Justina's Point Of View
The rhythmic swishing of the mop echoed in the long corridor as I trailed after Dawn. It has been a month since I decided to stay in the Moonflower pack forever.
Within that time, Dawn has been a lot of help. It was courtesy of her that I now have a job of my own. Otherwise, no one wanted to give a strange wolf a job.
The alpha of Moonflower pack was very skeptical of me at first, but Dawn managed to convince him I was a long-lost sibling. If the alpha had known I was from a rival pack, he would have most likely killed me.
And now, in addition to getting me a cleaning job, she was helping out since her job doesn't open today.
Leaning against the wall, I looked at Dawn dealing with a stubborn clump of cobwebs at a corner and felt appreciation bubble up in me.
I had always felt lonely all my life, always reminded of my status as the omega. But at this moment, I felt…companionship. It was a nice feeling.
"Hey, Tina, what are you thinking about?" Dawn's concerned voice woke me from my reverie. I hadn't realized she had stopped working and was watching me.
I shrugged and flashed her a bright smile.
"Nothing much. Just thinking about how I used to do this same job as punishment back in my pack. And now, I'm getting paid for it,"
A shadow flicked across Dawn's face, but the smile was back on her face in a moment. "Don't think about that anymore, Tina. You're here with a friend who appreciates you now,"
Her words were a balm to my soul, making a warm fuzzy feeling spread all across the insides of my stomach. I looked at Dawn, her warm brown eyes crinkled at the corners and a surge of gratitude washed over me.
"Can I tell you something else I've been thinking, Dawn?" I asked.
Her brows rose in curiosity. "What?"
"You're the best wolf in the whole wide world," I flashed her a grin. "And I mean that with my whole heart,"
Dawn burst into a sunny smile that illuminated the whole length of the dusty corridor. I grinned all the more when I saw the color rise in her cheeks.
"Thanks," she said, suddenly sounding coy.
I shook my head in wonder. How could the moon goddess create such different wolves? On one hand, there is Olivia, a best friend who didn't hesitate to steal my mate the first chance she got.
Then, there is Dawn, a wolf from a rival pack who didn't hesitate to take in a helpless female she knew next to nothing about.
"We better get back to work before the proprietor comes in," Dawn called, picking up her mop and bucket to continue mopping.
The proprietor of the packed school I worked in was a no-nonsense man who wouldn't take it lightly if he came in and saw us chatting.
We fell back into a comfortable rhythm of cleaning, the sound of the mop swishing punctuated by the occasional clink of a bucket or the squeak of a rag on a dusty window. Though the work was mundane, a quiet contentment settled over me. Here, in this dusty corridor with Dawn by my side, I felt a sense of belonging I'd never known before.
Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening and a gruff voice shattered the peaceful silence. We both jumped, startled, and exchanged a nervous glance.
"There you two are," boomed a voice. It was Mr. Miller, the proprietor of the Moonflower Pack School. He was a gruff old wolf with a perpetually worried frown etched on his forehead.
"We were just finishing up, Mr. Miller," Dawn replied quickly, straightening up with a practiced smile.
Mr. Miller grunted in response and shuffled towards us, his eyes scanning the corridor. "Looks good," he finally admitted a hint of surprise in his voice. "Though you could have paid more attention to those cobwebs in the corner."
I winced internally, remembering the very same cobwebs I'd been contemplating moments ago. Dawn, however, took it in stride.
"Noted, Mr. Miller," she said cheerfully. "We'll get them next time."
Mr. Miller nodded curtly and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small stack of envelopes. "Almost forgot," he rumbled. "Got some mail for you two."
He handed an envelope to Dawn and then looked at me, his brow furrowing even deeper. "And for you, young lady…" he paused, squinting at the unfamiliar symbol on the seal. "Never seen that pack mark before."
My heart skipped a beat. My palms grew slick with sweat. It was a letter from a strange pack. Could it be Jasper? Had he found out about the baby?
Fear warred with a strange flicker of hope within me. Maybe, just maybe, it was him apologizing for everything.
But the logical part of my brain knew better. Jasper wouldn't apologize. He wouldn't care about the baby.
Still, an overwhelming curiosity gnawed at me. I forced a smile at Mr. Miller.
"Thank you, sir," I mumbled, taking the letter from his outstretched hand.
He grunted once more and then shuffled out the door, leaving me alone with Dawn and a pounding heart.
"Who do you think it's from?" Dawn asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
I shrugged, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know."
We finished cleaning the school just as the sun began its descent to the west. Exhausted but content, we exited the building, the crisp morning air a welcome change from the stale dust inside.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Dawn asked, stretching her arms above her head.
"Not at all," I agreed, a yawn escaping my lips. "It beats being punished for something I didn't do."
We began our walk back to Dawn's den, the familiar path feeling less foreign each day. Suddenly, a mailman we often saw delivering letters to the pack house hurried towards us.
"Hold on a second, Tina," Dawn said, stopping in her tracks.
The mailman, a gruff old wolf with a limp, stopped in front of Dawn, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Is there a Justina Hunter here?" he inquired, holding out an envelope with an unfamiliar insignia.
The same one that had been on the other letter the proprietor gave me.
My breath hitched. The name on the envelope was mine, but the strange symbol made my stomach churn.
Whoever sent the other one was anxious I wouldn't get the other one and wanted to make sure.
"Yes, that's me," I said cautiously, stepping forward to take the envelope.
The mailman grunted and handed it over before continuing on his route.
Dawn raised an eyebrow at me, her gaze curious. "Who is it from?"
I flipped the envelope over, scrutinizing the strange symbol. It resembled a swirling vortex, its meaning a mystery to me. My fingers trembled as I debated whether to open it.
"I don't know," I mumbled, the words barely audible. "It's from some pack I've never heard of."
The initial spark of hope had morphed into a dull ache of apprehension. The unknown sender and the cryptic symbol filled me with unease.
"Maybe it's junk mail," Dawn suggested, her voice laced with concern.
"Maybe," I echoed, shoving the envelope into my pocket without bothering to open it.
The rest of the walk back to Dawn's den was shrouded in an uncomfortable silence. The weight of the unknown letter pressed heavily on me, tainting the peaceful morning with a sense of foreboding.
Once inside Dawn's den, I busied myself with chores, trying to distract myself from the nagging feeling of curiosity about the letter. But the image of the swirling vortex kept popping into my head, fueling my unease.
Finally, unable to bear the suspense any longer, I retreated to a quiet corner of the den and pulled out the envelope. Taking a deep breath, I tore it open, my heart pounding in my chest.