"Hey, sis!" Sam calls, rushing past me with a peck on the cheek.
"Bye, sis!" Alec calls, repeating the process but slower and he's not even three steps down when Dad calls my name from his office. "You're in trouble." He sings, following his dim-wit brother down stairs. They have always been a handful ever since they were younger, especially after Mom was killed. I walk into Dad's office, expecting the worst.
The room's the darkest room despite having the biggest window with the desk near the far wall, leaving the floor with enough room to hold up to twenty people. There's a stair case winding up behind him with an overhanging balcony where the chest containing some of Mom and Dad's wedding things is standing.
Exactly the way it's always been.
As I look at Dad, he's on the phone with someone but he beckons me in with a finger and as I pass the photo of Mom, I press my fingers to my lips then to her face. You might think it's weird but it's the only thing I have left to show I love her.
"Of course. Double the guards on the East side then and on the South, just to be sure." I hear someone mumbling on the other side but Dad's holding the phone in such a way I can't hear what they're saying. "Excellent. Thanks, Lewis. Oh and make sure the pipes don't leak again. We don't have the funding from the restaurant yet." I let out a laugh, remembering the incident last time. He drops the phone back in the receiver as I drop onto the nearest chair.
"You know, what's the point in having a mind-link if you don't use it? It kind of defeats the purpose of having the ability to talk to each other telepathically," I comment and he just shrugs. "What was he saying?"
"Some wolves have been spotted on the Eastern side of the territory. The guards chased them as far as the creek but then lost them," Dad explains, looking directly at me. Why is he telling me this? "They were Red Blood."
"I told you." I shrug, feeling rather smug at being proved right. "I smelt them, Dad. I've been training to smell imposters," I say and he nods.
"And one day you will be a great Luna, Cecily." He says, stacking folders on his desk and I watch him, confused. Why does he insist I'm going to be a Luna? Sure, Alpha's daughters do tend to either be the mate of Deltas, Betas and Alphas but that didn't mean I was going to be one of those.
"Dad, I might not be mated to an Alpha. Besides, I don't even want to be a Luna. I'm not made to be one; I'm not like Mom," I argue and see him flinch slightly.
"No one's quite like her but, Cecily, you are amazing at what you do. The only reason anyone in this pack is still here, still has hope and still laughs is because of you. You protect them and they want you to be happy." He's going down a path I don't want him to go down. "You need to start looking for this mate of yours. He's going to be one very lucky guy."
"Dad, I can't. Red Blood are coming and I don't want to leave the only home I've got. If he wants me, he's going to have to come and get me. I'm not leaving my pack." I cross my arms defiantly, sinking in my chair, not planning on moving. Dad sighs, rubbing his eyes.
"Sweetheart, I've spoken to Beta Stewart and Delta Richards. They have agreed to hold a meeting tonight in the pack house; in fact they are doing it now. Everyone is present, except us." He says, looking right at me. "They are voting on whether they wish you to go searching for your soul mate or stay here."
"What?! Dad, that's not fair!" I shoot up quickly and he looks almost pained at my outburst. "I don't want to go anywhere! You can't make me leave and I'm never going to!" I stand to my feet and storm to the door.
"Cecily. Cecily, stop!" He uses the Alpha tone on me, forcing me to stop. No matter how much I try, I can't defy him. "Turn around." I do and Dad stands and comes up to me. He pulls me forward into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me. "I'm sorry. I just want what's best for you. You've been pushing yourself so hard lately; I don't want to see you break."
"I know, Dad. I just don't like the idea of having a mate; I mean, he might not even like me. I only know how to fight," I say, fisting my hands in his jumper. It's true; the only thing I know how to do is fight. I can cook but I only do that when Luke is helping Dad with Alpha stuff because he's soon going to be taking his place. It's a good thing and a bad thing.
Good because Dad needs the break and Luke deserves to be the Alpha.
Bad because then he'll be even more protective. He hates my exercising clothes as much as Dad does and seems to hate the attention I get more than Dad. He's been that way ever since I could walk. Yup, that long.
"He'll love you and if he doesn't, I'll have to teach him a thing or two or he's blind and thick. No one could resist you, as much as I hate that thought." I laugh, feeling the first tenses of anger in his chest. "Then Luke can have a go at him, which I'm sure he'll love doing. Cecily, mates need each other. You're soul mates paired by the Moon Goddess, one day it will inevitably happen that you meet and you will have to go with him."
I nod silently, knowing he was right. After that, we go downstairs and have dinner. It's surprisingly good; Luke looks smitten with himself when I pass that comment.
That's when everything goes to Hell.
