I suppose I should describe some of these Whelps. I’ll start with Paolo, above average height somewhere along to lines of 6’2”. Of the apparent age of 18 and of Italian descent, with the oddity of blue eyes. I mostly assume because she missed me. I am blond haired and blue eyed much like our mother. Ireliana favored our father more with her auburn hair and green eyes. Oddly father said I more closely resembled his father in my changed form. Whereas Ireliana was like a carbon copy of our mother, but I'll get back to describing them later for now back to the class.

I’ll tell you about my sister’s Changelings first, I suppose. Bell was a young fourteen when my sister changed her. She was from the Congo but had the most vibrant green eyes. From her file, she is an intuitive and fast learner but thinks everyone beneath her. Which if she can get over what has Paolo up in arms, we’ll get along just fine.

Virginia was the last to be added to my sister’s menagerie, and the only other one to live. American, changed shortly after the colonies started according to her file. Young by any standard to be Changed, a mere 11 years old. If it weren’t for her vastly superior mental development, she would have been killed along with the other seven.

The other kids weren’t Changelings, they are what Pack calls Whelps. Born of werewolves, as the modern world refers to us, but too young to be Changed. They are of varying ages and nationalities. The youngest, aside from Virginia, is Pearl at a whopping thirteen years of actual age. She is the youngest daughter of the council head and the man who holds my blood oath. Brown hair, brown eyes, an average height for a 13-year-old white girl, not pretty but not ugly the most average existence I've ever seen. May the gods be with this girl if puberty decides to be cruel. Richard is a raven-haired, blue-eyed, tall sixteen-year-old of Native American descent, and the only Whelp not from the council. Calvin is 15 and of African descent, though I don't know where his father is from and have never met the man, his mother is the only member of the council that advocated for my life. So, I like him…mostly.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

As I stare out at these six kids, all I can see is a stunned silence on their faces. “I said are there any questions. Don’t be shy, ask away I have nothing but time.”

Pearl raises her hand. "Ah, our first volunteer. What is your question, Pearl?"

She pauses with a look of terror on her face when I say her name. To alleviate her fears, cause despite my hatred for her father she seems like a decent kid. At least from her file. Which I raise in the air and state, “I have a file on all of you. I know your names, birthdays, favorite foods, hell I even know your estrogen and testosterone levels. This is not a normal school. I know everything there is to know about you. Except for the Changelings, who for various reasons this institute couldn’t small pieces of info. So, ask your question miss Pearl, and don’t fear me. At least not while I’m human.”

She gulped. “How old are you?”

I tilt my head to the side and smile, “That’s not usually the first question, and knowing your father he’s already told you.”

“He has, but I want to make sure he wasn’t lying to me.”

“Very well Pearl, first I’ll ask you. How old did he say I was?”

“1500 years old.” She said without a hint that she thought the number was too small. I could tell from the way she said it she firmly believed her father was overestimating my age. I was going to ruin this child day.

I start laughing, “Ha-ha, to think he’d guess that low.” Even Paolo scoffs at the number. Virginia and Bell just giggle. “As of last week, I celebrated my 4395th birthday, approximately. More than 1500 years ago time was told in an entirely different manner. There was B.C.E. or A.D. there was just one year after the next. So, while I am absolutely certain I’m older than 1500 years. Seeing how I was at the battle of Thermopylae and saw the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. I’m not entirely sure of my actual birth year. It’s safe to assume I’m not so young.

“You may be wondering class at the reaction of the other half of the room. I’ll tell you this Paolo is 900 years old despite how young he looks. Bell is 700, and Virginia is 250. These are of course rough guesses, seeing as their exact dates of birth can no longer be determined. Except for maybe Virginia’s if speculations prove to be accurate. “