THE HYBRID WOLF
Chapter four

Leila.

My ears piqued at the chirping sounds of the birds on the tree just outside my window. I open my blue-gray eyes and I'm greeted by the soft glow of the rising sun. I get out of bed, stretch to warm up my muscles, and proceed to undress.

I shift to my wolf, relinquishing in the warm feeling of the early morning sun on my fur, the soft breeze of the wind, and the fresh smell of nature in my nostrils.

Leone stretches her limbs, pushing her body back on her hind limbs while extending her forelimbs.

When she gets back to her full height, we take off. Running at high speed. Feeling the windbreak on our fur as we pass. Hearing the other early animals run away from us, that is for those of them who can hear us coming. As big and magnificent as Leone is, she is just as silent when she moves like in our human form.

It takes us roughly two hours to go round the borders and Leone is barely tired. She truly is a beast. There is nothing I have done so far that has tested her limits.

As we get back from our run, I shift back, and I pull up to my porch to dress in some sportswear before going back down to train my human form too.

I wrap the now thin cloth I use as gloves over my hand and start with the punching bag made up of sand. I punch hard and fast. Hands and feet.

When I'm satisfied, I move to the other exercises, pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, weight lifting, etc. When I felt fatigued creeping in, I ended with some body stretches.

Once I'm done with my exercises, I move to the stream running behind my little cabin, and dive right in. The water is fresh and it helps cool down my aching muscles.

After a long time in the water, I finally get out and back into my room, where I put on some baggy clothing and grab my bag to head to school.

Oh, yes. I no longer live in the pack house. Not because I was sent away, but because I pleaded with the Alpha and Luna to get away from community life for some time. Given everything that had happened, they agreed and here I am. Living in my little cabin deep in the forest.

It's been two years already, since the incident. Things were really rough the first month because Leone was nowhere to be found. I couldn't reach her, talk less of speaking with her. I felt lonely and rejected... I almost took my life.

I still remember the haunted and horrified look Luna Katie gave me when I asked to live far from the pack village. She feared I would do something stupid like taking my life away, and I guess her fears were justified because I did want to.

As much as Alpha Jacob and Luna Katie have shielded me, they always allowed me to face my own battles. Making sure to let me know they were ready to help any time I wanted them to. I am grateful for that.

I remember that night like it was yesterday. I went through my days like an automated robot. I didn't speak, didn't eat, didn't feel... I was already out here in the cabin. I had thought that, if I got away from the others then I would feel better, but the silence only accentuated the fact that I was alone. Not even my wolf was there for me.

I had often cried myself to sleep, scratch that, I cried myself to sleep every single night, and day, might I add.

I had done everything I knew to stay strong, including meditation, training, etc. But that night, I was so overwhelmed that I took a silver blade intending to end it all. The voices in my head telling me how pathetic I was, the silence of the night mocking me relentlessly. It was just too much for me. I had bottled up too many emotions and they were out to get me.

I took the silver knife and when I was about to plunge it in my tummy, I shifted involuntarily. Leone took over. I stayed in my wolf form for over a week. Leone gave me time to rest and reset.

After the week had passed, we had a heart-to-heart conversation, and she reminded me to keep my faith in the moon goddess. She had certainly predicted something like this and Leone was sure that we would be fine with or without a mate.

She apologized for going silent on me and leaving me to deal with everything on my own, but she needed time to regroup herself to be fully present for me. She now had her role and the role of her mate to play in my life (protect me).

From that day, we became even closer. If something like that was even possible.

I arrived at the school grounds and headed directly to class. With all the training I do, one of the most important parts is study. I have trained my mind so damn hard that I developed a photogenic memory with the help of Leone.

This new ability propelled me into the zone of straight A+ students. The teachers were impressed. Our Luna was happy and the Alpha was proud. That is all that mattered to me. Not the teacher part, only the Alpha and Luna part. They were like my parents and even with their son's choice, they still treated me like their daughter.

Apart from this set of people, the other members of the community avoided me like the plague. Or maybe was I the one avoiding them? Either way, I don't give a flying fuck.