The Rise Of The Silver Wolf

As I sit and watch these three strangers shooting baskets, I feel a calmness and an affinity to them. I feel a sense of belonging that I haven't felt since my dad remarried. Well Monika you are on holiday in one of the most gorgeous places, the Black Forest in Germany. Yes, you might be with your family and you would rather Cruella & India weren't here, but there is nothing you can do about that, so sit and enjoy your ice cream and embrace the fact that neither of them are giving you a dose of verbal abuse that you get on an hourly basis. They label me as difficult, but the reality is I am not. I am simply not as high maintenance as them and prefer to be out roaming the Lake District fells or training to defend myself. It's something dad has always taught me & I enjoy sparring with him or even just punching the sh*t out of the punch bag pretending it is either Cruella or India. Dad travels over here a lot for work & decided it was time he showed us how magical the place is. He wasn't wrong. Cruella & India are moaning about everything & dad has promised them they can book into a spa for an overnight stay tomorrow. It will be good to have time with dad. He has promised we will go hiking in the forest. Something we used to do all the time before he married the bi*ch when I was just four. Then little miss perfect came along when I was five and I became even more of a problem apparently. We stopped doing things just the two of us, our trips to the fells & forests stopped & I really missed them. Let me tell you about India. She is now 12 and thinks she is hot stuff, that boys are going to flock to her when in reality she is a flat-chested Barbie with the same IQ as the doll. Her trademark blonde hair comes out of a bottle at the salon on a monthly basis. She is the polar opposite of me. I have really blossomed over the last 12 months and my best friend Christian keeps telling me that. My red hair is long and wavy, I have piercing brown eyes that sometimes have a green tinge to them (is that even possible?) and I have toned legs that go on forever. I am proud of my figure and do like to show it off when I am in my gym gear. Lost in my own thoughts, I suddenly tune back into the basketball court and realize that dad is saying something. "Earth calling Monika! Fancy going to join the lads and showing them how it's done properly?" I look at dad as if he has three heads. WTF would I want to do that for? I realize that the dark-haired lad is calling us over & did I just imagine that he saluted my dad? "Daddy when you have finished playing can I come and meet them?" whines India. Does she seriously think they would be interested in a 12 year old Barbie wanna be? "India darling, I think you and mum would be better off going to have a walk around town. Here's some money, why dont you go to that nice cafe and have a milkshake?" Clearly, Cruella is gagging for another glass of chardonnay and grabs the money and India and off they trot.Peace at last. "Come on Mon, let's go have some fun. I am sure they will let us join in" says dad. As dad pulls me up from the bench, I get a scent of cinnamon & vanilla. Looking around, I want to see who is eating something that smells sooooo goooood but there isn't anyone apart from us. Shaking my head, I catch up with dad as he strides over to the boys. "Sebastion, Matt, Wilf I would like to introduce you to my daughter Monika" Wait, my dad knows these guys? How? I mean, I know he comes here a lot & he is German, but I didn't realize he knew people. Sebastion shakes my hand and I jolt back as I feel an electric shock. I shiver as I have a sense of familiarity wash over me. Matt and Wilf are looking at me with a confused look & dad is simply smiling at me. Am I in a dream? Wilf throws the ball at me "lets see what you got then" I catch the ball and bounce it. I feel like a fish out of water & unsure of what I am meant to do. Not because I can't play basketball, but I am in a surreal setting, surrounded by three very tall, very ripped boys in tight shirts and with tattoos on their arms and necks. Like dad's tattoo, they too have a howling wolf symbol intertwined with forests. Each one subtly different. As I look at each man in turn I cant help but wonder what the connection is. I feel the need to prove to them that I am not some walkover and so suddenly make a dash towards the hoop, bouncing the ball in a skilled fashion, using my gymnastic agility to dodge them. Half an hour later, we are all laughing as we all collapsed on the court. Sebastion turns to my dad. "Ralph you and Monika must come to the pack, I mean the house tomorrow & use the training facilities. Then we can discuss everything properly. I know mum and dad are looking forward to seeing you both. But now we must leave." With that, the three young men upped and left leaving me perplexed and dad looking awkward. As we sat in silence together, we heard the distant howl of a wolf. "Monika I need to tell you something & I don't want you to be scared.