"Are you there? My Luna?" she reached for the light, it was supposed to be her afterlife but as soon as she stretched her arms, a shadow came above her and there was the image of the woman she wanted to be with so badly. If she were to be a servant in her afterlife, she would only belong to Lyana. A small smile graced her soft features.
"Go back Snow, there is nothing for you here." Lyana returned with an even softer smile, but those words were enough to wipe the smile away from Snow's face.
"But you are here! Luna Lyana!" The light was fading and as she tried to grasp the image, her fingers passed through Lyana's torso, the smile never left and she began to panic. She jolts to life, sucking in half the air in the room, omegas were around her and they jerked back instinctively, surprised and happy that she made it.
"She is alive! Oh thank the goddess!" They celebrated and the healer who had been tensed for hours finally relaxed her shoulders, indeed she was happy that Snow survived after such a courageous feat.
"The alpha will be pleased…" only just a whisper. Everyone wore smiles, but Snow's face was riddled with confusion and silent pain. Of course, she was alive.
She adjusted her position and everyone got to work again, but her mind ruminated on Liora, "is she okay?" she prayed so.
"Yes, just a sprained ankle, you got the worst injuries, it is a miracle you are alive." The healer approached her with a spoonful of medicine and urged her to drink it. Hesitating for a second, she swallowed the content in one gulp and her face squeezed tightly from the bitter taste, it made her cheeks flush with undesirable heat, "your recovery will be fast." The healer flashed her a small smile before one of the omegas ran in.
"The alpha wishes to speak to Snow." he announced and all the workers looked at one another, whispering things, before scattering out of the room she was placed in, even the healer excused herself and Snow's heart was caught in her throat.
The alpha wanted to speak with her?!
She wasn't given enough time to wrap her head around it when he walked in with the commanding presence of an alpha.
"Alpha!" Snow reverenced him, falling from her bed and bringing her head to the floor above his feet, for that was her place. In nothing but a short cotton dress and bandages that ran from her shoulder to her torso, a hefty one around her thighs and arms, he did not see a slave but a warrior. However, she didn't see herself as that.
"Rise Snow." His tone softer than the usual, but not giving way into a smile, he lifted her head and though she was still on the floor, below him, she was raised to meet his gaze. It was this man and his wives that took her in when she was at the brink of death, to her, he was a god.
"My alpha, you need not come here, the air is not clean enough for your presence, I would have come to you—"
"I would not want to push you further than you have pushed yourself." A small smile made his way to his rather youthful features. He was an older man, well over his fifties but his cherry lips and light facial hair made him look younger than his age. Brown hair curled with the finest oils, his build stood like stone. They said the alpha was not known for mercy, but for justice, but his justice was her mercy.
She did not say anything, her heart had been tugged, and her hands tightened to stop the tears from flowing. Instantly reminded of her old alpha that wanted to kill her for something she did not do.
"I am grateful to you Snow, you put yourself in danger, threw your life, to save my daughter. We may not be the same in status but I will always be indebted to you." he stretched out his hand, Snow was confused for a hot minute before common sense kicked in and she took his hand. He lifted her and set her on her bed, "I thought of what to give you as a reward for your bravery."
"You do not need to give me anything my alpha, it is my oath!" she quickly jumped in, her eyes wide with shock. Why would he want to reward her for fulfilling her oath?
He only smiled a bit more, "I thought of what to give you as a reward for your bravery, nothing felt right until it came to me. I am giving you your freedom." a short pause, "you are no longer bound by oath to the Redclaw pack, you are free to go whenever you want, where ever you want."
Snow was flabbergasted, her mouth agape at his words, she wanted to say something but no words came out. Language had failed her. As she thought of all it could mean, she shook her head slowly.
"Where would I go? Who would I be? What will I do?" She had all these questions in her head and it was not up to the alpha to answer for her, "my alpha, I have been a servant since I was born, this is all I know. Please do not turn me away, I will do more for the pack, I will work nonstop! I want to serve you!" she folded her arms in plea, to her, it sounded like a punishment rather than a reward, she just could not comprehend.
