The next day I spend most of my time with Jordan. The women of the pack avoid me like the plague and the men look at me as if I'm some kind of gum under their shoe.

Never asked to be here, pals.

Nate is also avoiding me and I'm blaming Jared. Yes Jared is responsible for everything that's wrong in my life. He's the reason why I didn't sleep well last night and why I didn't have any hot water for my shower this morning. He's also accountable for my burned toasts this morning and it's entirely his fault if my left shoe is stained with dark chocolate cake now.

So, maybe he wasn't around when all of this went down, but I still blame him. I see him everywhere I turn and I feel the paranoia creep inside me.

Is he stalking me ?

'Of course he is. You're a rogue.' I can almost see my wolf roll its eyes in my head.

"Karma's a bitch" I tell him at noon when I find him yet again in my path.

I spend my time glancing around to try and catch a glimpse of the alpha to no avail. Yet I can smell him so I know he is there, somewhere, he's just never here when I enter a room and that aggravates me more every passing minute.

Out of things to do I play hide and seek with the pup, draw and eat for a dozen. After lunch I even go on an expedition to explore the premises. I weave in the corridors, observe all the objects on display and let myself get lost in the maze of the third floor. At some point I find a wooden door bigger than the others, and instantly it piques my curiosity.

"We are not supposed to enter that room." Jordan whispers by my side.

He follows me inside anyhow, his face illuminated by his own curiosity.

"Never been in here before ?"

He shakes is head. We open the doors as quietly as we can and enter quickly before closing them behind us.

The sight in front of us leaves us dumbfounded. We are standing in a three storey high library filled to the brim with books. Old ones, new ones, rare ones. I can smell the scent of old paper that survived to time somehow.

"Wow.." We both breathe out at the same time.

We look at each other with mirroring smiles on our faces.

"Do you think there are maps to treasures ?" I ask thrilled.

"Books full of monsters ?" He adds.

"Books of spells ?"

"Stories of adventurers ?"

"Big secrets ?"

I laugh at the thought of all the possibilities.

"Let's find out." I declare and run to the first shelf. This row is in Hieroglyphs, the next one in Arabic and another one in Latin.

My own personal heaven.

"So ? What does it say ? What does it say ?" The pup prompts me jumping up and down.

I grab a book in Chinese and study it.

"That one is about a gigantic octopus !" I exclaim.

"Let me see !"

I show him the drawings and he gasps.

"What happened ?"

I read a few lines.

"The ship was attacked by the monster, its tentacles shooting everywhere, hitting the men in the boat. A strong warrior fought it with his sword and the captain pierced its head with a big spear. And they ate roasted octopus !"

We both laughs hysterically. We split up, each one of us on a different floor to try and find maps and other stories.

Divide to conquer.

Astonishingly I find many of my stories in the pages, all of them in languages long forgotten. Here they are, written in dark black ink telling my adventures but also my massacres. I close those books quickly. I'm not ashamed of myself, these were other times, crueler times and a war is still a war, no matter how you look at it. I just didn't lose, that's all. Some of the stories I had completely forgotten until that moment, some others are engraved in my memory.

I glance downstairs where Jordan is sprawled on the floor surrounded by dozens of opened books watching the pictures in them. I start looking in an older, more ancient section and find documents and scrolls written in the first languages of man kind. I'm a little rusty and I need a few minutes to adjust to it. There are stories about the first wolves of the Moon, I take some time reading them but there is nothing new there.

My fingers are gliding along the volumes when a particular one catches my attention. 'The white Beast of the Moon'

So maybe daddy wasn't the only egocentric one.

'Are you kidding me ? If he was there would be no wolf other than you.' My wolf spats.

She still hasn't forgiven the curse thing.

Who am I kidding, I'm still holding a grudge too.

I take out the book and with delicate hands start to turn the pages

I bestow upon you the color of my light. You are my child, my essence and my future.

The strongest beast to walk the earth, the pride of the gods.

