Chapter 1

This story does contain references to domestic abuse, date rape and kidnapping.

Jacob POV

Three years ago

I walked out of my room into the shared living space of the suite I’m staying in with my best friends, Zane, who is going to be my Beta and Ben, who is going to be my Gamma.

We were at the last stop of our trip to get contracts renewed for our pack, the Blue Ridge pack in Northern Ontario.

I know in this day and age it could all have been done electronically, but that wouldn’t have given Ben and I a chance to look for our mates. The three of us have just turned nineteen over the last few months and are on summer vacation from Alpha training and our college courses.

I know Zane wasn’t too happy about coming with us because, as far as he is concerned, my younger sister, Dawn, is his mate and neither he nor his wolf, Slate, is interested in even looking at anyone else.

That’s OK… I think. I’m still trying to process the idea of him being with her.

It has been bad enough watching them date, but to think about what will come next in their relationship if they are mates is just a little more than I want to process right now. It’s been messing with my protective instincts for my sister and my happiness for Zane, possibly finding his mate.

But at least I haven’t been alone in those feelings. My Dad has been having the same problem.

It’s a good thing that Dad likes Zane, or should I say liked. I’m not sure anymore. It’s hard to tell sometimes, but then again, he hasn’t hurt him yet. Threatened most definitely, and on those occasions, I’ve seen Dad smirking when Zane isn’t looking.

I head over to the table where breakfast has been set out for us and join Ben. “Let me guess, he is on the phone with Dawn,” I said when I noticed that Zane wasn’t here yet, as I sat eyeing the spread before us.

“Well, it’s either that or he is in the shower jerking off to thoughts of her,” Ben says with a smirk, the bastard.

“Stop, I don’t need those thoughts in my head. That is my little sister you are making suggestions about.” I respond, giving him a death glare.

The door behind us opens, and Zane walks out all smiles. Making it even harder for me to ignore Ben’s comment about Zane in the shower. I couldn’t stop the shiver of disgust that went down my spine. Zane gives me a weird look as he sits. “What is with you, man?”

“I put an image in his head involving you and Dawn, and now he can’t shake it.” Ben chuckles out before I can answer.

“Shit, will you stop doing that?” Zane growls out. “One of these days, he’s going to rip my head off the minute I walk into a room.”

I let out a small chuckle because I’d been thinking the same thing.

“I could start making similar comments around Alpha Sean instead,” Ben says, wiggling his brows.

“If you want the Beta position that badly, all you have to do is say something. You don’t have to threaten to sign my death warrant.” Zane says, shaking his head in disbelief. “Goddess, what did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?” He mumbles.

“You mean other than falling in love with my sister and giving us something really good to raze you about? Nothing.” I answer, chuckling at the scowl on Zane’s face.

“Who needs enemies with you two around?” Zane says, turning his attention to the food that he had just finished piling on his plate.

We all ate quietly for a bit before we got into business mode and started discussing what we had on our agenda for the day, and if there was anything else that we needed to finish before heading home.

Later that afternoon, once our meetings with the Alpha and Beta of the Bos pack were done and the paperwork was finalized, the guys and I hit their training grounds. We spent the rest of the afternoon sparring off against their pack’s future Alpha and Beta, whom Zane and I had met last school year in Alpha training. When we were finished, we were in the locker room getting ready to head back to the hotel when Kevin, the future Beta, approached. “Do the group of you have any plans for the night?” He asked.

“Not really. Probably just sitting around before heading home tomorrow. Why?” I said.

“There is a bush party out by the lake tonight, thought you guys might like to go. I heard that you were kind of on the hunt for your mates. There will be a lot of people there. A lot of them will be humans. It is not just pack members that show up to these things, since it is a public beach. But hey, you never know who you might meet right.”

I looked at Ben standing beside me, and then Zane, who came to stand on the other side of him and asked. “What do you guys think?”

“If you and Ben want to go, we’ll go. I’ll play wingman for two of you for the night. I think I’m getting the routine down pat now with all of the practise that I’ve been getting lately.” Zane says.

Kevin looks at him. “You, not wanting to look for potential mates for yourself?” He asks.

“Nope!” Ben blurts out. “That one…” He says, pointing at Zane. “…has already been wrapped around that one’s…” He points to me. “…little sister’s finger.

“SHUT UP!!!” Zane and I yell at the same time as we both smack Ben on the back of the head.

I turn my attention back to Kevin. “If you think you can put up with us…” I shake my head and give a grinning Ben a look. “…we’d love to go. What time and where?” We made plans to meet up with Kevin at his pack’s packhouse so that we could follow him and some of the others out to the party.

On the way back to the hotel, Coal my wolf was… I guess the best way to describe it would be excited. I don’t know how to feel about it yet.