Ore adjusted herself on the blanket, crossing her legs.
"Alright, let me start from the beginning. The levels. You know the color spectrum in a rainbow? ROYGBIV—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet."
Tolu nodded slowly.
"Violet and indigo are the lowest. A newborn girl like the one we turned last month? Violet. You're indigo. Weak, unstable, still learning. Once you gain control of your transformation and master the basics of your power, your eyes shift to blue—like mine." She tapped her temple lightly.
"Green means veteran—experienced, hardened, battle-tested. Yellow means you've hit the peak, the limit of what a wolf can achieve without crossing into something greater. Orange is for an Alpha who gained his rank unnaturally—by stealing the power. And red…" she paused, her eyes hardening, "is a true Alpha. The kind you saw with red eyes. Our Alpha."
Tolu exhaled. "Okay… so powers?"
She smiled faintly. "The basics: speed, strength, and your five senses sharpened beyond human limits. Plus, you awaken a new one—pack sense. It lets you feel when the Alpha calls, when a packmate is near, or when they're in danger. That sense will grow with time."
She leaned closer, her voice quieter. "Our pack name is awo. We rule this town. But our rule is being threatened—that's one reason we're expanding. We need manpower."
Tolu listened, his brow furrowed.
"Our greatest weakness is wolfsbane, though there are rarer poisons too. And listen carefully—never challenge a wolf ranked higher than you. Staying humble can keep you alive. Right now, we're at the bottom of the food chain—you more so than me. Others might want to pick on you. So don't transform in public. Not yet. Got it?"
Tolu nodded, the weight of it all settling on him.
Ore stretched her arms like she'd just shaken off the weight of the night. "We'll train tomorrow," she said with an easy smile. "For now, let's go."
Tolu nodded, adjusting the blanket tighter around himself until he remembered he actually had clothes on now. He got up, brushing the dust from his shorts.
As they stepped out of the wooden house, Ore looped her arm through his, her grip firm but warm. "I want to know where you live," she said, tilting her head up at him with a playful grin.
Tolu chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Already trying to stalk me?"
"Of course," she replied without hesitation. "What kind of girlfriend doesn't know where her boyfriend stays?"
He smiled faintly at that, a warmth blooming in his chest that had nothing to do with the night air. "Alright then," he said, leading her down the narrow path. "Let's go."
The closer they got to his street, the quieter Tolu became. He glanced at Ore, curiosity tugging at him. "How did you mark me, anyway?"
Ore's lips curved into a knowing smile. "When we kissed, my scent stayed on you. My… our Alpha caught it instantly and knew it was you."
Tolu nodded slowly, letting that sink in. The idea that something as simple as a kiss had tied him to a whole world felt both surreal and strangely fitting.
They stopped at the edge of his compound. Ore turned to him, her braids swaying lightly. "Guess this is your stop."
Before he could reply, she leaned in, kissed him softly, then pulled back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Bye, Tolu."
And just like that—woosh—she vanished into the night.
Tolu stood there for a moment, smiling to himself, before quietly slipping back through his window like nothing had happened.
The sound of birdsong filtered faintly through the curtains when Tolu stirred awake. His body still ached in strange, dull ways, but the smell of food drifted in, pulling him from bed.
He dragged himself into the kitchen, hair mussed, eyes half-closed. His mother was already at the stove, humming softly as she stirred a pot of beans and plantain.
"Morning, Mom," he muttered, sliding into a chair.
"Morning," she replied with a smile, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I thought you'd sleep the whole day again."
Tolu chuckled awkwardly, scratching his neck. "Guess not."
They ate quietly for a while, the soft clink of cutlery the only sound between them. Then, midway through her plate, his mother spoke.
"Oh—before I forget. There's an extra slot at work, and I took it. Means I'll be staying late tonight. Probably past nine."
Tolu looked up, blinking. "Late?"
"Yes," she said, matter-of-fact. "So don't wait for me. Cook something for yourself when you get hungry."
He smirked faintly, shaking his head. "You're trusting me with the kitchen again?"
His mother raised a brow playfully. "You better not burn it down. Just make something simple. Rice, maybe."
"Rice, I can handle," Tolu replied, grinning.
"Good," she said, standing to clear her plate. "Then it's settled."
Tolu finished his food in silence, mind already drifting—not to the rice, or the house—but to Ore, to training, and to the strange world waiting for him once night fell.
Tolu rinsed the last plate, setting it carefully on the rack to dry. The kitchen was silent again, save for the faint gurgle of water down the drain. He wiped his hands on a towel, just as his phone buzzed against the counter. The screen lit up—Ore.
Ore: [Location pin]
Ore: Training starts in an hour. Don't be late.
Tolu's brows shot up. "An hour?" he muttered, grabbing the phone.
He tapped the pin, zooming in on the map. His chest tightened as recognition settled in. The location was a clearing deep in the woods—the old rave spot that used to pulse with music, bonfires, and laughter. But those days were gone. Ever since the whispers of "wild animal attacks" spread, the place had been left desolate, swallowed by shadows and silence.
He leaned against the counter, staring at the screen. His heart thudded a little harder.
"Spacious, hidden, creepy as hell… perfect training ground," he muttered dryly.
Shoving the phone into his pocket, he exhaled. Whatever Ore had planned, there was no turning back. And in less than an hour… he'd find out exactly what "training" meant for a newborn werewolf.
Tolu tucked his phone into his pocket, grabbed the towel from the counter, and gave the kitchen one last glance. Everything looked in order. He gathered the dish rack neatly, pushed the chairs back in, and exhaled through his nose.
No more excuses.
Heading to his room, he slipped on a clean shirt and trainers, then doubled back to make sure all the windows were locked. The quietness of the house weighed on him for a moment—it was strange, how normal everything looked when nothing about him was normal anymore.
Finally, he pulled the front door shut, turned the key, and let it click into place.
The evening air met him cool and sharp as he stepped outside. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he shoved his hands in his pockets and started down the familiar path, away from the quiet safety of home and toward the dark stretch of woods that held his future.
Training awaited.