Mythical Mates

Two

Once upon a time, there lived a small village girl named Isla. Isla was finally returning home after a long day at the market where she worked to provide for her sick father. She didn’t earn much since she was too small to handle heavy labor, but the storekeeper allowed her to take 5 items of food home at the end of every day. When she arrived home, she would tend to her father by cleaning him, massaging his sore muscles and preparing a hot meal using the items from work. Today she chose fish, ginger, and an assortment of fresh vegetables. When she finished cooking, she made his plate as well as one for his breakfast. Most times, she didn’t have enough food to feed herself, so she would often go hungry until she went to work the next day. After her father was fed and asleep, Isla would lie awake as her hunger prevented her from sleeping and stare up at the sky. The stars were her only form of entertainment as she liked pointing out the constellations and admiring the vibrant colors of the galaxy. One night, as she gazed up at the stars, one in particular sparkled extra bright. At first she thought it was the North Star, until she saw the star grow brighter and brighter. There was a flash and she was forced to shield her eyes from the light. When she looked again, the star was soaring through the atmosphere and falling behind the trees of the forest. Bewildered and curious, Isla jumped from her bed and began to leave her house to investigate. Before she reached the door, she heard her father coughing. She ran to his bedside with a white cloth for his mouth and was horrified to see the blood it had collected. He stirred in his sleep, sweat beading his face and she hurried to get a wet rag to place on his head. Her heart broke for him and guilt ate at her as she realized how foolish she would have been had she actually left her father alone. As she knelt by his bed easing him back to sleep, she couldn’t help glancing back out the window at the trees where the star had fallen.

Weeks passed and Isla found the memory of the fallen star slowly making its way out of her thoughts. As she packed up her daily groceries, she noticed a flier pinned to the store’s door about a hunting event happening on the night of the full moon. The flier was to recruit men who were skilled with a rifle and knife to capture more meat. Those who successfully killed game would be granted the reward of taking home half of what meat they brought in. Meat was scarce and expensive in the village, seeing as men died every week from hunting. It was a great opportunity for poor families to acquire fresh poultry. Isla excitedly snatched the flier from the door and hurried home. This was the answer. Surely, her father would get better if she cooked him quality meat. Of course, she would need to ask their neighbors if they could help her considering she wasn’t qualified to hunt. Her father was sleeping soundly when she returned, so she put away the ingredients for dinner and got his bath water ready. When she had finished doing her daily routine, she ate a candied apple the storekeeper allowed her to take home in celebration of autumn. The next day, she visited each of her neighbors' houses, asking the men if they’d be interested in sharing some of the meat they would receive after the hunt. Each one refused, telling her that they had more people to feed and needed to keep all of what they received. Even the school boys who were finally of age to hunt refused to help her because she was poor, dirty, and an outcast who didn’t even attend school anymore due to her needing to take care of her father. They laughed and the biggest and meanest boy, named Edward, kicked dirt at her until she ran away with tears running down her cheeks. She stormed into the home she shared with her father and flung herself on her bed, sobbing. “Isla!” Her father called. Startled, she quickly wiped the tears away and went to her father. He was sitting up in his bed, which was rare, trying to hoist his legs over the bed to stand.

“Father! What are you doing?” She asked as she held onto him so he wouldn’t fall.

“I was trying to get one of those apples, you lazy girl. I’m starving and you gave me a fright storming in so late. Do you want me to rot in here and die?”

“I’m sorry Father, I’ll start cooking right away.” She helped her father lay back down on the bed and gave him a fresh rag for his head before cutting a candied apple for him to munch on as she prepared his dinner. As he ate silently, Isla stood at his door with the flier rolled up in her hands.

“Are you going to stand there all day or say something?” He asked bitterly. Isla hesitated, biting her lip nervously as he unrolled the flier.

“F-Father, there’s going to be a full moon in a few days and…and the village is hosting a hunting event. T-Those who are successful get to keep some of the meat.” Her father cackled an awful sound before coughing into his rag.

“Meat sure would be nice instead of eating this crap everyday.” He said, referring to the vegetable and ginger soup she had prepared.

“Yes, meat would be very good.” She agreed as she fiddled with the paper. “I’m sure some meat might even help you get better.” He moaned in agreement. “So…I was thinking that maybe if we worked to get your strength up a bit we c-could attend the event together and-”

“You can go alone.” Her father said as he picked up a spoonful of soup and let it fall in disgust.

“B-But father, I-I’m only 10. I wouldn’t be allowed to-”

“I see what this is!” He bellowed. “You want me to go out there and die, is that it?!”

“Of course not! I love you, papa.” She pleaded. “But I won’t be allowed to hunt without a male guardian.”

