As Tatiana scrambled down the front porch steps, she threw her backpack over her shoulder. She yelled goodbye to her father over her shoulder. The school bus was just pulling up to the stop at the end of her driveway. She broke into a jog and clamored up the bus steps. She flashed the bus driver a quick smile, "Hello, Mrs. Rogers." The bus driver nodded, smiling at her as she pulled the doors shut behind her. The bus lurched into motion as Tatiana scanned for an empty seat while clutching the seatbacks on either side to steady herself. Her heart sank as she noticed the only open seat was next to Burke, the school bully who seemed to think she was his girlfriend. As she plopped down in the seat next to him, he winked at his friends behind him.
"Hello, Beautiful!"
Tatiana sighed, "Hello, Burke."
"Some of us are going to meet at the riverbed after practice. Are you going to join us?"
The riverbed was not a riverbed. It was a muddy clearing in the forest torn up by generations of teens in their pickup trucks. The local kids would meet to have bonfires, desecrate the land further with their vehicles, and drink beer. It was hardly a pleasant prospect.
"I have to work at the Café, and then I need to study for my history test."
Max chimed in from the backseat, "Well, that is more beer for us then."
Tatiana shot him a glance and then turned to look out the window. Burke chattered on with his friends about tonight, but she tuned them out. Being the only werewolf in school, the humans around her sensed something but did not understand what it was. They subconsciously felt her power, and sensing Tia was different made them uneasy. They kept their distance. Burke, however, seemed clueless to any nuances and kept pushing himself on her. Tia acceded to it partially out of loneliness and partly because she loved to fool around with him.
Burke's hands woke her body from her prepubescent slumber and thrust her right into the frying pan. Her wolf Talia loved it also. It was a dangerous line to walk, keeping Talia in check. His hands were her version of catnip. Sex was entirely off the table. It would make it impossible to keep her wolf under control. Despite the presence of several surrounding packs, Tia had no false notions of finding a mate. Growing up with and living amongst humans made her a leper to the wolf community. She was considered the lowest form of a werewolf, a Rogue. If a Rogue were dumb enough to enter pack territory, it would be destroyed. The mate bond was not meant for rogues like her. It was meant to strengthen the pack structure. Tia knew her only options were a fellow Rogue or a sympathetic human, and the chances of finding her destined mate were nearly impossible.
The school bus brakes hissed as it shuddered to a stop in front of the high school. The students noisily filed out of the bus and headed to class. Tatiana was stuck in limbo, living secretly among humans and shunned by her own kind. Her hope was to move to Seattle once she graduated high school. It would be her best chance of finding humans that would accept her for who and what she was. Tatiana heard stories of rogues building a life and even finding love in the city. Her only chance of getting off the Olympic Peninsula was to earn a scholarship to the University of Washington. Her Dad was a fisherman. The declining fish runs left them barely scraping by. Her job at the Café was the only thing putting food other than fish on the table. There was no money for college, but Tia was bright. Her father had always impressed upon her the importance of her education. As a freshman, she was currently at the top of her class. She loved books and reading. Her happiest memories were being holed up in the library, devouring a book, or letting Tia out to run.
William's POV
Once the boat was docked, William looked over his dismal catch for the day. It was hardly worth going out. Unfortunately, he was also feeling off all day. His strength was down, and he felt slightly nauseous. He hoped he was not getting the flu. He brought his load of fish to the scales using the wheelbarrow.
"Hello, Mark." William and Mark went way back. They started as greenhorns together back in the early '80s. Here he was still fishing, and Mark was the buyer. The most honest buyer in the lot, which is why most guys brought their fish to him.
"William, looks like pretty slim pickins today, egh?"
William nodded.
Mark sighed, "You are not the only one. Jameson and his crew quit today. His boat is going up to auction next week."
"Jameson! Really? What a shame. He was a pain in my ass but a good fisherman."
Mark nodded, "I bought his last load. It was not much more than yours. If it keeps up like this, we will both be out of a job."
Mark looked up and eyed William for a bit, "You ain't looking too good bud, you feeling okay?"
"Yes, I am fine. It has just been a long day."
Mark shrugged as he passed over the cash, "Here you go, Will. Take it easy tonight, and say hi to that pretty daughter of yours."
"Sure thing Mark! See you tomorrow."