Adolph was amused with her way of thinking, but ultimately he put his hand on her head and her eyes grew to the size of balloons, "I no longer see you as a servant. However, if you choose to remain in the pack, then it is your choice and not my command." his hand slowly fell to his side once more, "also, I have watched you for a while, you are smart. I wish to improve that. I will fund your education in the pack's academy so you can stand beside your age mates."
School? Like a formal school? Snow could not believe her ears. The only education she got was from Lyana teaching her little things, and dear, Lyana was quite the teacher. The possibility that she would learn at an establishment was exciting. She could not hide the smile. Alpha Adolph could see it.
"Thank you alpha! I will forever be grateful!" her head bowed again, she sang his words back to him, tears of happiness dripped to the floor with a smile on her face.
Roughly two weeks had passed and Snow had gone from sleeping in the servants' quarters to her own bedroom and she had healed very well. But the drastic change of her status came with gossip and of course, opposition. But the alpha had made his stand, he would honour her bravery even if it meant one of his Lunas' didn't see eye to eye with him.
Being strong enough, she was to have her first day of school. Snow did not have much, she had an old knitted cream shirt that was too big for her, showing her bony shoulders but hiding her well. She paired it with a flowing white cotton skirt, again, so long that it even covered her feet. It hid her hips well.
But her hair, she took time to style it, something Lyana always made her do for herself. With a small platinum rod over the flame of her biggest lamp, she used it as a curling iron to create waves in her hair. The same hair that had never known a blade and now it had reached the floor with her head straight.
After creating waves in her hair, taking her time, she packed it nicely in a bun, the hair behind resembling a flower and to complete the look and hold it better in place, she took pins that had flowers from her garden attached to them to hold her hair in place. Looking at the small mirror in her small but modest room, she smiled at herself.
She picked her jute back she had embroidered on in her free time and paired it with modest sandals and she was ready for school.
An omega would show her the way and then she would have to come back by herself. She was grateful. She walked silently behind her guide as she thought of all the possibilities. She was getting a bit excited but she controlled her smile, the warm sunlight dancing on her pale skin, she noticed everything.
"So this is what it feels like to be free…" she whispered to herself, people also taking notes of her. When the guide stopped, she stopped too, wondering what was wrong. Peeking just around him, she was greeted with the biggest building she had ever seen in her life.
The Lycanthra academy was where wolves of all respectable status studied in the Redclaw pack, it was the idea of alpha Adolph and one of his Lunas to build such a school to foster a stronger bond amongst wolves from all walks of life. And she was there. Her first day.
"I wish you good luck Snow." The guide bid her goodbye before returning to the packhouse. Her breath was stuck in her throat but no doubt she was excited. Nervous, but excited.
The building was as massive as three packhouses and as magnificent as the castle on the hills. Slowly she walked through the gate and everyone noticed her. Maybe it was how she was dressed but she was definitely different. Entering inside the academy, she was greeted with multiple winding halls. She didn't know which one to go through but she followed where most people went.
She was the last to enter a full hall and all eyes were on her, and she could hear the whispering. Her cherry lips parted for a second before she found her seat, the professor never stopped looking at her.
Either way, she was happy to be there. Her feet shook gently to calm herself but she learned so much about that class and when people were leaving, she guessed it was time for her to leave too. She wanted to follow the crowd, but the crowd began to disperse and now she was more lost.
She didn't know where to go.
As she moved through hallways, now almost empty, she became increasingly more uncomfortable, unsure if she should disturb someone to ask for directions. Against the idea, she made another turn, sharp, unexpecting the body that collided with her. She was sent crashing to the ground while the man loomed over her.
"Hey are you blind?!" The snarl was distasteful and while she still struggled to pick herself up, her eyes closed, feeling pain from the injury that caused her discomfort sporadically, more voices were heard.
"You were running, you should apologize to her."
"Are you fine? Did you hurt yourself?" this one offered her a hand and she took it, once she was on her feet, she slowly opened her eyes and met three sets that all meant to say different things.
But as if fate had a cruel game to play, the people she had bumped into suddenly let down their guards and echoed, "mate!"
"Mate." to which she responded.