The Betrayed Warrior Mate

03 : Where We Build A Home

Sofia and Alyna, along with their respective kids were the only ones who got off at the school. The school was build on pack land with the approval of the Alpha himself.

It didn't look like a subsidized school at first glance. The huge U shaped buildings, the clean parking lots and the basket ball courts were indication of meticulous planning and care from the Alpha's side.

Walking in, Alyna and Sofia were welcomed by the head teacher.

"Since you don't have any qualification certificates, you'll have to give three interviews. One written, one oral and one practical. If you pass, there will be a three month probation period." The head teacher explained everything briefly and took them to an empty classroom.

"The kids can wait outside until you are done." Another teacher came and took the kids away.

Alyna kept looking behind to see where Destiny was taken. Talk about being a responsible parent - guardian.

The interview wasn't difficult. It was mostly centred around dealing with kids. For the practical test, they were given half an hour to teach a small class of kids.

Holding the provided materials, Alyna walked into the classroom. It wasn't a regular class. The kids she was supposed to teach were little delinquents held back after class.

Alyna felt like a test subject. Holding the folder with the teaching material, she wrote her name and her subject on the white board.

"Alyna Westwood. History!" She banged the duster on the table.

She forgot to control her strength. The table cracked. The kids stopped making noise. She pretended as if it was intentional.

"This is a thirty minutes class. I don't want a single peep or the next one to break will be one of you!" She blatantly threatened.

Alyna saw the fear in their eyes and internally smirked. Sure enough, a classroom isn't that different from a battlefield.

Her thirty minutes passed with little to no mishap. A few kids here and there were daring but not daring enough to bear a beating. Not that Alyna would beat them. It was against the rules. It didn't stop her from glaring at them.

The glare of a once high ranking warrior is no less than an Alpha.

The obedient kids listened to the lecture without disrupting it. When Christen, the head teacher, arrived, she was surprised to see the class so quite.

Alyna passed the interview. Sofia did too.

"Ma'am, I want to enroll Destiny." Alyna pulled Destiny from behind.

"No problem."

By the end of the day, Alyna already had a job and Destiny was enrolled in a school where she didn't have to pay a lump sum fees.

A bus came to take them back to their accomodation. Sitting by the window, Alyna wondered if Alpha Eiran was a philanthropist.

To be able to provide complete strangers with these types of facilities must be expensive. The job Alyna got could be given to a permanent member. The seat Destiny was given should originally belong to another kid.

Alyna's brain was used to complicated strategic thinking. The idea of someone, especially an Alpha, being nice was incomprehensible to her.

"Mom."

"Yeah?" Alyna answered instinctively, realised later that she fell into the trap again. She glared at Destiny.

"Thank you for being my guardian. When I graduate school and start a business, I'll repay you for this favour."

Destiny promised like a little adult. Alyna sighed. Why do kids like to behave like adults all the time? Real adulting is too painful.

"Don't think so far ahead. It's fine as long as you can live a happy life. You have to focus on school for now."

Their accommodation was in a community with one bedroom houses lined up. They were clean homes with a small porch and fenced gates.

Standing before the house, she once again wondered why outsiders were being treated so well in Ember claw pack. The answers were nowhere near.

The house was equipped with basic necessities like utensils, toiletries and bedsheets and blankets.

They barely had any belongings so it took no more than a few minutes for them to get settled. Having a home felt strange.

Alyna sat in front of the TV in the living room. Destiny came back after taking a tour of the house and sat next to her on the low couch.

"We are going to live together from now on. We are family, right?" Destiny's voice was as small as a mosquito.

"Hm. Just don't call me mom. I can be your sister. Call me Alyna." Alyna said blankly.

"Okay. You can be my big sister." Destiny nodded, accepting this character setting.

Neither of them were in the mood to eat. They switched off the lights and went to bed early. Destiny was given the bedroom and Alyna used the makeshift sofa bed to sleep in the living room.

This setting will probably change in a few days. For the time being they arranged it like this.

Alyna lay awake on the sofa, staring at the ceiling lights in a daze. She thought about the grandma. She was a strong old lady. She'll live a few months without her.

Once Alyna has money, she'll bring the Grandma back here and they will live together. Destiny can go to school and she can earn to support both of them.

So far, these were the only plans she had for the future.

-----------------------

Far away in the pack house, in a lavish three storey building, the Alpha of the pack stood with his back to the window, listening to his Beta report the activities of the newcomers.

These newcomers held a significant part in the prospect of Ember claw pack so keeping an eye on them was crucial. They accepted 40 people this year. A significant increase from last year.

"Next is Alyna Westwood. 23 years old. There is no pack name mentioned in the form. She applied for a teacher's post in Boris Bright Public School and got hired. She holds the guardianship of a 15 year old named Destiny."

Alpha Eiran raised an eyebrow, "Guardianship? She was alone when she came."

Theo coughed, "It's not unheard of. Most people who enter the pack are without family. Sometimes they take guardianship over younger ones who haven't turned 18 and take care of them like family. It becomes easier to navigate with an adult around."

"That's bullshit. Why would anyone put their trust in a stranger? What if they turn out to be a creep?" Alpha Eirin raised a reasonable question.

To which Theo replied solemnly, "There have been cases like such. However, because of our constant monitoring, we have been able to safeguard the kids in time."

"Continue." Alpha Eiran waved his arm. He moved back to his desk. The chair spun around with his weight. It was hard to tell if he was listening or not.

Sunset spilled colors into the office. The wooden furniture lit up as if on fire. It was a beautiful evening because the colors were distinct and brighter than before.

Theo finished reporting everything. The file was left on the wooden desk, opened on the page with all the information they currently had on Alyna.

Alpha Eiran pushed up his sleeves, revealing the large area covered with tattoos. He picked up the file, leaned back on the chair and skimmed through it.

This page was different from the others. It was a rough research on the girl. A picture of hers was printed on it as well.

The eyes that found him from far away now had a face. His eyes lingered on the picture for a while. He couldn't deny it was a pretty face.

The hollow place in his heart once again felt something move. His gaze averted to the thin lines below the picture.

There wasn't much to know about her. The information was so little and so generic, it may as well not be written.

The only piece of information worth knowing was her birthplace. The Silver Mane pack. A prestigious pack known for their system of absolute control through the army.

"Find more about her." He instructed.

The file was thrown back on the table. Theo tucked it along with the other files in his bag.

"Is something suspicious about her?" He asked.

"She gives me a strange feeling." Alpha Eiran didn't shy away from admitting how strange it was. He tapped the left side of his chest.

"Here." His brown eyes raised to the ceiling. They narrowed into slits. "How is Josh's performance in school this year? Does he need a private tutor?"

Theo's eyes widen. He gave a brief response and left the office with clear instructions in mind. The guards were dispatched on order to keep an eye on the newcomers for the next few days.

Along with that, special arrangements were being made to learn about Alyna Westwood.