Chapter 3

Alex POV

Werewolf university?

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, everyone's eyes following me. It was a myth that such a university existed and my father forbade anyone from talking about it. It was said that every year, a student from a lesser known werewolf family was chosen to attend this prestigious university on a scholarship since only the most honorary werewolf family had their kids attending the school.

If there was anyone to be chosen, it couldn't be me. I was not the fastest. I was not the strongest and I had not yet had my first werewolf transformation. So why me? Smarts didn't get anyone anywhere. And I knew that was the reality of the world.

My fingers trembled under the table as I felt the heavy gazes intesifying but one out of them stood out the most. It was the gaze of my father. He never failed to show me how disappointed he was in me.

By why would he be? I was just given an invitation to werewolf university. One would think he would be glad for me. Unfortunately, it was the opposite. My father never believed I was capable of doing anything good. It was one of the reasons he never bothered to speak to me most times. His imposing eyes did all the talking and it hurt like fuck.

"Why ain't anyone saying anything!" James jumped from his seat and engulfed me in a hug, his brother love emanating from him. He whispered to me, "Fuck what dad thinks."

I chuckled and my smile was wiped away when my father rose, his large figure casting a large shadow on the dinning table. Turning his wide back with one fiery glance at me, he left the room, his footsteps the only sound emanating through the room.

My gaze searched my mother's eyes, sadness brimming in them. She smiles softly at me and gifted me a curt nod. If father wasn't going to be proud of me, I knew my mother would.

"Congratulations, Alex," she said, rising and following after my father.

Her happiness didnt seem genuine. Perhaps I was overthinking.

"This is a big deal everyone! Our brother is going to werewolf university!"

My cousins and younger brothers began dancing around the dinning table and singing, "Oh ye, oh ye oh ye, Alex is going to Werewolf university oh ye!"

Their joyness was like a warm milk, leaving a good aftertaste in me and warming my body with happiness. My smile was short lived when I gaze at the door my father had left through.

"Come on, boy!" James wrapped his arms around my shoulder. "We're having drinks at the bar tonight and drinks are on me. Go get your fucking coat!"

They all disappeared out of the room with smile bustling through their faces, their hands and fingers dancing in the air. Breathing in deeply, I raked my hair and watched my food. At least this food had purpose. I didn't know mine. All I had in mind was to go to Havard and study well for the Physics program I had applied for there.

But now with this werewolf university announcement, I didn't know what to expect. No one knew where it was. But as the tale went, if you were called it was a great honour. However it didn't feel that way with my father not even being able to say it.

Rising, I turned and was stopped by mother who was standing at the door frame, my black coat in her hands. She covered our distance and handed me the coat.

"Werewolf university, huh?"

I nodded, wearing the coat. "I always thought it was a myth."

"Well everyone thinks werewolves are myths and here we are."

"I haven't even had my first transformation," I said, chuckling.

"That doesn't define you."

"It does. Father also thinks so."

"Your fathers a prick."

"You know he can hear you."

She smiled, cupping my cheeks. "That was why I said it."

I appreciated her efforts. My brothers had invited me for a drink, and here I was, sulking. She knew how much I needed this. I fucking needed a parent to tell me that they didn't truly see me as a disappointment. It was enough to keep me going.

"Thank you, mother."

"I am proud of you Alex Wilder. Always would be."

I took a deep breath, the weight of my conversation with my mother lingering in the air around me. She had always been my pillar of support, and her reassurance had brought a glimmer of hope to my restless heart. With her words echoing in my mind, I stood up from the log I had been sitting on and made my way to the cabin's entrance.

As I stepped outside, the chilly Adirondack air nipped at my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth that still enveloped me from within the cabin. The sight of my brother James playing around the campfire brought a small smile to my lips. His laughter was infectious, a reminder of the bonds that tied us together as family.

I was about to join him, my thoughts focused on the camaraderie that always seemed to ease my worries, when something caught my eye. A figure stood just beyond the clearing, a pristine white snow wolf. Its fur glowed in the moonlight, radiating an otherworldly beauty that left me momentarily frozen in place.

My heart raced, uncertainty intertwining with a strange sense of safety that seemed to emanate from the majestic creature. My gaze locked onto the wolf's eyes, a deep blue that seemed to hold a wisdom beyond my understanding. It felt as if the world had stopped, as if this moment held a significance that I couldn't quite grasp.

The wolf's presence was enigmatic, a puzzle that begged to be solved. It stood there, poised and regal, as if waiting for something—though what that something was, I couldn't fathom. Part of me wanted to approach it, to understand the reason behind its appearance. Yet, another part of me hesitated, unsure of the boundaries between our worlds.

I took a tentative step forward, my curiosity winning over my caution. The wolf's eyes followed my movement, its gaze unyielding yet somehow inviting. It was as if an unspoken connection existed between us, a bridge that spanned the gap between human and wolf.

As I inched closer, the air seemed to hum with an underlying energy. I could feel a strange, almost mystical pull, drawing me nearer to the wolf. It was a sensation I couldn't describe, a combination of fear and fascination that seemed to defy reason.

"Alex!" James's voice cut through the stillness, and I turned to see my brother approaching. His footsteps were light, and his expression held a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "What are you doing over here? You look like you've seen a ghost. Come on, let's go get some drinks!"

I tore my gaze away from the wolf and faced James. "Did you see that?" I asked, gesturing toward the snow wolf.

He followed my gaze, his brows furrowing as he squinted into the darkness. "See what?"

I turned back to where the wolf had been standing, but it was gone. Vanished as if it had never been there at all. Confusion gnawed at me, leaving me wondering if I had imagined the entire encounter.

"It was right there," I murmured, my words barely audible.

James chuckled, giving me a playful nudge. "You're seeing things, little brother."

Despite his words, a sense of unease lingered. I knew what I had seen, what I had felt in that brief, inexplicable moment. As I looked back at the spot where the snow wolf had stood, I couldn't shake the feeling that it had left an indelible mark on my path—one that I would have to decipher as I navigated the mysteries that awaited me.

With a final glance at the clearing, I turned to join James around the campfire. The warmth of the flames and the laughter of my brother were a comforting reminder of the world I knew. But deep within, a question remained, urging me to unravel the enigma of the snow wolf and the secrets it held within its captivating gaze.