Jane
“Are you coming back?”
“Yes,” I reply, bringing my cellphone away from my ears.
“Ahh yea,” really to protect my ears from the shrill screams that would follow.
“Yes, I have already completed my courses and there isn’t anything I want here anymore.”
A long silence follows the conversation with no voice/sound from the other side.
“Oh, by the way sis, do you remember Xander?” my brother tries to change the subject to end the awkward silence by asking about something else.
“Xander? The Alpha heir, your best friend?”
I ask my brother, remembering the little kid who used to follow me everywhere, probably around my brother’s age.
“Yes, he’s coming of age in a week and since our family are really close to theirs, our parents want you to attend his ceremony.”
Ah, I remember the kid was just around my shoulders the last time I went back home, but time does wait for none.
“Ok, I will go,” I say as I put my cellphone back in my pockets and continue packing my belongings in my suitcase — my clothes, books and my personal diary that has remained with me ever since I came to this world.
“We came to this world, sweetie.”
“Oh yes , Zena,” I say as I finish putting my diary back into the deepest part of the compartment while talking to my inner wolf.
“Yes, you heard it right, I was not originally from this world. I was reborn here after my untimely demise in my previous life.”
Initially , I considered myself no different than a normal werewolf.
It was only during the time of shifting at the age of six that a flood of memories filled my mind and I awoke, finding that I was originally a young adult in 21st century Earth who had accidentally travelled to this fantasy world after an unfortunate accident.
The world I was reborn in is an exact replica of our Earth, except that it has some additional fantasy elements. In this parallel world, all types of fantasy creatures like werewolves, vampires and witches live in harmony by disguising themselves as humans. Each of these fantasy elements have a group or community of their own with its distinct social and political hierarchy.
I was born in this life as Jane Hughes — the first-born daughter of Alexander Hughes and Lily James, the Beta couple of the largest werewolf pack — “The Alpha Moon Pack.”
Life was good and uneventful and I even had an adorable younger brother — Ron.
Until I shapeshifted at the age of six into a dark charcoal-like black wolf named “Zena.” She said that she was my inner wolf who would accompany me for life and help me find my mate.
“What is a mate?” I remember these were the exact words I asked her. “Is it a friend or something?”
Being involved in science and technology in my previous life and a staunch materialist, I didn’t even know that mate referred to a werewolf’s soulmate — the eternal companion of one’s soul .
Zena : “A mate is a blessing from the Moon Goddess to all the werewolves. It is believed that at the start of the universe, every being was whole — a sphere. When the Big Bang occurred, each sphere split into two equal parts. They are not perfect alone. The other half of the sphere represents its mate. They are like two shards of broken glass — imperfect and incomplete without each other, but complete once they meet and complement one another.”
Jane: “Oh, I get it. Isn’t this the most popular myth regarding soulmates on Earth? Soulmates — a pair meant to be together?”
Zena: “You can call it that. But every werewolf has only one mate in their entire life. We are able to sense our mate’s presence based on their scent and through telepathy once we come of age — after our 18th birthday.”
It was Zena who gave me a complete guide about the basic common sense regarding what a mate means to a werewolf.
Even though I wasn’t much interested in novels and movies in my previous life, living in the modern era of technology and witnessing the rising popularity of online novels, who hasn’t come into contact with terms like “werewolf,” “soulmate,” or “fantasy world”? But knowing something and experiencing it yourself are quite different.
Therefore, I was quite bewildered the first time I learned about the concept of mates.
“Is there really someone out there who is meant for you?”
The concept itself made me curious and interested, and therefore I wondered:
“Is there really someone who would be the other half of my soul?”
These questions, which would never have crossed my mind in my previous life, kept repeating themselves in my head.
Adding to the fact that I had never been in a relationship in both of my lifetimes made me even more expectant, and my anticipation to meet my mate grew stronger.
The wait lasted until I turned eighteen. Under the hopeful and expectant gazes of my parents, family, and friends, Zena and I tried to sense even the faintest whiff of pleasant pheromones in our vicinity.
But much to our disappointment, we didn’t sense anything.
My father personally took me along during his weekly pack visits in hopes of helping me find my mate.
But I couldn’t find him.
Therefore, I decided to visit other packs over the next few months, but the result remained the same.
“I couldn’t find my mate.”
“I am sorry, Zena. Maybe it’s my fault.”
At some point, I began to think that perhaps it really was my fault — because I had been human in my past life. The chances of humans finding mates are much lower than those of werewolves. Maybe because my soul came from another world.
For me, the desire to find a mate was initially driven by curiosity and anticipation, but it was different for Zena. She truly wanted to meet her mate.
An inner wolf like Zena — even though she appeared mature, calm, and aloof after being with me for so many years — was still like any other girl experiencing her first traces of love. I knew that Zena, too, had expectations and hopes for her future mate.
Therefore, I wanted to search far and wide — to the ends of the earth.
“I think I want to continue my graduation from St. Partwin’s, the college known for its excellence in human society.”
My parents initially refused, considering my safety and the unforeseen circumstances I might face in territories outside their control. But I had to try every possible way.
Even if it meant chasing a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I had to do it.
Seeing my determination and unwavering attitude, my parents finally agreed.
However, Lady Luck was never on my side.
It has been six years since then, but let alone meeting my mate, I haven’t even caught the slightest hint of his scent.
Now, I’ve started thinking that maybe I’m simply an oddball and don’t have a mate at all.
Or worse…
Maybe my mate is dead.
Zena: “No. In that case, I would feel it.”
Zena had once told me that when a werewolf’s mate dies, they can feel it even if they have never met before.
“Then what is the problem?”
I asked her for the nth time, the question itself becoming a routine by now.
Zena: “Maybe we will meet him soon, Jane. Don’t lose hope.”
“Hm,” I replied while packing my suitcase for the journey ahead.
