Loveless

Chapter One

    This sky was the bluest I had seen all winter, not a cloud in the sky. It had already been a very long winter. Everyone was happy and joyous. The shops were so busy. It was two weeks before Christmas, and everyone was searching for gifts. I'm on my way to work and it will be an okay day I thought to myself.
    I work at the defense office of Elvelynn, it is a small company of warriors that are hand picked by the king and queen themselves. We were picked to protect the city, and that is what I do everyday. I wake in the morning, put on my armor and head to work to protect my city.
    We are of the continent of Elvelynn, the capital Munity. That is where the defense office is located and where I live right now. I however am from Werna, a small town about 6 hours from here.
    When I get to work my trainee automatically starts to bug me about the royal announcement. "Miss Michels, have you heard the king is making all women come to the castle and be in a contest?" He said. My trainee: Henry Evans, the nerdiest kid you could ever meet.
    "Yes, Evans I have" I told him, that made him very annoyed. Evan reminded me of that one kid who would remind the teacher you had homework to turn in. He had purple-blue hair, a violet blue if you will, with hazel eyes and he had a strong bone structure. No wonder the king and queen picked him to be in the guard. He is training to be a drill sergeant for our next group of recruits. He kept following me. "Go to the training room from whence you came!!" I yelled at him. So, he went to his office and I continued on with my day. Nothing was going to stop me from enjoying my day.
    King Rolland was a shapeshifter, he was known for his cunning mind and witty personality. Queen Jullianna was a werewolf, she was angelic, kind, and most of all she was a fierce warrior of the crown. Now the prince was half werewolf and half shapeshifter. His werewolf side was his dominant side. He was known to be cold, and distant.
I was half elf and half werewolf. My elf side was the dominant side, my father is an elf. He had dark brown hair,green eyes and, was a natural born baker he could make anything from scratch.
    My mother was a werewolf. She was so pretty she had blonde hair blue eyes and the warmest heart. She was my world. But one night, My mother died when I was ten, it's been thirteen years. She was murdered after someone robbed the bakery my father and mother owned. My father was in the back when someone came in demanding money, after they got what they wanted they slit her throat. My father came out with his face slashed, to this day he still has the scar.
Anyways my life is pretty complicated. "Ms. Michels!" Said Evans.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT EVANS!!" I shouted.
"The colonel is here." He told me in fear.
    The colonel then walked into the training room where I met him. He then introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Colonel Mackintosh," he said. He was a tall man about 6'1 he had brown hair, a mustache and blueish grey eyes.
"Yes sir I've heard great things. I'm Isabel Michels. Head of the recruitment department." I told him.
Then, he started to say something, looked confused then, returned back to what he was saying.
    "Michels report!" He said
    "Evans is doing great; he's learning how to survey the recruits." I told him.
    " THEN WHY IS HE SHAKING SO MUCH SERGEANT MICHELS?!" He yelled at me.
    "Sir, with all due respect he has anxiety, sir." I told him in reply. He then looked at me confused as if he never heard the term. Then again, he was an old fashioned man still wishing he was in the 1970s.
    "Well in this case I suppose your trainee is doing well and dealing with his fears. Especially socializing."
    "Thank you sir." After all that we got back on with our normal day and everyone talking about the announcement the royal family had made.
    After a long double shift I went into my apartment and went straight to sleep.
    The next morning I got to work and went to visit my trainee in his office and I found him surrounded by the recruits and he was short of breath and was hyperventilating I quickly pushed everyone aside and yelled "MOVE MOTHER TRUCKERS. THIS IS MY TRAINEE! I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS LIFE!" they all moved aside as I called IXII.
    We then got an ambulance and rushed him to the local hospital. The hospital had this weird scent of anesthesia and hand sanitizer. The fluorescent lights blinding and adding a lighter fleshy color to everything and everyone. There was always something about hospitals that made me feel a certain way after my grandpa died. He told the doctors he didn't want to be on medication and he didn't want to be on the machines. So he told them to pull the plug. His last words to me were; "Don't ever forget that I love you and that if you need someone to talk to just look up at the sky." After that day I never wanted to go back to the hospital. But here I am.
