Chapter 3 Arrival

Aelin.

I sat on my bed in silence and stared into blank space. My thoughts were going haywire, but no physical reaction was truly enough to express it.

What I had wished for for years, was finally sitting in my lap and now I was having second thoughts.

Particularly for my life. Especially for my life. 

I was a human, going into a competition with trained werewolves. My nature alone was my first risk.

Betis had always told me, the higher you go up the werewolf ranks, the deadlier they are.

Surviving the full moon in the Grimm Alley, home for the Omegas, was a terror. Sometimes my faux scent was not enough. I was not even safe to lock the doors of the cafe at night. 

Once, I was attacked by a customer during the full moon. He came in for a cup of warm strawberry milk and suddenly thirsted blood.

Had Betis not been in the kitchen, I may not have survived. There’s still an angry gash of a scar behind my knee caused by his claws when he had tried to trip me over in my escape attempt.

It took me months to heal but I had to pretend I was okay for more than half of that because werewolves were quick healers. Any delay was a sign of severe infection or absence of were genes.

There was also the part where Betis had to stitch me by himself in my bedroom, because going to the doctors meant risking them sniffing out my human blood.

It was a tragedy of ice and alcohol to numb the pain during the suture, and trays of antibiotics and pain killers to help the inflammation afterwards.

I had really felt I was going to die that night. I lost so much blood and drifted in and out of consciousness. Betis made sure I did not fall asleep until I gulped down half a bottle of liquid iron, zinc and copper supplements.

The most horrible tasting thing I’ve ever swallowed in my life by the way.

I tried to brush the memories away. Memories of how I was looked at so warily by dusk, when my masked scent peeked through my sweat. How I was questioned when I could not hear some sounds in class that a regular werewolf would have. How I was exempted from some kind of social sports because I possessed less than half of the strength of a regular wolf.

But those memories were a reminder of how fragile I was in their thick skinned world.

Now, I was going to live with the creatures of vilest nature, because only the best of wolves, or in Betis’s terms ‘the wolfiest of wolves’ would make it into the academy. 

My hands fumbled around with the envelope that held my letter. It did not matter what I thought now anyway. Today was the day of arrivals.

Four weeks from the day I got the note. Today, I was expected to turn up at the Ravenfell Alley, since I did not send in a rejection letter.

My single large sized box was packed to the brim. Half of it contained mini oxygen cans and a medium sized gallon of scent masking oil. The latter made my luggage heavier than it ought to be and I only hoped they did not question its weight and search for security purposes.

My room was arranged to the most prim and proper way I could think of. At least if I make it back, I could have a clean home to return to.

The keyword, was if.

I had not realized someone had joined me in my space until I heard Betis speak. “You’re not about to give up now, are you?”

He asked. My eyes were drawn to his face which looked quite swollen with red tinged eyes.

Seems like I was not the only person who had had some trouble falling asleep last night.

“No.” I replied him and stood to my feet. Making sure to slip the invitation card into my backpack and flinging the little bag over my shoulder. Then I went for my box too.

“Good. All my years of training are not about to go down the drain.” There was a crack to his voice that I’m sure he did not want me to notice, but it was too evident.

I pulled out the trolley handle of my box and looked Betis straight into the eye. We stared at each other for a few seconds before he rendered another set of usual advice.

“Remember, you would form your teams today.”

“Yes.” It was a popular part of the documented procedures of the academy. To choose your team on the first day so you do not have enough time to figure out anyone’s weaknesses or strengths.

All that was known was the individual’s alley. Of which the Alpha territory had only one family. The Beta territory usually produced over eighty percent of the contestants.

“To enable you get attached to a room.” He continued.

“Yes. I know that.” You were to share a room with your teammates until it was unsafe to do so.

“Have it at the back of your mind that most people will only form teams with…” I trailed him off his words because I had gotten so used to hearing them, it became a rhyme.

“Those who are strong enough to defeat their opponents, but weak enough to kill off when they become their opponents.”

Betis stayed quiet for a while before adding, “Try to team up with the players from Nightrow Alley. The Gammas. They are the nearest to the Omegas, just a few higher differences but they should seem most familiar to you and would require less of your level of physical strength to beat.”

Another regular statement.

Even though it was a part of himself he had hidden. Betis was a Beta wolf, from the Argent Alley. He used to be a soldier during the war but after he had lost his entire family, he retired to the Grimm Alley. To reside with the Omegas.

According to him, they were less competitive, less ego driven and more grounded to nature. That was the kind of life he wanted after losing everything the cherished.

But all it took was to watch him train or relay commands when he was annoyed and the grumpy wolf in him would surface.

“Gotcha soldier.” I said as I stomped my right foot and gave him a salute with a smile.

It did not amuse him though. 

“Aelin Moonveil. You have to be among the winners. If not for anything, but because you’re all I have left.”

All these years, I had not really considered what this meant for my Werewolf father. He was not only training me so I could get a fighting chance for my human family. He was also partially sending me to my death.

There were no maybes in the Games of Zyraeth. It was either I died or I emerged among the top three.

“I won’t let you down sir.” Another stomp and salute, which I had not completed before he pulled me into a tight embrace.

For a brief moment, I wished to stay back. To inhale his familiar scent which I had come to love as my family. To help him run his cafe and work on the new crumble cookie recipe he had been gushing about for the past two weeks.

Despite it all, this was still a home. The one that had accepted me. 

“And if you ever feel like you can no longer carry on. Please come home to your father. I may not be human but you’re everything I ever dreamed of in a daughter.” 

I wanted to reply, but the words got stuck at the back of my throat and I refrained from speaking, lest I break into a sob.

For the past four weeks, I had been hearing myself up for this moment that I would not shed a tear. It was what I wanted and I was going to win.

“I love you father.” I managed to say into his shoulder.

“I love you Aelin.” He broke our hug and pushed me a few steps back, “the cab is waiting downstairs.”

With a nod, I rolled my box behind me while he followed along.

Chelsea was in the cafe. It was quite early, a little past seven AM. I was a bit surprised to see her.

“You came because of me?” I asked in slight disbelief.

“Yeah. You’re going for the Games of Zyraeth. I’m so proud of you.” Her words said one thing, but her tone said another.

She sounded sad, like she had made peace with the fact that I would not make it out alive.

“Thank you.” Pulling her into a hug. Behind her, I could see the taxi through the glass doors. “I’ll be leaving now.” 

And without looking back, I walked out of the cafe. 

But not without yelling “You two better behave while I’m gone.” to the both of them.

Here goes nothing.