Blackwood Academy

prologue

the girl who cannot shift

I have always been fascinated by everything that is new in my eyes. When I first saw a butterfly I did not know what it was. I thought it was a flower since it looks like one only with an odd shape. The young me was astonished seeing a flying flower for the first time. I followed it everywhere it flew.

When my oldest brother shifted for the first time. I did not cower nor cry in fear like the other children around my age. They hide behind their parents and their parents hide them inside the pack house eventually when the child starts throwing tantrums or cry in fear. It is a must to get us used to seeing shifting wolves. So I stood straight in front of my mother who laid her hands on top of my shoulder. We were both watching my older brother shift while my father assisted him.

His screams of pain worried me. The sound of bones snapping and cracking made me gasp as I cannot imagine my own bones in that state once I come of age. Although, when my brother's body disappeared and before me stood a wolf I was then left awestruck.

I want to shift into a wolf.

My brother's wolf color is gray with a few speck of black fur. It laid on the tip of his ears, tail, and paws. I became curious to what might be the color of my wolf once I shift.

A child of a werewolf only shift at the age of fifteen. I was ten when my older brother shifted. Eventually all the children around my age shifted at the age of fifteen. Including my twin brother. Imagine my surprise when I did not shift along with them. My brows furrowed in displeasure as I watched them shift on their birthdays with envy. It was a gift from the Moon Goddess but I didn't receive mine.

I was outside the office of my father. The door was left ajar and so I heard them talk with the elders. It was unheard of having a child of a wolf who did not shift at the age of fifteen nor a child of a wolf that never gain his or her wolf.

There was no such thing.. until me.

And so, I sat out of the pack house confused. In front of me is the beautiful garden that was taken care of by my mother along with the female pack members who has interest in gardens. Breathing in the clean air of nature.. I can smell the scent of flowers making its way in my nose. When the scent became too much and stings my sense of smell I wrinkled my nose.

Then a butterfly flapping its wings lightly caught my eyes. I have known the truth when my twin brother found me following it again thus introducing me with the fact that the flying flower was indeed a butterfly. Silly me.

When it flew away I decided to follow it to keep my mind off from the unfortunate experience that I did not just shift on my birthday. The butterfly lead me into the forest where huge tall trees stood surrounding my little self.

The branches move along with the wind. I found myself loving the sound it produce. I raise my hand and let it touch the trees as I continue to walk further. Then a sound of water flowing reached my ear. It must be a stream which I am unaware of. My parents never allow me to walk this far into the forest. In fact, they never allow me to set foot here without a company.

Yet here I am. Alone and curious.

Suddenly, a twig snapped and I heard a flock of birds flying away from the trees to the sky. The sound of stream was now gone. I looked around my surrounding only to realize that I am in the middle of nowhere.