Femme Fatale: Snow White

Chapter 1

Pic on the side is of the White family (excluding Snow)

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Chapter 1

Snow's POV

I warmed my hands against the fire, my eyes taking in the amber glow in front of me without really paying attention to it.

My ears strained to hear the words of the Concilium as they talked in the tent behind me, who had convened today on the request of my Mentor on behalf of whether or not I was finally allowed to go through the Ritual.

The Ritual that would allow me to become a full-fledged Praedator, to be able to join my brothers in the fight without having to be constantly supervised because I didn’t have the same powers they had.

I had been striving for this moment my entire life, and now that it was here…well, let’s just say that this is the first time I had ever been this nervous.

A hand on my shoulder broke me out of my reverie, and if I hadn’t recognised the roughness and the warmth of the palm on my bare shoulders, I would have flipped the offender into the fire before me.

“Do not worry my child,” My Mentor, Gideon, said as he placed my white cloak around me. “You are the best discipule here, and they will see that.”

I didn’t say anything, but took solace in his words.

Wrapping the cloak Gideon had specially gotten woven for me, I looked around the campsite at the Brethren and their silence and the looks of encouragement on their faces made me smile.

As the only female Praedator in the entire world, I was more than cherished in our fraternity, and well protected. They were my brothers-in-arms, my fathers, and uncles.

Family.

And because of how close knit we were, the whole clearing was silent as they waited with me for the news.

“They have been in there for longer than an hour Gideon.” I said quietly as he sat down on the log beside me, making me have to look down at him to talk, something I didn’t like, but I couldn’t sit down now. I was too wired up. “You know as well as I that that is a lot longer than anyone else’s decision from the Concilium.”

He sighed and took my hand in his to tug me down beside him, and I let him and out of respect for him I would do my best to stay sitting until after we finished talking.

“This is the first case like yours my child,” He said as he put his arm around me, his brown hair turning auburn from the light of the fire, and the warmth in his brown eyes only magnified from the reflection of the light. “No one can contest to your ability to hunt and your dedication to everything we stand for…but there are other factors in your case that isn’t presented in everyone else.”

“Why? Because I am a female?” I snorted and looked away from him, defensively crossing my arms around my chest.

“Not just that.” He didn’t deny it, but the tone in his voice told me to look back at him so I did. “You are the only Praedator here who has never been outside of the Brethren…seen the world out there that isn’t sheathed in forestry.”

I furrowed my brows, wondering what that had to do with anything. Wouldn’t that make me more dedicated to my calling?

I wondered also if it was because I actually wasn’t a Praedator by blood that was what was taking them so long to make their decision.

When I had been but two years old, Gideon had found me about to be devoured by a Lycan and saved me, and when he found me to be without any person, filthy, cold and to the point of starvation, he took me in as his own.