His Fateful Choice

Hello sister

My visit to the town, AKA tactical sighteeing, was completely underwhelming. Well, except for one moment, which could be, without any exaggeration, called a close call.

Actually, I don't even know what I was expecting. Posters with my face with „Missing“ or "Did you see her?" below that? Or a collapsed Josh in a state of insanity, desperately searching for his lost mate?

Nope, neither of that was what hapened that day. It was the exact opposite of my wild fantasies, actually. Although I did see all of those above-mentioned from a safe distance.

Just as I was walking through the arcade of the main square, I saw Josh. Guess what? He looked good. That bastard. Yes, he didn't have the usual spark in his eye he used to charm girls with, but I can very well attribute that to the stress before the ceremony as well as to a drunken night. But otherwise he looked really good. He was not in his usual formal attire. Instead he wore a plain black T-shirt and dark blue sweatpants. I cursed him in my mind, because even though he was dressed like a low-key hobo, he looked like a snack.

Next to him stood, no, not stood – Gemma literally clung to him. Both of them were so fully engaged with what they were doing that they didn't even notice me standing less than twenty meters away.

Just then, my parents and sister were passing by. Everyone was carrying some giant containers and apparently laughing at some joke my father just made. Wow.

I really didn't know what I expected to happen. That my mate would leave everything and run after me? Or that my parents would burst into tears and greet their lost daughter? Probably not, but I was hoping for some drama. A girl can dream, right?

But this was almost too much anticlimactic. They all looked like they were just fine without me. As if nobody here missed me. Shouldn't my mate suffer at least a little bit? Would anyone have even noticed if Bill hadn't saved me back then?

All these questions raced through my head, and I was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong desire to bury my head in pillows and cry through the night.

But that was a luxury I couldn't afford. No, I had a mission here. I had to train to survive one day. I had to be better than what others expected from me. And with a little luck, I would show them all one day.

With a new determination to fight all of this and with a desire for revenge, I, feeling like the heroine of an action movie starting my own redemption arch, went back to my hut. It was just in time, because as I was leaving, my family decided to leave as well. I just about managed to jump around the corner into a dark street when Irene turned her head towards me. When I peeked around the corner, she was still looking around. I immediately scolded myself. Next time I had to be more inconspicuous.

On the way back, I quickly stopped at the market and bought enough flour, legumes and vegetables so that I would not have to go back for about a week. The stream next to the shed would provide me with enough cold to keep everything pretty fresh.

I arrived at my new home shortly after three o'clock in the afternoon. Absolutely famished, I prepared bread dough and baked it on a stone I found in the stream. A number of delicious mushrooms grew in the forest and there was a wild basil a little further between the rocks. I took it all to my primitive kitchen and started preparing an omelette. As the saying goes, hunger is the best cook. It was probably the best omelette of my life.

When I finished eating, I decided it was time to start cleaning up a bit. But when I arrived at the training grounds, I toyed for a while with the idea that today I would devote myself to planning. Everything was overgrown! I didn't even know where to start. But I knew I couldn't do that again.

My stay in the hospital had its toll on me and I couldn’t even remember the last time I trained properly. Getting in shape would be hell. And I had to start slowly so as not to hurt myself unnecessarily.

As I thought about it, I realized that I should start with endurance training. I was always fast and had strength in my legs. That was, after all, my greatest advantage. When you don’t count the perfect face, a figure full of curves and a charming nature. And also an infinite modesty.

But now seriously. When I was not yet the outcast of a werewolf society, everyone expected that when I entered the training academy, I would be included among the fighter wolves very quickly.

Unfortunately, when it turned out that my wolf nature was missing, Irene had to join the academy instead of me. Let's just say she was not very happy. Sadly, this was the rule. From each family, at least one offspring had to join the academy for the pack to be able to defend themselves. The training always took place after school, and depending on how Irene usually camr home, it was really challenging.

Plus, Irene was never the outdoorsy sports type like me. She was more domestic, focused on baking and cooking. So some days were just too much for her. And it was because of the academy that she couldn't develop her talent, which she undoubtedly had. Of course, she blamed me for that.

But when I look at it from the other side, after she started training properly, her ass got incredibly firm. I personally would consider that quite a big plus. So like, ya welcome...

It took me good three hours to clear the branches and bushes from the obstacle course and the oval.

I was really exhausted when it was slowly getting dark. However, a sudden surge of energy made me at least try what my legs remembered.

The first five steps were like taking first breath of fresh air after an hour underwater. It was as if fire coursed through my veins.

The next thousand steps were pure suffering sent from hell that I would not wish on my greatest enemy. Well, maybe I would wish it on Gemma.

When I finished the third round, I think even my hair was sweating. But I was satisfied. I did a lot of good work today.

A c***k of a branch interrupted me in my mental self-praise. Instinct turned me abruptly and I found myself crouched into a fighting stance.

The bushes near to me rustled, and a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t our little traitor. Long time no see, dear sister.” Irene said with a mocking grin.