Claimed by the Beast

Kyne The night is lonely. There are no stars in the sky, just the crescent moon and the grey clouds passing by as its sole companion. I close my eyes and let the cold winter air caress my cheeks as I lie on the slate tiles of our roof. From below, I hear loud voices in sheer celebration because my twin, Kyla, has finally shifted, and her wolf is a healthy and powerful grey one. While I... "You're such an embarrassment to me, Kyne Danielle Feau. I don't have a wolfless and weak daughter!" His voice still echoes in the corridors of my mind, etched into my heart like a scar that refuses to fade. This night was meant to mark a rite of passage, a momentous occasion for Kyla and me. We were supposed to revel in the shared embrace of our wolves. Yet, as fate would have it, my wolf, my destined companion, remains a distant specter, refusing to reveal itself. A failure in the eyes of my father, the beta of our pack. "Go back to your room and reflect on what went wrong!" he yelled. "You ruined the fun, you stupid girl!" We were meant to celebrate our coming of age, but instead, I found myself diminished, belittled. My father's words cut deeper than any claw or fang ever could. But tonight, as the cold embrace of the night surrounds me, I refuse to be defined by his words. Being wolfless doesn't mean being weak, well, physically, yes. But strength comes in many forms. I will prove that to him. Still, a part of me feels sad over what happened. Because every she-wolf's dream is to meet their wolf at eighteen, but mine is a different story. And I wonder, I wonder if the time will come that I get to shift... or never at all. "Well, that's what you get from being a book addict," Kristofferson, the delta's son, whistled in a mocking manner as I stepped foot in the packhouse. "Your wolf didn't show up because she's probably embarrassed to have a nerd vessel." The only sane person I would consider normal in the packhouse is the gamma's son. He's silent most of the time—doesn't poke his nose into everything, that's why I like him. The rest are just a bunch of jerks, including my brother and the Alpha's son. "At least I didn't get a zero in my test, Kristoff. I ace all my exams, but I'm sure you can't relate," I snickered before heading straight to the library. I heard some boos and the aggressive yell of Kristofferson, which I didn't bother to entertain. Stupid people find comfort with their equally stupid allies. I may be wolfless, but my brain isn't empty like theirs. "b***h!" Kristofferson shouted so loudly that it echoed throughout the whole packhouse. I grinned and shrugged off his irrelevant and nonsensical comment. Just before I could step foot in the library, I heard him being reprimanded, probably by the Luna. Serves him right! It was winter break, and because of that embarrassing scene caused by my father in front of all the pack officials, I decided to spend my vacation in the library, reading books and doing research about she-wolves late shifting. There are some cases that I've read, and though they somehow gave me a little bit of hope, a part of me is distrustful... scared of being disappointed in the end. "You should run some laps every morning, Kyne. Maybe your wolf didn't show up because you're too thin. Be healthy, and maybe sooner, you'll be able to shift," Kyla advised me during one of our dinners. My father gave me that silent treatment, as he always does whenever I didn't do well in school or if I don't get a perfect score on a test. But I wonder, why can Kyla and Klaus always get away with it? Even if Klaus gets the lowest score, the lowest grade, my father still treats him well. "Kyla is right, Kyne. Try to join her in doing her laps every morning, or you can join us in patrolling the border every morning. In that way, you will see the real world and not just books... books," Klaus interjected. I just nodded my head to stop them from talking too much. I wasn't sure if they were genuinely concerned about me or if they were just mocking me for being wolfless. By law, anyone who is wolfless is considered either cursed or just utterly unlucky. "Are you going to join your sister for her jog?" mother asked when I went downstairs at two in the morning. I actually hadn't gotten any sleep yet due to overthinking, resulting in insomnia. This usually never happened in the last few weeks, just today. Perhaps it's because of all the sudden unexpected occurrences that took place. Things I wasn't prepared for, things I least expected to happen. And so those thoughts echoed and ran through my mind tirelessly, keeping me awake. Ironically, I should have had a peaceful break from school, gone home to rest, but it turned out differently. "Maybe next time, mom. I have something else in mind," I replied, grabbing a glass of milk. She watched me as I made my way back to my room, but before I could climb the stairs, she called my name. "Kyne," her voice was gentle and soft. "I apologize for what your father said to you a few days ago. He was just upset. He expected both of you to have a wolf. You know the stereotypes of those who are wolfless. He's just worried about you. I hope you understand." There's a difference between being worried and just being angry. I am hurt and disappointed too. It's been my longtime wish to shift and meet my wolf, only for me to find out that I don't have a wolf. Yet, instead of showing compassion, of offering comfort, he decided to embarrass me in front of everyone. I could understand if it was just us, but the Alpha, the Luna, and the rest were watching. How could he do that? Sure, he's the Beta. He needs to protect his status, honor his pride. But does it have to be at the expense of humiliating me? It doesn't make sense, but sure, I'll try to understand. I will understand him, like I usually do. "No worries, Mom. I understand." Mother offered me her sweetest smile, but truthfully, it wasn't enough to heal the wound my father gave me. Somehow, I hate how she seems to tolerate everything, turning a blind eye to it all. It's as if they believe hurting me is acceptable, a mere act to be followed by an effortless plea for forgiveness the next day. But forgiveness isn't a reset button, wiping away scars as if they never existed. What's been said and done will never be unsaid and undone. It will always leave a mark that can never be erased. They should know that. "Kyne, wake up!" The loud banging on my door jolted me awake. My head was throbbing painfully, and my eyelids felt heavy. Despite the discomfort, the relentless banging pushed me to get up and open the door. "We're jogging today. Just three laps. Come on, don't be lazy!" Kyla greeted me enthusiastically. She was already dressed in her jogging attire, full makeup on, wearing headphones, and her hair neatly tied in a ponytail. Meanwhile, I looked utterly messy. "The sun is about to shine. Don't bother changing your clothes. It'll take time. Just wear your pajamas," she said, urging me on. She didn't wait for my reply, whether I'd agree or not, and immediately pulled me downstairs. My hair was unkempt, my clothes plain black pajamas, and a pair of slides. I hadn't even had the chance to brush my teeth or wash my face. "Please bring my water bottle and my towel. It'll ruin my outfit look," Kyla said. Once more, she didn't wait for my response and shoved the water bottle into my hand. The Omega's assigned to sweep the road stared at us differently. They looked at Kyla with amazement and at me with disgust, as though I were some sort of trash. I felt like Kyla wants me to be everybody's laughingstock. This assumption was confirmed when she brought me to the packhouse instead of heading straight home. "Oh, you have your new nanny, Kyla?" Steffano asked. He was the Alpha's son and the most arrogant person I have ever known. He thought he got everything for in a man when in fact he only got his name from his father. "What are you talking about, Steffan? It's my twin, it's Kyne," Kyla chuckled. I was embarrassed, very embarrassed indeed. I tried to cover my face with my hair, hoping he wouldn't see me in my most vulnerable state. But amidst the embarrassment, there was a certain scent that managed to catch my attention. It was utterly familiar, like the scent of newly bought books mixed with the old ones stored in the library. "Come on, Steffan. Don't you recognize my twin?" I was trying to make sense of the enticing scent, almost disregarding Steffano who was closing the distance in front of me. But when our eyes locked, my heart skipped a beat, and there was a sudden spark that emerged out of nowhere. However, it wasn't the fact that the hate I had for this man melted down into what felt like admiration that evoked fear in my heart. It was the voice in my head claiming him as our mate. "Mate!" The voice grew more defined and in fear, instead of looking Steffano in the eyes... I ran.