"Wow, you were so young!" Abel said sitting at the kitchen table with a spoon full of cereal flakes. He popped the spoon full in his mouth and began chewing.
"Siree, too, she's young too." Derrick said.
The three children sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Monica had shown them a photo of her and Doureena when they were younger. They were embracing each other, their profile captured. Monica had shorter dark hair then and so did Doureena with her bright reddish orange, a trait inherited by Kara.
"What city is that?" Kara asked. She finished her cereal and was now drinking her orange juice.
Monica turned over the photo and looked at it once more. She wasn't sure where it was taken at but knew it was in the country province of Aski, just south of Canas and to the west.
Kara watched her mother leave the kitchen just as she was putting up her plate. She had plans that day that would take her mind off the admission letters she was waiting for. Prior to summer, she had sent in several applications to be accepted into varying magical schools. Of course, her first choice was Hacate because that was where Sous was attending. Her second choice was anywhere that wasn't Red Woods.
"Impellere, trahere, complodere, lavere!" Kara screamed out with her training wand. She was in the middle of the field where Sous and her friends used to practice. Kara was practicing with a large branch. Calling out the four basic spells she was able to push, pull, drop/slam, and levitate the branch.
When she filled out the application for Hacate as an attempt to get accepted into the school and gain a sponsor, she was easily able to name the four basic spells taught to first years but then...that was it.
When the application asked about alchemy, Kara knew nothing. When the application asked about herbology, Kara knew nothing. Even when the application asked about other skills like voodoo, hoodoo, telepathy, sealing, tasseography also known as tea reading, palmistry also known as palm reading, and other magae techniques, Kara knew nothing.
Same for sports. She wasn't a prodigy at agility, or sparring, or dueling. She wasn't anything like Sous and honestly, she never felt so incompetent until now.
She dropped her arm, sweat beating down her chin, dripping onto the grass. She wanted to learn more but couldn't. There weren't any spell stores around. Kara could only work with what her mother gave her which was a hand-me-down wand. Don't get her wrong, ahe was grateful for that.
Using the back of her hand, she turned around and saw Zhiliary standing before her. She rolled her eyes but said nothing to the older teen. Kara remained quiet and shyly placed her arm with the wand behind her back.
Zhiliary had been watching Kara ever since that night at the club. It wasn't hard to get the news Lora had died in battle. It was to be expected. Red Woods wanted to make an alliance with the royal family of Conaska. Alliances were rather hard to come by for the Apex Pack but humans were a speicies they managed to work well with because frankly, they simply couldn't kill them off. Still, since that night, Zhiliary had been keeping a closer watch over Kara.
"I know siree says you need to watch me but you NEED to watch me. I can take care of myself." Kara put the wand in her back pocket and walked off, only to have Zhiliary following her.
"Don't turn your back to an Alpha, Kara."
She stopped walking and turned to face Zhiliary, glaring at her.
"Where did you get that wand?" Zhiliary asked again. "Was it from Sous?"
Kara thought back to when Sous came to visit and Zhiliary stood down from fighting her. A little came from Kara. An eighteen year old Alpha, backing down from a thirteen year old.
"Tsk, what's funny?"
Kara covered her mouth to be more polite when she laughed. "You being too afraid to fight Sous." Her laughter grew louder. Zhiliary's jaw flinched as she balled her hands.
"You're a joke-"
Kara slid back onto the grass. She pulled herself up and felt the warm liquid escape her mouth. She touched it, seeing that it was blood. She stood to her feet. Zhiliary was quick and the slap hurt. It hurt like hell that she wanted to cry.
"I'm telling siree on you." She whispered, just before running off. And though she didn't cry in front of Zhiliary, she did cry in front of Doureena who hugged her small Omega. Who babied her small Omega, who called her 'my little Omegress'. She took Kara out for an ice cream cone to make her feel better, and that might while she watched Kara sleep, she ordered Zhiliary to report into her office the very next morning.
Crack!
Doureena's fist came into contact with Zhiliary's jaw. The other Alpha fought back but was easily over powered by Doureena. Making it all more impressive Sous was able to hold her own against the Alpha and why the pack soon thought to stop wasting resources on her.
Zhiliary was slammed to the ground, her arm twisted and stepped on at the joint by the Alpha, instantly breaking it. Zhiliary coughed out a gag but was caught in her throat as Alpha lifted her up and slammed her into the wall. Choking her with just one hand.
"Now what would pocessed you to touch my daughter like that?" Her grip tighten around Zhiliary's neck, the young Alpha's feet wiggled a couple of feet from the ground.
She let the Alpha drop to the floor and stood back watching her cough.
"Stand up, Elite." Doureena demanded.
Zhiliary rose to her feet, a bit unsteady. She didn't say the truth to Alpha. She didn't say it was because the little Omega had called her out by her name, the little Omega had mocked her. No, instead she said, "I saw her with a wand."
Doureena, who was standing with her back against the edge of her desk in their office with her arms crossed, seemed perplexed. Her mouth came slightly opened but no words escape. She looked from here to there but still nothing.
Zhiliary continued on. "She's been using magic. Is she a witch? Did you marry a mutt?"
Zhiliary found herself slammed against the wall of the office once more. The hand ever more tighten around her throat and this time, she felt her conscious slipping.
"Don't ever call my wife that." Threathened Doureena. "I want you to apologize to Kara."
Zhiliary smirked. "Yeah, I'm not apologizing to a mutt."
Doureena took Zhiliary's other arm and did the same. Held it out and stomped on it, breaking it. This time Zhiliary yelled out and shook from the pain. She laid on the ground, going in and out of consciousness.
The Alpha stepped back, never thinking she would have to fight one of her elites especially one she desired to have her place later on in the years. She shook her head and went to her phone. Zhiliary needed the hospital.
A few weeks later, Doureena hadn't brought up the wand incident up yet. She was unable to process the information. It was all so new. She never even considered Monica would be anything other than a wolf. When they had met those years ago, and when they went traveling to so many places, it was just so magical.
Doureena held the door open for Kara from the back seat of the car. They were in the parking garage of the Red Woods hospital, in the section dedicated for wolves.
They checked in and Doureena guided Kara into the room with Zhiliary and left them alone. She waited out in the hall, still in her own head.
In Kara's hand was a stuffed animal. An ugly little thing, Zhiliary couldn't tell what it was. Her arms laid in cast so she couldn't hold it. It simply remained in her lap where Kara placed it.
Kara sat in one of the chairs, nervous as the teenager looked at her. "I'm sorry I told on you."
Zhiliary's eyes grew wide, unexpecting to hear such words from the youth.
"I didn't think she would hurt you so bad. Sorry. And...sorry for calling you a joke." Kara kept her head down during her apology.
Zhiliary cleared her throat. "I'm-I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have slapped you." She paused. "I don't want to be that type of Alpha." An Alpha that flaunted their strenth and power around.
"You think I'm a mutt-"
"NO!" Zhiliary quickly yelled. She calmed her voice and spoke softly. "I may have said some things but no." She wanted to say more things to Kara but the girl was just too young. Once she got older, maybe. But even if Kara was mixed with witch, she was still sweet and kind.
"Siree, hasn't said anything about the wand. Did you tell her?"
Zhiliary nodded her head but instantly regretted it when Kara became distress. It flooded her nostrils. "Don't worry," she tried to cover for herself. "I'm sure you'll be fine." But her words held little substance to Kara. The Omega lack confidence in her.
Zhiliary laid her head back on the pillow looking at the gift Kara gave her. In a couple of months, Kara would be turning twelve. Zhiliary would get her something. Something special.