Chapter 1

Neaera-

“We are going to be late if you don’t hurry!” My older brother Stryker yelled from the other side of my door.

I was already dressed and ready to go, but as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I wished I could go back to bed. For the past two weeks, I have been free of my tormentors at school, living life to the fullest with my family. Now that winter break was over, I dreaded returning to school.

It wasn’t that I hated school, I just didn’t like dealing with the other kids at school. I was smart and at the top of my class. The teachers loved me, and I always did my best to help the teachers out.

If it weren’t for them, I think that my existence at school would have been much worse than it already was. If only I had been born with the werewolf gene just like everyone else in this pack. Being the only human granted me a lot of people that made it their life goal to make my life a living hell, not to mention I was also overweight, which only added to my misery.

Unlike the others with the werewolf gene, I gained weight no matter how hard I tried to eat healthily. My parents took me to the hospital when I was younger, and we learned I had a hormonal imbalance which led to my weight gain. It was bad enough being teased for being human, I also had others making fun of my weight.

I wished I could look like all the other beautiful females, with their great features and slim waists. I was twice the size of the other females. I was called Fatty Re-re by my bullies at school. Re-re because they thought I was retarded since I didn’t talk much in school.

It wasn’t that I didn’t talk, I just didn’t talk to them. Ever since I started gaining weight and found out I didn’t have a wolf, like everyone else, my self-esteem has plummeted. I did my best to hide it from my family, but they knew some of what I had to deal with.

Thankfully, I had a great family that loved me unconditionally. I knew it was hard for them to have me as their daughter because they always had to add extra protection for me any time I left the pack territory. They wouldn’t dare tell me, but I had overheard from a few warriors that it wasn’t right that they had to follow me around when I went to other places.

Sometimes I wish my brother weren’t becoming Alpha, since I knew without a doubt that he would gladly take on the role of protecting me. He has done it since we were kids, never once complaining. He has always come to my rescue.

It has been strange the last two years though, ever since he turned eighteen. The way he is with me is different, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. All that I knew was he has become more hateful toward the people that tormented me.

“Come on Nea, I need to get to the training grounds!” Stryker yelled again.

Sighing, I gave myself one last look in the mirror and pulled at the shirt that was a little tight around my midsection. Finding clothes that fit me wasn’t easy. Knowing I couldn’t do anything about my appearance, I reached over to my desk and grabbed my bag.

When I opened the door, I found my brother standing in the hall. He was a handsome guy, standing over six feet tall, and had a body that made him the object of every female’s fantasy. If he weren’t my brother, I probably would have my own fantasies about him.

Along with his strong body structure, his piercing blue eyes and jet-black hair made him look powerful. Not as powerful as when he was in wolf form, but there was still an essence about him that demanded attention. Brother or not, I couldn’t deny that he was the most handsome man I have ever met.

“I don’t know why it takes you so long to get ready, you are already beautiful. You really don’t need to put on makeup.” Stryker said as he reached over and wiped a wet cloth over my face.

Closing my eyes, I groaned as he wiped away my makeup. Sometimes I wonder if he rushes me as he does just so he can wash away my hard work. If there was one thing I was skilled at, it was makeup.

I didn’t put a lot on, but it made me feel a little better about my looks when I applied it. I should have known that I wasn’t going to be able to leave the house with it on though because every morning he did this. I had thought that if I put just a little on, he wouldn’t notice.

“Just once I wish you would stop lying to me and acknowledge that I am not. I have never been beautiful and at least when I wear makeup it makes me feel like I am.” I told him as he continued to wipe my face.

I don’t know why I bother trying to talk to him sometimes, because it wasn’t like he ever listened to me. Every morning he did this and every morning I had to reapply it at school. By now I should have learned my lesson and waited until after I was at school.

“I am not lying. You are beautiful and if other people can’t see it, then they don’t deserve to be near you. As soon as I am Alpha, I promise that I will make everyone that has ever hurt you pay.”

His touch became more tender, as did his voice. When he finished cleaning my face, he looked down at me with an intensity that seemed a little strange. His hand cupped my cheeks and his thumb slowly brushed under my eye.

“Much better.” He whispered.

Suddenly feeling a little awkward, I stepped around him and out of reach. Running into the bathroom, I closed the door behind me. Leaning against the door, I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself.

What was with my heart rate becoming erratic all of a sudden? Maybe I shouldn’t have given his appearance much attention. That was probably the reason behind my feeling the way I was.

For just a moment when he looked at me the way he did, I felt as if all the air inside of me escaped. Shaking my head, I cleared my head to get rid of any thought I had about looking at him as anything other than my brother. It was wrong for me to feel flustered around him.

Catching my reflection in the mirror, I checked to make sure he cleaned the makeup off and didn’t smear it. Satisfied that he didn’t, I took one last breath before exiting the bathroom. Stryker was waiting for me, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

“Are you ready now?” He asked as if he was back to his usual annoying brother self.

Maybe it had all just been my imagination getting worked up. I was going to be eighteen in a couple of days and even though I didn’t have a wolf, I still had fantasies of finding my mate. Of course, it won’t be like werewolves finding their mates, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming that there was a man out there that would accept me for me.

Just because my brother accepted me, didn’t mean I needed to start getting flustered around him or feeling like he was treating me any differently than he ever has. Pushing my thoughts out of my head, I left the house with Stryker. Unlike me, he has already graduated from high school, but there was a small college across the field for the members of our pack.

Every morning he would walk me to school. He couldn’t always walk me back home, since he was in the process of becoming the next Alpha, which meant he had some training to do. I was sure our father was waiting for him at the training field already.

Every time he was late, our father made him do more training and scolded him endlessly. It wasn’t that our father was mean, but he was tough on Stryker because he was the next Alpha. I don’t know why Stryker doesn’t tell our father it was my fault that he is late.

If he did, I am quite sure that his punishment wouldn’t be as intense. Every time I have tried to take the blame, Stryker stops me before I get the chance. He did it to protect me, but I felt it was unfair. I might get yelled at by our father, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as what Stryker endured.

“Are you going to be late?” I asked as we headed toward the school.

“I will make it in time.” The lie that fell from his mouth seemed a little too easy for him.

Instead of calling him out on the lie, he was telling me, I let it go. It wasn’t like this was the first time he has tried hiding what he had to deal with him becoming Alpha. I wish I had the werewolf gene like him so I could at least stand by him and not have to just be an outsider looking in.

It would be nice if I were able to join him on patrol and help him with his training. Once again, I was reminded of how pathetic I was. When we reached the high school, I hurried him off so he could get started with his training.

Once I watched him run off to the point, I couldn’t see him any longer, I reached into my bag and pulled out my glasses. Just another thing that made me stand out from the others in the pack. Heading inside I stopped when I noticed two girls standing at the front doors.

Was it too much to hope that they had forgotten about me and that they would leave me alone?