ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE

Admittedly, my plan turned out more like a list of ideas than an actual plan, but I didn't have any of my betas anymore so this would have to do. I was actually quite proud of my "plan."

IDEA 1: GET STRONGER.

This would mean more than just doing my nails. I already know the drills in my head. I even know how to use the merging technique. I just needed my weak body to catch up. Since I needed to up my power fast, I'll practice Dad's merging technique on my own every night. I'm also going to work on the standard Part A and Part B of our drill. Ideally, I should build my stamina and go for daily runs… BUT Lala hated running.

IDEA 2: TRAIN IN A WEAPON.

In my original life, I was pretty proficient at using a stick. I also learned to use a short sword, but my hair proved to be the quicker and more convenient blade. What would really compliment my blade hair would be some kind of projectile weapon that would give me an extra range attack.

My blade shield would be the ultimate defense, and in their multiple blade form the enemy would be minced meat the moment they got close. If I had something that could take down an enemy from afar, this would give me an edge right? Even better if I could snipe off a threat before it could strike.

I think I would have to look up Coach Emerson at school. I guess it wasn't a surprise that the silly girl Lala didn't sign up for the archery team at the Lorent Girls' School.

I am ashamed to say it, but in this timeline, I was hoping to join the "Princess Club".

The Princess Club was a cultural club for young ladies to meet like minded friends and learn Lycan traditions, appreciate Lycan art and culture, and train in discipline and virtue.

Club events included sewing craft projects, watercolor and calligraphy practice, art exhibition and artist demonstrations, tea appreciation, cultural talks and performances, and image consultations. The Princess Club also believed in providing relevant skills for modern young ladies and had compulsory training sessions in Photoshop, social media graces, and event hosting and budget management.

It was an expensive club with extra fees payable at the beginning of every term. I don't know why my parents agreed to it.

I don't even know what possessed me to go through all the trouble of submitting a portfolio, performing at an audition, and sitting an interview... With any luck, I wouldn't have met the requirements. I don't know yet, the selection process only ended last week.

Lady Amber had promised to put in a good word for me to the teacher in charge, but I had a second and third choice in mind too - the modern dance club and theatre club (just kill me).

I honestly don't know what Lala was thinking... Actually, I did, but it didn't make it less embarrassing.

Lala wanted to be the perfect Luna and in the silly girl's mind, perfect Lunas were supposed to choose this kind of thing. Bleh. I guess it was a good thing I was going back to school tomorrow. By hook or by crook, I needed to get out of the stupid princess club.

Well, actually... Never mind the hook and crook. I just needed a bow and arrow. If I could just shoot an arrow in front of Coach Em… Knowing him, I felt sure he would pull every string in his power to recruit my talent.

This was the perfect plan. No one would suspect that a fancy girl's archery club activity would hone my warrior skills! Because… well, refer to IDEA 3.

IDEA 3: TOP SECRET

My last idea was also my best: I was going to do all this in secret. Muahahaha!

Wouldn't everyone be shocked when I shift? Oh I can't wait to see their faces when instead of the pretty white luna wolf, they'd find themselves facing a midnight blue killing machine/kracken/Alpha wolf!

Except they can't know it's me. Hmm... Okay, I probably needed to think this through better. BUT I was still going to live an exciting double life!

This could have been Lala's influence. She had read the Scarlet Pimpernel by now and realized that she really liked this kind of male protagonists best. You know, the kind who appeared to be rich, flippant, charming, weak gentlemen BUT were really daring heroes!

In this, I suppose Lala and I were in agreement.

Although I had never read the Scarlet Pimpernel in my past life, I knew Zorro.

And even though I didn't like the Zorro movie, but I still liked Zorro. Specifically, I liked Don Diego Vega in all his blasé upper crust chronic fatigue glory.

My favorite DC hero had always been Batman. My favorite Marvel hero was Ironman. My friends used to be surprise it wasn't Superman or Spiderman.

"Is it the gadgets?" Ben asked, "Or because they were smart?"

"I know!" Lizzy said, "It's because they were rich!"

"No way!" I was quite offended that Lizzy might think I cared about something materialistic like that. I wasn't that kind of girl.

I could never quite explain it before, but now it all became crystal clear. These guys were "my type".

Which suddenly explained why Bell in his Lorent Prince mode always made my heart skip a beat. I really liked useless princes. Omo.

Wow. Epiphany.

Ahem, anyway my point was - why not I be the delicate princess who was secretly harboring a swashbuckling blade wielding alter ego? I mean, since I couldn't be the Alpha Princess in this life, maybe I could be the Alpha Blades - at least when no one was looking.

I was seriously excited about this. This had to be the best plan ever! As for the how and what and where and when and all the other details to my plan, I was going to wing it.

Lady Amber had ever quoted to me, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

This was her favorite quote as a teacher. Her answer surprised me because I thought teachers liked quotes about how special their jobs were, or how to teach people to ask questions and fish. I never understood Lady Amber's favorite quote, but I had made a bookmark with those words calligraphed by my own hand and glued pressed flowers around it. It turned out so well, Lady Amber actually asked me how I got it. Did I buy it? Was it custom made? It took me such a long time to make, I took great pride in informing her that I made it all by myself.

I also told myself I would never do something so time consuming for a teachers' day gift ever again. All the other teachers were given pens and chocolates that year and I felt really bad about playing favorites. Also, I was really stressed out the year after because I couldn't think of anything that could top this gift.

Lala was always stressing out over things like giving the perfect gift. I don't know why, compared to Sam, she was doing a lot better in that department.

But this life or that, Lala or Sam, I had one wild and precious life and I didn't want to live anything less.

As Sam, I was the wild child. I grew up barefoot and free among the flowers in the woods, Mum had ever said I frew like a wild flower. I guess it's true - if a flower could punch your lights out. The idea that I was precious was something that only occurred to me sometime this year. I still didn't know what to make of it.

As Lala, I grew up as the precious daughter/sister in my alpha family. In my silly girl head, no one would ever hurt me because I was that precious. My greatest "hit" was folding origami cranes to gift warriors with good luck when they run out to the frontlines. Look, I was the Alpha's daughter who poured tea for my elders with quiet grace and unhurried elegance. How wild could I be?

One wild AND precious life. Suddenly, I understood what that meant for myself, and when I did, I felt for the first time since coming to this alternate timeline that I was glad I came. I had learned a lot about myself, and that was great gain.

I felt myself smile, the first real one since getting here. Since I was here, I might as well have some fun.