= TRIX =
The meeting hall went quiet, and Alvera's words hung heavy in the air. Dixie had a mark on her hand that she hadn't seen herself, and it was the same symbol that the rogue pack had talked about—the mark of the Blade. It was the same mark that was on the wolves who killed my brother.
The memory of that afternoon pricked my veins. I hate remembering it, I so hate remembering that accursed afternoon. Everything was going well, it was not meant to end that way with my brother’s lifeless body dangling from the ceiling fan of an abandoned classroom, but it did. And I only have the gharry scene imprinted in my head from that afternoon to ever be the last memory of me seeing my elder brother’s face.
I took a deep breath.
Focus on what’s happening now. What’s happening? Dixie, that green and four-eyed blonde-haired bothersome piglet! With how short she is, I wonder why she always seems to stumble into the wrong places and get the attention of everyone in the room.
It happened once during grade 9 P.E. class and another time during one of our recent AP classes.
“Grhhh…”
I couldn’t even stay any second longer while she pretended to not see the mark that was on her hand so I stormed off.
I was furious.
Just then, Elder Rowan rushed into the hall, his old face full of worry. "Alpha Slater," he said urgently, "we've been attacked. The Moon Temple..."
"The rogues," I interrupted, feeling sick with the realization.
They had tricked me, made a fool out of me. Those blasted Nardoos. They talked about a truce, about negotiating, but they were after the key and the artifact the whole time. I felt sick to my stomach. The attack on the Moon Temple—it had to be their doing. The timing, the audacity... it all made sense now.
"And the Tear?" My voice was a low growl.
"Untouched," Rowan confirmed. "But for how long? They'll figure it out eventually. We need to find the rune, Alpha. We need the Tear."
The rune was crucial for finding the chamber; it was an ancient symbol that had been handed down among the leaders of the Slater Pack for generations. But despite years of searching, it still hadn't turned up and we were running out of time.
Coincidentally, it was from my great-grandparents that the rune stopped showing up. Why/ I don’t fucking know.
"The Tear," I muttered, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure. "It's the only way to wake up the Bamboo Alpha. He's the only one strong enough to take down the rogues."
My heart hammered against my ribs.
The Bamboo Alpha – a legendary creature, a primordial werewolf said to be the first of our kind. A sleeping giant and a legend whispered in hushed tones – a werewolf so powerful he could command the very forest itself. He slept within the heart of the Forbidden Bamboo Forest, a dormant power that could be our salvation… or our doom. Tradition held that only the Alpha of the Slater pack could awaken him, using the Tear during a full moon.
He was our ultimate weapon, but awakening him required the Tear.
If we awoke the Bamboo Alpha, our control over him is a terrifying possibility. But without him - the Alpha, the Slater pack would crumble. My pack. Our home. All at the mercy of power-hungry wolves.
A primal growl ripped from my throat. I needed a plan. We needed the Tear. We needed to find that rune.
But then, a cold dread washed over me as a memory flickered in my mind - Dixie, her wide eyes staring at me, the mark on her hand. I hadn't had time to process it all before the elder arrived.
Dixie. Where was she?
"Alvera," I snapped. "Where's Dixie?"
"She… she ran away," Alvera stammered. "Right after you…"
Rowan's brows furrowed, and there was an unspoken question hanging in the air. This wasn't the time for explanations. The pack was at stake.
"Elder Rowan," I said urgently. "We'll continue this discussion another later. Right now, we have a bigger problem."
Rowan looked like he wanted to argue, but seeing the urgency in my eyes, he simply nodded, his ancient eyes briefly showing he understood at least for the time being. He threw a worried look at the hanged picture frame of my parents on the wall, then he made his way out.
Now, it was just Alvera and me, and I felt a fresh wave of frustration hit me. Not only had I been tricked by the rogues, but I'd also managed to scare the living daylight out of Dixie. Just another thing to add to my ever-growing list of screw-ups. I had a bigger problem on my hands now.
