Legacy: Wolf Child

Chapter One

Her parents are dead. Her brother's gone. Her world is in ruin. But then Nathan appears in her life. Would he offer her the comfort she so sorely needs? Or would he unleash more turmoil in an already uncertain time?

Everyone was screaming. I couldn't believe it. As I hunched over I could feel the world around me pulsating with every heartbeat.

I'd won.

All those months of training had paid off. Every early start, each moment of pain. I'd won and I'd be going to Northridge University on scholarship. All my dreams had just come true.

"LUCY!" This yell was closer than the others and I turned my head only to be met with the chest of a bouncy Olivia. Thin arms wrapped around my sweaty body and pulled me into a tight, constrictive hug, "You did it!" It was meant to be a supportive gesture, but at this current moment it seemed more like an attempt at murder as breathing became substantially more difficult. I hit her back, granted probably harder than I should have done but it worked as a hint. She released me with a yelp, "Oh, sorry."

I shook my head, wheezing as once more I could summon breath to my oxygen deprived body. I raised a hand as I went to say something to my friend but choked as a large hand hit me on the shoulder next, "That was insane!" Gavin's voice grinned.

Even though they were my friends, I was finding it hard to concentrate. After running 5km as fast as you could with adrenaline pumping through your system, it took a while to recover. But Gavin seemed more prepared than Olivia as he handed me my water bottle. I took it with shaking hands, "Thanks." I mumbled and put it to my lips to take a drink.

"I can't believe the run you just did," Gavin enthused. I could just see his hands waving from next to me, but still I was finding it hard to register much stimuli other than pain, euphoria and the cool liquid rolling down my throat. "I've never seen you run like that before."

"She was chasing that scholarship to the finish line," Olivia giggled as they guided me off of the race track. There was a stadium filled with people waiting for the next event. Even though that had been my final there were still a lot of events waiting to go underway. And I wanted to see how my teammates all did.

"And beyond," Gavin agreed. I finally looked to him then, feeling I could finally focus on something other than not falling over. His smile was big on his goofy face. He wasn't exactly handsome; his grin was too vast for his thin face. His black hair was fine and short, but his blue eyes were always filled with mirth. From the day we'd met in primary school and he'd stolen my pencil, I knew we'd be firm friends. We'd trained together in athletics from year one and now here we were, at the finish line and a summer away from university.

Warmth filled my gut and I grabbed his equally sticky body, pulling him into a hug. We'd both performed well enough, we were both off to our chosen universities. And even though those were quite a fair distance from one another I was happy for us both. Though there was an edge of sadness with it as well.

"We did it," I grinned against his chest.

"We did, sneakers," Gavin released me, but only so I could see him wiping at the corner of his eyes. "Damn, I could cry this moment is so beautiful." I laughed and Olivia hopped in next to us. Dressed in a skirt and a strap top, she wasn't on the athletic team. Being into art and acting she didn't share many classes with me, but our friendship had somehow lasted the trials of high school.

"Please do, because I'm filming this whole thing on my phone," Olivia smirked behind her smartphone and I raised a hand to cover my face.

"Olivia! I am pink and sweaty. I look disgusting!"