(POV: Renata)     The brightness of daylight pierces through my eyelids, forcing me to wake up. I cover my head with the pillow to steal a few more seconds of sleep. It doesn’t work. I yawn and get up. Sitting on the bed, I gaze at the beauty of the sun in the blue sky through the ss window of the room. I had forgotten to close the curtainsst night. Mental note: remember to close the curtains tonight.     Another day begins, another day away from everything I know, and worse. Another day in a house with people who are my enemies. They don’t know it yet, but they will soon find out and feel my mother’s wrath. I only need one year; that’s the time frame I have to gain the trust of these people. In one year, this little charade wille to an end. And then my mother and I will live happily ever after, free from the shadow of the past that bothers her so much.     I remember the man from the mountains again. Thinking about him has be a constant in my days. I real want to see him again because he makes my heart do somersaults, and I sense a strange and new emotion. I want to touch him, to have him close, and most important, I want him for myself. I sigh in frustration, shaking my head to dispel these thoughts.     This is madness!     I need topletely earn the trust of Lina’s family to create an opportunity for my mother toe here and carry out her long-awaited revenge. It should be easy to gain Lina’s trust; the poor woman has be attached to me very quick, and that’s wonderful. But her husband is cautious. I have to be confident in all my actions and words, making sure not to give myself away. I push the sheet aside and get out of bed, but before I reach the bathroom, I hear a light knock on the door.     “Come in,” I allow, not knowing who it is, but assuming it’s Lina.     “Good morning!” La greets as he opens the door and leans halfway inside. I’m surprised it’s not Linaing to get me. “We’re waiting for you for breakfast,” he informs me. “We can’t bete for the academy; today is your first day, and it’s very important.” He winks at me, and I smile shy.     “I’ll get ready ande down,” I say, smiling timid. “I confess I’m very nervous,” I add, and in a way, it’s true.     Throughout my life, it has always been only me and my mother. And sudden, I find myself surrounded by many people, and in this academy, there will surely be many more.     I need to adapt.     “No need to be nervous,” he tries to reassure me. “No one will harm you.”     “I don’t know,” I ponder. “I’m a human.”     “The sses you’ll attend are with everyone in human form, so don’t worry.”     “If you say so,” I shrug.     “I’ll wait for you downstairs,” he leaves the room, closing the door behind him.     I make my way to the bathroom andplete my morning routine. After a quick shower, I head to the couch where Lina left some folded clothesst night. I choose ck leather pants and a matching tank top, put them on, and then tie my hair into a ponytail. I put on ck sneakers with small pink ents and leave the room.     “Good morning,” I say as I arrive in the dining room and see everyone gathered around the table.     “Good morning,” they respond in unison. Before I can sit down, Nicos speaks up.     “Before you have breakfast,e with me to the office,” he requests, and everyone looks slight surprised.     “We’re almost runningte, Dad,” Rapha warns.     “A few minuteste won’t hurt any of you,” he says calm. “You are the Supreme’s children; that should give you some leeway.” I see Lina roll her eyes at her husband’sment. “Come on, Lena, it will be quick.” He walks ahead, and I follow him.     I wonder what he wants to talk to me about privately.     He opens a wooden door and allows me to enter. I’m shocked by the beauty of the ce. The wall in front of the door is all smoked ss, providing a view of the forest. In the corner, there’s a bookshelf filled with books, and I’m curious about the types of books in that variety of copies, but I restrain myself. Next to the door is a leather couch with three seats and a coffee table in front of it. On the couch, there’s a picture frame with various family photos from different moments. Nics sits in the brown leather armchair behind the desk, and I do the same, sitting in a matching brown leather chair. I decide to stop gawking at this magnificent room, tasteful designed.     “I wanted to ask you some questions,” he begins. “You must be recovering from the shock two days ago.” He looks into my eyes, and I hold his gaze.     “I sense much better, thank you,” I say without hesitation.     “How did you end up here? Where did youe from, and where were you heading?” Nicos fires off the questions. I take a deep breath and rey my mother’s n in my head.     “I came from the mountains, though I can’t say exactly how far from here. I escaped from there.” I begin to tell him my story in the same way I told Lina.     “The people who said they would take care of me mistreated and beat me every day. Making me a ve and forcing me to do all kinds of work…” I lie shameless and struggle not tough. I always want tough when I lie, but I manage to control myself and continue with the story. “I did everything willing because, at least, they gave me some nkets to protect me from the cold. A little food, and water to keep me from starving or dying of thirst.”     I pause for a moment, sigh, and pretend to wipe tears from the corners of my eyes. I see sympathy in his expression and am pleased with my acting. Kudos to the actress emerging within me.     “But then, the males of their kind started wanting me to do more intimate work,” I continue the story. Making air quotes with my fingers and inevitab blushing. “I couldn’t ept that, so I followed the advice of an older friend who had been through it and escaped. I ended up here.” I fake a sniffle to hold back tears that don’t exist. “I don’t know how long I wandered around, or how much longer I could have survived. So, I want to thank you for extending a helping hand to aplete stranger. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for all the help you’re giving me. I was already very exhausted, both physically and emotionally.” I put on my best pitiful expression and fake wiping away a tear that I conjured up.     “I’m so sorry for everything you went through,” he says, visib empathetic. “You’ll be safe here.”     “Thank you, sir,” I reply in a shaken voice. I’m quite proud of myself; what a wonderful actress I am.     “But I have to tell you something,” he pauses. “You find yourself in a ce where everyone is a wolf; there’s a pack here, and I’m the supreme alpha of all. Lina is the alpha, and my children are my heirs,” I widen my eyes to feign false surprise.


