole track, and the first team that had every member run the track was the winner.
And of course, it wasn't that simple for the losing team. What would be the sense of the competition if there was no punishment applied?
So who would want to lose? Of course, it's not me!
I squinted my eyes as I hastened my pace. Even though I am still half way before the finish line, I can't ease up yet, not until I make sure I reach the finish line first. After all, it was I who was the last in our team, and after all those efforts my team made to win, why would I let them suffer?
So when I finally reached the finish line, there were still a few seconds before the others followed me.
"We won!" was cheered by my teammates as they all happily jumped at me.
I almost choked on suffocation when they hugged me, like I wasn't getting over my exhaustion from that fast running, then they suddenly enclosed me with a hug. Fortunately, they immediately released me or else, I would really end up dying from suffocation.
"Good job, Diana. You beat your record once again," Delta Greg said to me, holding his recording sheet.
He showed me my results, and I was grinning widely, seeing that I really did beat my record from the last relay race, where I took two minutes and thirty-five seconds to finish the whole track. Now, I have made it in only two minutes and fifteen seconds.
Although it was far from what a person with pure blood can do. Since the track wasn't that big to begin with. Maybe a kilometer or two. But for a human like me, I guess it was already fast compared to normal humans.
"Well, what can we expect from the best human in the pack? Well, she's actually the human Luna of us," Patricia proudly said while wiping the sweat from her face.
"And you're the weakest in your group," Delta Greg said, cutting into Patricia's words. Patricia pouted while Delta Greg snorted and seriously looked at his record sheet. "You remained in the last rank for the past two weeks, no matter if it's a relay race or a normal agility test. Don't you want to be a warrior and not a simple servant?" Delta Greg then seriously looked at Patricia.
I look away from them as I walk towards the bench where our things are prepared. I took my towel and then started wiping off my sweat, not planning on returning to the group.
I seriously don't get Patricia's mind or how it works. She always says that she'll be the best warrior human in the pack, but she never acts like she wants to get stronger.
Honestly speaking, it made me hate her for that. No offense meant, but she's ruining the image of humans that I am building in the pack. And she's wasting the chances that the pack has given us to prove to ourselves that we're not just humans.
I already heard from other pack warriors that our Flaming Raven Pack is the most different pack out of all the packs in the world when it comes to treatment with other ranks and statuses. And I, myself, agree with that.
As far as I know, there are four types of hierarchy in the world. The Lycans, who are said to be the King of the Beasts, took on the role of the most powerful werewolves and are said to be the real children of the Moon Goddess. They stood on top of the food chain.
Next to them were the Pure Blood. They are divided into two factors; the normal wolves and the true born wolves. Normal wolves are regular wolves, while true born wolves are those who have the blood of an Alpha.
And if there is pure blood, then there's also half blood, meaning they are born from two different bloodlines. It's either the blood of a lycan, a pure blood, another half blood, or a human—the lowest status among the three.
Even an omega, who has the lowest rank in all the hierarchical classifications, is still lower compared to humans. Even if the person is a mixture of other hierarchies, a human is still deemed the lowest.
Fortunately, that rule is only applicable in those packs, but it's not acceptable in our Flaming Raven Pack. Because in our pack, humans are still pack members—a family.
Anyway, if pure blood had two different classifications, then so could humans. But there are three; the inborn, the half blood, and the fallen. The inborns are humans who were born as humans, while the half blood are those who are half human and half other race. As for the fallen kind? That's quite a long explanation, but it's interesting to tell since it's based on history, so let me just simplify it.
According to what the history teachers told us, humans were also werewolves like everyone else. It was just that we had been deprived by our own wolf. Before, there were only werewolves and no humans.
And based on the last discussion with the private teacher that the alpha and luna assigned to me, those werewolves who turned into their human form and then became unable to shift back to their wolf form were all survivors from war, or death itself. It's because a wolf would sacrifice its existence to save a person, meaning that once the wolf escapes death, their wolf will disappear.
And so, that started humankind, which basically came from those fallen wolves. Those people who suddenly became wolf-less were called the fallen kind. And for a high and mighty werewolf, this is damage to their egotistical mind. A flaw and a defect that is like torture to the eccentric wolves. And to solve this defective damage, it shouldn't be valued. That's why fallen kinds became the lowest creatures. They became servants or toys that anyone could use.
Even some wolves left their mates who became fallen. Some reject their mates after knowing that they are humans. That's why those humans who could only end up with humans increased in numbers. And the unfortunate thing is that their offspring will also become wolf-less humans. And with their increasing numbers, the packs decided to make use of them, instead of banishing them from the pack. And it became the status quo that humans, whether born or not, would become servants.
And that is why I hated those packs that treated humans like useless trash. They are the real trash! As a human myself, hearing news about other humans who were killed because of this status quo was invigorating.
Like, what's with that unfair treatment? We're still wolves, and we're also the children of the goddess. Why do they treat us differently? Just because we're unique? Just because we have no wolves like those they deemed normal?
Well, that's basically some bullshit reason. It's really unacceptable that I just want to make them realize how we, as humans, are not just humans. Like hello? Aren't they all humans when they are not in their wolf form?
Sigh. I calm myself, as I am starting to feel agitated again just by thinking of those assholes who think of themselves as some high and mighty gods.
