CHAPTER 54: SOMETHING SPECIAL

Kaya

I freeze, my mind spiralling as if the entire world has been turned upside down right now. Mistfall is the pack I grew up in. Mistfall is the pack I ran away from.

And now, its Luna is gone.

"What’s wrong?" Sam’s voice cuts through my thoughts, catching me a little off-balance. "Don’t worry about it," she then tries to reassure me as she places her hand on my back and guides me to an available table in the corner of the dining room.

"We have come across a lot of similar cases in the last several years," she continues once we’re seated, pushing a cup of coffee toward me. "It’s a strange occurrence, but the continuous disappearance of the female wolves has become a bad norm for us now. It’s the first time a pack’s Luna is involved, though. Strange."

I listen to her voice, my fingers wrapped around the coffee mug as my thoughts continue reeling. Yes, I am aware of that. And Samantha is right––it’s the first time a pack’s Luna is involved. However horrible she might be.

"Hey," she snaps her fingers in front of my face, effectively yanking me out of my trance once again. "What’s wrong, really? Do you know someone from that pack?"

"Yes," I nod without hesitation. "Me. I grew up in Mistfall."

"Oh," Sam recoils a little, probably scolding herself for being a little too straightforward. "I thought you came here from Dark Wood, though?"

I nod again. "Yeah, I... Alpha Damien took me in when I was fifteen."

"Well," she tries to sound softer now, but I honestly don’t really need that. I hated that pack, I still do. But still, something deep inside me trembles at the thought––what the hell is really happening out there?

"Alpha Magnus will take care of it," Sam nods slowly as if half-debating her own words. "Now that things have escalated like this..."

She trails off, watching me lazily twirl my spoon in my right hand. There is a full bowl of fresh porridge right in front of me––I can smell honey and cinnamon inside, some nuts and dried berries, too, but I have no appetite.

"Hey," Samantha draws my attention again, her eyes narrowed with concern. "Eat up. We have a training session after!"

"What?" I nearly drop my spoon in shock. "What training?"

"Oh, that was the sole reason I was looking for you!" She scratches the back of her head somewhat awkwardly, though her smile is still as sincere as always. "Alpha Magnus assigned me as your personal trainer! From now on, instead of training with the rest of the packmates, you will be training separately with me."

I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I feel exhilarated to get back to training again, but on the other hand... private sessions? Favorite. That’s what the Alpha’s Favorite gets.

"Hey," Samantha frowns again. "I know what you’re thinking, but this is normal, got it? Don’t think much of it and just train. Once you get a lot stronger, no one will be able to say a word."

Somewhow, Samantha’s words do find their way into my heart, and before I can even realize it, I already feel better.

She’s right; who cares what others think? I am a member of this pack now. My job is to be strong, so this is precisely what I’ll be. Eventually.

"That’s right," Sam’s voice brightens up when I start swallowing my porridge at the risk of choking on it. "Fill up. My workout sessions will definitely squeeze you dry!"

Ugh, I don’t like the sound of that!

***

Both Samantha and I were right. Sam was right to warn me, and I was right not to take that warning lightly.

During the three hours of our first training session, I felt like I had to use the muscles I did not even know I had. Stretching, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, whatever ups and downs there were––it felt like I had to do them all.

When she finally told me that we were going to finish off with two laps around the training grounds, I almost wept. Not because I was scared of running, but because I was ready to accept the sweet release of death that even one lap could finally bring me.

"So, how are you doing?" Samantha hovers over me with a strangely pleased smile as she hands me a bottle of water.

I accept it silently, although I do struggle to suppress a groan that threatens to escape my lips when I lift my arm. She snorts, taking a seat beside me while I am sprawled on the cold wooden floor of the resting area.

"I have to hand it to you," she continues, "I did not think you would last till the end. I saw resignation bubbling behind your eyes, but you still kept going. You have my respect for that."

I want to nod, but I no longer have any control over my tired muscles. And I know that it will be even worse tomorrow. So I just lift the corners of my mouth and pray that what I have there is a smile and not a scowl.

"Thank you," I manage somehow, the words nearly getting buried inside the loud exhale that accompanies them.

"Thank me?" Samantha raises a brow. "What for?"

"For doing this," I explain. "You don’t have to do it, but you still agreed. I really appreciate that."

She laughs, slapping my shoulder playfully, though the impact still sends a wave of pain through it. "You’ll thank me when you can run around the forest faster than I do! For now, I am just helping a friend out. You’d do that, too, if the roles were reversed."

"How do you know that?"

"Hey," Samantha lies down next to me, her faint scent enveloping me like a comforting blanket. "I have a good eye for people I want to be friends with. That’s why I am not friends with Gloria or her Mean Girls, you know. And since Alpha Magnus vouches for you... Well, you can’t go against his judgment for sure. I know you’re a good person, Kaya. I can feel it."

I smile again, though this time it’s a wider, more genuine emotion.

A good person. A friend. Have I ever been called that before? To Damien, I was a treasure; something special that no one else had. Still, even with him, I’ve never felt like I meant more than just a possession.

Who knows, maybe here... I can truly become something special.