    “It must be a lot of work to be in that position,” Iment.


    “Yes,” you agree, “Did you already know about the existence of wolves?” You gaze into my eyes, evaluating my reaction.


    “I knew,” I reply, “But I had no idea that you all were wolves until Lina told me.”


    “My doors are open to you if you’re interested in staying with us. I’ve already spoken to Lina, and she would also like to wee you. Do you want to?”


    I begin to feign emotional tears, running my hands over my eyes with the intention of wiping away my crocodile tears, emphasizing the act of wiping so hard that my eyes turn very red to elicit even morepassion from this bastard.


    “Yes, I do. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble and expense. I hope to repay all the kindness you’re showing me someday,” I say, sniffing to add more drama.


    “No one will harm you here; I give you my word, you’ll bepletely safe,” he says convincingly, “I know today is your first day at the gym, and you can rest assured that nothing bad will happen while you’re under my care.”


    “Thank you,” I smile sidelong, and he seems to have seen a ghost. He stares at me for a few seconds until he shakes his head andposes himself.


    “Well, I’ll provide you with documents, but I’ve already spoken to the head of the wolf academy school, and they’ve allowed you in, as you probably know. Although you won’t transform, you’ll learn to fight and train for survival in the forest with my children,” he says, and I smile broadly, “sses are conducted in two ways, as a wolf and as a human, obviously, you’ll only participate in the sses where everyone will be in human form.”


    “I’m very excited, and La has already told me about this part of the sses,” I say.


    “I just hope you’re being sincere, Lena,” I gulp nervously under his piercing gaze, “I’m opening my home to you, so don’t disappoint me.”


    “I won’t, I swear,” I say, crossing my fingers so they don’t notice.


    Things are happening faster than I imagined, which is great. I’ve already managed to infiltrate his house and, best of all, make them havepassion for my story as a lonely and abused child. Now it’s just a matter of time.


    “Now, let’s get back to breakfast,” he stands up, and I do the same, “Today is your first day, and you can’t bete.”


    Of course, I’m not the child of the supreme alpha, I think mockingly, remembering his speech from a few minutes ago to his children. I follow him back to the breakfast table.


    “You weren’t intimidating Lena, were you, Dad?” Rafa asks.


    “We were just getting to know each other,” he says, pouring himself some coffee.


    “Are you nervous, dear?” Lina addresses me.


    “Quite,” I confess and take a bite of bread, “At least I already have two friends there,” I smile at the boys, and they return it.


    Breakfast proceeds calmly, with the boys and their usual antics, Nicos starts reading a newspaper, and Lina gets lost in her thoughts.


    “Let’s go, Lena,” La gets up, and Rapha follows, “Are you finished?”


    “Yes,” I reply, wiping my mouth after finishing my juice, then I stand up, “We can go.”


    “None of that, children,” Lina says, and we all look at her, “Go brush your teeth, rascals.” I finish with a smile, that’s a mother thing.


    Withoutining, I go upstairs with the boys, and each of us goes to our room to brush our teeth. Momentster, we all gather in the living room, where Lina is already waiting for us.


    “Good luck, Lena,” she kisses the top of my head, and I have a good feeling about this act, “I’ll be looking forward to hearing the news; I’m sure you’ll do great.”


    “Thank you,” I return the hug and think I’m doing it by force.


    “Goodbye, my little cubs,” she hugs and kisses her sons.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “Cubs, Mom?” Rapha asks with a smirk, “This is too embarrassing for the future supreme alpha.”


    “It doesn’t matter what you’ll be someday,” she kisses his head once more, “You’ll always be my little cubs.”


    “Alright, Mom,” he ends upughing, “I’ll get used to your annoying nicknames.” We allugh, “Goodbye, Miss Lina,” he kisses his mother’s cheek, and La does the same.


    “Goodbye, Lina,” I wave as I walk away.