"Ember, the awakening ceremony is happening tonight, right?"
Maya leaned her elbows on a stack of flour sacks, her blue supermarket vest pulled tight over a bright yellow hoodie. Her skin was a deep, vibrant mahogany that seemed to catch the clinical store light, making her look radiant even amidst the drab aisles. She had her hair divided into two playful puffs that danced with every tilt of her head, and her dark eyes sparkled with a mischievous energy that suggested she was a person who lived for the thrill of a secret.
"Yeah," Ember answered, her voice low and steady as she kept her focus on the task at hand.
She was currently kneeled on the linoleum, her hands busy arranging heavy glass jars of honey on the bottom shelf. Her skin was a rich, glowing caramel, warm as toasted sugar and flawlessly smooth against the stark white of her uniform tee. To keep her hair out of the way while she worked, she had gathered her thick, black curls into a high ponytail at the very top of her head. Even with the height of the style, the sheer length of the dense, coiled springs allowed them to cascade downward until the ends brushed against her shoulder blades.
When she finally paused to look up, her eyes were a calm, soft brown. She wiped a stray smudge of dust from her green work apron.
"So, are you excited about it?" Maya asked, wiggling her eyebrows with a grin that threatened to take over her face.
"Of course, Maya," Ember beamed, her reserved nature momentarily cracking to reveal a flash of genuine joy. "More than excited, actually. I have been waiting for this for weeks. You have no idea."
"Oh, someone's really super excited!" Maya shuffled toward her, the rubber soles of her shoes squeaking with her frantic enthusiasm. "So, is it true?"
"Is what true?" Ember resumed her work, carefully aligning the labels of the honey jars so they all faced forward in a perfect, golden row.
"Sooooo..." Maya stretched the word out until it was a melodic tease. "Emilia said that you..."
"Uhhh, Emilia," Ember breathed, her smile turning fond but weary.
Maya laughed and clapped her hands together, doing a little jump that sent her hair puffs bobbing. "So is it true? Is it?"
"Can't she keep things to herself for a moment? Damn." Ember shook her head, her curls swaying against her back as she smiled.
"She's just happy for you, Ember. And she excitedly shared it with me. We're basically like family here, there should be no secrets among us."
Ember felt a lump form in her throat at Maya's words. Looking around at the towering shelves of Save-More, she realized how true that was. This supermarket had become the family she didn't have. It was the only place in Vicious Fangs City that had offered her a hand when every other shopkeeper and business owner had turned her away with a sneer or a slammed door. Emilia, the manager, had been more than a boss; she had treated Ember like a daughter from the moment she walked in. In a pack that viewed her as a walking disaster, Emilia's kindness was the only thing keeping Ember grounded.
"So tell me, is it true?" Maya's voice overlaid Ember's straying thoughts, pulling her back to the honey aisle.
"Why ask when Emilia has already told you?"
"I want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth!" Maya insisted, puffing out her chest and imitating a posh announcer, her eyes wide with mock seriousness.
Ember chuckled and stood up, smoothing her apron. "Well, yes. It's true."
Maya let out a piercing squeal that echoed off the metal shelving. The sudden noise startled Ember so badly she nearly dropped the jar in her hand, her heart hammering against her ribs. Maya had always been a hyper, neon-bright person, a whirlwind of energy that Ember sometimes struggled to keep up with. Maya had only received her residency permit six months ago to base herself in Vicious Fangs territory. Humans knew about the existence of werewolves, of course, but the bureaucracy was stifling; a human needed a permit for everything from starting a business to simply living within city limits. At first, Ember assumed Maya would be like others, avoiding the "cursed" girl once she realized how the pack treated her. Instead, Maya had latched onto her like a sister, refusing to let the pack's superstitions dictate her friendships.
"So is it true that any dormant who feels it weeks before the awakening is likely to awaken a high-class wolf?" Maya asked, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Ember nodded, a spark of pride lighting up her soft brown eyes. She leaned in closer. "The Gamma said it herself during the instructions. 'Those who awaken high-class wolves feel it early. A pull. A presence. A stirring long before the ceremony,'" Ember said, dropping her voice into a gravelly, stern rasp to mimic the old woman's authoritative tone.
"Ahhhh!" Maya cried out, rushing forward to wrap Ember in a suffocating hug.
