Chapter 4 A Glimmer Of Hope

• AVA
• The moment Chloe slammed the door shut, I glanced at the rusty alarm clock on the desk. It was barely 6 am, yet she was already dressed.
• That could only mean one thing:
• Today was a Thursday.
• A flare of hope sparked within me as I let out a sigh of relief. I steadily rose to my feet, still feeling the sharp sting of the unexpected slap, but it didn't matter anymore. Not today, anyway, and there were two major reasons for that:
• One, the pack had its general morning run every Thursday before their training session, which meant I'd get to do my chores without running into anyone.
• Was it that big of a deal?
• For me, yes.
• It meant I wouldn't have to be anyone's insult cushion while being tossed around.
• It was one of the reasons I was ever grateful for moving out of the Omega quarters.
• The storage room might not be the best place, considering it was stuffy and dusty and the door was barely hanging onto its hinges, but it was my space. A place where I could sit peacefully instead of looking over my shoulder every five seconds, wondering where the next hit would come from.
• The second reason was my therapy session, or conversation therapy, as Alpha Damon liked to call it. As pitiful as it sounds, Ralia was the only one I was comfortable enough to converse with in the entire pack.
• Maybe it was because being the pack doctor entailed her being a welcoming person, but conversations with her left me feeling less burdened. Today was going to be our second session together, yet I was already looking forward to it.
• And to top it all, I get to see Dax and Damon?
• I couldn't remember the last time I had such a successful day.
• Barely able to contain my joy, I cleaned up the mess before getting dressed up for the day.
• Like someone who had lived here all her life, I skilfully moved around, sending silent greetings to the other workers I passed along the way. If it wasn't for my frail stature and petite size, one would've thought I was truly one of them.
• Even I became confused at a point.
• And I couldn't even blame myself. The desperation of fitting in could be deceiving at times. And though it took a while, the loneliness wasn't as heavy. To a stranger, it may seem like I had my life together and had found a way to endure the torments, but the honest truth remained that growing up in Bloodmoon was hard.
• The first thing I learnt after getting to know this world was their hierarchy system.
• "To survive here. You should know this!" A guard had grumbled.
• I was told that the alphas were the highest-ranking wolves and were known as leaders of the pack. They were followed by Beta and Delta, who were the second and third in command, respectively.
• Then came the warriors, pack helpers consisting of the healers, trainers, and patrols, and finally the omegas.
• The omegas were the lowest-ranking members of the pack and the least respected. They were often required to be submissive to higher-ranking wolves and may even be subjected to bullying. According to the gossip that floated above my head, I didn't smell like a human or wolf.
• In fact, I didn't have a scent at all.
• My frail appearance didn't help either. No one would ever look at a five-foot-five girl with blond hair and lifeless grey eyes and ever consider me as part of their world. Not when the average heights were at least six feet.
• I stuck out like a sore thumb, and my pale skin tone only made things worse.
• So when I was brought in, everyone thought my wolf genes were dormant and weak, and I was automatically classified as an Omega. Maybe it would have been easier to remain as one. At least the unfair treatment I received then was a general one.
• Never in a million years did I think there was something worse.
• Done with my job for the day, I hurriedly headed down to the Pack clinic in search of Ralia. And like the previous week, she was sitting by her desk, all ready, and welcomed me with a small smile on her face.
• Ralia was a young woman.
• She didn't look to be a year over thirty, but another thing I'd learnt about their kind was that looks could be deceiving.
• "How have you been since our last session, Ava?" She started softly. "Have you made any friends since then?"
• Shaking my head in denial, I drew in a deep breath.
• "Y... you... You know that's impossible."
• "That's what you think." She replied with a stern look, one that an aunt gives a lazy niece. "But we'll talk about that later. Do you have anything to say to me?"
• Clenching the fabric of my sweatshirt, I pried my lips apart.
• "I had that dream again."
• My voice was barely audible, but the jolting down of her eyebrows told me she heard.
• "That would make it the third time this month."
• I nodded.
• "Can you tell me about it?"
• Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I blinked at the young woman opposite me, second-guessing my actions.
• Was it all right to be this open to someone I barely knew? Won't she use this against me?
• No one was ever this nice...
• But as though she knew what was running through my mind, Ralia gave me an encouraging smile. And before I knew it, I was pouring out all the information. She let out a heavy sigh the moment I stopped.
• "Are you sure you've never had these dreams before now?"
• A frown crossed my face as I confidently nodded again.
• Many things about me were vague, but that was one detail I was completely sure of. A detail I had meticulously studied for ten years.
• Ten years...
• It was hard to believe, but in a few days, it'll be ten years since that night, and I was sure I'd never dreamt about it.
• How could I when I had no recollection of whatever had happened?
