Tonight, the air is very cold and frightening. Elvina stares straight out of the window in her room, watching the wind caressing the leaves so quickly that they seem to remain at home on their branches. She tightens the blue coat she is wearing, as the weather makes it difficult for her to concentrate enough to close her eyes. She glances at the neatly arranged bunk beds; all the children are fast asleep, and only she remains awake.

She looks up at the night sky, which does not seem friendly at all. Suddenly, the sound of thunder sends chills down her spine. Elvina rubs her palms together, attempting to ward off the cold that seeps into her body. Then, the typical little voice of a girl just waking up startles her. She turns to see the girl, still in her pajamas, rubbing one eye.

“Vina… I can’t sleep…” the girl says, still rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Is it another nightmare this time?” Elvina guesses.

The little girl nods slowly. “I miss Mom…” replies the sweet child.

"Me too… How about I stay with you until you fall asleep, like usual?” Elvina offers, and the girl smiles immediately.

“Vina, why aren’t you sleeping?” the girl named Ellia asks.

“Because I miss home,” Elvina answers as she pulls the blanket up to cover Ellia’s neck.

“But Vina is already home, just like Sister Lea said,” protests Ellia, who still enjoys looking at her.

Elvina climbs into Ellia’s tiny bed and lies down next to her.

“I know… I just prefer being in a well-heated house,” she jokes.

"Ellia likes a good heater too…” she replies.

“Alright, honey… close your eyes, and we’ll sleep,” Elvina instructs, and quickly Ellia shuts her eyes.

“Smart girl!” Elvina strokes her head, then follows her into the dream world.

Early morning…

Elvina wakes up when sunlight shines on her. She looks at Ellia, who is still peacefully sleeping. The other kids begin to rise, grabbing their bath towels, and she follows the same routine. After finishing her shower, she heads downstairs to help clean the house. Since today is Sunday, there are no lessons to attend.

This is where she stands now, in a large house with many residents. Starting from the girls and the boys, it’s clear where she is. That’s right! She’s in an orphanage, and she is the oldest child there. Even though she just turned 20 two weeks ago, she feels the weight of her responsibilities.

Her name is Elvina Beax. Both of her parents passed away when she was 10 years old. In fact, her mother died first after giving birth to her, and she lived only with her father, who worked at a company as an editor. When she was 10, her father had an accident and died.

“She has a height that could be considered quite short, she is only 153 cm tall, and she has never gained weight. Her weight is only 46 kg, and she has long, wavy, dark brown hair. Her face resembles that of a Southeast Asian because her father was Indonesian. She wouldn’t say her face is particularly pretty either, she has a pair of dark brown eyes that match her hair color.”

"She also has an aunt who was still in school when her father died. Her aunt left her in this orphanage. After graduating and securing a stable income, she promised to take her with her. Elvina has begun to feel at home here, surrounded by children who share the same fate as hers, yet her aunt remains the only family she knows.”

“Vina… can’t you sleep well again, honey?” Sister Paris's voice pulls her back from her reverie.

“Yeah… the weather is really bad, and I couldn’t sleep,” Elvina responds honestly.

“You need to rest a lot… You’ll be leaving here soon, and we will always miss the kind Vina.”

To be honest, there’s a feeling of sadness in Elvina’s heart upon hearing the words of one of the sisters who has cared for her for a long time.

“Sister, I don’t want to cry,” she says, trying to hold back her tears as best she can.

“Oh, honey, come back often. We will always welcome you,” Sister Paris hugs Elvina tightly.

Elvina has never felt the warmth of a mother’s embrace. She doesn’t even know how her mother’s voice sounds, how she smiles, or what her mother is like. What she knows from her father is that her mother was a good-hearted and independent woman.

“Come on, Sister Paris, don’t make the girls cry in the morning. You’d better hurry to the dining table, we’ll have breakfast,” exclaims one of the head sisters at the orphanage.

“You heard what the head nurse said, darling… we have to have breakfast. You’d better wash your face and then come down for breakfast,” Sister Paris orders.

“Okay.” Elvina heads upstairs to the bathroom beside the bedroom. After washing her face, she goes downstairs to join the others for breakfast. There are only simple dishes, but they feel luxurious when shared together. Sometimes there are jokes and laughter during gatherings like this.

The children immediately run outside or head to the garden. Elvina, along with several sisters, begins cleaning up the dirty dishes on the table. Now it’s her turn to wash the dishes, and she is assisted by Jesy, who is only 17 years old but stands 166 cm tall, which can be considered ideal. Her face is also beautiful, as she is of European descent, with blonde hair.

“Vina… are you really going to leave, like I heard earlier?” Jesy asks sadly.

“Did you overhear everything?” Elvina inquires, looking at her.

"I overheard your conversation with Sister Paris. I heard everything!” Jesy replies, and Elvina notices her beautiful blue eyes beginning to water.

“Hey… you know I will always write letters and visit here,” Elvina reassures her.

“You’re like my real sister,” Jesy whispers softly, her back shaking.

Elvina immediately hugs her, hearing Jesy sobbing. She wants to cry again but holds it in with all her strength, not wanting to make Jesy too sad.

“I also consider you like my own sister. I promise to send letters and photos with my aunt…” Elvina comforts her once more and releases their warm embrace.

“You promise?” Jesy extends her pinky finger, and Elvina hooks her pinky with hers.

“I promise!” Elvina replies.

“I will miss you very much,” Jesy says again, smiling.

“I will miss you and everyone in this orphanage as well,” Elvina shouts.

In another country, specifically in the middle of a forest covered with snow, a house and palace stand neatly arranged. A tall man with a large build and numerous tattoos sits in a wooden chair. He gazes at another man who bears many wounds, in fact, the man can no longer stand without being held up by two other tattooed men.

“Tell me which pack you came from?” the seated man asks calmly. If one pays close attention, they can see he is holding back the anger churning inside him.

“Even to death, I will not tell you!” cries the man, even as blood drips from his mouth.

“All right… take that woman!” he says with a smile on his handsome face.

“BASS… RELEASE MY WIFE!” the harsh curse erupts from the first man’s mouth, he knows that voice belongs to his wife.

“Is that all you can say?” shouts the man still seated on the chair as the door opens and a woman is dragged in.

"Would you like to see her die?” the seated man exclaims, directing his words at the crying woman.

“I beg you, just kill me… and let my wife go,” the man pleads.

“No… kill them!” With that order from the man’s mouth, bloodshed erupts within the luxurious room.

That man is named Alcander Weadhabery, he is the Alpha of the strongest pack in the world. Indeed! The Black Pack is a group feared for its ferocity during war. They fear nothing, not even death. Their leader, commonly called Cander, has yet to find his soulmate, despite being quite mature.

Cander stands at 189 cm tall and is muscular, with a six-pack stomach and tattoos adorning almost his entire athletic body. He also possesses a strikingly handsome face and a strong jaw. Many women from the werewolf community openly desire to be his lovers or bedmates, but Cander is a cold-hearted man who only wants to mate with one. There is no other woman, that is a principle he always upholds.

All members of the Black Pack are born with tattoos, a tradition that applies exclusively to males. Alcander's piercing eyes exude authority, causing any enemy who gazes upon the imposing black wolf within him, four times the size of ordinary werewolves, to tremble in fear. All packs around the world submit to the Black Pack, while ordinary humans remain oblivious to their existence, as the forest they inhabit is notoriously treacherous and forbidden.