“Why the hell would you let her out your sight after you saw she bore the rune, Alvera?” I faced her.
“I was trying to catch up to you after you stormed off. I…I didn’t realize when she slipped away. Forgive my foolishness, Alpha.” She replied tentatively and bowed.
Curse her always-respectful way of arguing with me. I can’t take out my anger on her, She’s the most efficient person in this pack after myself. Besides, now wasn’t the time to argue with anyone or trade words.There were more pressing things to deal with. That puny human girl with a Blade mark AND the rune, my pack slowly being brought to its foundations by those relentless rogues, and a sleeping Alpha who could be our only hope.
"Find her, Alvera," I commanded hoarsely. "Find Dixie. And bring her to me."
= TRIX =The morning mist hung around the trees like a blanket, making me feel as cold inside as the air around me. Sleep had been a stranger the night before as the heavy burden of responsibility weighed on me. The rogues, the attack, the missing Tear - thoughts of them churned in my mind like a wild storm.But another face kept flickering through the chaos – Dixie. The way she looked at me defiantly in the clearing, her eyes filled with fear and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on, it really shook me. Alvera had told me that Dixie disappeared after our last unfortunate and inconvenient encounter. Part of me was relieved – at least she wasn't in immediate danger. Another part, a part I couldn't explain, felt a pang of… concern? It was a foreign sensation, one I quickly pushed down.Alvera appeared next to me, and her constant vigilance always made me feel safer. "Any sign of her?" I asked, my voice lingering in the cool morning air.She shook her head, her expression w
= DIXIE ="I'm not marrying you!" I practically screeched, totally shocked by the craziness of it all. Here I was, back in Grandma's cozy cottage, only this time, the living room wasn't filled with the familiar scent of freshly baked cookies. No, it was filled with tension so thick I could practically chew on it. Trix, looking like a thundercloud in a designer two-piece, glared at me. His right-hand woman, Alvera, stood next to him all serious, not showing any emotion. And there was Jackson, my childhood buddy, who stood beside me with tight fists and eyes full of anger and worry for meTrix shot up from his seat, towering over me with those infuriatingly intense eyes. "Then we're all gonna die, stupid!" he retorted."I'd rather die than marry you!" I fired back as my hands trembled with anger. Marry Trix? The guy who had made my life a living hell, and recently I found out he's some werewolf alpha? Totally bonkers!How the hell did he even find out I was staying there? "There's no
× Dixie ×Ugh, these days feel like they're on slo-mo. Trix, the total pain-in-the-fur alpha, has granted me temporary refuge in the Slater territory, as if I needed it. But of course, it's not chill in any way; it's more like being stuck in a reality show with Alvera, who I now know is his Beta or what do they call it, and Ryder, his best friend, watching my every move. Ryder's got this intense glare, like I'm a ticking time bomb and he's waiting for me to explode or something. Alvera's vibe is more 'whatever,' but her eyes are lowkey tracking me even though she pretends to be indifferent about me staying here.Living in this werewolf soap opera is seriously making me crave normalcy. I mean, who signed up for this supernatural drama anyway? Not me.Remembering that first encounter with werewolf Trix always gives me major regret vibes because I know wholeheartedly that if I had left when he had told me to, I wouldn't be where I am now. In a confined room, in his house, with a fuckin
× Dixie ×A freakin' week trapped in Trix's house feels like an eternity. Seriously, if someone told me I'd end up married to the guy who has made my life a living nightmare, I'd have laughed in their face and scoffed at the absurdity. It's like hate is this unwelcome roommate, lurking under my skin, making every moment in this suffocating place unbearable.Every freakin' time I try to figure out what the heck Trix is scheming, he shuts me down like I'm just a pesky mosquito. "Stay put, Dixie," he barks, like I'm some obedient dog waiting for a treat. It's infuriating, and I can feel the itch to break free crawling under my skin.This house, it's like a cage, squeezing tighter around me with each passing moment. I'm dying to know what's going on, dying to be a part of the dang conversation. But no, Trix thinks I'm better off twiddling my thumbs until he decides I'm worthy of his grand master plan revelation.Curiosity is clawing at me, tearing through any semblance of patience I might
