Chapter 1
I was only 15 when my parents told me of my upcoming betrothal ceremony. Every girl from a well off tribe has one and I was to be presented to one of the alpha's sons during the banquet. One moment your a young child and before you know it one day everything changes and all of a sudden you have to be a proper lady. While my brother gets to be free to hunt and run mother has me working on etiquette and household training. Its so stuff and suffocating on top of that I can't eat without being disciplined on posture and bite size, my meals have been reduced and changed as well so I can fit into a small fitted dress. Eating fish constantly while everyone else gets steak and venison and fluffy bread.
My stomach growled in protest as I slowly ate a small roll and portion of trout. Mother gave me a furrowed look as if I could control my stomach. My eyes fixed hungryly on my brothers plate stacked with steak and tri tip. "Ember, its rude to stare at your brothers food like that. I can see you drooling through your eye's." Her expression elegant taking small bites of a steak her knife and fork never seeming to touch her plate. "Well mother, maybe I wouldn't if I was fed properly I don't see why I have to starve if Ciel here gets to stuff his face and we are both attending the Gala."
Father slamed his knife and fork into the table which made me shrink back into my chair. My once playful father who used to play with me once I turned 14 grew more distant. He looked at me annoyed like I was a borderline rogue, a thorn in his paw. He didn't even have to say anything as his demeaner and low growl filled the room.
“M-my apologies Alpha.." I stammered.
Alpha of the Shadow River pack Alpha Caspian River, Tall, lean with defined muscles dark brown hair with blue peircing eyes. I was the spitting image of my father with straight long almost black hair. Both my parents were wolf royalty in the northern territories a force to be reckoned with. When I was a pup theres a story that two of the inner packs were going to war over hunting rights over the leway land and both tribes backed down within hours of them being there. No one speaks the details because no one knows exactly what happened the two tribes were too proud to speak out but whatever went down shapped their influence on society and our prosperity. Mother The head Alpha Female Aspin Rose River is the embodiment of grace, elegance and beauty. Her skin is pale and smooth Eyes the color of warm honey with red hair naturally long thick and wavy. My brother Ciel Phantomhive River named after my grandfather that died in the succession war looked disinterested his dark gray hair messily falling in his face. His skin was pale like mothers his eyes ice blue. Father was training him to take over the pack. Alpha Caspian always offered an open challenge but no one ever stepped up since it meant death. The rules for succession was simple the head of the packs were presented with with their choices for succession there open challenges could be placed within the packs. Only pack members could challenge and it had to be a one on one the packs during succession battles if there were any it wasn't uncommon for death. Thats why gala's were held as a coming of age to gain pack resources and support through imprinting. After breakfast Ciel went with father to a pack meeting while mother and I went to socialize with the the omega's. The gala was tomorrow and mother was gushing about how I had to be the princess of the ball to gain a mate.
I wasn't excited about the gala to me it was a stuffy party full of deciete and male stigma. They dress the females showing off their packs noble families like we were property and mother and father were no acception. My dress was a tight corset beaded long cream colored with a thigh slit while mothers was a sexy elegant dark green corseted and silk. Mother wanted me to stand out in the family while I desperately wanted to shrink in the shadow. After a final fitting in the morning I had my last moments of freedom. Even if I found a mate tomorrow if they weren't from a prominent family or willing to challenge for my hand Father would force me to break our bond and I would be mated to another male of their choosing. It was all politics thats what daughters were born for outside of keeping other females in check and child rearing. I had no real friends in the pack since most of the girls were always staring either with dagers or like I was a noble princess unworthy of them. I was a lone princess who took comfort in books and sport. Once I could shift outside of my duties I would spend most of my days in a cave on the edge of our territory outside of prying eyes I would bask on a warm rock hunting birds when I wanted a meal.
Quail was plentiful although most wolves looked for larger game they were always plump and tasty. The moment I could get away from the other females I ran to the towns edge and started undressing placing my clothes in an old willow trees hollow hole it always kept my secrets and clothes safe. With a warm rush my paws stretched in the damp forest floor I ran north feeling the damp air glide through my fur until I didn't have the urge to run anymore. I reached the lake side cliff before long. Heavy mist covering everything in a thick fog my wolf eyes were able to see into the trees with ease. My blood line made sight and smell a simple trifle which is why I loathed being different. I was smaller than my brother but still much larger than the other wolves in our pack. My legs were wet with mud, my wolf whimpering in hunger as my stomach felt like an empty hole of nothingness. A passing wind hit my nose as deer filled my senses. Without a thought my body jolted easily, weaving through trees. I followed the scent and before the buck had time to think about running, my fangs sunk into its neck like I was biting through butter a quick snap and it was lifeless a sticky blood coating my chest. Right when I was about to feast, a familiar presence came into view. By instinct my mouth curled into a low growl as my wolf refused to let my meal get taken. Ciel jumped out from a branch jumping down to the wet ground with no hesitation approaching me. His lip curled into a smile as he held his hand up.
“I wouldn't fill up on that deer if I were you, Ember. If you disobey father's orders and can't fit into that dress, Mother will be devastated. Have to have the Shadow Rivers precious frozen Princess mated to a strong alpha tomorrow lest you be cast out as a rogue." Ciel crossed his arms casually like he was disciplining a puppy.
I growled at him merely in frustration knowing he was right. Unlike him his spot in the pack is secured he'll be fathers' heir and no one would dare challenge him for the position. Everyone respects him and already seeks him for counsel while I am easily dispensable. One mistake and as a rogue I would not survive always having to be on the run and chased out of territories that would never accept me as a pack member regardless of my strength since no one would make an enemy of father. Ciel issued a low growl, and I felt my body shrink like I was with father. My wolf is feeling starved yet knows she can not stand up to a future alpha.
With pity in his eyes Ciel grabs 2 small rabbits from behind the tree he's leaning on and tosses them in my direction. "Eat, I will take the deer with you back to the pack. You can tell father we went out hunting and came across it for dinner. Male deer are usually skittish this time of year in winter. Go down to the river get cleaned up your a mess I'll wait for you by the cliff."
Snatching the rabbits I ran to the river eating them not patient to carefully peel away the pelt like I used to with game. The tribe sells skins to the human settlement town up north a few times a year so that we afford luxuries and blend in. Some nomad wolves even choose to blend into human society as hard as it is. Most humans don't believe we exist, so they don't get hostile or suspicious. Still, it is a hassle training your body to mimic humans . Our movements are too fast. We are taught as pups the basics to be passable if we come across humans, most of it is making sure, we fidget our movements. Looking into the reflection of the water My fur once white was stained with blood and mud. I had no choice than to shift back into a human if I wanted to avoid smelling like a wet dog.
Although Ceil is covering my sneaking out from my duties, he can hunt without getting unnecessary dirt on his fur. He mastered the elegance yet fearsomeness from father and mother while I got the thrill of the hunt usually giving into my wolf since being in human form is always so suffocating. After looking to make sure no one was around I shifted and quickly plunged into the freezing flowing river letting it wash away the dirt and my thoughts. My last day as an individual.... a loud howl broke the silence of the gurgling river Ciel must be impatient. I shifted back into my wolf form one last look at my dark blue eyes before shaking and running back to the cliffs' edge. Ciel was already shifting his bluish gray fur glinting in the light. He grabbed the deer his mouth carrying it from its spine as we made our journey pack to town.
