I woke up to the sound of my annoying alarm. Any attempts on turning that thing off were futile as I simply couldn't locate the stupid button while half conscious. I felt so exhausted I just wanted to sleep the whole day. But it was Monday and if I missed another day of school, my grades would be threatened and I couldn't afford that. I was the future Luna. I had to lead by example. So, I reluctantly rolled off the bed and headed for my closet, trying to figure out what to wear today.
"Morning sweetie," I heard my mom before I saw her as I walked down the stairs and to the living room. She was making pancakes in the adjoined kitchen and the whole house smelled delicious thanks to it.
"Hi mom," I replied as I sat down next to my dad, checking my phone for texts from Olivia and Sheyla.
"Morning dad," I kissed his cheek and carried on scrolling. He gave me a smile in response.
"Food is ready!" Mom called from the kitchen and I ran to grab a portion. We ate together in relative silence before I checked the clock only to realize I was late.
"Shoot! I have to go, I'm late!" I said and quickly started to pick up my stuff and put my shoes on.
"Wait, Noyla!" Mom called behind me.
"Yes?" I asked, surprised at the desperation in her voice.
"Please don't go," she whispered, sadness that broke my heart in her voice. "Please stay a little longer," she begged.
"Mom, I can't miss school," I replied as I walked over to her to hug her. She sobbed into my shoulder, silently repeating for me to stay. I didn't know what to say. There was a feeling of strange longing in my chest. I couldn't really put my finger on what it was. There was sorrow and heartbreak. Fear and desperation. But why?
"Mommy, I really have to leave," I whispered into her ear and she very reluctantly let me go. I gave her one last look and I felt tears running down my cheeks as I grabbed the handle and opened the door and then... I opened my eyes.
"She's awake!" Someone exclaimed nearby as I was practically choking on my tears, trying my hardest not to call out to my mom, wishing I wasn't insisting on leaving her. Maybe if I stayed there, with them, the dream would never end. I was back home. I was with them. I could hear their voices, taste mom's food, see their smiles.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're okay," a female voice whispered in my ear while gently stroking my shoulder. "Here, have a drink, you must be parched," she carried on, bringing a cup with water to my mouth. Too confused and distraught to resist, I obeyed. The moment fresh water hit my tongue, I nearly moaned with pleasure and began to gulp down the contents of the cup until not a drop was left.
"Get her some more," the female commanded, taking the cup from me and handing it to one of the men in the room. He wordlessly took the cup and disappeared. I was sitting up now, taking in my new surroundings. I was in a house as far as I could tell by the setting. Walls and floors were covered in various furs, there was a lit fireplace by the wall across from me, two windows each to one of my sides, the moon shining through them illuminating the dark corners of the dimly lit room I was in. I was sitting on what seemed to be a couch, covered in some more fur. And in front of me stood four people. Two women and two men, including the one who brought me here. They were towering over me, all their eyes on me as the fifth person, a third man in the party returned and handed me another cup of water.
I hesitantly accepted and realized that my hand was surprisingly clean. I looked down on myself only to find myself dressed head to toe in black. It wasn't fancy. Just a sweater, what felt like very warm leggings and cozy socks. I must have looked really confused, but inside I wanted to cry from an unknown emotion. I was clean. I had clean clothes.
"Here," the man who brought me here took a step forward and handed me my backpack. I snatched it from him so fast I nearly dropped my water.
"You are probably very confused right now," one of the girls spoke. I nodded. To say I was confused was an understatement. "It's okay, we won't hurt you," she said, her tone reassuring. I wanted to believe her. I really did. But I've learnt my lesson about Winterlands now. And so I just flinched back and held my backpack close.
"I'm Demi," she introduced herself. She was a tall, muscular woman with somewhat masculine build. Left side of her head was shaved off to show two crows tattooed underneath. The bridge of her nose as well as her septum were pierced with simple jewelry.
"This is my wife Lucia, and over there is Nolan, Connor and my brother Devan," she said and I looked at the man she called her brother. His piercing blue eyes burning holes into my soul. "He's the one who tracked you down. I saw your little stunt with the stolen meat a few weeks ago and I just knew you'd be perfect for the group. We need a solid thief you see," she kept talking and I looked at her in shock. A thief?!
"What's your name?" Devan asked me after I failed to respond to Demi.
"My name doesn't matter. And neither does yours... you don't matter. You are no one. The sooner you remember that, the better chance you have to survive."
The words of a nameless woman from the tunnels below echoed in my head. The woman who saved me from death only to throw me back at her for a coin. All that just because I shared a piece of meat with her, because I was too kind. Too trusting.
"I don't have any," I replied, my voice hoarse from lack of use and hauntingly hollow. I could tell they were looking at each other in confusion as I looked down into the cup with water and remembered how very thirsty I was. Still, it took some courage for me to bring it to my lips and drink some more. If they wanted to poison me or kill me, they could have done that by now, right?
"Well, what should we call you then?" One of the other two men in the room, Connor I believe, asked. He was the only one wearing similar leathers to what Devan wore when he brought me in, while the rest of them only wore casual looking clothes, some with short sleeves, which was in this place a bit beyond my comprehension.
"It doesn't matter," I whispered when I finished drinking, taking a good look at the beings in front of me. They were undoubtedly wolves. Everyone in this village was. All of them much taller than me, built like the mountains they resided under. They had scars and tattoos as far as their hands, necks and even faces. All of them had dark hair in various shades except for Lucia, who was ginger. And their eyes, you could see their wolves in those eyes. They weren't like mine, boring and bleak. No, they shined like the moon and the stars. Devan and Demi's blue like the summer skies, Lucia and Connor's green like a rare gem or Nolan's grey like the stormy clouds. It was hard to believe that I shared ancestors with these people because to me, we may as well have been two completely different species.
"Okay, well... " Lucia tried to break the awkward silence after my response which clearly didn't make anyone very comfortable. She stood out from the group in various ways. Her skin was a bit darker, full of freckles. She was also the smallest one of them, but that hardly made her look weak. She had a perfect hourglass shaped body and carried it with undeniable pride. There were claw shaped scars visible under her t-shirt on her left shoulder, while her right arm was completely covered in tattoos which ran all the way up her neck and finished in the shape of a dragon on her right cheek, its long neck going around her eye, it'd head resting just above her eyebrow.
"How about Freya?" Nolan spoke for the first time, staring right at me. He was towering over me, his height almost matching Devan's, his dark brown hair tied up in a bun, a thick black line tattooed across his eyes and bridge of his nose, making the grey stand out even more. Even he had a scar, one likely caused by a silver knife, right next to his left ear. The rest of his body, as far as I could see, was all covered in tattoos of wolves, skulls and various sigils of dark Gods, making him look even scarier. I gulped, wishing I could become invisible under his gaze.
"Freya? I like it!" Demi replied, her eyes studying me for a reaction. Freya was a beautiful name. But for a Goddess not for me. I had a name already. One that I refused to share with them though.
"I..." I started but didn't finish. I had no idea what I was going to say to begin with.
"Great, Freya it is. Now let's have something to eat," Devan said and clapped his hands. Everyone seemed to be content with the result of this conversation and they collectively turned around and started walking toward what I could only assume was a kitchen. I didn't dare follow. I still wasn't sure what exactly was even happening and so I just sat there, holding onto my backpack for dear life, trying to at least savor the warmth of the room I was in as it slowly penetrated my skin and flesh and bones, taking away the cold I've faced for the past countless weeks.