Stronger amongst the others, alone you will stand at the top.

And here I thought I was special. Turns out I'm just a replica with a different color.

I'll need years of therapy for that one.

I sigh. If I wasn't the only being that strong then why the hell am I cursed ?! Why do I have to be punished ?! Life sucks ! I close the book firmly, sending dust in all directions and put it back in its place. I came across two white wolves in my life, one during the big war of the beasts and the second five centuries ago.

And I killed them both...

Alright, so maybe I deserve my punishment.

'No, the Moon's a jealous cow.'

Someone's bringing 'bitchy' to a new level today.

I hear voices and steps getting closer to the doors and panic. I run to the first floor, grab Jordan by his cloths and throw us out the open window and make a bee-line for the trees. Once out of reach I let him go.

"Again !" He shouts.

"Maybe some other day." I agree.

I am definitely going back to that room. There might be something about my curse in there, something that explains what is happening with Nate.

"For now we need to hide." I add looking around us for a safe place.

"I know a secret place." He admits shyly.

"Really ?" I ask surprised.

This kid is amazing, he has a solution to every one of my problems.

"Can you show me ?"

"You have to keep it a secret." He warns me.

"I promise." I nod gravely.

I follow him in the woods. We cross a pond and a clearing before hiding back behind the trees. At some point we come across a rocky path. I'm about to start climbing when the pup guides me inside a hole and out in the middle of another glade, hidden from sight, encompassed by walls of rocks. The place is as big as a football field.

"No one knows about this place ?" I inquire.

"Only me and Sydney."

"Sydney ?"

"She's my friend."

"So, what do we do now ?"

"I don't know." He shrugs.

'He's just a kid.' My wolf reminds me.

I know that.

"Do you want me to show you how I fight ?" I ask wondering if I should really show a six-year-old deadly moves. Then again I'd be more at ease knowing he can defend himself at least a little. When he nods I smile.

"First rule," I start. "If there is any danger you run and hide."

He starts to frown and I laugh.

"When your opponent his stronger than you you create a diversion and you hide. There is no shame in asking for help." I explain. "This is very important. You hide."

"Alright." He pouts.

"Now how do you get away ?"

I can see he's interested again so I start the lesson.

"A fight is not fair. There is always someone stronger and someone weaker. So you have to use everything you've got. Let's see," I look around and examine the place. "What could you use here ?" I ask.

The pup studies his surroundings a frown deeply etched on his face.

"I don't know." He answers.

I crouch down to pick up some soil and show it to him.

"If you throw this in his face it will hurt and he won't be able to see you anymore. Then you escape. Let's see who can throw it farther." I challenge him.

He wins the first match and we spend the rest of the afternoon training. I teach him to hit where it counts, what to do if someone grabs him, how to move his hands and legs to free himself from the situation, how to run when someone is trying to catch you. I also show him my favorite moves, the high kicks and the ones while I turn. He's a fast learner and succeeds to reproduce a few of them. We end up in a competition to see who can throw a rock the farthest.

We come back to the pack house when the sun sets, dirty and exhausted. I grab a few snacks on my way to my room.

"Where were you today ?" Jared asks leaning against the wall next to my door.

"Hello to you too Idéfix. To what do I owe the pleasure ?"

He rolls his eyes and I smile.

"What did you do today ?"

"You can tell your master that if he wants to ask questions he can come ask them himself. Good night." I reply without a second glance before locking myself inside to let him know that this conversation is over.

As agreed upon, I wait for Jordan the following morning to continue our session. I'm surprised to see him arrive with a little girl on his tail. She's smaller than him and frail with short black hair and thin eyes.

"Hope this is Sydney." He introduces us.

"The famous Syd. Hi, nice to meet you." I wave at her.

She nods and comes to me to shake my hand.

"Nice to meet you." She replies in a small voice.

"Thank you for sharing this place with me." I smile.

She giggles at that.

"Sydney would like to learn to fight too." Jordan informs me.

