Chapter 1

**Mia's POV**

It was Friday evening when I returned from White Hills Academy. I walked into the white mansion and found my mother, Lucy Anderson, preparing dinner in the kitchen.

"Good evening, Mom," I greeted her, striding into the kitchen to embrace her.

"Welcome home, Mia. I'm having some guests visit us today," Mom said, and I looked at her.

"Who are the guests, Mom?" I asked, frowning.

Ever since I returned to live with my mother and enroll in the academy where she taught, I hadn't felt comfortable here.

I'm Mia Anderson, a seventeen-year-old girl. I used to live in London with my father, Rafael Anderson, before Mom requested that I apply to White Hills Academy.

The academy area was sparsely populated, and I had heard the sound of howls at night. Knowing that wolves lived around us sent chills down my spine.

"Mia, I know you are trying hard to get used to this place, but I promise you will love it," Mom said as she walked up to meet me and took my hand in hers.

"There's nothing for me to love around here. First, the woods and the forest surround us, and wolves live nearby. Aren't you scared that one of these wolves might jump on you and bite you one day? I feel so scared at night that I cannot sleep, yet people live around us too," I complained. I was wearing a short blue skirt and a long red sweater with black shoes.

"Mia," Mom smiled as she walked around the kitchen to set out the delicious meals she prepared to entertain her guests.

"I understand that you aren't happy coming back here. If your father hadn't traveled from place to place, you wouldn't have grown up so far away from here," Mom said as she checked the pot of fried rice and chicken she was preparing for dinner.

"Mom, I understand that you love the place—the forest, the waterfall, and the surrounding green plants. But I don't like it. I want to apply for a transfer back to London. Please, I know you and Dad separated, and he moved on with his life long ago, but this place doesn't suit me," I said, stomping my foot on the ground. My mother smiled and covered the pot of rice after finishing cooking.

"Look, Mia, there's something I need to tell you about yourself, before your eighteenth birthday comes up," Mom said as she approached me. She wore a short white dress that barely covered her thighs. She was light-skinned, thirty-six-year-old and could pass for my elder sister.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked.

She took a deep breath and said, "You aren't really human, Mia."

"What?" My eyes widened in shock at her statement.

"Mom, if this is a joke, please put an end to it. What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

She smiled and took my hands in hers.

"You're a werewolf. A Beta wolf," Mom said, and I stared at her face in shock.

"Mom, please, I don't understand what you're saying. First, what is a werewolf? Do they even exist? You seem to read so many fantasy books that you've started believing werewolves are real and exist among us, let alone that I'm a werewolf too. Please, Mom, I don't need these jokes. Just let me transfer back to London. I'll call you on the phone and we can video call every day," I said, knowing my mother found it hard to let go of me.

"Listen to me, Mia. Your father isn't human either. He was a werewolf like me. But he is a researcher, which is why he traveled from place to place working on his research and ultimately took you to London to be with him. He refused to allow me to tell you about your life here, but he knew the risk if you didn't return to the pack. You could shift one day, and the animal control officers in London might catch you and lock you up in a zoo for scaring people," Mom said. My jaw dropped at her revelation.

"Mom, you're scaring me right now. What do you mean I'm not human? How is that even possible?" I asked, and she smiled sadly.

Before my mother could say another word, the doorbell rang, bringing a smile to her face.

"My guests have arrived, Mia. Don't worry,, I will tell you all about it tonight. Your eighteenth birthday is just a month away, and you need to prepare to meet your mate and experience your first shift as a werewolf."

"What? Mom..." I watched her run to open the door.

"Come on, Mia. My guests have arrived. Let's go welcome them." Mom dragged me out of the kitchen to accompany her.

You wouldn't believe my mother lived in this big duplex all alone. After all, she served as the chairwoman at White Hills Academy. I didn't want to study there, but Mom insisted and refused to let me stay in the academy hostel, so I lived at home with her and commuted to school together.

I was studying finance because I wanted to work in a major bank in London, but now I had to live in a pack full of wolves.

Anxiety crept up my spine as my mother and I walked into the living room to welcome her guests. Mom employed servants who worked for her and cleaned the house. She was a wealthy woman, and I was still surprised she remained single. Why hadn't she remarried? She had a slim figure and beautiful curves.

"Hmm," I sighed as I looked toward the door my mother opened.

To my shock, the three bad boys from White Hills Academy—Luis, Liam, and Leon Oscar—stepped into the living room.

The triplets wore white tank tops revealing their sculpted abs, black denim jeans hugging their long legs, and black boots.

"What? Mom! What are these three bullies doing here in our house?" I demanded, glaring at the three bad boys from White Hills Academy.