He stuffed the fistful of cash in his pocket and headed out to his truck. He just wanted to head home to sleep. Tatiana would not be home until after her shift at the Cafe. It would give him some time to rest up before she got home.
He loved that girl more than he ever imagined possible. The best part of his day was when he went home to her. Werewolf or not, Tia had him wrapped around her finger. He wished he could give her more. She deserved more. She deserved the world as far as he was concerned. He wanted to continue fishing until she was ready to graduate, then he would sell his boat and use the money to send her to college. However, the quotas and licensing restrictions made it darn near impossible to continue making a living fishing for salmon. He couldn't give up now because he had no other skills. What does an old fisherman do in the real world?
Once he walked into the door, he threw his keys and the cash on the table and opened up the refrigerator to grab himself a beer. Suddenly he felt woozy but caught himself before his knees buckled. Forgetting about the beer, he made his way to his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Then, too tired to change his own clothes, he fell asleep.
Tatiana's POV
After Tia's shift at the Cafe, she decided to let Talia out for a run before going home. She called her Dad to let him know before she left. As she stripped out of her clothes, her wolf took over, and she shifted mid-run. The feeling of the soft soil beneath her paws was delicious. Her wolf Talia needed to run. Tatiana needed it also. She needed to feel the forest's breath through her paws. The wind rustled her white fur and sent a shiver down her back. She felt alive for the first time in weeks. The sounds and smells of the forest filled her senses and fed her soul. The sun slowly faded, giving way to shadows and depth. She ran with no predetermined destination, but when she arrived at the coast, she was home. The low grumble of the waves pulled her closer, and she slowed to a tiptoe. Trees gave way to tantalizing pockets of the sky. As the waves crashed at the shore, the water pitched to a glowing cerulean blue on the sand. As Talia's big paws padded onto the sand, she let out a howl to the moon goddess.
The salty spray of the ocean cooled her warm skin. She loved visiting the sea at night. The glowing blue waves from the bioluminescent creatures and the pounding of the surf helped her put everything into perspective. No matter how bad her problems seemed when faced with the power of nature and the ocean, it was all relative. She laid back on the sand and looked up at the stars, wishing she didn't have to go home. She would much prefer to sleep out here.
She did not see her father when she returned home. His door was shut, but she knew he was home. He left money on the table for her to pay the bills. She scooped it up and put it in the coffee can in the cupboard. She then quickly made herself a cup of tea and headed into her room to study.
William's POV William woke up and looked at the clock. Tia had already left for school. He tried to get up but did not have the energy. The room started to spin again, so Will laid back down. It was clear he was not going anywhere today. He had not been feeling well for the last week, but today was by far the worst. So he figured he would rest a while longer and then stop by Dr. Milfords office. He woke again hours later but in no better shape. Will felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest, and he was having a hard time breathing. He could not even lift his body to get up. Panic and pain set in as William reached for his telephone on the nightstand. He dialed 911. Tatiana's POV As the bus pulled up to Tatiana's driveway, she noticed the ambulance. Her breath caught in her throat as she hurried out the door. As she stepped past the ambulance, She saw her father wheeled out of the house on a stretcher. "Dad!" She called, forcing the EMTs
POV Luna CarinaAs Carina and her son reached the other side of the clearing, she saw the most extraordinary thing. A large, young white female wolf lay crumpled on the ground in front of them. Struggling to stay conscious, her eyes flashed open, revealing startling violet eyes, then fluttered shut. She was unconscious. Judging by the amount of blood pooled around their feet, the young wolf did not have much time left. Her bone had been snapped in half, and it was held on by the surrounding skin. Quickly Carina found a branch strong enough to pry open the trap. Bran removed her limp paw, and suddenly, she shifted back to human form. She was indeed young. The girl could not have been more than 16-years old. The size of her wolf was extremely rare for a girl so young, and the color of her eyes confirmed that this was no ordinary wolf. Her human form was equally as stunning but gave fewer secrets away about who or what she was. Bran, who was now back in human form, ste
