Georgiana
A grin spread across my face as I saw my best friend, Hadley, waiting for me at our usual spot on the concrete steps outside D block.
“Hi,” I greet. Hadley puts down her book and smiles up at me.
“Hi! How was Science?” Hadley asks. I roll my eyes. I have two science sessions per cycle: Mr Forrester, who does the experiments, and Mr Blake, who does the theory. Today was my theory lesson, so all we did was sit there and write and copy off the board. And it’s not like he uses PowerPoints that he can send us later. No, it’s all handwritten whiteboard work, with which he had two. When he finishes writing on two panels of one whiteboard, he goes to the next and writes on the other two panels. Then swaps. At the end of the day, it’s a brain overload.
“Mr Blake,” I reply.
“Say no more.”
We walk from D Block to M Block, where the school’s PE buildings are.
“I wish you could join us,” Hadley pouts.
“I know, me too,” I admit. Hadley has what the school calls ‘combat training’ now, which is a werewolf code for defence training. Our school, Swan Valley Secondary School, or SVSS as the locals call it, has a mixed population of werewolves and humans. Although the human population is becoming more aware of the other subspecies around them, my pack, Swan Moon, likes to be more traditional and keep our secret to ourselves.
“Get a room, girls!” Emil calls out as he walks out of the boys’ changing room.
“You wish,” Hadley replies with a grin. I roll my eyes and laugh.
“Only with Georgie. You’ll be my girl, ay Georgie?” Emil asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I shake my head and wriggle out of his hold.
“Not today,” I reply.
“Not today? So that’s a maybe?”
“You know she’s turning eighteen on Sunday,” Hadley adds, grinning at me. Emil’s eyes light up.
“Really? So there’s a chance?” Emil asks hopefully.
“No,” I laugh, pushing him away.
“I should go,” I say to Hadley as more girls wander in and out of the girl’s changing room.
“Yup. See you Saturday,” Hadley tells me. I nod.
“Yup, see you Saturday,” I repeat. I watch Hadley walk into the changing room, leaving me with Emil.
“You know, Georgie, I’m eighteen already…” Emil says, advancing back into my personal space.
“Am I your mate?” I ask him. He would know by now if I was.
“No… but we could have fun until I find her,” he says mischievously.
“Ugh! Goodbye Emil!” I groan, turning around and heading away.
“I’ll be waiting!” Emil calls back to me. I just smile and don’t reply.
Emil is a player. He and Hadley dated at the beginning of the year, but then he dumped her for his next conquest. Hadley didn’t mind. She knew she wasn’t his mate, and it’s pretty standard for werewolves to hook up with others before they find their soulmate, the one given to them by our Moon Goddess. Me, on the other hand, I’m still a virgin. Hadley is the vivacious one, one twinkle of her brown eyes and full toothy grin and the opposite sex fall at their knees. I’m told I’m equally as pretty, although I don’t see it, but my reserved nature keeps others at bay. I’m not quiet when I know people; I just feel quiet when I meet them. Why make things up to impress people if you can just be yourself? And I’ve been raised to believe I’m perfect just the way I am, so why change myself to make others like me?
I walk into B Block and head for the Music rooms. I wave at the junior students practising with their instruments as I walk past. Those who can smile and wave back at me. I find Mum working with Jennifer at the piano. Jennifer is in Year eight, and she’s trying to learn how to play. Trying is the key word, as mum puts it. Jennifer’s fingers are frustratingly short and unable to spread across the keys like mum wants. I listen to Jennifer play; although she’s not a prodigy, she’s good.
Jennifer finishes her piece as I walk in.
“Georgie!” Jennifer greets me with a smile when she sees me.
“How was I?” she asks.
“You were good,” I reply. I see Mum roll her eyes behind me.
“Mum wants me to perform at the Royal Amphitheatre at the end of the year. Do you think I’m good enough?” Jennifer asks. I look at her, open my mouth, and close it again before looking at Mum for support.
“Keep practising and build your finger strength. You might not get to play this year, but maybe next?” I offer. Jennifer looks at me, and her face drops.
“Speed exercises?” Jennifer asks.
“Yeah. What has my mum told you?”
“Scale practice…” Jennifer admits. I nod. That’s a good start. Unfortunately, Jennifer’s mum is a tiger mum. This is one of the few areas her parents want her to succeed in. She has more extra-curricular activities than she can count on one hand. My mum told me once she joked that Jennifer had no time for play, which Daisey, her mother, retorted she did- fifteen minutes a day before bed. Yup, fun times.
