"No, I do not like how that dress looks on you. It is too tacky. That means it draws too much attention." Thane's Shadowborn voice would not leave my head as I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my own reflection like it might give me answers.
I stayed there for a long time, lost in my thoughts, wondering if something was wrong with my body or if my wardrobe was truly as bad as he made it sound.
The doubt sat heavy in my chest, sinking deeper the longer I looked at myself.
Even though I was an orphan, I lived with the Shadowborn family, and they had taken care of me all these years. They gave me food, shelter, and a place to belong.
I was grateful for everything they had done for me, and I felt like I owed them my entire life.
My biological parents had left me deep in the forest of Zazubat when I was barely a day or two old, or so Thane's mother, the pack's Luna, once told me.
She had gone hunting that night with some of the pack's gammas and found me crying alone in the forest, with nothing but a thin cloth wrapped around my small body.
No matter how I tried to see it differently, the truth always found its way back to me. My real mother did not want me. People never let me forget that fact.
They said I was thrown away because I was born with a clubfoot on one of my legs, and no mother would ever want a child like that.
They said I was useless.
"Hey, I am done," Kaida said softly as she pulled the zip of my green dress all the way up. She was my best friend and the beta's daughter. "If Thane thinks this dress does not suit you, then you might as well not wear any dress at all. Just put on a shirt and trousers."
"No, Kaida," I said at once, my voice firm as I stared at her reflection beside mine. She was beautiful, with a perfect shape and legs that worked just fine. She had never known embarrassment or shame the way I had. She often spoke without thinking, never knowing how much her words could hurt. "Tonight is the awakening ceremony. Tonight I'ill find out who I am and which section I belong to. After that, Thane is going to announce our engagement to the entire pack, and I do not want to look disorganised."
"I still wonder what his parents will think when they find out that the two of you have been dating," Kaida said as she stepped back, shaking her head slowly like there was more on her mind that she was not saying.
My heart skipped hard in my chest. Did she know something I did not.
The thought made my stomach twist with nerves. Maybe she did know. And if she did, then I needed to hear it, because the curiosity was eating me alive.
"What is going on, Kaida?" I asked as I turned to face her. Her blue eyes met mine, but there was something in them she was holding back, like she did not want me to know the truth.
I tried to take a step closer to her. As usual, my left foot moved easily, carrying my weight without trouble.
My right foot dragged behind, curved inward at the toes in a C shape, scraping softly against the floor. The sound was small, but loud enough to remind me that no matter how hard I tried, I still struggled to walk without limping.
I swallowed hard before speaking again. "Say it. Do not hold back."
Kaida looked at me with pity, and I hated that look with everything in me. I had seen it too many times in my life.
It was either pity or mockery, and both made me feel small. I refused to let those looks define who I was.
I would change that soon. I had to. May the Moon Goddess help me.
"The members of the pack are saying things," Kaida finally said. "They are saying that the disabled slave girl will turn into a rat or something worse tonight." She did not soften her words, even though they cut straight through my heart.
"What do you think?" I asked quietly. I needed her answer. She was my best friend, the one who had been beside me since childhood. If anyone had seen how hard I tried to be stronger than my condition, it was her.
"W what can I say, Roxanna?" Kaida shrugged and ran a hand through her blonde hair as she stepped back. "You are not from here, and no one is sure you are our kind. You do not act like a werewolf. You are different, and maybe the people are not lying."
Her words felt like a hard slap across my face. If my own best friend could think this way, then I should not be surprised that the rest of the pack, and even outsiders, believed it too.
I tried not to let her words break me. The truth was that tonight, the awakening night, had lived in my thoughts for years. I was scared, yes, but deep in my heart, I believed I would awaken as a werewolf and have my first shift.
Right?
Fuck. I had no idea.
"Oh sweet goddess, are you going to keep me waiting forever, Roxa?" Thane's voice came from outside, reminding us that we were not done yet.
"See, he is already crazy to see you in another dress," Kaida chuckled all of a sudden. She walked past me and opened the door. "If he rejects this one, then it is over for you, because this dress would suit any girl in the world, even if she was a shriek."
I glanced at her briefly before I started walking toward the door. I was careful not to walk too fast. The silk dress was long, and the last thing I wanted was to step on it and fall in front of Thane like a fool.
When I stepped outside, it was just him and a few servants standing there, all eyes on me.
I saw the way his brows pulled together. His lips parted for a second before he shook his head. That small movement was enough to shatter the little hope I had been holding onto.
"I do not like the color green on you," Thane said as he rubbed his palms together. He looked at me for a few seconds, then his gaze shifted to something behind me. I turned around to see what had caught his attention.
Was he staring at Kaida?
She was bending slightly as she buckled her shoes. The white shirt she wore had a deep love shaped neckline, and with the way she leaned forward, her chest was almost on full display.
