Breeana felt the most peaceful anytime she was running through the woods. The sensation of the wind on her shiny black coat and the moonlight shining against her wolf itself was one of the most peaceful things she had ever experienced.
Though this time when she was running, it wasn't for peace. It was for victory. She pushed her wolf to go faster than the brown wolf in her front. The adrenaline that kept pumping through her veins reminded her of why she did this.
When she was competing and running against someone, she felt free. The wasn't the constant strain of being the Beta's daughter or the sister of the future Luna wasn't there. It was all about her and herself alone.
Her mouth almost hung open as she took in how close the finish line was. With a burst of speed, she pushed her wolf forward which placed her in front of her competitor. She was almost there.
When her paws crossed over the finish line, she felt it. The sweet taste of victory. Sadly, it didn't last long because soon after, she began to miss the feeling of the adrenaline in her blood, the wind against her fur, and the moonlight providing her with the extra dose of strength she needed.
Her birthday was approaching and she knew sooner or later she would have to face the music.
"Breeana Connor of Mountain Coast Pack is the winner of this season's wolf race! Please give a round of applause for the victor of these games."
As the announcer finished speaking, loud cheers broke out from the Mountain Coast pack members but the members of the other packs didn't say anything.
Breeana went to an enclosement reserved expressly for shifting and changing and she emerged from it, dressed in a blue skinny jeans and a white top.
Arthur Connor looked at his daughter with pride. He had always known that she would be a strong woman right from her childhood. And here she was, making him proud.
Breeana finally managed to escape from the multitude of people from her pack shouting her name with pride. The next race was about to begin and she didn't want to watch it. She was still basking in her own victory.
Reece spotted Bree from his seat where he was watching the race. Now he hated her even more than he did before. They had never gotten along, but now that her sister had cheated on him, he couldn't help but associate the two of them together.
Thus the hatred he had for the blond haired and brown eyed Connor only amplified the hate he had for the dark haired and blue eyed one. Even though they were sisters, without their last names he would never have guessed them to be related.
Their personalities were very different as well as their looks. Despite all that, he was certain of one thing. He hated her as much as he hated her sister, if not more. If she could have just not looked incredibly sexy that night he wouldn't have been tempted to dance with her.
Do you hear yourself Reece? You could have controlled yourself if you really wanted to the way all those other males at the party did, Ray said.
Whatever, he thought as he turned away from the female that awakened his anger and his nether region with a simple look.
"Bree!" someone called out.
Breeana heard someone calling her name in the hopes of catching her attention. She concluded that since the voice came from the north, it was most likely a pack member since Mountain Coast pack members always sat in the northern side of the grounds during the races.
As the voice got closer, she realized who it was. Ryan.
"Hey," he said nervously. "I just wanted to congratulate you on the win."
"Thanks, Ryan," Breeana responded curtly with the tone of finality that was meant to convey to him that she didn't want to talk to him.
Quite unfortunately, Ryan did not get the hint.
"So... Um... I just... uh... I..."
"Look, Ryan, I really have to get going so if you will excuse me..." She trailed off since she knew that he had now gotten the hint.
"No, wait! I'm sorry. That's what I wanted to say. I'm so sorry."
"For what?" Bree asked curtly.
"When we were dating, I shouldn't have cheated on you, but most importantly I shouldn't have cut you off and given up on our friendship."
"Uh..." Bree really didn't know what to say at this point.
He joined the index finger and middle finger of his right hand together and said, "Slide," he said, his eyes pleading with her to consider his request.
A smile broke out on Breeana's lips as she remembered the silly "slide" tradition she and Ryan had started when they were little for when one of them offended the other and wanted instant pardon.
"I can't say no to that, can I?"
Ryan enveloped her in a hug. "I missed you," he said, emotion filling his words.
Even with her hair muffling his words, she could hear the sincerity in them. "Me too, Ry. Me too.
She wasn't lying when she spoke those words. Breeana missed her best friend who she used to pull pranks together with and have long talks with. Sometimes it felt like he was the only one who ever understood her.
ONE WEEK LATER
Bree waking up to her best friends singing the happy birthday song to her was really the best way to start her day but she pretended it wasn't.
"Come on, guys. Really?"
"What do you mean by 'really'? It's your birthday!" her best friend, Callie replied. Callie was really a good friend to Bree. She was fiercely loyal too.
