When Stars Fall

Chapter 2

"Everyone, take a seat!" My dad called. "It's time for the ceremony." The chatter in the lively backyard abruptly ceased, and my numerous relatives all scrambled to find seats. I gulped nervously from my spot at the door, fidgeting with the edge of my dress.

My parents had insisted that I get dressed up for the event and reluctantly, I had agreed. My mom had taken me to the mall to shop a few weeks earlier, where I had instantly fallen in love with and purchased a beautiful black dress. The dress was relatively simple, adorned only with a silk ribbon that tied behind my back. The fabric reached my knees and exposed my arms.

"You'll be fine," my mother assured me, smoothing back a stray strand of hair from my forehead. I nodded, turning my attention back to the rest of the backyard. My grandfather now stood on a small platform in front of the rows of chairs.

"Each ceremony serves to uphold our family's legacy," he began. "It continues to exist as a novel tradition. The assigning of a task marks an important point in an individual's life; the transition into adulthood." He paused to let his words sink in. "Estrella, please join us."

I took a deep breath before stepping forward. I made my way towards the platform, keeping my gaze focused on my grandpa. Mom trailed behind me, taking a seat beside my dad when I reached the platform. I stepped up to stand beside my grandfather, who fixed me with a solemn look.

"Estrella, your task is to eliminate Alpha Ace Miller," Grandpa informed me. "He lives with the rest of the Rushing River pack in a dense forest in upstate Maine."

I inhaled sharply, shocked beyond belief. The task of eliminating Alphas was reserved for only the most skilled assassins, making me immediately question my grandfather's choice. I wasn't the strongest assassin in our family, nor was I the fastest. So why had Grandpa picked me?

I forced a small smile onto my face in an attempt to hide my surprise. "Thank you."

"I'll meet individually with you later," Grandpa added to me in an undertone. "You'll be provided with more information." I nodded, and my grandpa's gaze softened. He then looked away, turning to my father, who stood up from his spot in the first row.

"We're done here," Grandpa declared loudly before stepping off the platform. I watched him walk away, forcing myself to remain silent. There would be time for questions later.

* * * * *

I knocked on the door of my dad's study, knowing that that was where my grandfather most likely was. I waited a few moments, and just as I expected, it was my grandpa who answered the door.

"Good evening, Estrella," he greeted me, ushering me into the room. "Come in." I shut the door behind me before taking a seat across from Grandpa.

"So, are you ready for this case?" He asked, flashing me a cheerful grin. I hesitated, not sure of what to say.

"What's wrong?" My grandfather questioned, taking notice of my reaction. I sighed, choosing to stare at my scuffed sneakers, rather than facing Grandpa's concerned gaze.

"Thank you for assigning me an Alpha," I murmured, "I know it's a great honor. But why me? I don't have any special qualities."

I forced myself to look up at my grandfather, needing to see his reaction. He shook his head, his eyes twinkling gently.

"That's where you're wrong, Estrella. You're one of the best assassins I've seen in years. You may not be the best choice when it comes to strength and speed, but it's your intelligence that makes you ideal. You can use your wits to weasel out of almost any situation, and that's a critical skill for any good assassin to have."

I grinned proudly, but soon my elation turned to worry. My whole life I had been eager to receive a task, but what if I wasn't good enough?

"I know what you're thinking," my grandpa interceded. "Don't question yourself. I chose you for this assignment, and there isn't an ounce of doubt in my mind that you'll succeed." He stood from his seat and walked around the desk to hand me a thin folder.

"In this folder, there are several pages explaining your role," Grandpa continued. "You'll be impersonating a visiting doctor. The pack is expecting someone else from a major hospital, but we managed to pull some strings so you can take her place." I sighed in relief. The whole ordeal sounded fairly simple, especially considering I knew a decent amount about medicine, due to the fact that I was studying to become a pediatrician.

I flipped to the first page, where my new identity was typed out.

"'Samantha Cummings'?" I read. "Seriously?"

My grandpa shrugged. "We did what we could." I raised an eyebrow before turning my attention back to the file.

"Do they know I'm human?" I questioned. Grandpa nodded.

"Yes, so don't give it away that you know they're werewolves."

"Why would they let a human stay with them?" I asked. "Wouldn't there be a risk of us discovering them?" My grandpa scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"They just started an exchange program," he replied. "Rushing River is renown for hosting one of the country's highest-ranked hospitals, and although it's for werewolves instead of humans, it's very similar to other facilities. They agreed to send one of their own doctors in exchange for a highly esteemed human doctor, so that each side can gain more medical knowledge. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to hear about it in time to switch around a few things."

I sighed. This case was much more complicated than my grandfather had initially let on.

"I'll read the rest of the file later," I informed my grandpa, "But I get the gist of it."

Grandpa grinned. "I knew you would."