She turned her head and saw a small, buzzing alarm clock on a bedside table, its red numbers glowing in the dim light of early morning. Slowly, she sat up, ran her fingers through her long lustrous black hair.
The grief was still there, heavy and still haunted by the loss she couldn’t quite leave behind. She slowly rose from the bed, get shower, shuffled to the wardrobe, pulling out her school uniform and slipping into it mechanically. She brushed her hair, tied it back neatly, and wears no makeup.
Grabbing her backpack, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on the routine ahead as she prepared to face another day of high school.
The younger sister was known as the smartest student in school, excelling effortlessly in every subject, but she remained distant and reserved, rarely speaking unless called upon. Her intelligence was admired, but her quiet demeanour and solitary nature kept everyone at a distance, leaving her without any friends.
In her hometown, everyone knew her reserved nature was shaped by the tragic loss of her sister, a wound that never healed even after 11 years. But in the bustling city and her current school, few knew her past, and her quietness was simply seen as a part of who she was, without understanding the sorrow beneath.
Despite her reserved nature and lack of interest in fashion, the younger sister's natural beauty was undeniable, making her not only the smartest but also the prettiest girl in school, quietly admired by many who were captivated by her effortless elegance.
"Alkina Megan Emyr." She turned at the sound of her name, meeting the intense gaze of her classmate Brandon, whose deep grey eyes always unsettled her despite knowing he was a kind-hearted gentleman. She couldn’t understand why he, surrounded by beautiful girls vying for his attention, persistently sought her out with a warm grin, enduring her distant nods and terse responses while drawing the jealous ire of her classmates.
Brandon approached Alkina with a calm smile, telling her that a letter from her hometown had arrived, and although the school administrator had it on her desk, he had personally requested to deliver it to her himself. He held out the envelope gently, his eyes studying her reaction with curiosity.
Alkina nodded briefly, her usual silent way of expressing gratitude, before carefully taking the letter from Brandon’s hand. Without another word, she turned and walked away down the hallway, leaving him standing there as he watched her retreating figure with a lingering sense of longing.
Brandon sighed and murmured to himself, wishing that Alkina would look at him and speak to him normally instead of avoiding him so persistently.
Alkina has vivid memories of being relentlessly bullied by the werewolf girls at her school, especially Valerie Thron, the Alpha’s daughter of the Blackwood Pack. Valerie saw Alkina as an easy target, knocking her down and pushing her around, all while finding amusement in her own cruelty. Valerie knew Alkina was her boyfriend Lucian’s sister, and she treated the harassment as just a harmless joke.
Meanwhile, Lucian, caught up in his own life, couldn’t care less about his sister’s well-being. He viewed Alkina as an embarrassment because of her reserved nature, a stark contrast to the bold and friendly girl he once knew before their older sister, Nadia Emyr, died.
For Lucian, Alkina’s transformation was incomprehensible, and he saw it as a pathetic plea for attention. He had mourned for Nadia and then moved on, but Alkina’s ongoing grief and withdrawal baffled him. At school, he was frequently pestered by questions about Alkina’s behaviour, which irritated him to the point that he scolded her harshly, calling her a burden and an embarrassment.
Their father, Rex Dominic Emyr, overheard the argument and wanted to punish Lucian severely in the forest, but Alkina intervened, stopping him. As a compromise, Lucian was grounded for six months, and from that day on, Alkina avoided her brother, not wanting to be a bother. At first, Lucian found her avoidance annoying, then he felt guilty, and eventually, he stopped caring altogether. He was too preoccupied with his friends, his rugby team, his girlfriend, and his responsibilities as the Beta-in-training of the Blackwood Pack, now that his werewolf abilities had surfaced.
Lucian felt a brief sting of regret when he learned that Alkina was leaving town to study in the city, partly because of his hurtful words and the bullying she had endured, even though she was the smartest student. Her exceptional academic performance earned her a spot in an elite high school, and she left without looking back. Lucian had considered saying a proper goodbye, but by the time he was ready, Alkina had already departed with their father, leaving him with a fleeting sense of loss before he quickly moved on.
Three years later, Alkina found the new school to be kinder than her old one, perhaps because of her reserved nature, intimidating aura, and striking intelligence. Her father never failed to support her, sending her money every month, even though she never asked. He knew his daughter wasn’t spoiled, and even if she had been, his love for her was unconditional.
They communicated solely through email; Rex was mindful of Alkina’s desire for solitude and avoided phone calls to ensure she never felt pressured. Alkina didn’t have a phone, and their conversations were limited to the safety of written words. Recently, however, Alkina received a letter from her father—the first one she’d ever gotten from him—signalling that something important was at hand. She opened it.