"Geez, Maya!" Ember gasped, her arms pinned to her sides as she stumbled back against the shelves. "We're at work! Tune it down!"
Maya let her go, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated arc. "Duh, a girl's got to be happy for her friend. You've been through a lot, girl, and truly, you deserve this. The Moon Goddess, that's what you guys call that deity of yours, right? She's finally doing something good." Maya nodded to herself, satisfied with the theological assessment.
"No dissing of the Goddess is allowed," Ember said, playfully shaking a finger in front of Maya's face. "Besides, who said we're friends?"
"Oooooooh, someone's becoming too prideful now!" Maya teased.
In response, Ember flipped her curly ponytail over her shoulder with an exaggerated, regal toss of her head. They began making their way toward the front of the store, but the lighthearted moment evaporated the second they passed a woman in the bakery aisle. The lady, a high-ranking pack member, stopped dead in her tracks. She glared at Ember with a look of pure loathing, physically recoiling and pressing her back against a display of bread to avoid walking anywhere near her.
What's her problem?" Maya muttered, her festive mood souring.
"I'm used to it. It's alright," Ember said softly, though the weight in her chest told a different story. It was no secret that she was hated in Vicious Fangs City; only the four walls of Save-More offered a sanctuary. Even if she was used to the glares, each one felt like a fresh salt rubbing into an old wound.
"I refuse to let bitter souls spoil our happy moments," Maya declared, bumping her shoulder against Ember's. Ember looked at her and offered a small, grateful smile.
"You've got to remember me when you become big." Maya wiggled her eyebrows again. "You know I've always been nice to you, right?"
"Will you—"
"Where is she?! Where is the cursed, ugly bitch?!"
The voice boomed from the entrance, sharp and arrogant. Ember's stomach sank, the blood draining from her face. She didn't need to see them to know who it was: Zev Aztecs, the Beta's son.
"Those demons," Maya muttered under her breath, her jaw tightening as she recognized the voice too. "Why can't they leave you alone?"
They reached the front of the store just as Zev and his twin sister, Zoe, were pacing the reception area as if they owned the very air in the room. Both were strikingly attractive in a cruel way, with bright blonde hair that caught the light and expensive, tailored clothes that screamed of their status.
Standing like a monolith behind them was Axel, the Alpha's son. A towering, broad-shouldered figure, his dark hair shadowed half of his face, leaving only one icy blue eye visible. He looked entirely bored, his expression a mask of nonchalance as he loomed behind the twins.
"There you are," Zoe said, her eyes locking onto Ember with the precision of a predator.
Ember let out a quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping. Here we go again. The Beta's twins were Ember's primary tormentors. While most of the pack simply ignored her or treated her like dirt beneath their shoes, Zoe and Zev made it their personal hobby to ensure she felt every ounce of being unwanted. Axel was the only one she couldn't figure out; he never joined in the bullying, but he never stopped them either. He just stood there like a silent sentinel, keeping them in check only when things turned truly violent.
But seriously, why is he always with them? Ember thought, Don't tell me he has a kink for second-hand cruelty.
"Did you miss us?" Zev asked, flashing a smile that didn't reach his eyes as he stepped toward her.
Ember stole a quick glance at Axel. He stood a few feet away, staring at a display of batteries with a completely blank face. She searched for a flicker of guilt or even boredom in his eyes, but there was nothing, just a cold, mechanical detachment.
A familiar, bitter weight settled in her chest. Seeing him there, standing by while his friends picked her apart, felt like a fresh bruise on top of an old one. It was the stinging realization that the boy she'd spent months quietly admiring, the one she'd secretly hoped was different, was exactly who he appeared to be.
I really know how to pick 'em, she thought bitterly, her stomach twisting with a mix of shame and longing. Of all the people to waste a crush on, I chose the one who treats my misery like background noise.
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Author's Note:
A massive thank you for taking a chance on a fresh story and a new voice. It means the world to me that you're spending your time here. This journey might have its rough edges, but it is a story I am deeply passionate about sharing.
I hope you'll stick around to see Ember's evolution and find out just how powerful she becomes. I can't wait for you to meet her four anchors, and I hope you'll be rooting for them all the way to the very end.
Happy reading!