    As soon as he made it to a room safely I had to go back to the training grounds and train the recruits. So many faces that have yet to know this cruel world and the secrets that it holds within its beauty.
    "ATTENTION!" I then started taking a look up and down at the recruits again. They looked as if they were almost scared of me.
    "Now some of you may be wondering where your friend Mr. Evans is. Well, I will inform you that Mr. Evans is in the hospital due to a major panic attack." I said as I huffed a sigh of sadness out of respect for Evans.
    "Well that sounds like a lame ass excuse." One of them had said and they all started laughing.
    "ALL RIGHT EVERYONE DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME XX IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY YOU CAN ADD XX MORE TO THAT." I yelled harshly. No one talks about my trainee.
    When they were done we continued training like we usually would.
As soon as the day was finished I went to visit Henry and make sure he was okay.
    *Knock Knock* " How's my favorite recruit doing?" I walked in. The only way I could get in was to say I was his sister. The dumbest rule had to apply for something like this. He literally told me immediate family and spouses only.
    "I'm doing fine. Ms.Michels." He said as he briefly made eye contact with me.
    "Please call me Isabel" I said as I sat on the end of the bed.
    "Yes ma'am" He said. He then started telling me what caused it. "It was horrible all the cadets started talking about everything that causes my panic attacks right in front of me on purpose." And I felt awful. "I am so embarrassed, I started to break down in front of everyone.
    "Well guess what? Tomorrow we're running the gates of hell drill. Since you're training to be a Drill Sergeant you get to help run the drill." His face lit up and all I could think was how much of a little brother he was to me. Like the brother I never had.
He flung down to the end of the bed and hugged me. "Thank you so much Ms. Mic... I mean Isabel." He said as he was squeezing me to death.
    I began to hug him back as I said "You are very welcome Henry. And please tell me when things get too tough with the other trainee's. I know people can be mean, but you need to be meaner than them. Stronger than them. That being said, there are alway anxiety pills in my top right desk drawer in my office if you need them."
    He slowly let go and backed up to look at me. "I understand Isabel, and hopefully I won't need them." He said as he gave me a warm smile.
    "I hope so. I will see you bright and early in two days. The doctors told me you could go home tomorrow. Also if you need a ride home from the hospital let me know and I will come pick you up. Good night Henry." I said as I got up.
    "Thank you Isabel, but I got my brother to drive my car up here this morning. And I will be there. Good night." He said.
    I then left and drove home for the night. My apartment was on the other side of town. It was a small two bedroom apartment with one bathroom on the third floor. I have no pets. I live completely alone. I walked slowly up the stairs. It is walking up these stairs everyday that makes me wish I didn't personally train the recruits. When I got to the door I unlocked it and I immediately walked to my room, I dropped my bag in the middle of my living room on the way.
When I got to my room I jumped on to my bed without even taking of my shoes. I began to think of Henry and how he reminds me of the little brother I never had.
    My mother and father always wanted a little boy, but ever since mom died dad hasn't found anyone else to be with. All he has is his work friends, a rabbit, and me, his only daughter. My dad was pretty much antisocial and he never reopened the bakery. He eventually went insane and had to go into Baysheild mental hospital.
    When he left I had to go live with my childhood best friend Elijah Smith. He was the most adorable kid with his chubby cheeks and dimples.. He hit his growth spurt at 15. He had naturally blond hair that he would constantly dye purple. He had heterochromia one eye is brown and the other green. His parents always made him wear an eyepatch but I always thought it was so cool.
    Both of his parents were pure shapeshifters, making Elijah a pure shapeshifter as well. When Elijah and I turned 18 we both joined the military. We were sent to different posts once we finished training six months later. I was sent to a base that focused on training military leaders, while he was sent to a base that focuses on warrior advancement. I have not seen him since. He went missing in action 3 years ago. His parents called to tell me a week after they found out.
    I have never moved past that fact. The last I checked on his whereabouts was a year and a half ago. He was still missing. My boss told me I needed to stop looking because it was causing more stress to my life and job. I decided to listen. If there is one thing I have learned about war is the fact that no one is held captive for more than a year. I had to except he was dead.
My last thoughts before I drifted off to sleep was He is gone...