Ansgar

The fateful dinner had now been a few days ago.

Disastrous, not because I was dissatisfied with the planning, but because my birthday date led to an argument.

A quarrel between Juta and Odo's parents, who often avoided our family since then. A meeting led to accusations too quickly. Accusations that were always directed against Juta and weddings in winter. Odo defended Juta. He tried to be diplomatic.

I asked him if he also fought with his parents, but he said no.

Since then, Odo has come to us every day, sometimes even staying with us. I suspected that there had been an argument between him and his parents AFTER ALL. No matter how many times he said everything was fine.

The very next day, after that dinner, he assured me that he didn't mind getting married another day. And when he heard from Juta that she actually wanted to get married in winter, but had never mentioned it for his sake, he immediately agreed.

A winter wedding, instead of one in summer.

He assured me that he had never wanted to take my birthday away from me, and he apologized for his stubborn parents. They had experienced terrible things. He hoped I would understand. I did, but I was still frustrated.

He, Juta, and our parents have been planning obsessively ever since. At least it seemed to ME like this, because the topic was annoying. Either it was about Juta's wishes, which Odo almost always agreed to immediately, or about the atmosphere between our family and his. From time to time, Mom assured me that I had a place in the pack. Always.

No one took it away from me, whether a wedding would be celebrated on my day or not.

Odo's parents were outraged; after all, this one tradition from their old pack was more than just important to them. They clung to it. Odo told me it was their way of mourning the loss. He also said the tradition had a religious background. His pack had believed in gods and... From then on, unfortunately, I hadn't listened anymore. (A bird at the window was to blame! I didn't dare to ask Odo to repeat everything. So I just nodded.) His parents didn't mean harm, but they didn't want to give up this tradition. Not in their family. They did not blame him. All their frustration hit Juta.

And ME. The selfish, spoiled boy. Their words, which I had overheard, not mine.

So I preferred to avoid all arguments.

Like on this day.

"Ansgar, no." Begina rolled her eyes. "You're a boy. You can't spend the night with us today!"

Begina, Clementia, and I sat on the narrow city wall and watched as other teenagers were involved in friendly fights outside the city. A trial of strength among young wolves.

Some fought as wolves, others used their fists.

I wanted to join in, but they wouldn't let me. Admittedly, I would have won every fight.

Disgruntled, I let my feet dangle. Back and forth. In between, I drummed my fingers on the stones of the wall until Clementia stopped me, casually and slightly annoyed. More than once,

The two were kind enough to keep me company after losing several fights miserably. They were not good losers and claimed that everyone else was cheating. How exactly that was supposed to work was not clear to me.

"Yes. No boys in our beds!" Clementia pulled on one of my wolf ears. There was some blood on her mouth. "Our parents allow you to be ALONE with us in our rooms, but that's where it stops. I'm sorry. I know you want to avoid the wedding talk. I would be too annoyed by now, too. But unfortunately, you can’t."

"They don't want grandchildren! Mom always says that," Begina told me. One of her eyes was surrounded by slowly disappearing bruises. Wolves healed quickly. "Not NOW."

"You have too many breasts for me, no thanks," I grumbled. "If you were male..."

"There would be no risk of grandchildren." Clementia pulled my ear again. "Yes. We know you're not into us. But our parents still don't want a boy, no matter which one, in our beds. Not even if he asks as sweetly as you do."

"Sweet? Desperate! I would sleep on the floor or in the living room! I'm a gentleman!" I protested. "Unless you WANT me in your beds? Cuddling is okay. Purely friendly, of course. But stay away from me with your breasts! Ew!" I stuck my tongue out at Clementia and pulled one of her ears. "And I'm not into blondes. Blondes with breasts? Ugh!"

"Hey!" The blonde girl pulled my ear again.

I pulled her by the ear.

She pulled me by the ear.

I pulled her by the ear.

She pulled on my...

"Stop, otherwise you'll fall off the wall!" Begina growled. She held her sister, who had swayed a little next to me. For that, she had to lean behind me. "Besides!" She nudged my back lightly with her elbow. "Do you already know the rumors?"

"Which ones?" I saw Wilderich approaching the friendly fighting. They let HIM join in. GREAT. I wanted to beat him up... Idiot...

"Ansgar!" Now it was Beguina who pulled me by the ear. And not particularly gently.

"HEY!" I held my ear before she could pull it again.

Clementia laughed so much about it that she had to cling to me in order not to fall off the wall. "Yes. The rumors. We wanted to tell you about that, but you distracted us," she said, laughing.

I grimaced, held her tightly, and kept an eye on Begina. The girl grinned. "What kind of rumors?"

"Vampires are supposed to hide here somewhere!" she announced and tried to pull my ear again. I leaned away from her, towards Clementia, who was still holding on to me. We staggered and almost fell off the wall. Together.

Fortunately, Begina held on to me tight, as her sister had done before. "Careful!" she warned.

"Your fault!" I grumbled, laughing. Then I remembered what she had just said. "Vampires?"

"Yes." Clementia escaped my arms and moved a little to the side. "Shall we go look for them?"

"Forget it!" That was my sister's voice. She was standing behind us, at the wall. "You three better stay here! Vampires are here for a reason. Maybe they will bring trouble. And they DRINK blood."

Clementia, Begina, and I carefully turned to her. The wall was really very narrow. But making it thicker, more solid, didn't do our pack any good. The witch queen took our wolves anyway.

I wished the rebellion all the luck in the world. If they lost, it would only get worse for us. "We eat raw meat!" I replied to my sister. "Bloody, raw meat. We are wolves."

Juta crossed her arms. "We only eat raw meat as wolves. Vampires always drink blood. Maybe they are criminals? The entire pack should stay away from them. Mom told you that several times this morning."

"Did she?" I frowned.

"She did." My dear, caring sister rolled her eyes. "Several times, silly! Where were you with your thoughts? You three stay here. Although there are currently few soldiers and slave traders roaming our country, what if they are looking for these vampires? And what if a wolf is nearby? What keeps soldiers from capturing the wolf?"

"Nothing," Clementia agreed, pouting. "You're a killjoy..."

"We have no rights. Not in front of the queen." Juta shrugged her shoulders. "Pack law and wolf law do not exist for her. And vampires are also enemies of them. So stay here."

"Juta!" Wilderich's voice boomed over the wall. "I challenge you! Face me! I'll show everyone who's the next alpha!"

Juta rolled her eyes again. "Time to kick his ass."

"Please do that!" I growled. "I could be your Beta. That one is no good!"

"I agree, but I don't think..." Juta did not finish the sentence.

"Juta! You COWARDLY B*tch!", Wilderich roared.

Begina stood up with a swing, a brilliant feat considering the very narrow wall, and turned to the roaring wolf. "WHAT DID YOU SAY? B*TCH? THAT'S HOW YOU TALK TO OUR FUTURE ALPHA?"

"Stop!" I clutched Beguina's legs. At the same time, Wilderich was knocked over by an angry, almost black wolf. Enraged, my sister attacked. As a wolf, she had effortlessly jumped over the wall in one leap,  as if this wall were not over two meters high. Almost 3 meters!

Climbing up the rough stone? That was easy. Whether as a human or a wolf. Jump down or even over it?

In our pack, only Juta managed to do this so dignified. Most of them succeeded, but not in one sentence without touching the stone.