The Wolves of Crystal Cove

Chapter One

  Trembling, my entire being is trembling as I sit on my windowsill. The cold night air nips at my sweat covered body as I try to push the memories from my mind. I let my leg swing back and forth trying to get the trembling to stop.

  I focus on the smell of the dew covered grass and the sound of the frogs and bugs. The moon is bright, so bright a human wouldn't need a flashlight to walk around, well if there wasn't as much fog they would be able to see perfectly fine. That's the thing about Crystal Cove. The fog. It comes out every night and is gone my the time the sun has rose.

  As a kid, my friends and I would sneak out to play hide and seek in it but with our heightened senses it was still a bit too easy. Especially since Ares had the unfair advantage of being the grandson of an alpha of elite race of werewolves. The guy always excelled in what he done.

  A harsh knock on my bedroom door makes me jump, almost falling out the window. "Her Erin," Rodrick says opening my door, "we've got to go, dad says it's an emergency."

  I nod my head before following him downstairs and out the back door. "Dad say what it's for Ricky?"

"Nope, just that the packs been gathered and to be alert for threats."

"Dads letting me out with a possibility of a threat?" I ask in surprise. My father has been a bit overprotective but recently it's gotten worse.

It doesn't take long for Ricky and I to start making our way through pack members to meet at the front with our parents. "You could have at least changed Erin," my father says only glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

"Ricky said it was an emergency. Emergencies typically mean get your ass out of bed and head straight to the location," I retort. It's not like being half naked isn't normal around here.

"No need to be sassy, my daughter."

I follow his line of gaze to see he's just staring off into the woods and fog. I tilt my head trying to let my senses enhance but it doesn't always work, like right now. My mother sets her hand on my shoulder rubbing reassuringly with her thumb. "Leave her alone Phil. At least she getting more comfortable in her own skin," mom finally says. I let out a soft sigh wishing Ares was here.

Ares is one of my childhood best friends, as well as the son of the beta meaning that he who will be my beta. Due to his father being the son of the Alkamore alpha, he is also in the running to be their alpha. He has to visit his grandparent every so often as his a part of his deal with them. He must visit them if he wishes to stay here. Sometimes I go with him, his grandparents seem to adore me. Ares and Casey are my closest friends.

  My fathers Gamma wasn't able to have children so ive been talking to my father about appointing Casey in his spot when I take over. Shes the daughter of one of our best fighters and has shown great promise herself.

I glance behind me seeing her standing with her own parents. Her hair knotted and standing showing that she obviously rolled out of bed for this. She gives me a lazy smile before I look back ahead of us. "So what's the emergency?"

"You'll see," my father mutters. I loud howl echos throughout the woods before being joined in my others off in the distance.

"Is the Green pack chasing something?"

"No, Erin. You'll see," mom says, dropping her arm off my shoulder and nestling under my dads arm.

  Ricky is sniffing the air trying to catch the scents but doesn't seem to come to any luck. Though it doesn't take enhanced senses to come to the conclusion that the frogs and bugs have gotten quiet. They sense it as well. Soon enough it seems as if a hundred or so wolves appear in front of us. The fog and woods hiding many of them as they stop walking. My father lets my mother go before meeting one of the wolves halfway. The wolf transforms back into its human form showing a well build middle aged man. One that I know.