After a pause, I say to Mum, “I’ll go to my room.” Mum nods and continues to work with Jennifer.
I walk down the corridor and find the room reserved for me. My room is one of the few with a key, which I have because of the instruments I keep inside it. I unlock the door and walk in, breathing in the scent of the wood of the walls. Smiling, I open a window to let the air in and take a seat to pick up my Ming Jiang Zhu 909 violin. I play the piece I’m performing for my visit to the Royal Amphitheatre in the Capital State. The piece is called La Vida Breve. It’s not my favourite piece, but it’s one the Queen personally requested I play for her for this year. I’ve been performing for the Royal family since I was six. Only the best musicians perform at the Amphitheatre for the Royal family, and this sounds arrogant, but I am one of them.
I play the piece until I’m satisfied and then pick a more modern piece to play. When the TV show Wednesday came out, and the main character played ‘Paint it Black’ on the cello, it was like all the young musicians in the music industry shouted yes at the same time.
I love playing classical music on my violin, but I also love playing old pop music songs on my violin as well. The older members of the Arts Council hated this genre of music on classical instruments, but it brought a heap of new young musicians to pick up playing. I play uptown funk next and then Smooth Criminal.
I get lost in my music, and when I finish, I see Mum and some fellow students standing outside my door and watching. Mum smiles while the younger students clap.
“I love listening to you play!” Serene, one of the younger students, says.
“Thanks,” I grin.
“We should go home. I’m tired,” mum admits.
“But I just got here,” I protest.
“It’s almost six-thirty!” Ayah laughs.
“Yes, and we’re running late,” Ayah’s mother protests behind her.
“But…” I protest.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” Mum tells me again. I make a sad face and nod, putting my violin on its stand. I close the window and turn off the lights. Everyone stands aside and watches as I lock the door behind me.
“You’re leaving now?” Billie, one of our cleaners, says. I look at Mum and realise how late we are.
“Sorry,” I reply.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Mum says, wrapping an arm around my neck and kissing my hair.
We also say goodbye to the families leaving before hopping into the car and heading home.
/\//\\///\\\//\\/\
“Dad still can’t make it?” I ask as I pull out the ingredients to make a salad from the fridge.
“No, sorry. He’s stuck in Garden State, negotiating with the Alpha from Blue Moon Pack. Some of his recruits, though, will be arriving on Wednesday, and he should be back a few days later,” Mum admits, taking the quiche out from its foil bottom and placing it in the oven.
“I wish he could be here,” I admit sadly. I’ve tried to keep a happy front about Dad being away. I may be a lot like my mum, with my blonde hair, light green eyes and talent for music, but I’m daddy’s little girl.
“He called me today. He wants to be there, but Alpha Lance is… difficult.”
I nod. My dad is the Commanding Delta of the Swan Moon Pack. A Delta wolf is what we werewolves call our soldiers, fighters, and army. My dad, being the commander, oversees them all. He has been challenged a few times during his career, but he’s the best and has had his position for a very long time. Because he’s the best, other packs often send their Deltas to him to train them. Sometimes, he goes with a team to train packs, and sometimes, he visits other packs to recruit new Deltas.
This has made some Alphas a little hostile towards Dad and our pack because they fear losing pack members, but it’s not like we’ve forced recruits to stay. Some do, most don’t. I have a feeling this is why Dad has been taking so long at Blue Moon Pack. It is much smaller than ours, and many of their younger members are leaving in droves.
“He said he’d call you,” Mum tells me. I nod.
“I just want him to be there, you know?” I speak. But I know it can’t be helped. Blue Moon Pack is at least a three-day drive away; the trip there and back would only delay his coming home more. Dad was meant to be home yesterday, but…
“Your grandparents are coming,” Mum offers. I smile. I know they’re coming. I’m looking forward to it.
The doorbell rings, and I run over to open it.
“Hey, hey!” Hadley greets, giving me a hug. I breathe in her fresh scent of vanilla as I hug her. Hadley has been my best friend since primary school, and we’ve been joined at the hip since.
“Hi, Kara!” Hadley greets Mum.
“Hi, Hadley. Your room is being used tonight; you’ll have to share with Georgie,” Mum says. Hadley looks at me knowingly.
