Chapter 1
I quickly got dressed in my school uniform. I tied my hair up into a ponytail and grabbed my Chucks before I left my room. Halfway down the stairs, I realised I forgot my bag and went back upstairs for it. As I grabbed it, half of my things on the desk fell over and scattered on the floor. I would clean that up when I get back home from school because I was running late already.
Stumbling over my own two feet as I entered the kitchen, dad chuckled, and I shot him a glare. But it really meant nothing. He was just amused by my clumsiness.
My sister, Kelcie, sat at the table with dad as she scrolled on her phone. We looked far from sisters. She had blond hair and blue eyes, she practically screamed Barbie wanna be. I had black hair like our dad. Funny how I was the one who resembled our dad in a way that I was practically his mini-me, if only I had his brown eyes. Kelcie had our mom’s blond hair and her blue eyes. She was also a year younger than me and sometimes she would forget that and act like she was the older sibling between the two of us.
Mom always favoured her over me, just because I was the wild one. Dad favoured me and that was significantly better than being pampered. Dad always wanted a boy, and I was the next best thing.
I helped him with things around the house and even with the car. I also trained with the males in our pack. Kelcie was more concerned with her nails, hair, and clothing to actually be around us. But don’t think for one moment that it was a problem, because we preferred not having her or mom around to complain about things the entire time.
Mom sighed as she stared at me. “Do you need to barge in like you’re some kind of wild animal?” She asked and dad snorted.
“We are animals, only a little wild, but animals we are.” I said as I kissed mom on the cheek. “Morning.”
“Morning, Dylan.” She said as she handed me a mug of coffee. Yes, even my name was a boy’s name. But I liked it. Someone named some of the best people were named Dylan. Bet you could think of three Dylan’s right about now.
“Morning, daddy.” I said as I plopped down next to him. He lowered his newspaper and stared at me with narrowed eyes. “Is there something on my face?” I asked as I scrubbed a hand over my face.
He laughed, “no. You’re clean.”
“Thank the Goddess for that.” Kelcie muttered.
Dad ignored her as he stared at me, and then his lips spread into a smile that lit up his entire face. “Guess what today is?”
“Friday?” I frowned at him, not really sure what I was missing.
“Of course you would forget your own birthday.” Kelcie shook her head and stared at me. Well, okay. She wouldn’t forget what today was, because it was my eighteenth birthday. For me, it was just like any other day. But she always felt like it was unfair for me to experience things first. Big problem there, because well, I was older…
Hello?
“Oh, well.” I smiled at her, “thank you, Kel.”
She beamed like a Christmas tree. Then she did the weirdest thing.
Kelcie.
Hugged.
Me!
Like straight up wrapped her arms around me and squeezed my body to hers. This was something we haven’t done in years. When the shock wore off, I returned her hug and mom gasped.
“Would you look at that?” Mom said to dad who just chuckled.
“Today will definitely be a day to remember.” Dad said, Kelcie and I laughed.
“Seriously, it was just a hug.” She said with a goofy smile. “And besides, today will be the day you’re grown up and a new chapter has begun for you.”
“Chapter eighteen.” I said, and we all laughed at that. In the werewolf world, we celebrated births, fifteenth birthdays - only because then you could finally shift - and eighteenth birthdays. Because this meant you could find your mate, but you hardly ever find yours on your eighteenth and it needed to fall on a full moon. Mates were hard to find, because if yours isn’t in our pack or from a nearby pack, then you might never get to find yours. That was why we held a yearly Carnival where packs for all around would show up and mingle together for you to find their other half.
I couldn’t wait to find my mate. Just looking at other mated werewolves, I knew I wanted what they had. Someone who would love you no matter what and the bonds that mates shared were the best feeling, like everyone always explained to us.
Kelcie was probably going to be mated to Dane, the next Alpha in line and her crush of sorts. Not really sure what was going on between them, but all I knew was she liked him a lot. Dane and I trained together every second day, and he really was one of the most attractive guys that I have seen, hell his entire circle was attractive.
Our dad was the Beta of the pack, and it worked out well for Kelcie. And for me? Well, I was the oddball and everyone in the pack knew it. It was strange for a female to want to train and become a warrior like the males. But dad was proud, his daughters would achieve great things in this pack and he knew it. Kelcie was going to be the Luna, and I was going to be the best warrior female that no one had ever expected.
“I can feel it in my bones that Dane and I are mates.” Kelcie said with a wishful gleam in her eyes. As if she knew what I was just thinking.
“Of course you’re going to be mated to him.” Mom said proudly, “you two were made for each other.” I wanted to laugh at them, but it wasn’t appropriate. Kelcie just wants to believe that she would be the Luna of the pack, like most girls do. I should be on her side, but honestly, the Moon Goddess had a weird way of making things go in the opposite direction that you wanted them to go. Like who you thought your mate would be.
Mom was always one for seeking power. She was born in another pack and her brother was the Alpha of that pack as of now. Mom found her true mate, but she fell in love with dad at the yearly Carnaval years ago. Dad had found his true mate when he was eighteen. It was the Alpha of our pack’s best friend and only female warrior to ever have been. They got married, and she passed away at twenty when she gave birth to their son.