Tatiana POVAs they pulled into the driveway, Tia's heart was pounding. She half expected her Dad to step out on the porch and wave but knew deep down she would never see that again. Her throat ached, and tears slipped down her cheeks as the cars stopped. Duncan slipped his arm over her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze.Taking a deep breath, Tatiana climbed out of the car. Looking over at Duncan, his voice rang out in her head, "I will be here with you the whole time," but his mouth didn't move! She looked at him startled and then shook her head. Clearly, his lips must have moved, and she was now going crazy. Tia looked back at the house and headed inside.The house looked just as she had left it. An open bottle of beer sat on the kitchen table. Tia reached out and touched it. Her heart lept as she thought, Dad must be home. However, the can was warm. She remembered he was gone but had to check it to make sure. Feeling Duncan's hand on her back, she continue
Duncan's POVDuring training, his mother mind-linked him from the house. Unfortunately, Tatiana's human father was dead. According to his mother, she fell apart after the news. Her vulnerability only made his draw to her stronger. He could not put his finger on why. Her scent was comforting, and he felt very protective of her. Duncan wondered if she was his mate. Having never sensed the mate bond before, he had nothing to compare it to. He was frustrated that everything surrounding her was shrouded in mystery. How did she come to be raised by humans? Why had she never encountered another wolf? She was huge for a female wolf, and her violet eye color was unusual. It was clear she was not your average she-wolf, but what exactly that meant was unclear. Dante, his wolf, was also drawn to her. Back at the field, he would not let anyone near her, not even the Alpha. Dante could be a pain, but he never snarled at the Alpha before. Duncan shook his head. Lucky for him, his Alpha fath
Duncan's POVThe interaction with Vex pushed Dante to the surface, and he was trying to wrest control from Duncan. Duncan clenched his jaws and focused his energy inward. A growl rattled out of his chest, startling Tia, who was sitting next to him. She turned to see his iris switch back and forth between green and gray. Recognizing he was fighting his wolf, she reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it.With her touch, enough to tip the balance, Duncan regained his composure. He would do whatever it took to ensure Vex did not come near her again. However, anger seethed within him. Vex was a coward and an opportunist. He had no redeeming qualities, and Duncan marveled he had survived this long. A year from now, either he or Vex would become Alpha of their pack, but Duncan knew it would not be both. The Olympic Forest was not big enough for the two of them.Are you alright?He glanced down at Tia. Look at you mind linking like the rest of us.Sh
Tatiana's POVAs Tatiana made her way down the stairs, her legs were still shaky. Unaware she was awake, Duncan popped out of one of the side rooms and nearly knocked her over. When his body connected with hers, it felt like a Mack Truck. He was hard as a rock. He caught her as she let out a yelp and stabilized her before she fell. The warmth of his body was so close, and his scent made Talia calm inside her. She felt a familiarity and comfort from him. She was disappointed when he shifted her upright and let her go. He absently ran his hand through his short blonde hair."Sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"She stared back at his chiseled features. His human form was as impressive as his wolf form. Realizing he was still waiting for her to speak, she mumbled, "Yes, I am fine."A smile played at the corner of his lips as he watched my cheeks burn red. It was one of the joys of a fair complexion. It meant my embarrassment was vividly on display f
Vex POVVex raced back to Pack territory. Not only had they found another bitch rogue to eliminate, but stealing her right from under Kalaloch Packs nose was the crowning glory. His father would find this new information extremely interesting. Vex would personally like to wipe the smug, arrogant look off Duncan's face. He crashed into the packhouse and raced to the Alpha's office. Naren growled as Vex's wolf Vlad burst through the door. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Whatever you have to tell me better be worth it, Vlad." The sickening sound of cracking bone rattled as Vex shifted back to human form and smiled at Naren. Seconds later, Vex's best friend and soon-to-be Beta Kai walked in, throwing Vex a pair of pants. Vex slipped them on as he explained to them what he had seen. Naren sat stoically, considering what his son had just told him. "So your plan is to what? Walk into Kalaloch Pack, grab the rogue, and walk on out?"
Duncan's POVTatiana's initiation ceremony occurred without incident. She settled into pack life with ease. She and Duncan became constant companions. They trained together and attended the last year of pack school in the same class. Tia developed into a formidable warrior. Her attention to training and advancing programs for lower-ranking pack members improved their pack. Her kindness and empathy touched even the lowest echelons of the pack structure.A year later, Duncan and Tatiana were both in preparation for their first mating hunt. Their flight to Idaho left early tomorrow morning. Tia wanted to stay home, but in the end, relented to Luna's constant badgering. As he packed his bag, Duncan was eager for the hunt. He was on the precipice of finding his mate—the female who would eventually become his Luna, mother to his pack. This year's search was in the Rocky Mountains. The males and females were to be housed separately on opposite sides of the hunting groun