“Oooh, the things we could get up to tonight!” Hadley y says, wriggling her eyebrows. Mum rolls her eyes, and I laugh at her reaction. The first few times Hadley stayed with us, we shared a room, and we didn’t sleep at all. Dad got so sick of it that we converted the guest room into a room for Hadley, and she’s stayed in that room ever since when she sleeps over. Hadley even keeps clothes here.
“Don’t worry! I brought more clothes!” Hadley calls out as Mum walks back into the kitchen.
“Moon Goddess, why do you punish me so?” I hear Mum complain as she walks into the kitchen. I laugh, but Hadley doesn’t.
“What?”
“Nothing,” I reply.
We walk to my room, passing Grandad watching soccer on the couch.
“Hi, Mr Athentree!” Hadley greets Dad’s dad.
“Hello, painful child!” Grandad calls out.
“Don’t call your granddaughter painful!” Hadley jokes back.
“I meant you!” Grandad retorts. I smirk, and we continue down the hall.
“Guess what?” Hadley says after we close the door and sit on my bed.
“Hmm?”
“I hooked up with Emil last night,” Hadley admits.
“You didn’t?”
“I did! I can’t help it; he’s so hot…” Hadley whines. I don’t reply.
“What if he’s your mate?” I ask.
“He isn’t,” Hadley says quickly.
“Sure?” I question, looking up at her. She nods.
“But you want him to be.”
“No!”
“Hadley Templeton wants Emil Reed to be her mate,” I tease.
“No!” Hadley says, whacking me lightly.
“Hadley and Emil sitting in a tree,” I begin, “k-i-s-s”, I continue before Hadley pushes me over and tickles me. I tickle her back before she starts protesting that she’ll wet her pants, and then we stop.
“What if he is my mate?” Hadley asks, lying on my bed next to me.
“It would explain why you both end up getting together,” I say.
“Yeah, but…”
I turn my head and look at Hadley, who is staring at the ceiling. Truthfully, when Hadley and Emil broke up, she was devastated. Seeing him with another girl upset her, but he broke up with said girl and returned to Hadley. He broke up with Hadley again and then met someone else before repeating the cycle. When she began dating again, the guy she was seeing suddenly took off, leaving a smug Emil.
“Maybe he’s not,” I add.
“Yeah… maybe,” Hadley says sullenly.
I don’t know what to think about Emil and Hadley’s relationship. They’re on and off, on and off. Part of me wants her mate to be Emil so she can have him and be happy, but part of me doesn’t want him to be her mate because he keeps hurting her by being with others. When it comes down to it, I just want her to have a mate who will love, cherish, protect, and covet her above all else.
“I smell food,” Hadley says, interrupting our musings. I sniff, smiling at the smell of crispy roast potatoes.
“Last one’s a rotten egg!” I yell, jumping off my bed and running for the kitchen.
“Oh, my goddess, is this what Talon was like as a kid?” Mum asks as Hadley and I push and shove our way to a chair.
“I win!” I yell with a giggle.
“Yes, but worse,” Grandma smirks as Grandad laughs.
“Karalyn was never like that,” Granny, my mum’s mum, scoffs.
“Yes, well. I think Georgie takes after her father,” Grandad says, winking.
“Georgiana,” Granny corrects. I look at my plate as Granny attempts to assert her dominance over the table. Her grandmother was a Beta wolf, blah blah blah. Granny met Pops at the Changing Ball when they were eighteen, and the story goes she was from a rich pack, and felt Swan Moon was beneath her. As a result, Mum spent most of her teen years in her mother’s pack before returning here when she met Dad.
“Let’s eat, shall we?” Mum asks, cutting through the tension in the air.
It may be my birthday tomorrow, but Hadley and I were left on dishes duty while the adults retreated to the living room to watch television. Granny asked me to play for them after I finished, but Mum told her I had Hadley here, so I didn’t have to. I was grateful to Mum for that.
Hadley and I finished the dishes (which was easy because we have a dishwasher) before retreating to my room.
A pain ripped through my right calf muscle, rousing me from sleep. My body felt heavy, and I almost thought I’d imagined it when the same pain ripped through my leg again.
“Urgh,” I growl, curling my body and rubbing my leg. The same cramping pain rips through my left calf, and then I’m screaming.
“Georgie?” I hear Hadley ask, sleep in her voice. I try to respond when the cramping pain courses through my legs again.
“No!” I yell out in response as my arms begin to cramp. I watch in horror as the bones in my hand pop and break, fusing into their new form. Coherent thoughts escape me as pain explodes from different parts of my body all at once. It’s all I can do to stifle my voice from calling out in pain.