“Well then what use are you!!” He screamed as he threw the bowl at her feet. The hot soup splashed against her already dirty clothes and clung to her legs. She yelped and kneeled, trying desperately to salvage some of the soup from the dirty floor. Just looking at the soiled vegetables made her stomach growl and her mouth water. Had she not been afraid that her father would throw more things at her, she might have tried to lap the soup up off the floor. Looking at her dirty hands and bits of carrot scattering across the floor, tears swelled in her eyes. “Make me something good for once!”

“That was all the food we had!” She cried.

“Then maybe I should sell you for something worth swallowing!” Her father went into a fit of coughing and as she went in to help him he shoved her away. “Get out! And don’t come back until you’re ready to be useful!” Hurt and frightened, Isla ran out of her house sobbing.

Brielle awoke to the sound of her phone’s alarm. Her back and neck ached as she tried to stretch out on the chair she was sitting on. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, annoyed at the fact that she had fallen asleep in the library again. When she checked the time on her phone, she jumped up. “s**t!” She swore as she gathered the book she had been reading and her homework and rushed to class. Huffing and puffing, she tried her best to push open the old door quietly, but it creaked loudly anyway before slamming behind her. Everyone looked back at her.

“Ah, Brielle, nice of you to join us.” Her professor said, “I’m assuming you didn’t get my email last night about the surprise quiz we’d be having at the start of class.”

“Quiz?” She looked at her phone and saw an email from her professor at 7 last night. She had been waiting with Hailey all evening and she hadn’t even thought about checking. “I’m sorry Professor, I had a lot going on last night, it slipped my mind.”

“Of course, you and everyone else in the pack.” he turned back to the board dismissively and Brielle made her way to her seat. She plopped down tiredly and rested her head in her hands.

“Don’t feel too bad,” Hailey said. “No one really reads his emails after those late night motivational paragraphs he sent out. You’ll do better next time.”

“How’s Everett?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“His wounds are healing, which is great, but the doctors said they’ve been seeing a decrease in brain activity. They say he might have suffered some serious head trauma.”

“What!” Brielle exclaimed. She was met by a mean glare by her professor as a warning. “Is there anything they can do to fix it? Will he recover?”

“I don’t know yet. For now, they’re just going to monitor him and do all they can.”

Bri could see the dreaded concern on her friend’s face. She had heavy bags under her eyes and she was still wearing the clothes she wore the night before. Had she stayed in the infirmary all night? Her heart broke for her friend. Though she herself had never experienced the pull of a mate, she knew of wolves who had died from a broken heart after losing theirs. Despite the pain she felt from seeing Hailey and Everett together, she’d do anything to prevent Hailey from suffering such a fate. Bri placed her hand on Hailey’s to cease her nervous tapping. “He’ll be okay,” she reassured her. “Even if we have to travel pack to pack to seek out different doctors, daddy will see to it that Everett gets the best treatment there is to offer.” Hailey half-smiled, but stayed silent for the rest of the class.

Brielle advised Hailey to get some rest while the doctors did their job. She planned to check on him before dinner anyway and update her on anything new. Her head was all over the place as she stressed about school and the wellbeing of her closest friend. She decided to stash her book bag in one of the training field lockers. As she stepped onto the field she watched the sparring matches going on. Charley, the pack gamma, was barking orders to his students, giving them advice on maneuvers and mobility. A boy in her class dipped to the ground, sweeping his opponent's feet from under him. He fell on his back, struggling to get back up, while the other boy climbed on top of him. Dust and dirt kicked up into the air as the boys wrestled on the ground.

“What is this, a hugging contest? Get your asses up.” Charley ordered. Both boys rose to their feet, their clothes and hair caked with dirt. He clapped the classmate on the chest. “Is it that hard to pin a guy nearly a foot shorter than you? Maybe you should show up to more sessions. You might learn something.” He looked at the shorter boy. “And you, I thought I told you to work on your speed and agility, what happened? You’re smaller, so you need to learn to use that as an advantage. If you lose your footing that easily out in the wild, them rogues are gonna eat you alive. Why don’t you both take a lap?” The bigger one huffed annoyingly but took off running anyway, the shorter one following behind him. “I said to run, Mathews! If your time is longer than the last time, you'll do it till you pass out!” Bri approached the gamma as the rest of the boys figured out who’d be going next. Charley turned at the sound of her footsteps. “Bri!” He called happily. “How ya doing cub?”

“Hi, Charley, hope your morning has been well.”

“So-so. Trying to shape up some of the new trainees. It ain’t for the weak, I tell ya. These boys are built like lions, but fight like kittens.”

“Right…” She glanced over as most of the boys frowned and rolled their eyes at him.

“Ain’t seen you on my field for a while now. What brings you here?” He asked.

“Yeah, school is kicking my ass, I barely have time to let Cora go out on runs, especially with all the rogues that've been roaming the forest.” He nodded agreeingly. “Anyway, I was hoping I could spar with you guys, you know, blow off some steam.” He smiled, flashing pretty white teeth and short, very sharp, canines.

