Chapter 1

Riley

"Olly, how many times must I remind you to stop snoozing your alarm? You'll be late for school!" I yell, pulling open the curtain so a bright, blinding light enters my teenage son's room. Olly groans, pulling his duvet up above his head, grunting "5 more minutes."

He is 17 going on 5 with the way he is acting. "I've picked up another shift at the florist today and I can't be late. Get up!" I growl at him as the duvet moves along with all his clean laundry tumbling onto the floor. Not that there is any floor to see.

This is my own fault. I have spent so much time focusing on Olly that I have babied him to the point where he has been able to get away with this for far too long. It doesn't help that he looks more and more like his father each day. That's both a blessing and a curse.

"If you want breakfast or a ride to school, you need to get up now," I grumble, picking up a few items of clothing before chucking them into the laundry basket.

"Mum, I'm up, calm down," Olly mumbles, sounding far too asleep as I head downstairs for my morning coffee. There is a wall of photos as I pass of our family, the last one of Dylan. It's the only one that remains, and as much as I cleared out the others—they were too painful to look at—I can't erase Olly's father completely. My son deserves to know something about the man who brought him into this world.

The coffee drips through the filter into the pot whilst I quickly make some toast, eggs, and bacon. The clock continues to tick, and despite my grumbling, Olly hasn't even made it down the stairs.

Thankfully, I can hear him stomping about his room, so at least he didn't go back to sleep.

I had started working at Flora and Fauner about 3 years ago. Teenage boys are far more expensive than I thought, and with only one income, I needed to get some extra cash. There is a list as long as my entire body of all the jobs that need fixing around here. The floor is uneven, the tiles cracked, the washing machine only works half the time and only with cold water. Light bulb changes, leaks, windows that don't actually keep the cold air out—all I see are money signs when I look at them, with no idea how I will ever fix them when Olly keeps eating like he is starving.

Finally, I hear his door slam as he stumbles down the steps, almost falling to his death. As a wolf, we age much slower than humans, but I can already feel the grey hairs coming in and I'm not even forty yet!

"Eat your breakfast and stop giving your mum a heart attack," I tease as he rolls his eyes, scarfing down his food as I drink my coffee. The clock continues to strike where I end up tapping my foot on the tiles.

Olly looks up from his plate, arching a brow. "Mum, you don't have to baby me. I can get to school easy enough. Logan has offered countless times," he reminds me before he continues eating as my lips press into a thin line.

"You can't ask the alpha's son to drive you to school. It's not right." He stands, putting his plate in the dishwasher as I finish my coffee. "We are friends, Mum. It's not a big deal," he says. My jaw clicks at the reminder.

"Even so, if you want to secure a position in this pack's future, you need to do so on merit, not just because you're friends. The pack won't like it." I grab my purse as Olly stuffs some papers into his backpack. I can see last night's homework being crumpled and torn as we speak.

"You mean you wouldn't like it," he gives me a look like I'm the unreasonable one. I don't have anything against Logan. Really. I don't. It's just Olly should have some other friends. Meet more people. Keep in touch with the pack. Times are changing and faith in our alphas... it's not as strong as it used to be.

"Let's go. I'm going to be late," I grumble as Olly jogs down the steps to my beat-up car that is also in need of... goddess, everything. "Can I drive?" he yells as I lock up, shaking my head.

"Later. If you had got up earlier, things would be different." I arch a brow, giving him a pointed look as he mutters, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," with his feet on the dash.

There are some days I look at my son and wonder where he gets this attitude from. It must be his father because I am sure I never gave my mother this much stress when I was younger. Unless... maybe I should send her flowers and an apology note just to be safe.

The car starts eventually, the engine roaring to life after double pumping the clutch. We set off through the pack, and it's one of those days where it isn't hot, cold, or any particular remarkable weather. Just blah. Today will be another of those disappointing days where nothing exciting happens and I feel I have wasted more time by not living.

I wish I knew what could wake me up from this funk I have been in for over a decade, but as much as I want to change—change isn't always a good thing. I have rebuilt my life to this, and the idea of it all being ripped out from under me again... it's too painful to even think about.

Before I know it, I'm pulling up at the school where Olly hops out. A sleek black SUV parks up right in the middle of the road with the alpha's kids coming out.

Violet Reynolds is your classic alpha girl. She is stunningly gorgeous with long blonde hair, large green eyes, and a body that women and men would kill for. The car locks with the headlights flashing as if paparazzi are capturing her beauty as she walks by. Heads of both staff and the other kids stop to turn and stare as she walks by, her bright smile lighting up her already gorgeous face. You can practically see her teeth sparkle.

Her twin brother Logan gets out next, walking beside her. Outrageously attractive and he knows it. Not many guys can pull off red curls and baby blue eyes like he can. But with miles of muscle over his tall broad shoulders and back, tattoo sleeves covering each arm, he has that bad boy swagger alphas have. The girls trip over themselves to get his attention. Him and his sister—our future leaders.

Shaking my head, I put the car into drive, my cheeks heating when everyone turns to look my way, including the twins, as dark smoke emits out the back of my car as I drive away.

I used to know the kids so well. They were like my extended family. Both Violet and Logan lived round my house. Their mum was my best friend. But people change, and we can't get back what we lost. No matter how much we want to.