Prologue: Wolfless

Boz Pack, Floro. 

Anya’s POV 

“If we were given a mate for every time we tried to awaken our wolf, then a certain someone would have all the men in the world”, Kara’s snide and hateful voice rang out behind me, and I rolled my eyes in exasperation while ignoring her. 

With Papa here, there was nothing they could do to me. Besides, the transformation night was sacred in our clan, she wouldn’t dare to ruin it over some petty scuffle. 

I looked at the crowded training grounds with slight dread as Father led me along. Today was going to be my third attempt at transformation.

Two times of consistent failure definitely does something to you as I look around at the hopeful kids no older than fifteen gathered around. 

My eighteenth birthday was a month ago, and it had to have been one of the most ridiculous birthdays in the history of birthdays since I had yet to become a full werewolf at eighteen! No matter how much Kenan tried to convince me that there was no big deal, I just couldn’t bear to see myself as normal anymore. 

“I’m sure you will get it this time, Anya. Just make sure you allow yourself to connect to the moon goddess and your wolf.” Papa’s gaze is full of deep-seated worry, and I can understand why he would be worried. I tried to run away last night from fear of the unknown, but somehow, Lisa, my cousin, had seen me and called her dad, who was also my Papa. 

I nod my head and reply perfunctorily. “Okay, I would.” I just couldn’t wait to be done with this transformation and not be at a ‘risk of losing control’ so I could actually leave this pack and live a normal life. The kind I had read about in books and seen in some of those movies I watched with Kenan anytime he was free. 

I knew there was a world outside of our pack that was buried deep in the woods, and I was certain that even the moon goddess would have long since gotten tired of this longing of mine. 

As we drew closer to where the expectant crowd were, I could hear sniggers at my appearance. In reality, I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t transformed at eighteen. That was the baseline age. 

But I was definitely the only one from the top-tier families where genes were perfect to have missed out on the transformation at fifteen, sixteen and seventeen. The faster your transformation came was a sort of indication of how strong your wolf would be. 

I spotted Kenan across the grounds. As the alpha’s son, he definitely had to be there for the opening rites. He sends a wave, and I grimace, glancing around at what attention that small action of his would have brought. 

Since he was the next alpha, judging by his early transformation and Alpha blood, Kenan had a lot of girls that couldn’t wait to throw themselves at him if he allowed it. 

Unfortunately, my best friend seemed to have no interest in the fairer sex. At least a romantic interest. With his sparkling blue eyes, light brown hair that was the colour of his fur, and a physique that he maintained by training hard every day, I could understand very clearly why they all wanted him. 

Being no newbie, I was very familiar with the process and didn’t wait to be told before I stepped into the drawn circle. I looked back one more time, and my breath caught in my throat at the look of pure hope that was in my papa’s eyes, and I hoped that if for nothing, for my papa, who was the beta of our pack, my mate would show up tonight. 

The moon was full as it shone in all its dexterity on us all. “Dear moon goddess, make tonight the night where you show the world that I’m truly one of yours,” I murmur as I close my eyes. 

The transformation rites always start with a song and chant, it’s been said that it would agitate our wolves and make them rush out. The chant was associated with the full moon, which shone brightly in the drawn circle like it knew why we were here. 

My eyes are closed as I sing along. By now, I knew this chant by heart and sang quietly under my breath. It doesn’t take long, and I start to hear growls and snarls. 

Some people were already getting their transformation…

Once a young wolf transforms, they would clear the path for them to run out of the circle while an older wolf would accompany behind to make sure nothing happened to them. Most times that elder was usually their parent. 

The growls intensified. A sign that a lot more wolves were getting their transformation already. My brows furrow tightly as I clench my fist, channelling all my concentration into finding something deep within me, like the connection Papa had mentioned, while my lips don’t stop in the constant chanting of the song.

I increased the strength of my voice, chanting as loud as my lungs would let me.

After what feels like three hours, maybe more or maybe less, I feel a tap on my shoulder, but I’m scared to open my eyes, I’m scared to see that only those of us that couldn’t awaken their wolves were left in the circle.

“Let’s go home, Anya.” I can hear Papa’s voice, and it’s a lot closer to me. His voice is cold and strained, and I know for certain that history has repeated itself. 

“I’m sorry, Papa.” I mutter, embarrassment and shame clouding my face as I force my eyes to open. Papa seems unable to bear it anymore as instead of waiting for me to catch up, he walks off with slumped shoulders. 

“I can’t believe you failed at this one again. Good for nothing.” A familiar and sickening voice says from behind me, and it doesn’t take long for Kara’s annoying figure to appear in front of me. 

She has two other girls with her, and they circle me making my eyes narrow dangerously. 

Since the rites had ended, there were only little people around since families of those that transformed would have gone after them, and those that didn’t would have gone back home after all, a cub that transforms at fifteen was treated very differently from the one that transforms at any other age. 

“I knew you were no good from the onset,” Kara says as she prances around me, and the other two girls snigger at her words. 

“No child of the beta should be this weak. You trash.” Her cold words shouldn’t get to me, but they do. Especially with what just happened.

“Ohh! I forgot you aren’t even his daughter.” She added a jab that made me see red as I lunged for her.

That was a miscalculation.

Kara had two other friends, and within seconds, they were all over me. Hitting everywhere except my face, that’s covered by my hands. 

I can imagine that I look like a pathetic mess right now, crouched over and struggling to protect myself. 

“Only your bi*ch of a mother would know if it was even a normal human that had impregnated her.” One of the girls’ voices came from over me. Her words sounded like a bowl of cold water in winter. 

“What are you doing??” Kenan’s familiar voice hollers, and the three girls disperse immediately. I’m certain that Kara, who was the number one contender for the next Luna, would definitely not want Kenan to see her in such a situation. 

“Anya.” His voice is slightly above a whisper as he tries to make me raise my head. I’m too embarrassed to do so, but he’s persistent, and I end up raising my head, my heart warming at the concern swirling in his blue orbs. 

“I’m sorry.” As my best friend, I had confided in him about the possibility that my father could just be human. But he had argued against it vehemently by reminding me that they had done the simple werewolf blood test for me when I had been brought as a kid. 

As much as staying with Kenan would be a good way to get over this, I knew that I definitely had to go back home, and Kenan only left after escorting me to the entrance of our house, which was really just a stone's throw from his. 

The house is deadly quiet, and my aunt, papa’s wife, is sitting in the living room and looking at me with unbridled mockery and scorn. No surprise there, she and her daughters had always hated me from the onset, and so I went directly to Papa’s room despite having no clue about what I was going to say to him.

I just wanted him to know that I was sorry. To see that I had wanted it as much as he did.

“He would not like to be disturbed after your disappointment. You will see him tomorrow,” my aunt’s voice called behind me, causing my hand, which was just about to knock freeze in the air. 

Without bothering to look at her, I turned and left for my room, my heart in turmoil but more than ever, I was very certain about what I had to do. 

What I was going to do.