"Oh. Alright." I answer awkwardly.

What have I gotten myself into ?

"She swore to keep it a secret from everyone." He continues watching her and she nods.

"I won't tell anyone." She insists.

"Okay. Well, Jordan what did I tell you yesterday ? Let's see if you remember."

The pup turns his full body towards her and looks her straight in the eye.

"Rule number one, if there is any danger you run and hide." He tells her in a serious tone. "I'll show you how to throw dirt in their eyes." He starts showing her what I taught him yesterday and I observe them.

Peace is nice.

'But never lasting.'

I roll my eyes at my depressing wolf. I start to show them new moves and teach Sydney some of the few I showed yesterday. She's fast on her feet, a good runner difficult to catch so I concentrate on teaching her how to evade her opponent. My surprise grows each day as during the next five days ten more pups come join the party. By then I'm in over my head. Every time Jordan makes them swear not to talk about it. I find it quite funny seeing as he's the one spreading the word.

I haven't seen Nate in a week and I feel like a drug addict needing her next fix. I'm starting to wonder if I imagined him. It would just mean I've lost my mind, it was bound to happen someday.

I'm crazy enough to imagine people that aren't there.

I am contemplating leaving this place, the territory but I keep catching his scent in the house and I start believing he exists again. Jared stayed away too. He still stalks me but from farther away, and every time I evade his surveillance it seems to frustrate him more. He hasn't caught up to us and the secret place yet. I have made a bet with my wolf. It thinks he won't find out if I don't let him but I think eventually someone will notice the disappearing kids and once they start looking for them I'll be found in no time.

"I was climbing the mountain, all alone." I tell them while we're all sitting in the middle of the clearing, mouths full of food. We've organized a banquet in one side to have more time to practice. During lunch I tell them about my best stories. I realized they love them and that it's boosting my pride.

Really, it's a win win.

"It was really cold. The snow was falling from the sky non-stop and heavy on my feet. I didn't see my hands in front of me even in my flashy red gloves. My nose was frozen, my eyes opened into splits, my hair was stuck sticking up weirdly." I try to reproduce what it looked like, they start to giggle.

"Then I heard a noise but only saw white everywhere. I thought something moved, yet it was still white over white. And then !" I speak louder and stand up to put more effect in it.

The pups start to shout excitedly.

"I hear a growl and a giant Yeti hits me on the head with a piece of wood !"

"Oh !"

"A Yeti !"

"Monster !"

"Ouch !" They yell at the same time.

"He had the face of a monkey and the body of a giant man ! His hands as big as you !" I show some of the pups and they gasp.

"No way !"

"That's big !"

"He's a giant !" They start again.

"What did you do ?" Sydney asks loudly to be heard over the other voices.

"I screamed ! And started to run ! He was really ugly and he smelt really, really bad, his breath was horrible !"

"I would have fought !" A pup said proudly.

"I was ready to fight him too but the ground began to quake ! There was a deafening sound coming from the sky and suddenly I saw the avalanche starting at the top of the mountain. My scream had shaken the ice ! We both started to run for our lives but he wasn't fast. In the end he was swallowed by the snow."

I don't tell them I dug him up and we went back to his village and ate roasted meat. We spend the next fifteen minutes going over the details again, some kids want to know exactly how big he was, how bad he smelt, others how my hair was frozen. After that we start training again. I have divided the pups in teams depending on their aptitudes, I show the five runners how to move more easily in any kind of environment, making them climb the rocky walls of the clearing, three kids are especially good at throwing objects so I teach them how to handle a knife.

No I'm not a monster putting a sharp-pointy weapon in the hands of eight-years-old pups.

I flattened them so they wouldn't hurt themselves. And for your information they brought the knifes on their own !

I'm showing the last four children how to kick low with the back of your foot when I sense something is amiss. The place is too quiet, eery, the atmosphere somber. I look around to find six kids in a corner facing a dangerous and very angry rogue.

How did I miss that ?!