• All I knew was that I woke up three days after the incident in the Pack clinic to the news that I was found on its borders by a patrol with just my backpack. The only memories I could remember were of my mother's stories and the image of my parents in agony as they were engulfed in flames.
• How else would I be so sure of their death? But what happened in between?
• —It was a blur, or it used to be...
• "So in the memory of your early years, there's nothing about shifters?"
• "No... there... There isn't. Except for my mother's stories," I confirmed for the umpteenth time. "Th... the... they're a first for me. And they don't make any sense."
• Ralia nodded in understanding.
• "They won't." She concluded firmly. "Have you perhaps been thinking of your parents lately? From what you've just told me, I believe some of these descriptions are from your mother's tales. Am I correct?"
• Silently taking her words in, I gave them deep thought.
• Could she be right?
• Before coming here, I'd guessed it myself because that was the only way it could make sense. Could it really be that the lines of reality were beginning to blur with that of my yearly longing?
• My mind went back to the faces of the rogues in the dream. They looked identical to the ones I had watched the previous Alpha kill as part of my initiation ritual into the pack. I was just ten and practically new here when he summoned me and two other pups into the pack's prison to watch the death of some rogues who had trespassed into the territory.
• Apparently, it was a tradition to instil fear in our hearts and show us what happened to anyone who defiled him.
• I already knew the werewolf world was ruled by their so-called hierarchy system, but after watching that gruesome scene, it didn't take me long to find out about the cruelty of Bloodmoon.
• Alpha Lucien was a hard man who believed in the theory that "the strong owned the world" and had built his pack on its basis. So we all lived in fear, bowing our heads in respect to the ones who were supposedly above and grovelling at their feet.
• But my case was a special one.
• I wasn't "truly" a part of their pack. And when I refused to shift at 16, it became obvious that I didn't have a place amongst their rank. They made sure I never forgot that truth each day.
• "You said you'd be nineteen in a few days, right?" Ralia's thoughtful voice brought me out of my own.
• "Y... yes." I stuttered. "In two weeks, to be precise."
• "I believe your dreams are associated with your trauma."
• Swallowing down the invisible knot in my throat, I wet my lips.
• "Do you... Do you think so?"
• It wasn't an uncommon act for my peace to be stolen around this time every year, but the dreams were never a part of it.
• Especially ones that were so vivid.
• She gave me a small smile.
• "Yes, I am. And I'm guessing finding your mate has something to do with it." She said with a wink. "It's the reason you're here, after all."
• Warmth flooded my cheeks, but she wasn't wrong.
• It might've taken almost ten years, but things were finally beginning to look up.
• It's been barely a week since I found two pairs of large yellow eyes glowing down at me after having the dream for the second time, but between then and now, I'd gotten a personal room, and I now had access to a therapy I could never afford on my own.
• It still felt surreal to me.
• I mean, it wasn't unheard of to be mated to more than one wolf, but a human mated to two alphas?
• I didn't think it was ever possible.
• So I understood the sly joy in Chloe's voice when she gave me the news of my summons. Dax and Damon ruled just like their father. And honestly, a few weeks ago, I would've been shaking at the news.
• Not anymore.
• Before I could speak, subtle, inaudible voices filtered into the room, and I looked out the window to see the pack returning. Following my gaze, Ralia's expression mirrored mine as she spoke.
• "I'm not going to keep you here anymore, Ava. I can see that you have somewhere else to be." I could hear the smile in her voice as she brought the session to an end. "I hope you feel lighter than before?"
• For the first time since I walked in, a genuine smile crossed my face.
• That was one thing that wasn't debatable.
• "Yes, I do."
• I replied, rising to my feet, as I headed for the door.
• Her next words stopped me.
• "Ava."
• I turned back to meet a stiff expression on her face.
• "Do you remember the first and second dreams you had before this one?"
• I knew the answer to that. After all, I'd been trying my best since I awoke, but to no avail. I didn't understand why, and it was something that bothered me, but I decided not to bring it up. So with a frustrated look, I shook my head.
• "No..."
• Her smile returned instantly.
• "It's understandable. Trauma, remember?" She rose to her feet, bringing me a small paper pack. "You almost forgot your medications. Make sure to use it well, and everything will be just fine."
• I could've sworn a strange, unreadable flash crossed her eyes. But I couldn't be so sure since I generally had a hard time trusting anyone. Muttering a quick thank you, I gratefully accepted the pack before hurrying back to the pack house.
• Whatever we had discussed during the session retired to the back of my mind as the nerves in my belly twisted in anxiety.
• Maybe if I had been more focused, I would've been aware of my surroundings and the impending doom that was to come.
• But I wasn't.
• And as expected, her eyes found mine—
• I didn't even have to hear her speak.
• One look, and every ounce of hope I'd dared to feel disappeared.