I feel myself being moved and hear Hadley nearby, but I’m overcome with pain to register anything. Until it stops.
“Sweetheart?” Mum’s voice calls to me. I look up at her, and seeing that she’s in her wolf form, I attempt to smile. But my mouth feels different.
“You’re in your wolf, sweetheart,” Mum says as a chuckle bounces in my head.
“Who’s that? Who’s laughing?”I ask.
“It’s me. Your wolf, Pandora. You’re funny. I like you,” she laughs.
“Are you okay?” Mum asks, tilting her head at me.
“Yup, just my wolf is laughing at me,” I scowl.
“Technically, you and your wolf are the same person,” I hear Poppa’s voice say. I look at my grandfather, who is also in his fur. All three of my grandparents, except Granny, are large, a testament to the Delta blood that runs through their veins. Mum and Granny are small, petite wolves.
“She’s big. Like her father,” I hear Granny say with dismay. I shake my wolf head.
“What a bitch,” Pandora observes. I agree with my wolf but don’t think it out loud.
“Let’s go for a run,” Grandad suggests.
“Yes! Let’s run!” Pandora and I say at the same time.
“Hey! What’s happening?” I hear Hadley’s voice. I turn and look at her. Even though it’s night, I can see everything clearly thanks to my wolf’s vision. Hadley stood amongst us, still in her nightshirt and shorts, her curls bouncing off her shoulders.
“Great! That’s wonderful!” Hadley grumbles when my family start to take off. I snigger and follow my family into the woods.
It was three hours later when I finally made it up to my room and into my bed. Hadley had given up and was curled up in the middle of the bed, fast asleep. I had to move her to the side for space, but I found it was effortless now that I had my werewolf strength.
Being in my wolf form, or fur as my pack mates call it, is oddly exhilarating. My body, the alignment of my arms and legs, feel stronger in my wolf form. And I could see and smell everything with so much more clarity. It is indescribable. Amazing. Thrilling. I’m a fast wolf, too, faster than my mum. I put it down to her being older, but Dad’s parents assured me it was because of my strong delta lineage. Something I get off them. Granny scoffed at this, but the look in her eyes told me she knew they were right. She may be the granddaughter of a Beta wolf, but my dad’s family were from much different stock.
I awake the following day to a tickle on my nose. I tried swatting it away, but it kept coming back, making me open my eyes to see what it was.
“What’s it like?” Hadley asks. She hovers above my face, her chocolate brown eyes the first thing I see.
“Hadley, personal space,” I complain, pushing her shoulders off me.
“Come on, Georgie! I’ll be seventeen for another three months! Tell me! What’s it like? What is the name of your wolf? Come on!” Hadley whines.
“Being in my… fur… is… pretty cool. Different,” I admit, grinning.
“And?”
“It’s hard to explain,” I add, making Hadley pout.
“What’s your wolf’s name?”
“Pandora.”
“After the Greek god who let all the evil out into the world?” Hadley asks.
“Yup. It’s a pretty name, isn’t it?”
“I always thought you’d have a wolf with a musical name, like Melody or Cleft. Or Harmony,” Hadley muses.
“Cleft?” I ask. Hadley nods.
“That’s an awful name.”
“Don’t know. It could work. I wonder what my wolf’s name would be called?”
“Torment,” Pandora says in my head. I chuckle.
“What?” Hadley asks.
“Pan suggested Torment for your wolf,” I tell her. I laugh louder when Hadley furrows her brow.
“That’s mean.”
“Could be worse. Your wolf could be named Grogan or Gargoyle. Chlamydia! She could be called Chlamydia! It’s not a flower, you know!” I squeal, laughing.
“You. Are. So. Mean!” Hadley says, hitting me with her pillow. I laugh as I try to keep the pillow at arm’s length as she continues to hit me.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I love you! I love you! Please stop!” I say, tears coming down my face from laughing so much.
Hadley stops and falls back onto her side of the bed.
“I hope I have a pretty wolf like yours,” Hadley says.
“Oh yeah. What does my wolf look like?” I ask.
“Grey. She’s a grey wolf. My wolf will probably be ugly and brown with curls like my hair,” Hadley states. I imagine a wolf with ringlet fur the colour of Hadley’s hair.
“Nah, that wouldn’t look good.”
“I know, right?”
We lay there for a little while.
“Hey Georgie?” Hadley eventually says.
“Yeah?”
“Now you can find your mate.”