"Bree, you might wanna get up. Your mom is already starting her activities," Ryan hollered. He was dressed up in different kinds of happy birthday accessories. Be could be a goof sometimes.
"Breeana!" Hearing her mother's voice so early in the morning would be normal, but on her birthday it only meant that something was about to happen.
"Guys, what if I don't make it? Like what if I don't?" Bree asked hysterically, the importance of the day now dawning on her.
"Chill out, Bree. You've made it through seventeen other birthdays. What's another going to do?" Ryan said.
"Ryan, you silly goof. This is her eighteenth birthday! She could meet her other half!"
Ryan just rolled his eyes in response.
Bree really hated the term 'other half.' It only implied that she was not a whole person and needed another person to make her whole, but in reality, she was perfectly fine and she was whole.
I bet our mate is really hot, her wolf commented in her head.
Seriously, Shar? Now is not the time for that, Bree replied.
You're just a spoilsport. Allow me to have some fun, Shar said.
After prepping for two hours, Breeana was ready for her grand entrance to the party. Her sister had already descended since she was older by a year and Breeana's entrance was coming up next.
Ariana was putting on a red ankle length dress while Breeana had gone for a ankle length dress too but hers was a black colored dress.
Breeana walked down the stairs with poise and the members of Mountain Coast stared in awe at her as some of their jaws went slack because the surprise they were feeling dropped their jaws. It was a rare occasion to see the youngest Connor dressed up so extravagantly. They could not even recall the last time she wore a dress.
The clock was about to get to the time of birth for Ariana, and also the time her cake would be cut. Everyone gathered around the cake and sang happy birthday to her as Ariana blew out her candles. They were nineteen in number.
Soon the time of birth for Breeana arrived and it was time to cut her own cake and she did that, while the happy birthday song was being sang for her.
Just as she was about to take a bite of the strawberry cake from her father's hands, her eyes locked with a pair of green ones.
Mate! Mate! her wolf chanted in her head, squealing with joy.
The only problem was that the eyes that held hers was the same one that held love for another woman, her sister.
Chapter 4Breeana bit into her strawberry birthday cake and it tasted like ash in her mouth.She went through the motions; laughing with her dad, feeding him the cake, smiling for the camera, hugging Arianna and acting like her entire world hadn't just come crashing down.Reece. The arrogant fool. The boy who dunked her head in her 3rd birthday cake. The wolf whose only redeeming feature had been that he was dating her sister was somehow her mate?He just stood there frozen like a moron. She rolled her eyes and passed by him to hug his dad. It wasn't like she wanted him as her mate either could he be any more obnoxious?Mate, mate, mate. Scar declared.I heard you loud and clear the first time. Breeana quipped back.Although it was growing considerably difficult to fight the growing need to go to her mate, she just couldn't do it.He was Ari's boyfriend, her sister's soon-to-be mate. She couldn't do that to Arianna. Even if Breeana had wanted to betray her sister, it was Reece. Reece
5"Eat something before you leave, you look so thin as though we do not feed you enough in this house.""Love you too Mum. I'll grab something on the way." Breeana closed the door to her mother's rising complaints about her eating habits with her father trying to intercede on her behalf only to get blasted about how he spoiled Brenna a little bit too much and tried not to smile. She loved her family.Even Scar perked up a little at that. It was normal. It was home.What wasn't normal was the ever-increasing pull she felt towards Reece and the wave of sadness it brought on Scar. Scar knew Breeana couldn't betray her sister but she still longed to be united with her mate.Scar was miserable all the time and it was beginning to affect Breeana too.That was why she'd asked the clinic if she could come in more often for volunteer work. If she was working, actively doing something, it would help Scar focus on something other than her douchebag of a mate.Breeana grabbed two chocolate glaz
Reece held the phone in his hand following Breeana's scent.How could they have moved so fast?He rounded the corner and caught sight of Breeana's long dark hair only that wimp was leaning into Breeana, her hands on his shoulder. Then he kissed Breeana.Reece saw red. He pocketed the phone, crossed the distance between them and punched the guy in the face. Rage burned him from the inside out and he could no longer control himself.*****"Reece! Reece stop hitting him! Reece!"Breeana shouted trying to pull Reece off Ryan who was trying all he could to dodge the punches that Reeve kept throwing.It wasn't going too well however, Reece was larger, stronger and more dominant than Ryan. If Breeana didn't stop him, he could shift and hurt Ryan really badly.Reece looked possessed, lost and so viciously angry that cold fear gripped Breeana's heart.Breeana prayed she wasn't about to do something exceptionally stupid then she stepped between both of them directly in Reece's line of fire. "St
