Page 5 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

I flipped through the book some more until I ended up back at the very beginning. The first story, the story of our origins.

“‘The First of the Wolves’?” I asked, peeking at her from the corner of my eye.

Her eyes lit up, but then she forced a frown. However, it was too late. I had already seen her excitement.

“First wolves it is!” I exclaimed in triumph, and she giggled and settled in next to me as I began to read.

CHAPTER 3

WESLEY

“Once upon a time, two peeps fell in love and—“

“That’s not how it goes, Wessy!” Maddie laughed, pushing me with her little hands.

I pretended to fall down on the mattress from her shove.

“Wessy!” she whined, pulling on my arm.

“Okay, okay.” I chuckled. “I’ll start over!”

I took a breath and began again.

“A long time ago, when the world was brand new, the gods and goddesses walked among us. They lived within the world they created, celebrating in its beauty and its bounty with the people of the land. The gods, humans, and other beings lived together in harmony, celebrating the magnificence they lived in.”

“What’s magfishinence?” Maddie interrupted.

“Magnificence,” I corrected.

“Yeah dat.”

“It means wonderful or great,” I told her. “Can I keep reading?”

She nodded, and I continued.

“But the peace among the inhabitants was a tentative peace, a fragile peace. As such, each of the gods and goddesses created warriors, their own followers blessed with a touch of their magic to be stronger than the average human.

“Selene, the goddess of the moon, gave each of her warriors a special connection to a wolf. This wolf was their companion, their friend, their extra eyes, ears, and strength. They could give commands mentally to their wolf, and they had a life bond with them—one could not live without the other.

“The bond formed when both were young, and the wolves would live until the human died—either by natural causes, old age, or in battle.

“The warriors loved their canine companions and treated them even better than a pet. They trained with them, ate with them, hunted with them, and lived with them.

“As you might have guessed, however, not all was as it seemed, and not all the beings of the world were content with how the gods and goddesses had chosen their favorites.

“There was a clan, Clan Vígi, who thrived on bloodshed and violence. They also worshiped Selene above any other. But she had not chosen them as her blessed warriors, and they held a grudge against the clan she had chosen, Clan Adalwolf.”

“I don’t wike dem,” Maddie grumbled.

“You’re not supposed to,” I pointed out. “Now let me read.”

She muttered something under her breath, but let me continue.

“This jealousy and this grudge festered and grew over the years until it morphed into hatred. It ran so deep, became so ingrained into their lives, that none of the members of Clan Vígi remembered the origins of their envy. They only knew that Clan Adalwolf was their enemy and that they deserved more than they had received.

“That year, at the annual gathering of the clans, the leader of Clan Vígi brought his daughter, Eydís, with him for the first time. She had just come of age, and he was hoping to make a match for her with the leader or future leader of another clan.”

“I’m going to be Eydís for Hawwoween dis year,” Maddie said.

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