1. Ivy

All my life, I've been known as a healer and Water elemental. Then I found out I'm a Guardian of Celestia.

This is how I met Evolet Zephyrine and, more importantly, Oren Wood, my Alter.

I never knew who my father was till five years ago when I suddenly transformed into a wolf.

I still remember that awful day.

Evolet was about to be killed by Aaro when my body started to change. I was supposed to protect her; I was her Guardian.

And I did. I snapped the neck of that monster with no remorse.

But the worst thing was yet to come. The look on everyone's face made me run away.

They were afraid of me.

Afraid of the unknown.

Five years ago

I kept running and running till my legs gave up. My feet, or better said, paws, were numb and bleeding. Stopping near a stream, I look at my reflection in the water.

A black beast was looking back at me. Its fur was darker than the night itself, and its eyes were the same colour as the sun.

'What is happening to me? Is this another curse?' I thought, not being able to actually speak.

'This is not a curse, my dear Amaya! This is who you are, my Princess!' A voice came inside my head.

I jump in surprise and fear as I did not expect anyone to be here, and I look around frantically, trying to figure out where the owner of that voice is. It seems to be a woman.

'Where are you? Come out!' I try to say, only to realise that I can not talk when all I hear were growls.

'You are so funny, Amaya Ricci!' The voice said.

'I'm funny?! What the hell is going on? Where are you? How can you hear my thoughts?' I keep growling?

'I'm in your head, Amaya. I'm Ivy, your wolf.'

'This is not funny! How can you be in my head? Did I get insane? Was the blood of that bastard poisoned? This is it?'

'No, silly! You are not insane. You are a werewolf who just got the first shift. This one is the worst. Now you better drink some water and rest.'

'Rest? How to do that when I have this voice in my head who keeps telling me stupid things? What shift and what werewolf, Ivy?' I said sarcastically, putting the accent on the last word.

'The shift is what just happened to you, smart ass. You shifted into a wolf. As for werewolves, I'm sure you heard before what they are!'

'Oh... thanks! So kind of you to enlighten me!'

'You know what, Amaya? I was trying to help, but if you want to be a rude and spoiled little...' Ivy said in my head but stopped when I started crying. Well whimpering.

'What's wrong, Amaya?' She asked in a worried voice, but I didn't answer.

I kept crying and thinking about what I am going to do now. I can not go back. They will be afraid of me, and I can not live like that. My heart cannot take this.

'Ivy? Are you there?' I asked after a few minutes.

'I'm always here, Amaya! As long as you won't block me out, the mind link is always open.'

'Mind link? This is what you call this?'

'Yeah! Are you better now? Because we should go!'

'I don't know. And go where exactly? Everyone will hate us now.'

'Why would you think that, Amaya? We have a mate somewhere. One that will love and protect us and only us.'

'A mate, you say? Is a mate like an Alter? Like a soulmate?'

'Yep! This is what a mate is. Every wolf has one.'

'But... What about Oren? He is my soulmate.'

'Well, I never have seen this before, but I think he is not your soulmate anymore. Otherwise, I could have felt the bond.'

My heart shattered at her words. In the time I spent with Oren, my feelings for him grew. He was my soulmate. He will always be.

'What should we do now, Ivy? Will we die alone?'

She starts laughing like crazy, making my headache even more.

'Die? Alone? No, little Amaya! We need to go home!'

'Home? What home? I have no home now!' I said and started running.

The pain in my heart made me forget about my tired body, so my legs buckled, and I fell on the forest floor. I close my eyes and think about when I was a kid and my mom was still alive. When she used to sing to me and make me cookies. Everything was so perfect. But then everything turned to ashes. When she died, I was alone against the whole world. I had my grandmother, but she never truly supported me. She was so harsh till lately.

I open my eyes suddenly when an agonising pain makes me scream.

'Amaya!' I heard Ivy in my head again.

'Wh... what is ha... happening to me?' I ask her.

'You are shifting back! Try to think of something nice. I'm here, Amaya! I will always help you! Even when you will ask me not to.'

'What should I do, Ivy?'

'Just don't try to stop it! I know it's painful, but you need to shift back completely.'

My bones were cracking, and sweat was dripping from my half shifted forehead. Blood was coming out of my mouth from how hard I bite my lips, just hoping it will help ease the pain.

After what felt like years, the pain disappeared.

And so was my energy. I was about to pass out when my right hand began to light up.

A blinding blue light that made me feel nervous and calm at the same time was now covering my right wrist.

"What is happening? What the hell is happening to me? Wasn't it enough that I already transformed into a freaking wolf?! What have I done wrong to go through so much pain? Do the Gods hate me that much?" I yell, looking at the dark sky.

'Amaya, look!' Ivy said into my mind.

I was about to tell her to fuck off when I realised that the light was there no more. But a weird sign was now on my wrist.

"Looks like an 'R'..." I said in a low voice touching the little black sign with my fingers.

Just before Ivy could say anything, the blue light reappeared, and I felt like my body was floating.

Then everything went black.