× Trix ×As the messed-up days keep rolling, Ryder's practically breathing down Dixie's neck. Suspicion radiates from him and you can practically touch it.One cool evening, I'm hanging by the balcony, checking out the training session just a few yards away. Most of them are weak and pathetic. I dread the mere mention of war just cus I know we'll be completely obliterated. “Urgh…” I slap my forehead and look elsewhere.Dixie's with one of the female volunteers from the hospital, playing board games. I study Dixie carefully. The way she does things has always irritated and intrigued me at the same time. Her voice, the way she speaks, the way she laughs and cries, the way she carries herself, the way she makes decisions…“Urgh…” I need a drink. A maid, as if reading my mind, comes in with a bottle of water and lays it on a high table beside me. I take it and gulp down.My mind strolls to the meeting that I had with the elder about this same dilemma that has completely upended my life.
× Dixie ×In a desperate hunt for answers, ‘cus Trix doesn't seem he'll tell me any anytime soon, I kinda latch onto Jennie. She says she's around my age and she works as a volunteer nurse in this pack’s healthcare centre. Apparently, they have only one hospital.Jennie's a firecracker, seriously. She's short, spunky, with these crazy curls that have a mind of their own. She rocks the whole 'effortlessly cool' vibe with ripped jeans and band shirts, but there's always a hint of glitter somewhere. I swear, she's like a walking disco ball. Plus, her laugh is contagious – you can't be around Jennie and not end up smiling. She's this rare beacon of sanity in this bonkers werewolf universe. And let me tell you, she's got the patience of a saint.Patiently, she explains this whole werewolf pack drama – hierarchies, rules, and whatnot. Never in one million years would I have ever thought I'd be living inside a werewolf world with werewolves?! Like as if I'm in a fantasy series or something.
× Dixie ×The room feels super tense as Trix talks with the older folks, hashing out plans about strategies and the impending threat from the Nardoos. Trix's voice is loud, filling the room as he goes on about plans with the elders.I stand idly by, kind of like the only outsider in a world that has suddenly become mine. I'm just hanging there, watching, and this thought pops into my head. Maybe I should say something that could actually help.Can't hold back, so I go, "Hey, what if we try talking to the other packs? Like, make allies and join forces against the Nardoos?"Trix's eyes narrow, and a derisive smirk twists his lips. "And what would you know about werewolf politics, Piggy? Stick to your human concerns," he dismisses me harshly."I just thought..." I begin, trying to defend my idea, but he cuts me off."You thought wrong. This is not your place. Keep quiet, or I'll make you," he threatens with his alpha dominance radiating in the room.I clench my fists, "But maybe if we—"
~ Flashback ~~ 2 days ago ~~ 2:34 pm ~ × Trix ×As I flip through the pages in front of me and realize that a war is indeed coming, I let out a growl. The weight of the realization bears down on me, and I can almost feel the thick clouds of conflict gathering over our pack.The old, dusty book lies open on the table and I wondered how long the book has existed. Definitely way before my parent's parent's existence. A sharp ringtone interrupts my thoughts. I glance at the screen—Ryder. With a sigh, I pick up the call."Hey man, what's up?"“Hey, big dog. Listen, I’m out of town for a few days. Won’t be around for the meetings with the pack elders.”I rub my temples, the stress piling on. "Wait, what? Great timing. You know how important these meetings are."“I know, man. It’s just… this thing came up. It's really urgent and I gotta deal with it.""Ryder, you know we need everyone here, especially you. These meetings are crucial," I say, frustration creeping into my voice, 'cause I c