Their son passed away when he was a few days old. No one knew what went wrong, but the doctors said that there was a problem with his heart. I knew that was the reason he treated me the way he did. I heard rumours that the baby had looked just like him and, well, here I was looking just like him as well. Perhaps that was why he wanted me to become a warrior, because that was what he wanted for his son.
A few years later, when the old Alpha of our pack passed away because of a rogue attack, our new Alpha appointed dad as his second in command. They were like brothers. But they shared the heartbreak of losing the people they both loved. Now Kelcie fell in love with that same Alpha’s son.
It should have been weird because the Alpha was sort of dad’s family, but not by blood, but we were all like family in a way.
Dane turned eighteen two months ago, and everyone was just waiting for Kelcie to turn eighteen next year. The carnival was around the same time as the mating season. We have always planned that way for centuries. During mating season, the females would be on something similar to a female dog, but not that gross. Our scents were just stronger for the males to find us easier.
Even if you haven’t found your true mate, you can settle for a temporary or chosen mate. That’s what my parents did. They were chosen, meaning they chose each other. Mom found her true mate years ago, but decided that she would rather be with dad. For dad he felt horrible for the male, but ended up being rather happy that mom loved him so much to stay with him.
We all sat down and had breakfast like usual. Mom and Kelcie shifted between the impending wedding that Kelcie and Dane would have by next year and the carnival. It was a big deal because everyone showed up and it was important for the pack image.
I felt a little bit envious about Kelcie and how much time she spent with Dane - if they were true mates, I don’t know how to handle it - I was sort of crushing on him myself and never really let myself get close to him. We trained together, and it was fun.
There was a honk in our driveway and I drowned my last bit of coffee as I got up. I grabbed a piece of bacon and stuffed it in my mouth as I shouldered my bag. “See you all at dinner! Love you guys!” I called as I left the house.
Everyone greeted me in their normal way. Dad told me he loved me, mom said that I should have a great day and Kelcie just groaned. She was going to see me at school. She hated everyone knew we were sisters.
Ever since my birth, I got a lot of attention from dad and I think Kelcie hated that and the fact that the pack house members always treated me like I was fragile.
Only because during birth when doctors tried to get me out and when that finally happened, I stopped breathing. I was dead for almost five minutes and ever since then I was treated like I was fragile. That was the reason I wanted to become a warrior, because I have always been fighting to survive even with the small things.
My wolf was also smaller than normal, but she was a fighter and her spirit entwined with mine in the best way possible.
Being so small, we could run faster and get into places normal wolves couldn’t. Becoming a warrior would be in our pack’s favour. We could outrun and outsmart our enemies, but we needed to outlast them, too. So we needed to become stronger than necessary to survive. That was why I have been training almost every single day since the age of fifteen when my wolf awoke.
I spotted the red jeep with Ruth hanging out the window, howling for me to hurry up.
“You’re such an animal.” I said as I got in and Ruth flashed her amber eyes at me.
“Aren’t we all?” She purred.
Ruth was ruthless, her name was perfect for her. She had brown hair with brown eyes. Our eye colors were the same in human and wolf form, but it only glowed brighter when we shifted. Mine was stark green against my black fur. She would make a joke that I resemble a black puppy. Mom would probably flip a car if she heard Ruth compare me to a puppy. But I kind of liked the fact that I was different. It meant that I would never be part of a statistic because I never fit in with anything.
I rolled my eyes at her, “you can say that again.”
Ruth pulled out of the driveway and drove us to school. We listened to bad music - the cheesier the better - and we sang along to every single one. It was a ritual. We needed music for everything we did, no matter how bad the song was. She was just as crazy as I was and we fit so well together.
Ruth parked in the usual spot at the coffee shop where we got more coffee and doughnuts before we left for school. Yet another ritual we had since we could drive around on our own.
My car was sent to the shop again. I had a minor accident that involved the town’s statue and a cupcake. Which we will never speak about ever again.
“Happy birthday!” Ruth yelled over the soft chatter of patrons in the little coffee shop as she placed a tray down in front of me.
“Ruth!” I whispered at her as I tried to hide behind my hands.
“Stop that!’ She exclaimed as she tugged on my wrists. “This is a magical day and you will not shy away from it whatsoever! My girl has finally become a woman.” She gushed in a funny, cheery voice.
“I have already gotten my period years ago.” I mumbled.
Ruth laughed so hard at that. She tilted her head back and clutched her stomach. Wiping the non-existent tears away, she shook her head. “Not what I meant, but thank you for the reminder.” She took her seat across from me. “What I meant was you can now find the one.”
“Like you did?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
She rolled her eyes, “he’ll be at the carnival.” Her tone was dreamy, and I knew she knew he would be there. Hell, he’d better be there for her sake!
“I hope so too, then I’ll have peace and quiet for once in my life.” I muttered and before I could say anything else, Ruth’s fist shot out over the table and I duct just in time before she could punch my arm.
“Asshole!” She glared at me.
“But you love me, regardless.” I smiled brightly at her.
“That I do.” She sighed, “unfortunately.”
Now it was my turn to punch her, but her reflexes weren’t as fast as mine and I got her good on her arm. We both laughed as people around us stared at us with smiles or frowns on their faces.
