The Runt

Why was clover called a runt in the first place when she was the first daughter of the Alpha?

Why did no one treat her as her status of a leader’s first daughter demanded?

Why was her half-sister the heir and not herself, the first daughter of their father?

Well…all these questions were connected to one person, which was herself.

In the werewolf society, there were many traditions, and among them was a tradition for newborn pups clocking the age of three.

All three-year-old pups must be baptized in the tears of their god, Selene of the moon. According to history of these tears, Selene of the moon was devastated about the discovery of some of her creatures straying away from their fates and becoming enemies within themselves.

Those creatures who strayed away from their fates were known as rogues, a generational enemy for all werewolves.

Thinking of the never-ending war between her own creatures, Selene of the moon shed bitter tears for many days, which became the first downpour from the clouds to werewolves of the ancient times. Selene of the moon also gave an instruction to the werewolves through the oracle of the ancient times.

‘For thy tears shall be thy eye to thy children to see if thou will is heeded, and a drop shall be thy remedy to thy other children out of thou embrace.’

And so, the werewolves regarded her words as an absolute order. Her bitter tears were with them just as she wanted, never drying up like normal tears.

This wonder just showed how special her tears were, and the werewolves decided to build a place for all of her tears that they had gathered and guarded like a precious jewel. Thus the place just for the bitter tears of Selene of the moon was called the Moon pool.

Since their goddes cried for them on a full moon, the werewolves of the ancient times decided to name her bitter tears after that moment.

The Moon pool was exactly like the words from Selene of the moon. It was an eye for them to know if she was pleased with them.

If two soul bonds wanted to know if they were meant for each other, the Moon pool was the place for them.

If werewolves wanted to know if the Moon goddess was pleased with their Alpha or successor, the Moon pool was the place.

All in all, the Moon pool was like a second oracle for them, but the tears obviously had its limit and in no way was comparably to an oracle, who was the intermediate between Selene of the moon and her creatures, the werewolves.

From the early ages, three-year-old pups must always be baptized in the Moon pool. This was to determine the fate that Selene of the Moon had bestowed upon them.

It was also the moment for each pup to meet and connect the beast within them.

In the Ravenhowl clan, the signature color of the furs of their beasts was brown, and the eye color of their beast was brown as well. From the highest in the werewolf hierarchy, an Alpha to the lowest, an omega, all bore this color in different shades.

The brown color was like a marking of difference from the two other clans.

But the three-year-old clover was different. The color of her beast’s fur was black as night, and the eye color was grey like a stormy cloud.

As if that was not enough anomaly about herself, the oracle had insinuated that she was a pup with a cursed fate. And true to those words, something hellish descended on the same Ravenhowl clan, as if stamping the fact that she was indeed a pup with a cursed fate.

Ever since then, many werewolves had started to call clover a runt. The appearance and aura of her beast also didn’t help matters as it was smaller than omega’s beast, and weaker as well.

A runt was the perfect name, and so werewolves naturally referred her as that, sometimes forgetting that she was an Alpha’s daughter.

‘’Did Sarah just ask for the runt’s opinion?’’

‘’I thought her actions was a dream, but she actually did?’’

‘’Why did she do that?’’

‘’Is there something we are missing?’’

The werewolves present in the room murmured to themselves. Their actions were as if clover was invisible and her opinions mattered none of them.

‘’Hey Sarah, why are you asking the runt if she wanted to do it? Over the years, you have always been giving her the work, so why are you asking her now?’’

‘’Yeah. Sarah why?’’

‘’Are we missing something Sarah?’’

‘’……’’ Sarah remained quiet to the questions uttered to herself. Even if she wanted to be kind to the runt, the werewolves of the clan wouldn’t agree so easily. Anyway, she had given the runt a chance to express opinion. So, this matter wasn’t in her hands anymore.

‘’Will you be up for it?’’ Regardless of the disagreeing voices, Sarah repeated her question to clover, who stood at the end of the room behind some occupied couches and sofas.

As though her question were leading words, all eyes and head simultaneously turned to the back, in clover’s direction. All were fixed on clover who none paid attention at the beginning of the meeting. Under their scorching scrutiny gazes, clover knew she couldn’t give an answer that would benefit herself. Not when the werewolves apart from Sarah were staring at her with the usual resenting eyes.

