Different

17 years later

Werewolves shift for the first time at about 13 years old. However, half blooded werewolves shift late – around 18 years. Despite the dominance of werewolf gene, not being able to shift is rare and baby Tricia grew up to be rare.

She looked out from the window of her chamber towards outer ward where wolves oh her age were lined up, ready to go for a run. Letting out a sigh, she drew the curtains and turned back to find her mother looking with a sympathetic and most apologetic look on her face. No matter how much she loved and revered her mother, she couldn’t stand to be looked upon as a matter of sorrow or even pity.

Winding up her musing and mustering courage, she approached her mother and stood in front of her with a blank face. Luna Rose lifted her hand and slowly caressed her hair making Tricia almost let go of her façade.

“Mother”, she addressed cordially with a hint of forced smile on her lips.

“Let’s go for a walk to the garden dear, shall we?”, Ariana gladly accepted the offer by the Luna and started walking with the same pace as her, only to come to halt in front of a pillar.

“I knew you were going to be different from the day I had started feeling you inside my womb”. Putting a strand of hair behind her daughter’s hair gently, she continued. “Different. Something rare”.

“Rare? Do you mean something unfortunate?”, Tricia let out a bitter scoff.

While she was being consoled otherwise, she couldn’t holdback her tears anymore and quickly dismissed the matter by bowing with respect and taking a leave.

“Now that was an insolent behavior she displayed”, Alpha Iroh huffed.

Startled by the sudden and unexpected presence, Luna Helena quickly regained her composure and retorted, “I would say it was insolent on your part, listening to an intimate conversation between us mother and daughter”.

“Well, considering you are my mate and she is my daughter, I have every right!”, Alpha replied with a hint of playfulness in an attempt to lighten up the chat.

“And does a good father rebuke his own daughter for a matter as trivial as such?, Luna folded her arms.

“Had I known you doubt my paternal responsibilities, I would have asked our daughter, Maria to convince you otherwise”, Alpha faked a hurt look on his face still being playful about the whole matter.

“This is exactly what I am concerned about Paul. Your partiality between your children is hurting.”

“After Tricia was born, you have been too distant towards her. No matter how much my poor baby tried to win your favour, you have always chosen Maria over her and sometimes even over Frederick. You have failed to treat our three pups equal, Iroh… I sometimes fear that you even have a bit of hatred towards our youngest because of a mindless prophecy.”

“You are the one who prophesied about her Helena!”, Alpha Iroh accused in a darker tone.

“I had said that she is destined to be different. By different, I didn’t mean to convey a misfortune or a curse. The fact that she was born precisely on the day when the King and the Queen were massacred is nothing but a coincidence. When will it get into that head of yours?”

It was no news to Delta that the Alpha favoured the two older siblings. What Tricia and the people of Delta were unknown of was the prophecy.

Being the seer and predicting the prophecy which distanced Alpha Iroh from Tricia , Luna Rose always blamed herself for the misery of her daughter. Even she was unaware if the ‘different’ was a good different or a bad one. Nobody knew if Tricia was a curse or blessing-in-disguise to the entire werewolf race.