1-Last Chance

April 17th, 1982-New York City

Evie’s POV

“Hey girl, last party of grad school, you can’t miss it,” Donna says, laying on her bed.

“Well, you don’t know my Dad. I have to go home. There is a party there, too. Not as fun as this one, but important, none the less,” I smile at her, as I pack a weekend bag.

“You are 25 years old! How is it possible your dad can demand you attend some party?” Donna is a human and would never understand.

Yes, I am 25. Yes, I have a job, apartment, life away from my father, but I am not human! If I were human, I could tell my father to kiss my ass. But I wasn’t born to such luxury. I was born a werewolf. And not just any werewolf, I was born Evelyn Shaw, Princess of the Night Claw pack. First born of Hendricks and Dianna Shaw, Alpha and Luna of Night Claw. The pride of the pack.

My brother, Cain, is the next Alpha, because there is no way I’m not a Luna of some pack. He is 23. More than old enough to take over, but like me, he doesn’t have a mate.

What’s a mate? Well, according to my mother, a mate is a gift from the moon goddess to her creations. While humans have to date, Vampires find a willing partner, Witches can spell someone, Werewolves get their other half “gifted” to them. We can start sensing our mates at 16, we go into a haze at 18 or older, and most wolves are mates by 25.

Notice I said most. Some wolves are losers, rejects, not worthy of the “gift.” We get shunned, forgotten, often banished from pack life. If the goddess finds us unworthy then, damn, you must be bad for the pack.

Notice I said us. Yeah, pretty sure I’m one of these. Tomorrow is the Mating Ball. My last Mating Ball. Males get to attend until they are 30, in case their mate is younger. Females are not welcome after 25. Why, because werewolves are far from progressive.

In fact, they are the least progressive of any Species. No, wait, I forgot, there is one worse. The most misogynistic, backward thinking, racist, arrogant bastards in any universe. I can’t believe we share a goddess. Every one of them should be denied a mate, so the species can die off. Lycans.

I hate even thinking the name.

So, the goddess has rules about her gift. You only get one, if your one dies, sorry, thanks for playing. Second chances after a death, are so rare, they are a myth in some packs. The only time second chances come into play are if a wolf gets rejected, but did nothing wrong.

So, say Alpha Idiot is mated to Olivia Omega. He doesn’t think she is strong enough to be his Luna, he rejects her. She gets a second chance; he gets a life of pain and loss. He’ll never have any offspring and he will feel intense pain every time Olivia and her second chance get busy. Since we are werewolves, that could be multiple times a day.

There is also a rule about cheating on your mate, it’s an abomination. If you cheat, you pay big time. Now, of course, there are exception when there is a question of consent. But being a goddess, she knows everything, so if she punishes you, it’s justified, if you think so or not. But a willing cheater is rejected, marked by the goddess as a cheater, banished from pack life and the added benefit of feeling debilitating pain every time your ex gets laid. I know one guy, caught his mate bouncing on another male's dick, rejected her and then banged every she-wolf he could three times a day, until his ex was hospitalized. He slowed down, but not much.

Then, there is my favorite rule. The reason most werewolves stay virgins until we find our mate. If you have sex outside of the mate bond and your mate does not, during the female’s heat, the innocent party, male or female, will have an urge to kill their mate. The only way to avoid this is to get pregnant. Because pregnancy means no heat.

These are her rules, she doesn’t bend them, change them or justify them. She is the moon goddess; she can do what she wants. And it appears she doesn’t want me to have a mate.

My mother has stated the goddess hasn’t gifted me a mate because I’m too pretty. Yeah, I know, insert eye-roll here.

I reminded my mother that I’m created by the goddess, so if she made me look like this, she has only herself to blame.

“See ya Monday, Donna,” I yell, as I leave our apartment.

“See ya,” Donna yells back, bored.

“Miss Shaw?” Of course, Dad sent his driver.

“Alpha afraid I wouldn’t show up?” I smile at the guy, as he takes my bag.

“He may have mentioned your reluctance to attend this year,” the driver smiles at me.

“Oh, you know me, always looking for my mate," I smile. “You mated?”

“Yes ma’am,” I raise an eyebrow.

“Is it worth all this trouble?” I ask.

“Oh, indeed it is, ma’am.” He closes my door and gets up front to drive us to my pack.

It’s a long drive, so I lay down on the floor of the limo. I’m 5’7” I fit perfectly on the floor.

It’s May in New York, so the weather is pleasant. Where we are headed, not so much. Night Claw is in Maine. It’s freezing, even in May.

Why I am being driven there, to fly to London tomorrow, makes no sense. The largest airports in the world are in New York, I am right there, I could have hopped on a plane to London and met my family at the hotel.

I offered that solution and was told, “NO, you will come here, and we will fly as a family, on our plane. Is that understood?”

I swear my father thinks I’m a child.

Stacey- Hey, girlie, any chance we could shift later.

My wolf, Stacey, is mostly quiet. She understands I have a life in the human world, and she only comes to the surface when I need her.

Like the time three teens tried to mug me and Donna. It took some explaining to Donna, but I ended up saying I took self-defense in college. Not a total lie.

As an Alpha's daughter, I have been in combat training since I was 16.

Me- You got it, babe. You have been so good. If you want a good long run, I’ll see if the driver will let us out at the state line and we can race the limo to the house.

Stacey- Oh, I need a run like that!

Me- I got you.

I sit up and talk to the driver. He calls Daddy, who says as long as I’m not more than four hours from home I can shift and run. Thanks, Dad.

Stacey- Hey, at least he trusts me.

Me- Of course, you are programmed, by instinct, to rejoin the pack. Are you going to leave me if I am thrown from the pack for not having a mate

Stacey- No, babe, I promise. I am stronger than that. But, I think we will find our mates. We have five more years before we are kicked out of the pack.

Me- Any clue who our might be?

Stacey- Sorry, love. If I knew I would tell you.

Me- Yeah, I know.

I go to sleep to rest up for my run. Even Stacey settles in anticipation.

“Miss Shaw we are here,” the driver wakes me up. I undress and shift.

**********************

Stacey’s POV

My human is a good person, but she suppresses me a little much. I know her education is important to her, so I try and understand. When she finally gives me control, I can’t help but stretch.

I see the driver looking at me. I know I’m hot. I’m solid black with silver eyes.

All the werewolves want me.

My human has been praised as the most beautiful in the world. So, it follows that I would be beautiful as well.

I wink at the driver before taking off home.

The Alpha said four hours. I wonder how impressed he would be if I did it in three?

Feeling the ground under my paws is everything I need. The smell of the woods in Maine fills my lungs as I pick up speed. I dodge trees and jump logs.

I see a group of human houses up ahead. This must be new; I don’t remember it. So, I slow just enough to make sure no one can see me. When I feel safe, I take off at top speed and hopefully make it to the woods, unseen.

I smell home. What a smell.

Me- Alpha Hendricks, this is Stacey, requesting permission to enter our pack.

Alpha- Welcome home, Stacey. Thank you for bringing my daughter home.

Me- Anything for my Alpha