Every warrior in our pack had gathered in the small clearing, making a sparring field of sorts. Various weapons stood on temporary racks to the left side. Summer sun filled the clearing, lighting everyone up. It was a good afternoon to train. I used to love being apart of a unit. Being a part of them. Now it filled me with dread seeing everyone so closely packed. So many pairs were going off on each other. A kick here, a swing of fists there. They would clash in the center of their makeshift rings, then come apart again for some air. To me, it was a dance to determine who was the strongest partner. To my father it was an opportunity to weed out the weaklings. Much like myself.
I needed the outlet, since last night and this morning was still fresh in my mind. Julian had crowded every part of my thoughts, leaving a tangy taste in my mouth. Mother suggested I got some fresh air after I ate. So I had gone and dressed in my most comfortable clothes. Finding them
The stars still glittered when I had walked over to Mikaela's house. Her parents had already left for work, as had her brother. She had started her admin job when she was eighteen and still clung to it. That was her way of escaping from our day to day lives. Like the humans, we had attended high school in the human town. Like humans, Mikaela had insisted on getting a job right out of school. She couldn't afford university and her parents didn't want her to attend, so she wanted to start earning enough so that she could further herself. Unlike Mikaela, my job was dictated of me from birth. Being a Beta was hard work and took dedication, and once I get mated, my husband will take the title. Proving once again that women could work twice as hard as the males, but would still come second.Mika was already dressed by the time I walked in, giving us enough time to chat before she was speeding off to another day of sitting behind a desk. That wasn't to be my life, thankfully, but ma
When you stare death in the face, you never think about insignificant things. Whom you love. The people you wanted to speak with before you went. All the apologies left unsaid. That didn't happen for me. Instead, all I thought as the vampire in the middle smiled at me was, shouldn't he be burning in the sun right about now? Become a pile of ashes and float away on the wind? Contrary to popular belief, werewolves rarely encountered other creatures, especially vampires. So to see so many of them shook the air from my lungs and brought up my breakfast to just below my neck. It also made me somewhat angry to think that all the books my people had left on vampires were very inaccurate. Someone had to get on that problem as soon as possible. Andrew rushed to my side as the vampire smiled at me again, his fangs catching the sunlight. Heartbeats were audible from inside all the homes surrounding us. No one had gotten out safely before these people just waltzed right on in. I had led
With more reluctance than I had hoped for, Richard had left with all of his men, leaving the trailer full of roses and my motorcycle behind. No one dared touch the roses, either. Obviously I wasn't the only one who knew that flowers could be poisoned. Chaos took flame the moment we couldn't see their SUVs anymore. Guards screamed at each other, asking how they had gotten past most of the patrols. Mothers ushered their children away, fear still lingering on their faces. Mother had tried to comfort whomever was around, but it didn't stop people from going into full blown panic mode. The vampires now knew where we lived and no one was comfortable with that idea. No one wanted to admit that it could have been worse, either. All the tales of encounters with vampires were wrong, at least to a certain point. Not a single person was harmed or threatened, besides Andrew, who had earned it. Earned every promise of his blood being spilt for the way he had spoken to me. Members of the pack voic
Sleeping was a disaster. My body knew to shut off, that I was exhausted beyond comprehension, but my mind drifted in an out constantly. It started with childhood memories. How loved I was as a pup, before I had turned. Before they knew how small I was. Insignificant. Nothing to be proud of. Then I drifted to how I wanted nothing more than to please my father. My parents. Begging my mother to just look at me with some pride in her eyes. Anything other than the constant look of contempt she showed me. She might have smiled a lot, but it was never genuine. Never the same as other mothers smiling at their daughters. After a while I settled on my most prized memories, leaving all the bad ones behind. Sleep overs with Mikaela. Reading sessions at our local library where we would stay for hours on end. The smile she had only for me. How with one decision I brought down hell upon us, the freedom we loved exploring together now a distant memory. If we were forced to mate into different packs
As a child, I always dreamed of what my future would be. Mated, living in a home with several pups. Our garden would be tended to every day, flowers of all colours blooming in the afternoon sunlight. My parents would be having brunch with us every Sunday after I had bathed the kids. Father would joke around with my mate. Mother would touch my already growing belly. Child number five on the way. Everything would feel like a dream. Perfect. I was content, happy even, with the life granted to me. My mate would take over as Beta once Jasper stepped up to being Alpha. Or my mate was an Alpha. His new pack adored me. I adored and comforted them. A model Luna to the pack that took her in so lovingly.Through this entire dream, vampires and the discord between us and them didn't exist. Didn't appear anywhere in the story. Our people were happy. I was happy in a role dictated by our society. Then I grew up. Grew older and colder as the years flew by. Gone was the little girl who dream
Words failed me. Every inch of my soul told me that this man was my mate. Pieces finally fell into place. Pieces I didn't exactly wanted to know, but had to face. Julian was a king and all I had been was a source of power. An invigorating snack. Even if our necklaces belonged together, there was still a piece missing. Another part of me refused to believe it was Mikaela. It couldn't be. I refused to drag her any deeper into a mess I had made. I was breathless by the time I finally rushed into Mika's house. Her parents were away for some business, leaving us alone.She stood in front of her stove, stirring some sauce, when her eyes flashed towards me. Worry hooked into her features as she stepped towards me. I slowly walked forward and flung my arms around her waist, shoving my head between her breasts. Mikaela smoothed down my hair in relaxing strokes, but didn't push me to speak. Her presence alone calmed me more than any deliberation about this situation would. If Julian ha
We had gotten out safely. The only wolves harmed were the two I had let collapse to the ground. Neither had stirred as we stepped over them and ran for the trees. Adrenaline had ravaged my body. I may have rebelled against my father in the past, but this was on a whole different level. There was no going back from here. Father would have my blood for breakfast if he ever found me. Treason. That's what I had committed and would most likely pay with my blood, or life. Whichever came quickest to him. By now the pack would be up in arms, searching for us in every little corner they could think of. To face them now would break me completely. After all the torment they had put me through, they were still my pack. The people I had grown up with. Some part of me, however deep down, still wanted to be a part of them. A part of a family.Morning rays slowly crept up the sky as we finally reached the town skirts. Julian refused that I turn, in case of someone spotting us on their early
Hours had flitted by in the blink of an eye. Our drive had been filled with music and off key singing. Julian pointed out several of his favourite places along the way. Vineyards with the best wine. Ranches with the prettiest horses. Some of the best beaches, with sand whiter than my teeth. We had driven alongside the ocean for most of our trip. In our pack, we rarely had the luxury of visiting a beach, even when we stayed a few kilometres from the closest one. Our elders believed wolves were made for forests, not waves, but Jasper had taken Sophie and I once, just when he had gotten his license. It felt like a life time ago. Julian and I had dropped into something resembling normalcy. The cruel night had almost been completely forgotten. I would show him the songs I loved and he would tell me about his musical talents. I hadn't mentioned that Richard had also informed me of his painting habits.We were just inside the borders to the Western Cape when Julian pulled off to the