'What the hell are the fighters doing ! Are they blind ?! Deaf ?! No sense of smell ?!' My wolf growls menacingly.

I'm about to make my move when I see a blurry figure in my peripheral vision.

'There are two of them.' My wolf warns.

I take the time to analyze the situation. The rogue on my left is looking insanely at the pups, rage in his eyes, ready to bounce on them, claws and canines out, eyes shining. On the other hand the one on my right is farther from us, he seems more calm, observing the situation too. As I am currently standing I am protecting the other pups from him. I need to act quickly but there are too many variables. I need to be efficient and protect every one. They are here for blood, their bodies screaming for revenge. As rogues they want to inflict on others what they feel inside as outcasts. Killing the pups is the best way to destroy a pack, because you destroy the future.

"Rule number one !" I shout to make sure everyone hears me clearly. I just need a second. In the past week we have developed tactics to ensure their escape. Without any hesitation they start to move. First, four of the kids behind me throw their knives at the second rogue, while the other two grab hands full of dirt and throw it in the air too, creating a small wall of dust. They don't wait an other second before sprinting next to me to the other group, staying out of both rogue's reach.

The first rogue sees me approach and concentrates on me instead. That's just what I need. I glance quickly at the kids in front of him, all waiting for my signal. I nod and they start to run too, climbing the rocks. I don't let to the rogue the time to react as I propel myself to hit him at full force. I hear his bones crack under the pressure. For good measures I kick him hard in the stomach and punch his nose, feeling the bone shatter. When I'm sure he's unconscious I toss his body around and it hits the rocks on the other side of the clearing.

I give my full attention to the second rogue. I expect to find him at the bottom of the rocks, trying to follow the pups in vain. They know the best paths by heart, we even made a game off the one who could get on top first, the winner gets a second helping of cake. Let's just say they want to play every hour. However I find him caging Jordan, and Sydney behind him, against a tree. I can see in the little boys eyes that he is ready to fight and I shudder.

I sprint to them at the same time Jordan jumps high in front of the man to kick him in the side. I catch him mid-air, placing myself between them and pushing forcefully the rogue meters away. All of this while concentrating on not putting too much strength in the arm holding the pup.

Don't break a bone, don't break a bone. I chant.

I put the kid on the ground rather roughly and leap at the beast as it transforms. He definitely sensed the danger as I am now faced with a dark brown big wolf, he doesn't wait and jumps at me sinking its teeth in my forearm. I don't even blink, watching him unfazed, his eyes shine with uncertainty. With my free hand I grab the fur around his snout and force it open to release me. He jumps back instantly, bearing its teeth menacingly. Yet he doesn't move, surely pondering on what to do next. I don't let him decide as I run fast to round him in the back. He doesn't see me come at this speed and the next moment I have my arms around his neck, bringing him to me. He attempts to snap at my head but I increase the amount of force I use. He's gasping for air. I shoot a hard kick to his side and hit him on the back of the head before letting his body fall to the ground.

I look up to see the pups safe and sound up in the mountain, phase two at the ready : Throwing rocks at the enemy.

I smile before remembering the other two next to me.

"What about 'run' don't you understand ?" I demand icily.

"It's my fault. I fell." Sydney starts to cry.

I waver and my anger subsides.

"Are you hurt ? Scratches ? Cuts ?" I ask bending down to her level and looking her body up and down.

She shakes her head.

"Good." I murmur.

"You." I start at Jordan, absolutely not impressed and making sure to show it.

This is the kind of attitude that will get him killed. I didn't show him this stuff for him to die before he turns seven.

Suddenly we are surrounded by ten fighters in their wolves forms, growling everywhere, at everything and everyone, assessing the situation and encircling the two rogues.

The white wolf in the middle gets closer and I shudder at the sight. He watches me carefully, asserting if I'm a danger to the pups. He finally decides against it as he transforms to his human form, showing a very hot, very naked Nate.

"Glad you could join the party." I announce bitterly with a glare.