Fortunately, here in our pack, things are different. As I said a while ago, Flaming Raven Pack had different treatment with all the pack members, werewolves or not. Especially the treatment of humans like me by the pack.
It can already be seen from the beginning. How we are fairly treated here. In our pack, humans had the freedom to choose what they wanted to be. Either you stay as servants, or become part of the warriors; we have the freedom to choose. But of course, in that state, we deserve that position.
That is why some of the humans in the pack were trained if we wanted to be part of a squad or as warriors. Just like what I am doing, I am training hard to be a warrior. We were taught everything. And not only us, future warriors, but even those servants were also trained and taught some basic knowledge and self-defense.
Although we were not allowed to enter the academy, we still have our own classroom and are assigned Elders and Deltas as our teachers. So even without attending those big schools, we're still educated, both in knowledge and strength. And that's only in our pack.
Isn't that cool? Well, that's the Flaming Raven Pack for y'all!
"...Just come to my office after all your tasks." I immediately stopped my little dumb speech in my mind, removed the stupid grin from my face, and looked at Delta Greg, who was already walking towards me.
I was so into monologuing that I had forgotten I was wiping my sweat. And since they are about to come near me, I put my towel on my shoulder and picked up the bottled water I also prepared for myself.
I opened the bottle and drank it while watching them on the sidelines. Delta Greg was walking in front, while beside him was his own human mate, Patricia, who had already lowered her head, maybe in shame or something.
And yes, Patricia is Delta Greg's mate, which is a human. An inborn human. And this simply made me more determined that we, as humans, are still wolves.
We might be wolf-less, but maybe by heart and mind, we have our own wolf. It was just that it wasn't awakened because of some unknown reason that only the Moon Goddess knows.
Anyway, even if I kind of hate Patricia, she's still a good person, so I feel sympathy for her. I was just hating her actions in our training, but I like her as a friend. Though I can't say we're friends, maybe we're close classmates?
"By the way, Diana—" I quickly put my hand in front of Delta Greg to stop him from whatever he may be saying.
Just hearing the first words of his speech sent me shivering, as it already brought a bad premonition. It was like I was suddenly brought back to a certain bad memory, seeing everything go like deja vu.
"Please don't speak, Delta Greg. Did I never tell you about my phobia of hearing those starting words from you?"
And just like that, the mature Delta only laughed at my serious request. "I guess I have to say sorry for always bringing you bad news. But the alpha wanted me to convey to you that His Highness will visit you once again tonight because the tutor he sent to teach you about royal etiquette complained that you are not taking the private lessons seriously."
Before I could complain, Delta Greg patted me on the shoulder. "Take this as my advice, Diana. If you really don't want to see the king, just be obedient and do as His Highness ordered you. Stop doing things that will only make the king come to you."
Since I could not give any comments about what Delta Greg said, I just looked at him with my pout while I was already doing my two-thousand word counts of complaints and rebuttals.
"And here I am, still unable to cease the astounding fact that the future Queen came from our humble pack. And not only that, but I was able to grow up together with her. I don't know who I will call lucky. If it's His Highness or you, Diana," Juvel said with a noticeable amazement in his hazel-blue eyes.
This fanatical male omega would never fail to make me wince with his royal praises. I was already getting irked with his almost never repeating praises for "His Highness", and now he was even including me!
"Oh, please! Spare me with those body-shivering praises, Juvel. Although I know that the bastar—I mean, the king is really lucky while I became unfortunate the moment I knew him. Please tell that to His Highness if ever you meet him." Then I gave him an obvious forced smile.
Everyone laughed while Juvel pouted more femininely than me.
"It still made me wonder just how strong the link between you and His Highness is that despite how unruly and rude you treat the king, you are still alive and kicking. Is that how powerful the mate bond is with a lycan?" Patricia commented with an inquiry.
"Maybe because His Highness is the Lycan king."
I could only scowl for an answer. It's not because of some mate bond or that he's a Lycan king. He's like that because he needs something from me and has no choice but to be patient with me. It's not like he's really patient. He was actually being stubborn, like he truly is.
"Well, I can't blame Diana if she had bad blood with His Highness. With how bad the king's reputation was—a well known licentious king who would treat omegas even female alphas like his change of clothes. The king also had the title of a demon king for being scheming, manipulative, and ruthless ruler who would punish anyone he just felt to. Just by taking all the names and descriptions of His Highness, it was only normal for Diana to act like that," another one commented.
And if not for my self-control, I would have been nodding my head like a pecking chicken.
"Okay, enough with chatting. We still have a next test while Diana already needs to go back to the alpha's mansion to prepare. Come on!" Delta Greg interrupted.
Then the delta faced the others as he started giving instructions for the next class, and I, who was obviously not included, was left out. I could even see that some of my so called companions, who were almost worshiping me just a moment ago, were now giving me those annoying smirks like they knew something I didn't.
And this was once again all because of that damned beast whom they called "His Highness" which the bastard does not deserve. Not even that small reverence for the king is not worthy of him! Just speaking of that person's name is already taboo for me, whether I speak his name vocally or mentally.
Unfortunately, just like how that man could not escape, I, myself, had no choice but to accept this one awful fact that me and that obnoxious man are already tied by the Moon Goddess and have become mates!
And yes, I, Diana Smith, the unlucky human from the Flaming Raven Pack, am the soul binded mate of that infamous lycan king, Gener Brooke. Fvck! I really said his name, damnit!