I woke up early as usual but today was anything but a normal Saturday. Everyone under the age of eighteen has to undergo combat and defence training. Normally I would spend all morning helping Christian training the younger pack members until it came to my age groups turn just before lunch. I didn’t need to attend today though, my birthday tomorrow meant that I was being moved to train with the adults.
My first session would be on Monday after school so instead of fighting I had to spend the morning packing. We had told everyone around us that we were going on a trip for my birthday but really we were going to be spending the weekend at our old cottage. At midnight tonight I would shift for the first time and Kerry was worried about anyone from the pack catching sight of me when I changed.
Kerry was more convinced than anyone that I was going to be just like my mom. I know that it caused her a lot of stress but I also knew that there was nothing I could do to make her feel better. We have had this conversation so many times in the last few years. There was nothing I could say to argue against my family history. I hoped that she was wrong but at least one way or another I would know for sure tonight.
It only took me an hour to pack my bag but I stayed in my bedroom for most of the morning. The closer it got to my birthday the more I dreaded it. It was too much responsibility and I didn’t feel like I was ready for any of this. I should be looking forward to meeting my mate and going to college but instead I am on the verge of losing everything. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes just from thinking about that potential future.
Ryker and Christian came home just as Kerry and I were putting the finishing touches to lunch. We had lunch together as a family then loaded up the car. Ryker and I settled into the back of the car. I looked out of the window as Christian pulled out of the driveway and started driving towards the outskirts of town.
As we crossed the pack border Ryker started to tell me everything that I missed from training this morning. Without me there to partner with he had ended up with Charlotte while Ava (who Charlotte normally sparred with) ended up with Christian. Apparently Ava was ecstatic, Charlotte is not much of a fighter and Ava was relishing the chance to show off her skills.
“Charlotte is terrible.” Ryker moaned. We had set off almost an hour ago and he hadn’t stopped complaining once.
I mumbled in agreement.
“At one point she actually squealed and pretended to fall on me.” He said, he looked horrified.
“What did you do?” I asked. I could just imagine her doing something like that. I wonder how many guys would have fallen for it or at least gone along with it.
“I moved out of the way and let her fall on the floor.” He said.
“I bet she didn’t like that.” I replied.
“No but she is an embarrassment to the pack. Her parents are strong warriors, I bet they would hate to hear how weak she is.” He grumbled.
“I don’t think she is weak, I think she is just playing weak for attention.” I said.
That may be cynical of me but it was what I had come to believe after years of training alongside her.
“Well, I won’t let her get away with it again.” He said, crossing his arms across his chest.
“I get it. You get grumpy when you miss out on a good fight.” I sighed. I was sick of hearing it. I wanted him to shut up so I could listen to my music.
“Exactly. I need some exercise.” He said.
“You can go for a run when we reach the cottage.” I suggested.
“I could think of something else we could do.” He said. Oh no, he did not just say that in front of his parents. I could feel my cheeks heating up.
“You might be able to persuade me to spar with you if you are nice to me.” I said.
I looked over and met his gaze, his eyes told me that he had something completely different in mind. I wasn’t surprised by his suggestion, only how openly he was making them. I hoped that I was the only one who could read him this well.
I glanced towards Christian and Kerry who were sitting in the front of the car. One look at Kerry’s face told me that she had read Ryker’s not so subtle hint and wasn’t very impressed.
“Are you looking forward to meeting your mate Diana?” She asked me.
“Not really.” I replied.
“What? Why not? It is the best day of a young werewolves' life when they meet their other half.” She said.
She was looking lovingly at Christian. I felt like a lump of emotion was forming in the back of my throat. I have never wanted to be normal more than I did right now. The cottage had a lot of nice memories for us but for me they were all tainted by the pain of losing my parents. In my normal life I could pretend that these things didn’t affect me but when I was already upset everything else just hurt all the more.
“If you are right about me I will only have to reject them anyway. It is better that we never meet.” I said.
“That is a bit pessimistic, maybe he could help protect you.” She said.
“Or maybe I would just get them killed.” I said on the verge of tears.
My dad was a powerful alpha of a large pack until they came looking for my mom. If they could get to him they could get to anyone. Maybe my mate would decide that I was too much of a risk to them and hand me over like a gift.
“You don’t know that, you should at least give him a chance.” She said.
She was looking at me with sadness in her eyes. I felt guilty, I didn’t want her to feel sorry for me so I just nodded in agreement. It wasn’t like I didn’t want her to be right. Maybe I am feeling a little pessimistic at the moment and things will look brighter in a few days' time.
I pulled my headphones out of my pocket and stuck them into my ears before anyone could object. I looked through my favourite songs till I found something with a suitably heavy bass and lots of screamy vocals to match my mood.
