Chapter 1

Mia's POV:

When I returned from White Hills Academy, I walked into the kitchen and found my mother, Lucy Anderson, who said, "Mia, we have guests coming today."

"What? Mom, who are the guests?" I asked, gazing at her fair face. Ever since I had moved back to live with my mother in the White Hills area and gained admission to the academy—where she taught—I still couldn't feel comfortable.

I am Mia Anderson, a 17-year-old girl. I used to live in London with my father, Rafael Anderson, before Mom asked me to return home and apply to White Hills Academy. The academy's area was sparsely populated, and I had heard wolves howling at night. It sent chills down my spine to know that wolves lived nearby, so I wasn't truly comfortable here.

"Mia, I know you're trying hard to adjust to this place, but I promise you'll love it," Mom said softly as she walked over to me in the kitchen and held my hand.

"Mom, there's nothing for me to like around here. First, there are the woods, the forest, and wild animals like wolves living nearby. Aren't you scared that one of these wolves might attack you one day and tear you to pieces? I'm so frightened at night that I can't sleep, even though people live around us too," I complained bitterly.

I was wearing a short blue denim skirt, a long red sweater, and white canvas shoes. I was of average height, and so was my mother.

"Mia," Mom began, her lips curling into a smile as she let go of my hand and walked to the gas cooker to check the delicious meal she was preparing for her guests. "I understand you're not happy about coming back here. If it weren't for your father, who traveled from place to place, you wouldn't have grown so distant from this area," she said, her voice filled with sadness as she checked the pot of fried rice and chicken she was preparing for dinner.

"Mom, I get that you love this place—the forest, the waterfall, and the scenery of green plants surrounding us—but I don't. I want to apply for a transfer back to London. Please, I understand you and my father got divorced, and he's moved on with his life, but this place doesn't suit me," I said, stomping my feet on the kitchen floor.

My mother smiled and covered the pot of fried rice she had just finished cooking. "Look, Mia, there's something I need to tell you about yourself before your 18th birthday," she said as she walked over to me.

The white dress she wore barely covered her thighs. My mother could pass for my elder sister because she was light-skinned and a 36-year-old woman.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked, watching her face curiously. She took a deep breath and said, "You are not really human, Mia."

"What?" My eyes widened in shock at her statement. "Mom, if this is a joke, please stop it. What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, feeling my heart about to burst from the revelation.

She smiled and held my hand. "Look at me, Mia. You are a werewolf—a Beta wolf, not just a human," she said, her blue eyes glowing brightly, which made me stagger backward.

"Mom, please tell me you're joking. I don't understand what you're saying. How did you make your eyes glow like that? First, what is a werewolf? Do they even exist? You seem to read too many fantasy books and now believe that werewolves are real and live among us, let alone that I am one too. Please, Mom, I'm not in the mood for these jokes. Just let me apply to go back to London. I can call you on the phone, and we can video chat every day," I said, knowing that my mother found it hard to let go of me.

"Listen to me, Mia. Your father isn't human either. He is a werewolf like me, but he's a researcher, which is why he traveled from place to place, working on his research. He took you to London with him and refused to let me tell you about your life here. He knew the risks if you didn't return to the pack—you could shift one day, and animal control in London might capture you and lock you up in a zoo for scaring people," she said, laughing, which made my jaw drop at her revelation.

"Mom, you're scaring me right now. What do you mean that 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. "Our guests have arrived, Mia. Don't worry, I'll tell you more about it tonight. Your 18th 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 as she hurried to the kitchen door to open it.

"Come on, Mia, my guests have arrived. Let's go welcome them," she said, dragging me out of the kitchen toward the living room.

You wouldn't believe that my mother lived in this big duplex alone. After all, she was 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. I was studying banking because I wanted to work in a bank in London, but now I had to live in a pack full of wolves.

Anxiety crept up my back as my mother and I went to the living room door to welcome her guests. Mom had servants who worked for her and cleaned the house. She was a rich woman, and I was surprised she was still single. She had a slim figure and nice curves.

I sighed as my mother opened the door. To my shock, the three bad boys from White Hills Academy—Luis, Liam, and Leon Oscar—entered the living room. They were triplets, wearing matching white tank tops that revealed their muscular abs, black jeans that hugged their long legs, and black boots.

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