‘’Thank you for your kindness, Madam Sarah, but I can do it.’’ Clover forced a strained smile on her lips. Though it would be nice to put all her attention on high school, clover knew that was plainly impossible.

‘’….If you say so.’’

Clover was glad that Sarah did not put her on the spot anymore. She had no idea why the madam was being thoughtful today, when she had never been that way over the last years.

Just as clover was treated as a lowly servant in her family, the entire clan also did the same. Whatever they wanted her to do, she must comply without any complaint. If she did not, her stepmother would punish her for the defiance.

‘’Since someone had volunteered to handle the heir, then we will move on to the next agenda…’’ As Sarah and other werewolves planned for birthday banquet, clover couldn’t help but zone out from the meeting.

For a moment, she couldn’t but wonder what it would be like if her own birthday was planned by others this way. Their excited but anticipating eyes, their arguments just to have a perfect touch, their extensive planning……

Her half-sister was really lucky and blessed to be this loved by the entire clan.

_____

‘That took forever….’ Clover stretched her arms upward to ease the stiffness in her bones for standing in one place for more than an hour. Just to attend this meeting, she had to skip the remaining classes and leave the mortal world early. At least, her step-mother wouldn’t find fault in her for arriving at the meeting late.

‘what’s the time?’ Clover took out her phone from her jeans’ pocket, pressing the side button to light up screen. Once her eyes landed on the time, 18:10pm, clover felt her soul almost about to depart from her body. She was really late. Even if her stepmother ordered her to attend this meeting, her stepmother was also the same person who would complain why dinner was not prepared before 7pm.

‘I have to hurry.’ Clover pushed down her phone in her jeans’ pocket, intending to walk out of the almost empty room.

‘’Clover, do come here before you leave.’’ A voice called out to before she could leave. Knowing that she couldn’t escape the person calling out to her, clover only hoped that her time would not be wasted.

‘’Madam Higgins…’’ Standing near the seated woman, Clover bobbed her head in acknowledgement. The head-omega that her stepmother spoke about was exactly this woman. A woman, who for some reason, had never called her runt but by her name.

Over the years, clover had taken notice of her address, but she didn’t dwell on it too much.

For a moment, there was silence between them. The werewolf that had been speaking with Madam Higgins just passed her by, leaving herself and only the seated madam.

‘’Madam Higgins?’’ Clover called out, confused and a bit vexed with the stalling of time. If this madam did not have anything to say, then she should be released.

‘’…Y-You look a lot….like h-her-r…’’

Who?

Fortunately for clover, Madam Higgins snapped out of her daze, but the words that she uttered with her shaky voice were a bit confusing to clover.

Who did she look like?

The only person that came to clover’s mind was her late mother. Clover was aware that she was an exact replica of her late mother.

However…her late mother’s name was like a taboo in the clan. No werewolf would dare to mention that name unless they wanted wrath of her stepmother.

Madam Higgins was a close friend of her stepmother so clover knew the madam was not one to betray the friendship by uttering her step-mother’s nemesis.

‘’Ma…’’ Just as clover wanted to ask who Madam Higgins was referring to, the madam suddenly cut her off, seeming to have gotten to her senses.

‘’Do your duties well, clover. That’s all I have to say, and don’t take my words to heart.’’ Madam Higgins said in solemn tone before turning away from her. ‘’You can go now.’’

‘’….Yes, Madam Higgins.’’ Still confused, clover bid the madam before going on her way. Knowing that she spent time with the confusing madam, clover checked her phone for the time again.

18:19pm

The digital clock on her phone read. Whatever thoughts she had of the weird behavior of Madam Higgins instantly vanished at the sight of the time.

‘I should walk fast.’ Clover thought, sliding her phone back into her pockets and walking out of the large double doors of the clan house. The distance between the clan house and her destination was quite far since her father and step-mother decided to have their home in a secluded part of the clan.

A walk could take about twenty to thirty minutes, but in the beast form, she could get home in less than eight minutes.

However.….

Clover had a certain trauma of showing her beast form within the clan, so she preferred to walk to any place within the clan in her human form.

She felt more safe when no one in this clan sees her runt-like beast form.