I kept my headphones in for the rest of the journey. We arrived at the cottage late in the afternoon. The golden light of late afternoon was streaming through the gaps in the trees. It was beautiful, like something from a postcard. The cottage was set in the middle of the forest, miles away from the nearest town. The perfect place for someone to get away from the rest of the world. It was also the perfect place to make sure that nobody saw me change into my wolf. Christian and Ryker dropped me and Kerry off at the cottage before heading off to forage for some food at the nearest fast food outlet. I followed Kerry into the house. We walked around the house removing the dust covers from all the furniture and storing them in the cupboard under the stairs. We still came to the cottage a few times a year for weekend trips but the last time was almost six months ago. The cottage had that slightly musky smell that houses get when they are empty for a long time. Kerry went to the shed to g
Ryker slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me to my feet. He was speaking soft words of encouragement to me as he helped me to stand by myself once more. “There is nobody for miles around, we are safe.” Christian said as he emerged from the treeline fully dressed. That was quick, or did I lose time? My head felt fuzzy and I was having trouble concentrating on anything other than the painful static electric sensation on my skin. Kerry told everyone else to stay put and walked me over to the treeline. She told me to strip before she turned her back on me and started walking back towards the cottage. I did as she said, trying my best to ignore how even the feel of the fabric against my skin was causing me pain. I had just slipped off the last of my clothes when the first jolt of pure pain passed through me. It felt as though an electric current had passed through all the bones in my body simultaneously. I fell to the floor and cried out in pain. “No, she is fine. The first t
I woke up before sunrise, just like I usually do when the nightmares come. The dream was just as painful as usual but there was something different about it now. When it got to the part where we were all in the kitchen working out what to do next I heard my mother talking to me through mindlink. “There is so much that I want to tell you little one but if I don’t make it look for the box in the attic of the cottage. It is hidden in a hidden compartment inside the chimney. The key to the box is your favourite smell.” She said. This must have been the missing piece of the puzzle that my brain was trying to work out. When I woke up feeling sad but also relieved, like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Some part of me must have recognised that she was trying to tell me something. I just had to wait until my wolf was awake before I could hear her message. Maybe I should have been worried that my mind was playing tricks on me but I wasn’t. I was 100% certain that what I heard i
When I opened my eyes the light was already streaming into my room through the curtains. I can’t remember the last time I woke up feeling so refreshed and revitalised. Heck, I can’t remember the last time I woke up after the sun had come up. I glanced over at my phone on my bedside table. It may have been later than I usually wake up but I still had some time before school started. I had never bothered to set an alarm before. I could always count on my nightmares to wake me up before dawn anyway but last night there was no nightmare. If they really were gone and this wasn’t a one off freak event then I might have to start thinking about that kind of thing. I dragged myself out of bed, showered and got ready for the day ahead. Once I was dressed it became clear that I only had enough time to make myself breakfast or apply my makeup, not both. I guess I was going to have to go into school looking a mess because there is no way I could get through the day without coffee. It just wouldn’
It was a good thing that I am ahead in all my classes because I couldn’t focus on anything all morning. My brain was split between too many different things and none of them were algebra or what I wanted to do for my English project. I was too busy trying to work out what the code could be, worrying that my mate might be around any corner and worrying about training tonight. It is a shock that I didn’t end up walking into a wall or something with how many different directions my mind was going in. I knew that if I was going to meet my mate at school it would most likely be at lunchtime. So when lunchtime arrived I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved for the break or worried about meeting my mate. I walked to the dining hall as quickly as I could, only stopping when I reached the entrance. I looked around the room, expecting to lock eyes with my mate but nothing happened. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was the first person of our group to arrive in the dining hall so I sat down at
Once school was over I didn’t have a whole lot of time until training was due to start. Just enough time for me to go home, make a quick snack then change into my work out clothes. Black leggings, pink sports bra and black strappy t-shirt. It wasn’t exactly the height of fashion but it hugged my curves in all the right places, even I had to admit that I looked hot. I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to meet my mate wearing something like this. I pulled on my trainers and ran out of the house before I could overthink things and get myself worked up. I thought that I was arriving to the training session early but it looked as though my training group were an eager bunch. I was one of the last ones to arrive. Most of them had already arranged themselves into pairs and were practising sparring with each other. “I was worried that you weren’t going to show up.” Felix said. He was smirking at me, this jerk actually believes that he is going to beat me. I would enjoy kicking his ass and wipin
Elijah mostly smelt of the first after a heavy rain to me but there was also a faint smell of roses. I didn’t think anything of it at first but as I was talking it reminded me of my mom. She always used to wear a perfume that smelled of roses. Now even all these years later I still found the smell of roses comforting. I had been trying to work out the code based on the smells that I liked now, that was why I was struggling. It made sense that the code would be something I liked while my parents were still alive. This had to be the answer, it seemed so obvious now. I ran all the way from the hall to my house and straight up to my room. Ryker, Christian and Kerry watched me running up the stairs with interest but they didn’t make an attempt to stop me. I could only imagine what they must be thinking. Once I was in my room I closed the door and sat down on the floor in my closet. I worked out the numeric code which would correspond to the word rose. I typed it into the keypad and tur
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. I had solved the puzzle of the safe and my nightmares had stopped. Now the only problems I had were finding these keys and working out what to do about Elijah. The second of these problems was probably going to be the most painful. After all my talk about not accepting my mate I guess it serves me right to be paired with someone who didn’t want me. Nicely played moon goddess. The thought of my imminent rejection weighed on my mind but I wasn’t going to let anyone else see my pain. I showered and got changed for school. As an act of defiance I wore a black lace dress rather than my more usual t-shirt and jeans. The dress came just above my knees. It was tight until it reached my waist where it flared out. It was a bit too dressy for school so I paired it with my converse trainers and my leather jacket to dress it down a little. At least this way I would look good while I was getting painfully rejected. Maybe if I was lucky I could sto