I bit my lip as my heart ached at the sight. I felt bad, foolishly so. Maybe it was because I did not have such a full chest, and a part of me wondered if Kaida was doing it on purpose.
Before I could ask Thane what he was staring at, he quickly said, "Wear white. It will look great on you."
I was speechless. What was going on with him?
"Also, lift your hair. Do not leave it down. Style it into a ponytail, and no makeup on your face. I do not like makeup."
"Really?" I managed to ask, my gaze shifting to Kaida, who was now standing straight with her hands on her waist.
"Yes. Tonight is special for both of us. I do not want you to mess it up," Marcus said as he stepped forward and planted a kiss on my cheek.
I did not push him away, even though I wanted to. Instead, my stomach churned with a confusing mix of excitement and unease.
"Cute couple," Kaida laughed after he left.
I ignored her and went back to work.
My chores in the house were more than enough to worry about, and I never allowed my condition to slow me down. Sometimes, I had to move on all fours just to run errands faster. It was quicker than relying only on my legs, and I had learned to do whatever it took to keep up.
I cleaned the house and washed the clothes. After that, I cooked dinner for the family before heading into the forest to gather herbs for Marcus's mother. She had been sick for a long time, and only the goddess knew what was truly wrong with her.
There was no cure for her illness, but somehow I had created a medicine that eased her pain. I did not know how I knew which herbs to use or why my hands always reached for the right ones. All I knew was that it worked.
I was never allowed to go deep into the forest because it was dangerous. They said all kinds of monsters lived there, and the south side of the forest was forbidden to everyone. Still, I stayed close to the safer paths and finished quickly.
When I returned, I prepared the medicine and then took my bath. Evening came faster than I expected, and soon it was time to get dressed for tonight.
Kaida had already left with Thane. They could not wait for me because my chores took longer than planned.
I wore a white long sleeved dress that covered me well. I packed my hair up and did not wear any makeup, just the way Thane wanted it.
I hurried out of the house, already late, knowing it would take time to get to the venue. I limped all the way there, and after forty minutes, I stood in front of the tallest building in our territory. It was older than everyone living and breathing in Mistvale. Bold words were written across it. The Tribe of Shadowborns.
I joined the long queue outside. My heart beat wildly in my chest, and my thoughts ran in every direction. People stared at me and giggled as I passed. They were sure I would turn into a rat.
"I am just a human," I heard Kaida say in her stylish voice, sounding a little disappointed.
She walked past me and added, "It is not bad. The elders say I am destined to marry an Alpha. That is better than turning into a rat."
I ignored her, forcing myself not to let her words sink in. A few girls walked over to her, and together they left. The rule was clear. Once the elders attended to you, you were to leave the temple.
I almost laughed at the memory of her saying I was not her kind. She was so sure she was a werewolf.
Female werewolves were rare, even though almost every man in Mistvale was one. They were sacred, treasured. Since I arrived here, the pack had only ten female werewolves. It was one of the strange wonders of the supernatural world.
They said female witches and vampires were rare too, while a female dragon was an abomination. There had never been one in the entire kingdom, and there never would be.
I waited patiently. When everyone was gone, it was finally my turn. I walked into the temple, the cold air brushing against my skin. It was quiet. The elders only stared at me as I slowly climbed the stairs.
It took longer than they expected, and I could see the concern and tiredness growing on their faces as the silence stretched on.
Finally, I gathered what little strength I had left and climbed the last steps. My feet touched what everyone called the holy ground. My heart slammed hard against my rib cage as I stood before them. They were all men who looked to be in their late fifties, except for one woman who sat quietly in the corner.
She stared at me so intensely that it made my skin crawl, and I quickly lowered my eyes, unable to hold her gaze.
"Step on the green stones in front of you," she commanded. Her voice echoed through the room. It was calm, polite, yet heavy with authority.
I did as I was told. She waved her hand slightly, and from the looks on their faces, I could already tell what they were thinking. Deep down, I believed it too. I was going to turn into a rat.
A few seconds passed, and then I felt something strange. A red shadow began to rise from my body, forming into something large above me. Weakness washed over me, and my legs trembled. I wondered if this was already my shift.
The looks of horror on the elders' faces stole my breath. I started shaking like a leaf, my whole body trembling, and not one of them spoke. They just stared, frozen and pale.
Then one of them screamed, "Seize her."
"Kill her immediately," another shouted, pointing at me with wide eyes filled with shock.
"A female dragon is an abomination to the entire kingdom."
Wait. What?
A female dragon. Me?
Fear crashed into me as I tried to understand their words. I had not turned into a rat. I had become something far worse. A dragon. And now they wanted to execute me for it.
Holy crap.
I cannot die now.