The True Queen

Chapter 2: Hopes and Goals

I lay there for what felt like an eternity, consumed by self-pity and despair. Eventually, I mustered the strength to drag myself off the floor and stagger to the basement bathroom to assess the damage. It was crucial to clean up before anyone else saw me - in the pack, showing any sign of weakness was taboo, and it was frowned upon more than even the most savage a***e.

To wolves, physical exertion like this was just a game, but for me, it was a living nightmare. They healed extremely quickly, almost instantaneously, ran swiftly, and were incredibly strong, while it took me more time to heal. But one day as I was reading the annals of human anatomy, to my surprise, I discovered that my wounds seemed to be healing much quicker than the average human’s. Despite the excruciating pain I felt during the beatings, Hailey's a***e never left me permanently crippled or scarred. I have always recovered. Though my body’s healing ability did not match the rapid regeneration of the wolves, per the book, my recovery still greatly surpassed that of an average human’s. The frailty of humankind had intrigued me, but I had no chance to ask anyone, since I was the only wolf-less girl in the pack and there were no human settlements within hundreds of miles to seek answers from. I was thankful to the Moon Goddess for at least blessing me with this unexpected gift and decided to keep my mouth shut, as to avoid any unwarranted attention from the pack.

My room occupied a small corner of the basement, where I had a small window and my own bathroom. Whilst the bathroom was small and cramped, with barely enough room for the toilet, sink, and shower, and the walls were old and grimy, with cracked and stained old tiles, I still loved it because this was my space, no one bothered me down here. Hence, I spent as much time as I could in the basement, where my hand-me-down bed provided all the comfort that I needed, feeling safe in this small world of mine.

I looked in the mirror, and what I saw made me flinch. My face was starting to swell, and there was a gash on my head where I had hit the wall. Blood was still oozing from the wound, and I knew that I needed to clean it up quickly before it got infected.

I turned on the tap and splashed some water on my face, wincing as the cold liquid hit the cuts and bruises. I grabbed a first aid kit and started to tend my wounds.

Things weren't always like this. When I was a child, I lived in the shadows, invisible to everyone unless they needed something from me. The pack made sure I went to school and didn't go hungry. But apart from that, I was left to fend for myself, which actually suited me just fine. I prefer solitude.

Everything changed when I turned thirteen. That day, I got my period, but since she-wolves don't experience this, nobody had explained to me what was happening. Feeling panicked, I quickly went to the school nurse, who kindly explained everything to me, looking confused and fascinated at the same time.

She suggested that it would be better for me to go home and rest for the day, also adding that human bodies can be sensitive to period pains, and medical books often recommend taking it easy for a few days. She managed to find a few hygiene products among the other medical supplies that our pack ordered from human settlements, and promised to order some more specifically for me, as nobody else in the pack needed them.

Taking the nurse's advice, I returned home early, feeling a discomfort in my tummy. I went to the kitchen to grab a hot pack to put on my stomach but found that the kitchen was taken. As I pushed the door to see who was inside, I saw Hailey locked in a passionate embrace with Liam, our alpha's only son in the kitchen. They both heard me, a wolf hearing did not miss anything even when kissing, I guess. I can still remember the swift change in Liam's expression—from irritation to confusion—as he pushed Hailey away and turned his attention to the intruder.

His face showed anger at first, which quickly changed into a mixture of surprise, concern, and shame, as if he had been caught cheating. I immediately apologized and hurried away, but that moment stayed with me. It was a pivotal moment that exposed me to Hailey's hatred for years to come. I am not sure what she blamed me for, but since that day, I never saw Alpha's son touching her again.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand. First, I tended to my wounds before settling down to rest and let my body recover. My body was in a lot of pain, so I tried to distract myself by thinking about something positive. I thought about my upcoming graduation day - the day when I would finally receive my diploma. According to pack rules, anyone with a high school diploma was considered an adult, and technically that also meant that I could leave.

- I'll become an adult and set myself free - I whispered as the thought reverberated in my mind, a notion I had entertained countless times but lacked the courage to truly embrace. Naturally, it filled me with overwhelming fear, as the world of wolves was my sole reality. I have never left packland before, nor have I ever met a single human being. But the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that it was time to leave.

Unlike literally everyone in the pack, I wasn't obligated to stay and protect the pack simply because I had no wolf and was a liability. But even if I chose to leave, I knew I'd be entering a world where I wasn't wanted. Abandoned as a baby by humans, left in the woods to perish, why would the human world show me any kindness now? So, until now, I have tried to deceive myself, hoping there was a place for me within this pack. But today, I finally realized that my time here had exceeded its welcome, and it was time for me to depart.

With graduation not so far away, I reassured myself that leaving was indeed a viable option, and that anywhere else could potentially be an improvement over my current circumstances. It was a risk I had to take, a chance I couldn't afford to miss.