Chapter 3 COURTESY CALL

"I had to cancel an appointment because of that guy. " He heard Raven loudly complaining about the new alpha of the Northwood pack. She lost her enhanced senses too, but their rooms were in front of each other and both doors were open. Their pack, the Blue Moon pack, was one of the largest packs in the country, but Northwood was larger and had more allies even outside the country. They could see why their alpha wanted to be on good terms with them, but such meetings don’t usually require all the pack members. Sapphire didn’t get the chance to ask her father about what was happening, but she packed her things anyway. They went downstairs and her brother received a smack from their mother, "Don’t you dare speak like that in the gathering or you’ll get in trouble. " She warned. Raven scratched the part where he was hit and glared at Sapphire for cackling. "You heard your mom. " Their father came out of the room carrying both his and his wife’s bags. Raven rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue any further until they were all inside the car. They drove towards the pack house with not much excitement. Sapphire used to be the most excited one during full moons. Her energy cannot be contained, and she barely stays in human form during pack gatherings. Raven is still murmuring complaints, but no one really pays attention to him. "Why is everyone called anyway? Isn't courtesy calls usually just among the leaders of the pack? " Sapphire used the opportunity to ask. "That guy feels special just because he managed to steal the position from the alpha of the Northwood pack. " There was clear annoyance in his eyes, a bit of jealousy too, from what Sapphire could see with years of experience as being his sister. The woman turned to her brother with wide, surprised eyes. The alpha position is usually inherited or passed on by the alpha themselves to whoever they see as fitting for the position. It is rare nowadays that someone challenges the alpha for the position. Sarah, their mother, hissed at Raven's statement, knowing where it was rooted from. She knew her son more than anyone else. Their wolves are their strength, but the negative emotions could also stem from them. "You perfectly know how the system works. The old alpha accepted his defeat with honor, and we have to respect that. " She started lecturing her son about the pack system that all werewolves strictly follow. Their kind still adheres to their old beliefs and is taught to respect them. Raven was quiet after being scolded by their mother. Sapphire, on the other hand, couldn’t push the thoughts she was having about the new alpha. She’s never been this curious about a person before. "Thank you for coming today. " Theodore, their alpha, spoke as soon as they arrived. Her father accompanied their alpha while Sapphire sat on one side. She has been like this at every gathering ever since she faced rejection. It was as if she had a contagious disease. Everyone automatically avoids her, except for some people like the trainer in their pack, who still believes that she was a great person with or without her wolf. This month’s full moon is a supermoon, which means that the full moon will look brighter and closer than normal. It also means that their emotions are more heightened than usual. Sapphire could feel everyone’s excitement. She was almost intimidated by it. Ever since her wolf caved in, she felt more vulnerable whenever she was around the whole pack, just like prey in the den of hungry beasts. The new alpha is still on his way and couldn’t really be waited for. They all turned and went to the woods for a run. They all left without looking back. The only wolfless one is naturally left alone in the pack house. This is why she doesn’t want to attend the gatherings. She feels suffocated whenever she goes near the place. It was where she grew up, the place where she spent her childhood and the only place where she felt free to express her true self. Until it was the place where she got rejected by her mate and where everyone spat insults and disgusted looks at her. She wouldn’t go near the place if it weren’t for her family. Sapphire could usually tolerate it, especially when others were around, but this time it was too much for her. She went out and walked towards the opposite direction, where everyone always runs. It was closer to the entrance of the forest, where no one really liked to go as they could hear human civilization. "I should have gone to that party instead. " She mumbled and didn’t hesitate to sit on the ground. The sky is clear of clouds. Sapphire could tell that the moon would be very visible when the moon had risen. She still appreciates nature as much as she does when she still has her wolf. The woman is thankful for that, because it was the only thing that somehow connected her to who she was in the past. She might have already accepted her condition, but she still misses the sensation of being a wolf. The woman lightly shook her head off the thoughts. Pitying herself was not her goal today. A loud gasp broke the silence. Sapphire’s eyes trembled a bit. There was a wolf in front of her, a huge wolf with black fur and almost twice the size of her wolf form. Its eyes were almost speaking to her. She could use a mind link to communicate with the wolf, but she lost that ability too. The wolf’s eyes made her knees tremble. She is sure that the wolf doesn’t belong to her pack, nor that it was an intruder. His intimidating eyes made her agree that he deserved to be an alpha. His mere presence could make a wolf shudder. But she is sure that it isn’t the reason why her chest is tightening right now. Sapphire gasped again, this time in sheer pain. She grabbed her chest and applied some pressure, but that didn’t really give her any comfort. Her heartbeat escalated at a dangerous rate, and that is when everything went blurry.