Chapter One

I stood packing my belongings with my back facing my closet. I had to go through the trouble of selecting amongst my best wears, as I kept on tossing in and out my clothes looking to see if I'd packed my best.

Father had insisted on my traveling light but I argued, trying to reason with him why a girl has to take all good things with her why traveling, and I was one who loved to flaunt her lifestyle. Besides, I didn't think the amount of clothes should be taken into account.

I would be leaving for Ireland today, Claire to be precise, to execute the plan Father had. I was totally in support to be honest, considering the story he told me - which was countless times already.

We lived amongst humans even though we were werewolves. My father was a werewolf while my mother was human. And according to Father, he was exiled from his pack at age 17 because he didn't shift on time which to the werewolves were supposed to be around 13-16, late 17 and 18. And now I found myself in the same situation, while mine seemed to be worse because I was 19 without my wolf.

Which meant I was completely human.

" Don't just stand there with your clothes in your hands." Father yelled, bringing me back to reality. I turned to him startled, my clothes dropping to the floor.

" We do not have much time." Father continued, his voice rising with each word.

I let out a sigh, my right hand to my chest.

" She's on it honey, don't be too hard on her." I heard my mom say, and I stared at her, my eyes showing that I appreciated it. She rarely joined our conversation concerning werewolves and pack lives. No one blamed her, for after all she was human.

And so I was, I reminded myself sadly.

" She has taken more time just packing a bag!" Father yelled, and I heard that tone in his voice. The tone he normally used when talking about how betrayed he felt towards the late Alpha Kane. Now on Mother of all people, his mate.

He was really agitated, I felt it hovering around him. Maybe it was because I understood how he felt. I felt the same way too but not as much as he hid because I never had a pack life.

" At least she agreed to your request without arguing. That alone should mean something." Mom said, as calmly as she could. I noticed that she heard the edge on Dad's tone but she stood unwavered.

Her outburst left me speechless and I was glad she stood up for me but she chose to do that when Dad was going hyper. And I felt the reason is because he didn't like it one bit that I was going back to a land he was sent packing.

I wrapped my arms around my younger sister, hugging her back. She cried for me to stay back, telling Dad I had changed my mind on going to Ireland.

And I assured her that I was going to be back, more of convincing myself because I wasn't so sure.

She left my embrace, her right hand wiping her eyes as she looked up at me.

" What if the Alpha perceived you to be a rogue?" Maria complained, her eyes panicking. " What would you do then?"

I lifted her chin up, my small thumb caressing her side. " Look at me baby sis, your big sister is so smart that she had reasoned all these things as well. And she knows that there is no way a werewolf can detect a rogue if they are human."

" You are a werewolf yourself and you should know that." I chided her, as I saw a smile creeping up her lips.

" Come on." She laughed, her eyes going inside as she did that. She had funny eyes, eyes that you would think were laughing at you while they were not. We both took after our mom in that, and I didn't know if Dad had one too, for I never actually saw him laugh. Maybe he did laugh like that for Mom, who knows.

An evil gleam appeared in her eyes and I knew immediately that whatever it was that was flowing through her head was not good.

" And what if Alpha Leo claimed you as his mate?"

I was left speechless by her question. It could be, the possibilities were high. But it was not going to happen, the moon goddess wouldn't mate me with my Dad's enemy.

" May the moon goddess forbid it." I said, snapping my hands. " You are lucky Dad wasn't around to hear you say this."

" The moon goddess will be in support if it can bring the two families in unity again." She blubbered, her eyes directly fixed on mine.

" No such thing is happening Maria." I cautioned her, my voice going up for a moment. I was more afraid of being anyone's mate now than my mate being Alpha Leo but I didn't voice that out.

After a little silence, " Alright, I have to go now. Else Dad would be growling around the whole place." I commented and she laughed.

" You could connect to me through our mind link." She said, and she immediately looked down after realizing what she said.

Since I wasn't a werewolf, I wasn't able to talk like them. I had felt bad when I learnt I wouldn't have that power after I turned 18 without a wolf.

" You shouldn't feel bad about it baby sis." I whispered, my heart warming up to her more by how concerned she was.

" Moreover, I don't fancy the mind link thing." I lied, my hands waving in thin air.

" You know you are not really great at lying big sis?" She said, coming to pinch my nose and I pretended that it hurt.

