Chapter Two

"Kendra, let's get ready for the party," came the sing song voice of Kendra's mother from down the hall.

Kendra had begun scrolling through her phone, still waiting for Derek to text her back. With a sigh, she put down her phone and called out to her mother, "Okay Mom. I'm coming."

She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. She heard her shoulders pop. With that, she left her room to go find her mom, who she was sure had gotten her a new outfit for her 18th birthday celebration. 18 is an important birthday for werewolves, even werewolves like Kendra who didn't actually have a wolf. 18 is when you decide how you're going to help the pack. There is a huge ceremony, and the Elders ask you what your position is going to be. You tell them, and if the water reflects the moon, then the Goddess agrees that you will be the most useful in your chosen position. If not, then the Elders offer up alternatives to the Goddess until the moon reflects. Even on a moonless night, the moon will reflect if she agrees with your choice.

For a wolfless wolf like Kendra, her decision was simple. She would be a human ambassador of sorts. An advocate to the humans. She would learn about them, teach the willing ones about lycanthropy, and help any who might have been infected by a Rouge find their way through this new life. It was a good job for someone like Kendra. They would be able to trust her since there was no chance of her shifting and hurting them, and it would be nearly impossible for her to infect someone since she had no wolf herself. However, she was still stronger than humans, so she didn't have to worry about being hurt, especially since things like silver won't hurt her.

"There you are," her mother's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Look, I bought you this dress. It's from a human shop a couple hours away. Do you like it?"

Kendra gasped at the dress her mother was holding. The fabric was shimmering the color of the moon. She touched it gently and was surprised by how soft it felt. She never knew that clothing could be this soft. It had no sleeves, which she thought was an odd but interesting choice. She knew that humans tended to put fashion over function when it came to designing clothes, and she felt that this dress was a perfect example. For the first time, however, she realized that that might not always be such a bad thing.

"It looks beautiful," she whispered as she took it in her hands, turning it this way and that to see how it glittered in the light.

"And, I found shoes that match," her mother exclaimed excitedly as she revealed high heels in the same shimmering silver hue.

"They're so... high," Kendra said as she tilted her head, confused by the heels on them. Were they really fashionable? They looked painful. "Won't that make it hard to walk?'

"They're called 'heels'. They are hard to walk in but they're very fashionable. The human girl at the shoe store told me that this style is the most popular right now. You might need to practice but you're very graceful so I wouldn't worry about it," her mother waved off any concern with a flick of her wrist. "Now, come on. Let's go get you ready."

~~~

Kendra smiled at herself in the mirror, unable to believe that the woman staring back at her in the mirror was her. "Wow," she whispered, touching her face. She had never worn a full face of makeup before since it was such a luxury. "I look amazing."

"The Moon Goddess herself would be in awe of your beauty," her mother agreed, kissing the top of her head. "I'm going to finish getting ready too, but the guests will be arriving soon. As the hostess, you need to go greet them."

"Yes ma'am," she said as she got up, stealing one last glance of herself in the mirror. She wanted to look like this always. Could she always dress like this in the human world?

"Wow girl! You look hot," Kendra heard a voice say as she came out of her mother's room. She turned her head to see that it was her best friend, Pixie. "If I didn't already find my mate, I swear I'd be drooling," the tall, muscular woman laughed as she walked over to Kendra, opening her arms.

"I thought you said you'd be on patrol," Kendra squealed, throwing herself into the hug. "I was so upset. I thought you'd miss it!"

"I guilted John into switching with me. He just can't resist these good looks," Pixie laughed, referring to her mate.

"I'll have to thank him next time I see him. It's the best birthday gift ever," she pulled back, careful not to let her eyes tear up. She didn't want to ruin the expensive makeup that she was wearing.

"So, you're really gonna be an Advocate, huh? Are you scared about having to go into the human world?" the playfulness was gone, replaced with a serious tone.

"I am a little scared," Kendra admitted, looking down at her feet. "But I think that this will be the best way for me to help out the pack. I don't have a wolf, and I don't want to be a cook. I think that this will be good for me, and for everyone else. Besides," she forced a smile, spinning so she could show off her dress as it twirled around her. "Don't I look great in human clothes?"

Pixie laughed, a warm, hearty laugh that sounded like home to Kendra. "You do. I don't think that I've ever seen anyone pull them off so well. Your mate will be a lucky wolf."

Kendra's face flushed at the thought of having a mate. As a wolfless wolf, she couldn't seek her mate out by scent, but as soon as they touched, she would feel the spark. Wolves don't find their mate until they're 18, and since so few have mates inside the pack, so tonight, with neighboring packs coming to support the first 18th birthday since the old Alpha, Alpha Timothy, died, she was sure that she would find her mate. She knew she had to make a good impression on the neighboring packs, and to show that she was strong despite being wolfless, because they already looked weak without an Alpha, and the suspected Alpha, Alpha Timothy's son Kane, had yet to shift. It's customary for Alpha's not to shift until their 18th birthday, and his was next week, when all the packs in the region would come. There was a sudden, sharp shooting pain through her limbs. Kane had yet to shift, so it was most likely he would be the next Alpha. The only ones who don't shift by the time they're 18 are Alphas, Lunas with Alpha parents, and the wolfless. With two strong werewolf parents and a long line of werewolf blood, with the first to have lycanthropy nearly a thousand years ago, there was no way that Kane would be wolfless. It was rare enough that someone like Kendra, a Beta's daughter with two parents who had werewolf genes going back three generations, to be wolfless. It was nearly unheard of that someone who was a fifth or more generation would be wolfless.

Besides, the Pack needed him to be an Alpha. Besides Kane and Kendra, the next wolfless to turn 18 wouldn't be for almost five years, since the only other wolfless was an Omega who had just turned 13.

Suddenly, Kendra let out a small cry, holding her arms against her chest as lightening filled her lungs. "Are you okay?" Pixie asked worriedly, touching her shoulder.

The pain subsided, letting Kendra take a breath. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. It must just be nerves and stress. I just have to make a good impression on everyone tonight and it's more difficult since I don't have a wolf."

"There have been many proud wolfless wolves. You are smart, strong and beautiful. You will be an amazing Advocate, something that many are too scared to try. They will be in awe that you chose that for yourself," Pixie reassured her, patting her shoulder again.

"You're right," Kendra took a deep breath, straightening herself despite another shock of pain through her body. "I am strong, and I will show those other packs that even a wolfless wolf from our pack is worth two of theirs."

"That's the spirit," Pixie smiled, nodding in approval. "Now, let's get downstairs. Guests will be arriving soon and you don't want to keep anyone waiting, do you?"

With a laugh, and a cringe from the fading pain, Kendra followed Pixie downstairs to the Pack House's living room.