"So what's up with you and Ryan?"Ariana asked Breeana over at the dinner table.Breeana paused. "Nothing.""Oh. Okay." Ariana said, looking at her strangely.Breeana ignored Ariana's questioning tone and reached for the salt shaker at the exact time that Reece did.Both of them dropped their hands simultaneously and Breeana hoped her sister hadn't noted the odd interaction."We haven't been seeing you around as much as usual Reece." Arthur, Breeana's dad commented curiously."Oh, he's busy with his Alpha training. Gotta get him ready for leading this pack. I know he will do exceptionally well and let this old man retire in peace." Alpha Sean joked."The last thing you are is old, Sean. I brought dessert." Martha dropped the pie on the table before settling in next to her husband.Breeana was slowly coming to dread these dinners where she had to come in contact with Reece.They had successfully avoided each other since that incident and she wanted it to remain that way if she had any
His eyes were hooded and inviting as he gazed down at her like he hadn't seen anything or anyone as exquisite as she. Her core clenched with want as his lips dipped to her collarbone, nipping, teasing. She clung to him feeling needy, gasping as he reached her nipples.He sucked on her and she couldn't hold back a moan. "Please, Reece."Breeana woke up drenched in sweat and wetter than she had ever been in her life.It had felt so real that she had to look around to check if Reece was actually in the room.She closed her eyes and tried to get her mind and her breathing under control. The dreams had started almost immediately after she'd taken Reese to the hospital.Dreams where they did all sorts of things to each other. Dreams where she forgot or didn't remember they weren't going to ever be a thing. It would have made seeing him in person awkward except they barely saw each other.Reece was now taking up more security-related responsibilities so she didn't see him at the clinic anymo
His body was a marvel. He stood unashamed. Why wouldn't he when he had nothing to be ashamed of? Although Breeana had seen him shirtless, seeing him naked was something else entirely and left her breathless for all the right reasons. She stared at his strong thighs up to his…Breeana shook herself mentally. She couldn't stare at him in that manner, it was Reece for fuck's sake. Reece.Then she noticed he was also staring at her body. His eyes raked her exposed body shamelessly and she found herself reacting to his stare instead of flaring up at him."You shouldn't be looking at me like that, Reece." She finally found her voice fixing her eyes on his eyes, determined to not look below his neck."I know."But he kept looking at her so intensely that her cheeks burned."Then stop.""Do you want me to?" Reece's voice sounded so arrogant and self-satisfied that Breeana found herself wanting to hit him."Yes. You are so disgusting, it's super unattractive."Reece moved closer to Breeana and
"If you touch that chicken, I'll break your wrist."Naturally, Breeana's mom had to bring violence into everything."Mom, I'll still eat it at dinner. What is the difference?" Breeana whined, her voice in childish tones that always got her dad to do whatever she wanted."Touch it and find out."Like she would be that stupid.Breeana rolled her eyes and caught Ariana's gaze, Ari seemed to be biting back a laugh at the exchange between them. Breeana grumbled under her breath but dropped the plate on the dining table without taking anything from it."Is that chicken I smell?" Bree's dad wandered into the dining room, took one fried chicken thigh from the plate and bit down on it. "Oh my. I think I should invite Sean over more often. You never make anything like this for me.""Because I'm trying to keep you healthy." Breeana's mom sounded like she was about to throw something at her husband. Something heavy and blunt.Her dad must have felt the same because he turned to Breana and spoke
Ariana was in the hallway.They pulled apart.There was no way Breeana could leave without being seen. Breeana nearly slapped herself. When had she become so enslaved to her body's desires and needs? Ariana rounded the corner. Breeana thought fast and tripped herself making sure to land with a thump and yelled out loud, naturally, Reece reached out and tried to help her up just as Ariana reached the balcony.Ariana was a wolf so she would scent Breeana all over Reece so running off was off the table. Also, Breeana couldn't see herself but her hair had escaped the bun she had put it in courtesy of Reece's wandering hands so she knew she would look messy.Trying to stand up, Breeana latched onto Reece so that that would explain her scent on him. Then once she got her feet beneath her, she shoved him away trying to balance on her 'twisted ankle'.He stood there visibly puzzled. He knew Ariana was at the doorway but still didn't know what to make of Breeana's 'fall'."I don't need your bl