" My nose aaah, and when did my baby sister learn to call her elders liars?" I scolded, feigning anger.

" Since her big sis started to lie." She explained before laughing out.

We heard Dad's call for me downstairs and I kissed her forehead before running down the stairs.

••~••

The flight had just taken off when I finally allowed my head to rest on the seat. I was having a hard time thinking through when I had first walked into the plane.

All I wanted was to find a seat for myself at the end of the plane and close to the window. I didn't need distractions for I needed to think about Ireland and my job there.

But instead five minutes after I got into the plane, a rather ugly looking man came and sat by my side. It seemed he had drunk a bowl of pap for he dozed off immediately, his snores distracting me.

I tried ticking him off as I brought out my headset and turned the set until a song I really loved started to play before I had it round my ears.

After 10 minutes of listening to the song, I got lost in the music and my whole thinking idea got stuck.

And I sucked.

But then I noticed that the music sounded funny. Unlike the other times I played them, it sounded like bad music was playing in the background.

I focused my attention on it, waiting to catch what I was hearing well but could not. I tried increasing the volume but the background music got muffled and it sounded worse.

Sighing in frustration, I turned it off and took it off my ears. But the music still didn't stop playing and realization hit me, and I turned to my neighbor who had been snoring since he got into the plane.

••~••

My tummy growled and I shut my eyes open. I covered them back with the back of my left leg to shield my eyes from being hit by the sudden exposure to light.

I opened them again, my lids flickering up and down before a yawn escaped my mouth.

" Are you hungry?" The ugly man said, and I caught his accent. British, the thought running through my head. I remembered that accent a lot. Hemming, my human best friend was from Britain. And how I loved to hear him speak.

" You should talk to the stewardess to get you something to fill that empty stomach with." He continued, and I realized I hadn't responded to him.

" Should I?" I said, and I knew it was a silly reply the moment it left my mouth for he sniggered.

" Oh, yes I will." I added hastily, before looking away. I didn't realize I was meant to say something else, maybe something more appreciative.

" No need to be like that, you amusing little fellow." He teased, a smile revealing a nice set of teeth.

I hadn't seen that coming, I thought his teeth would be the most gross tooth I had ever seen.

But it was very appealing to the eyes.

Perfect teeth.

I didn't comment on his last sentence as just then the stewardess walked in with a tray piled with steaks. She too seemed British, by the way her skin color was and her pronunciation of thank you.

She wore a pair of trousers and a soft polo which was slightly hidden by the apron around her neck. A small scar was a little above her nose and it didn't hide the fact that she was a very beautiful woman.

" Lunch is ready ma'am." She disclosed, bringing the tray closer to me. I couldn't help but admit that the aroma was so nice, the smell of the food drafting directly into my nose.

" Thank you." I said to her and she nodded. I reached my hand to take a steak from the plate placed before me.

I chewed on the meat, my teeth munching them in hunger. It tasted good but I wouldn't have minded less if it didn't taste well. All I cared about was satisfying my hunger, and I did that till I ate my fill.

" Sit tight everyone, as the plane is about to land. " A voice announced through the mic he was holding. " Tighten your seatbelt and stay calm. We will be landing in a few minutes."

I did just that while waiting for us to land. My heart started to beat really fast and I wondered what was wrong. I dismissed the thought as I reasoned it was the fact that I was finally going to land.

Dad said to make sure to call home after I landed, to know if everything went well. I knew they wouldn't be at rest until I called.

Especially my baby sis, who would be missing me really much.

I would miss them too and I knew commission with them wouldn't be so easy once I stayed with the alpha. It would have been good if I had a mind link like them.

I watched the country I was now standing on, looking at humans and their buildings. It was a beautiful country, though it lacked the life which the States exhibited but it was like a fairy tale world. I felt a sense of belonging here more than I did there.

Maybe it was because it was my home country, I thought.

The buildings all stood tall and beautiful, shops beaming with life as little children danced around. Their voices were gentle against the cool weather as they played happily. Some women who may be their mothers watched them while gossiping around the table.

Some were walking up and down the streets, with so many things going on in their heads.

While the men sat round a pub drinking their fill from the bottle placed before each of them.

Dusk started to form and I had to make my way to my apartment. As I started to carry my luggage, which I purposely did before someone spotted me rich, I saw some pinpoints of light flying round the banner that read CLAIRE.