“You sure you can handle it, ain’t got soft from lack of practice, have you?”

“Of course. Just because I don’t practice here doesn’t mean I’ve been lazy. Let my actions speak for themselves.” He clapped her on the back.

“That’s what I like to hear, cub! Why don’t you step in the next match? Show these cats how it’s done.” He nudged her toward the center of the field where the others were waiting. “Alright boys, now which one of you fine gentlemen wanna prove your worth by sparring with little Bri here?” They all looked at each other, some laughed, but no one stepped to the plate. “No takers? Fine, I’ll just pick someone. Axel get up here.” The boy he called Axel was tall and lean with tone muscles on his arms and legs. Brielle had seen him before on campus. He was on the track team though she’d never spoken to him before. He was silent as she approached the center of the field. When he stared down at her, his brows furrowed and he looked unsure. “What’s the matter son, afraid a tiny girl like her is gonna lay you on your ass?”

“No, I’m afraid our Alpha will have mine when I lay her on hers.” The crowd of boys “OOED” at his comment, snickering at her expense. Bri kept her face neutral, not wanting to reveal how ticked off she was. Instead of checking him, Charley laughed.

“I’ll handle her daddy. You back up those words and I might just let you into my squad today, newbie.” He nudged her ahead. “Let’s keep it clean you two. She’s still a woman, so watch your hands.” They both stood facing each other until Charley blew his whistle. Immediately, Axel lunged forwards with a right hook. Bri ducked but the wind that swept past her ear sent chills up her spine. She didn’t even get a chance to access her situation before he threw another punch, swinging hard. That one grazed her temple, causing her to stumble to the side. She dodged his next attack, focusing more on throwing him off balance. He had about 60 pounds on her, so when it came to power he had the advantage. However, she was way faster. When he threw another hook, she rolled with it, letting it graze her jaw before catching his arm and throwing her own hook. It connected with his temple, sending him backward.

“Woah, nice one cub!” Charley cheered. While dazed, Bri slipped under his arm and sent a kick to his back legs. He caught himself but Bri grabbed his face, wincing as his teeth dug into her palm. With all her strength, she pushed his head back and swept his legs from under him, forcing him to the ground. His head cracked against the dirt, adding a little cushion to injury. Before he could get up, she placed a foot on his chest, keeping him there.

“Who’s gonna lay who on their asses again?” She asked with a smirk. Charley bent over laughing. Axel let out a growl, but he wasn’t looking at Bri.

“Oh calm down Axel, we’re just having fun.” Charley said. “Why don’t you go join the other boys in a lap around the perimeter to cool off?” He didn’t say it as a question. Axel huffed and brushed Bri’s foot off to crawl to his feet. He sprinted off without looking back. “Alright then, you think you can handle one more or did Axel tire you out?”

“Please, I’m barely tired. I can go for one more. I don’t wanna overwork myself, so maybe someone not too big.” She rubbed my jaw, knowing there would be a bruise there later.

“I have just the person in mind.” He turned toward the benches. “Angie, get over here girl!” He motioned to a girl sitting on the bench, reading a psychology book. Bri huffed, annoyed. Angela looked up from her book with the same amount of distaste. Angela was Charley’s daughter as well as his annoyingly perfect idea of a shewolf. She had the highest GPA in their year. Despite the tough training routine her father kept her on, he made sure she was always kept up; clean, stylish, and proper. Everyone adored her as she was polite, well spoken and obedient. At least, that’s how she was to everyone, but Brielle. From the day they first met, Angela made her hatred for Brielle known, though when addressed by Bri’s family, she would pretend that it was a misunderstanding. She never directly tried to bully Bri, she’d never allow it, so she settled for outstaging her in every way possible, from popularity to intelligence. To make matters worse, Brielle was forced to engage with her on a regular basis, especially since she was to be the packs’ future gamma. She approached the field, pulling her campus sweatshirt over her head for comfort. She smirked as Bri crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Alright ladies, let’s-“

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll keep it clean, dad.” Angie interrupted. “Just blow the whistle so we can get this over with. Midterms are coming up and I still need to study before we go on patrol.” Charley gave her a stern look before shrugging and blowing his whistle. At first, the two girls circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

“For someone in a rush, you’re sure not making a move.” Brielle said.

“For someone so cocky, you sure look nervous.”

“Please, you haven’t beaten me once, one on one. Why would I be nervous?” Angela lunched in, connecting her fist with Bri’s lip.

“Probably because your guard is as low as your grades.” She threw another punch and Brielle ducked under her.

“And you’re as predictable as your insults.” Bri tried the same move as before, catching her opponent's face and sweeping their legs. However, Angie was more sturdy and quickly caught herself, somersaulting backward and regaining distance. They glared at each other, their eyes glowing. “Fine, guess we should take this more seriously.” In synch, both girls kicked at the dirt and lunged.