Jurius I exited the driver's seat and went to open the door for my mom. "You're as gentle as your dad," she said with a smile as she took her time from the front seat. I returned her smile, locked the car door, and went to the trunk to retrieve the bags of groceries. My mom thought getting out of the house would take my mind off not finding my soulmate last night. It wasn't helping. Every dark object I spotted in the supermarket reminded me of her long, curly hair and her eyes. I was starting to hate the color black. I carried the bags into the kitchen and placed them down. Kathara hugged me, showing she cared about what had happened. I then exited the kitchen, giving her and Mom time to prepare dinner. This evening, dinner was going to be a feast. It was like Thanksgiving for us wolf shifters, kept at the end of the day after every mating season. After the mating season, wolves were going to be very hungry. The mating season had an incredible effect on their appetite. Dad was

Jurius They were here; the mating season had ended. I observed from my window the members returning from the forest. There were 30 of them. The pack had received 15 new members and had lost 5, I counted. When a she-wolf finds her mate, she has to leave her pack to dwell among her soulmate pack, that was the law. I noticed my brother at the back. One of his hands wrapped around the waist of his soulmate, and he had a bright smile on his face as they both walked side by side, chatting. It was wrong for me to eavesdrop on their conversation, but I did so anyway. "My mom is going to treasure you," I heard Tate tell her. "I hope so," she retorted; her voice sounded worried. "She will as much as I do," he paused, allowing her to as well, and then they kissed. I immediately moved from the window as sadness covered my heart. His soulmate is a beautiful, blonde-haired wolf shifter. I begrudged my brother that all went well for him for his first mating season, unlike me, who was cursed to

Freya Why does time fly by so fast when you don't want it to? It was already Monday, my first day at The School of the Forgotten. I closed the door of my new car, laying my backpack next to me. I soon heard a tap on the window. It was Zira. I rolled down the window. She handed me a lunch box. "You didn't have to," I told her. "What if you don't like the lunches there?" she worried. I took it and thanked her. She and Grandma waved goodbye as I drove from the house and onto the road. It took me 10 minutes to arrive at the school. A large school that looked like a century-old Catholic building. The school was dark brown, and the sides of the glass windows were painted white. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before exiting the car. I was going to be the new kid, and I felt uneasy. I fixed my curly hair and walked straight into the building. I had my file from my previous school to help me settle in. "Excuse me, can you show me the administration area?" I asked a security

Jurius "Hey, Jurius!" I heard my brother from behind. I kept walking, knowing what he wanted. He gained on me next to my car. "What did you say to that human girl that made her cry?" he asked, concerned. "None of your business," I told him angrily as I went into my car and drove off quickly. From my rear mirror, I noticed dust rising from my speed. Tate coughed, fanning it away. He stood watching my car until it was out of his sight. I didn't feel like going home, so I went to one of my favorite spots. A place that always seemed to give me peace. I sat on the large hill looking down into the ocean, and a thought of jumping in came to me; everything would have ended. I wouldn't have to kill my soulmate, and no one would know about her. I couldn't do it. I couldn't dare put my family and my pack through grief. Tears of anger and frustration emerged in my eyes. "Why her!" I yelled to the sky. I cried. I shouldn't be crying, but the pain of disappointment was too much. I thought

Jurius A tree tumbled down with one punch. I was so angry. I'd decided to kill her and bury her body where no one would find her, but seeing how broken she was, I couldn't. It was too difficult to Instead, I felt a strong urge to protect her, to take away her pain, and to make her happy. I despised it, but I wanted to. My father must be worried about me. I went for clothes I had hidden under the tree in case of emergency. I was naked; I put it on and went home. As I arrived home, I saw the entire pack leaving. "Dad is allowing us to sleep in the forest under a bonfire tonight," Kathara said excitedly. Being partly wolves, we loved being out in the open, around Mother Nature. I wasn't in the mood to attend this time. I walked past everyone entering the home, heading upstairs to my room. "Jurius," I heard my father say. I didn't stop; I just kept walking. I slammed my door as I got into my room. I was filled with so much rage. My eyes kept flashing uncontrollably into my wolf's.