Legend of the Shadow Wolf

Chapter Three

Tuesday went by like a blur. I got up and took a quick shower and then got ready for school. Thankfully last night was a dreamless night, so I feel more refreshed. School was pretty uneventful and thankfully ended faster than I realized. Kali and I are getting better at our new training routine. Kali was better than me of course, gloating about how she was able to stay up in the trees while I broke two branches and landed on my back on the last branch before catching myself. I swear, if we were two separate beings I would’ve pushed her ass off a few times. She loved laughing at my failures. For a wolf that’s more serious than I am, she takes joy in my pain sometimes.

We ended our training for the day and made our way back to the pack house. I was beyond ready to soak my body in a hot bath. I walked through the doors and started up the stairs as Alpha mindlinked me.

Hey Layla, can you come to my office?

Sure Alpha, I will be there in a minute.

I cut the mindlink and bounded the rest of the way up the stairs and threw my backpack onto my bed before making my way back downstairs to the Alpha’s office. I knocked on the door and waited patiently as the door opened and Luna Calista greeted me. “Hello dear, it’s so good to see you. Feels like I’ve barely seen you around these days.” She says with a smile and a warm hug. “Hello Luna, I know I’ve just been so busy with school finals and I’ve been training extra for the competition next week. I’ve been trying some new training techniques that I hope will help with my chances of being picked for the assassins academy.” I said returning her hug and smile. She has been the best mother figure to me. She taught me how to cook and clean as I grew up and also helped me with my studies and was always proud of my accomplishments along with Damien’s. “I am so proud of you for working so hard and as much as it scares me that you want to join them, I also have complete confidence that you will make a very deadly assassin.” She said before letting me walk by as she squeezed my arm before shutting the door.

“Hey Layla, thank you for coming so quickly. Go ahead and take a seat, we are just waiting for Damien to get here. He should be here any minute.” Alpha looked up and said as he motioned me to the chair next to the desk. “Of course Alpha, is everything ok?” I asked curiously. “Oh no, nothing is wrong. I just have something I’d like to discuss with you both and it’s better to do it with you two together. Ah, there he is.” He replied back with a smile as Damien came in, closing the door behind him and taking a seat next to me.

“Hey mom and dad, hey Layla. Is everything ok? Something happen?” Damien asked worriedly. “What’s is with everyone thinking something is wrong?” Luna chuckled, looking at our worried faces. “No son, everything is just fine. I wanted to discuss the Full Moon Ball that the king and queen are hosting this Saturday. We got an invitation again. As you are both aware, the alpha and Luna of each pack are required to go each month with those members of the pack that got invited but this time I would love it if you and Layla would like to join us this time around. It’s this Saturday and I know graduation is Friday as I’m sure you both have made plans for the weekend but I would love it if you both could postpone them and join us this time. It’s time for you to start experiencing things an alpha will be required to do so you are ready for when you take over the pack Damien. Layla, Calista and I would love it if you would be open to joining us as our daughter.” Alpha said with a smile. “Of course, we know we are not your biological parents Layla, but we would love if you still came along and accepted the position as our daughter anyways.” Luna chimed in with a smile.

“Of course, I would be most delighted. No matter the circumstances, I have always thought of you and alpha as my parents. You both and Damien have been the nothing more than kind, loving and you welcomed me into the family when you did not have to and I would love nothing more than to accompany you as your daughter.” I replied, blinking back tears that threatened to fall. I don’t cry often or get sensitive about things but they are my family after all. They have given so much just to take care of me and treat me like one of their own. But hearing them say it out loud that they want me to say I’m their daughter, touched mine and Kali’s heart more than anything in the world.

“Well I didn’t have any plans for this weekend so yeah, I would love to join.” Damien spoke up excitedly. He’s always been a sucker for parties. We talked a bit more about the ball and arrangements that will need to be made and see who else got the invitation as well. Only a few families were chosen to join this year, it’s a great chance for the inmates wolves to possibly find their mates that might be in another pack and the royals like to host it at the castle each month. Different families get invited each month to give everyone a chance to meet other packs and the king and queen.nobly the Alpha and Luna of each pack are allowed to go each month along with a few trusted warriors to ensure order and safety between the packs. Alpha and Luna also want me to let them know what I would like to do for my birthday tomorrow and let them know in the morning what I decide.

After we were dismissed, I bound up to my room to take a quick shower and call Scarlett to see if they got an invite as well. I decided to open my laptop and video chat with her, Taylor and Julie on a group call. Of course, Scarlett was the first to answer.

“Hey girl, what’s goin on?” She said with a cheery voice. A few seconds later, Taylor and Julie joined the call. “Hey did your families get an invitation to the Full Moon ball at the royal castle this month?” I asked, getting straight to the point. “We got ours yesterday and I am already planning a trip out to the mall to find the perfect dress. And yes Layla, I’m dragging you with me.” She says before I have a chance to interject. “We got ours today, my mom already got me a suit a month ago just in case we got one. She said she wanted to be prepared” Taylor said with a chuckle. “My family got one today too! I wasn’t sure if we were going to get one because I’m not 18 yet but since my sister is, we all get to go!” Julie exclaimed while doing a little happy dance.

The wonderful thing about the royals is that they don’t leave any pack members out based on their rank. They allow all of the omegas to go as well and treat them just like anyone else. Just like our alpha and luna. We know there are other packs out there that treat the lower ranks like dirt and I’ve heard stories of some treating them worse than slaves. But very few get away with it anymore, thanks to the new law the king and queen implemented several years ago. The queen was an omega once and the king wanted her to feel like she belonged and that he respected her so he made it law that any bad treatment of pack members based on rank would be punishable by death.

“Did you guys get an invite, Lay?” Scarlett said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Yes, we just got ours today and Alpha and Luna want me to accompany them and Damien as their official daughter.” I said happily, which gained a bunch of excited responses from my friends. Everyone knows I was adopted by the alpha and luna and they know about my pack but thankfully no one has brought it up or used it against me, yet.

We all talked on video for a little bit longer about the ball and also about my birthday. Scarlett wants to take me shopping for something new to wear for my birthday and also a dress for the ball. I’m not allowed to say no or argue and unfortunately, I’m not allowed to train tomorrow after school. We argued about it for a bit before each of us said good night and went to bed. I laid there for what seemed like hours as sleep decided to evade me. I thought about the ball and graduation and the upcoming competition. My mind was reeling from everything going on that I wasn’t able to fall asleep till after midnight. Before I could succumb to the darkness, Kali spoke up breaking the silence.

Happy birthday Layla, you are finally 18. We can now find our mate but most of all, your parents would be so proud of the woman you have grown up to be.

Thank you, Kali. I know they would’ve loved you and would be proud of you as well for we are one together.

I could feel her smile in the back of my mind as I smiled as well before sleep finally took me. Once again, my mind is plagued with the same dream I am all too familiar with. It’s the same every time, but this time was different. This time I am no longer watching from a distance but instead I am watching from the point of view of the intruder. I can feel everything they are feeling as if I was really that person. It started and ended the same except this time, I was looking straight into the eyes of the dead wolf and suddenly felt the wisps of the shadows as if they enveloped me in their embrace. Can shadows do something like that? I have never heard of it before but my body and mind knew them, it was like welcoming an old friend as they engulfed my entire being and we disappeared from the clearing.

I woke with a start, gasping for air as if I was holding my breath for a long time. I looked at the clocked and it read 3:43am. I groaned and laid back down, turning to face the wall and tried to clear my mind of the dream. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and welcomed sleep once again. Thankfully the dream did not return.