I wake up to the sound of knocking on my door. Yawning widely, I look up sleepily and call: "Come in," and a small head pokes in. It's an omega and she's pretty much been 'my omega' since I was twelve. "Hi, Ellie.""Morning, Cecily. Sorry to wake you but Alpha wishes to see you." Of course he does. Omegas act almost like servants within a pack because they help keep the Alpha's house tidy and the pack house too. Most packs mistreat their omegas due to them being the lowest rank of wolf- they don't have very big or strong wolves but not our pack. They are considered family among all of us, just the way my mother wanted it."Thanks, Ellie. I'll be right there." I yawn again, stretching my whole body as she closes the door behind her. My top lifts as I reach to my ceiling yet not matter how hard I try, I'm nowhere near reaching it but I try to every morning. When my back clicks nicely, I go to the bathroom and wash my face before hurrying downstairs, still only wearing shorts and a vest
"Whose Beta are you?" I demand and he stands to face me again. "Who's you're Alpha?" He snorts, shaking his head before launching himself at me but the two wolves behind me intercept the attack. They both barrel into his chest and his attack towards me is lessened as they crash to the floor in a bundle. The other three have the second wolf pinned to the floor, the three of them having to sit on him to keep him in place. When the Beta somehow manages to shake off my warriors, I take the chance to punch him hard on the head. He yelps, his head hitting the wall.Stand down. There are too many of them. Everyone is in the training ground; they've won. Luke's voice sounds in my head and I frown. Stand down? Why? Cecily, they're too strong. They want to speak to the Alpha but we are the only one's here.I'm not giving in to them, Luke. Are you insane? I argue mentally but everyone else is captured and he is clearly being told to tell me this. I don't hear his voice reply but I relax, sighing
They force me to Shift after half an hour of walking. I refuse, trying to push as many buttons as possible; it seems he's very temperamental, especially towards me when I refuse to follow his commands. I'm not his bitch."Why should I do anything you tell me to do?" I say, crossing my arms, refusing to take another step. I'm sitting at the base of a tree and my mate is standing in front of me, obviously trying to control his temper as he closes his eyes and mentally counts to ten. All the other men are standing to the side, looking away from us but I can tell they are trying not to laugh. "You're not my Alpha.""No but my father's the King." At that, my muscles tense. I'm mated to the Prince? Better yet, I slapped the Prince in front of hundreds of people. Oops. That explains the silver ringed irises- how could I not see it? I try my best not to blush at how ignorant I've been to his status but I hide it with a shrug."Then this must be the first time someone's said no to you. Better
I definitely like it here.Clyde, Clive and the Delta, David, don't mess around. They are serious when it comes to training. There's no messing about when it comes to these three. David nods his head respectfully to me when Clyde and Clive bring me to the training ground. It's not a building like back at home but it's a large field, with a single arena in the middle. And the field is huge- a mile all the way round.Clive asks for the honour of fighting me first."Last time didn't end well for you, Clive" I laugh, watching as he takes off his shirt. All three of the men are around forty six, possibly dipping to forty four but they certainly don't have any problems with looks. I would be surprised if neither of them have mates, apart from Clyde. He definitely has a mate."I wasn't ready last time or expecting you to be so violent" he snipes and I laugh. Clyde and David watch us, ready to observe. I feel like I'm being assessed. "Ladies first" he bows mockingly. I'm wearing my own traini
Austin's P.O.VI sit at the base of a tree with my wrists resting on my knees which are drawn partially to my chest. Ryan and Rick are sat either side of me, calmly observing the pack grounds. I've already chosen them as my Beta and Delta for when I'm Alpha. Everything's sorted and I feel ready.The only thing I haven't sorted is my Luna.She's the most annoying girl I've ever met and yet I can't stop the way she makes everything inside me jump with excitement. All I want to do is have her attention, touch her and just plain have her. I know I blew it when I snapped after she slapped me. I deserved it but I don't want her to know that.All week she's been off with other people, getting to know the pack. I should be the one doing that but I'm not. She knows exactly what to say to get me to snap. Her cockiness always manages to send my wolf crazy, in a war with himself. Sometimes he wants to show her that she can't treat us like this, other times he wants to crush her into him and say h
Cecily's P.O.VI take a cold shower, trying to calm all my nerves. I killed someone. I killed two men. Red Blood men but they were still humans.I let my wolf get the best of me. His words were like stabs to the heart; no one talks about killing my family.But that's not what angers me. What angers me is Austin. That jerk just doesn't know when to stop! He doesn't care about me, what's the point in me even trying to get him to? I could leave and go back to Silverstone, I'm sure they'd happily take me back. No one here would miss me, right? I mean, I'd miss Alice and Clive, Clyde and Trish, even the twenty omegas I've befriended. I might even miss the guards I pass every morning and night.Suddenly leaving just got harder.No, I don't belong here. Austin made that plenty clear. I have to put my own emotions aside and do what would make everyone happy. Austin won't care whether I'm here or at Silverstone. If I stay here, I'd have to live with him being a dick but if I leave he'll be win
He's not here in morning when I wake. I'm not surprised though. How could I have let him sleep with me in my bed? That's letting him get what he wants! That's the last time I'm letting my guard down while my wolf is restless. She'll do anything to get Austin. But I remember the way he quickly did it after I threatened to literally kick him out. Maybe Clive was right; Austin might be whipped when I'm through with him. Now that makes me feel better.I go down the stairs to the kitchen, feeling the best I have since I got here. I know it has something to do with the fact that Austin was with me for the night, refreshing my wolf and me. My jog is easier, my wolf urging me to go faster. I see Alice and Trish in the kitchen as I step in and the omega, Mary, serving them breakfast."Morning" I call to them and the two Blacks give me warm smiles. "Hi Mary, breakfast smells great" I squeeze the omega's arm as she passes me a plate. She beams at the compliment, before turning to leave the kitch
"What's on the menu for dinner?" Alice asks, dropping next to me. It's the first night of winter; the night when the King introduces me to the rest of Black Shadow. We're currently in the pack house, everyone under one roof. They say it's a way to keep the pack together during the snow storms and the bitter cold that's bound to come our way. In some packs, the pack moves into the Alpha's house but it seems that the King and Queen have decided to do things a little differently."We used to do it the other way around but when the pack had a population over three hundred, we had to do something else" Trish explained as we moved to the pack house, taking a small bag over to the pack house with me. I didn't expect to spend too long but I'm beginning to realise that I might be here a while."Think of it as a massive sleepover. A two month long sleepover" Alice said, skipping next to me. "Our house is locked up, power switched off and everyone bunkers in here" we've been here for two nights