Alpha Gray

1

Because our alliance is made up of six packs, some people jokingly started referring to the collective as the 'six-pack' and the name stuck. Even though we call ourselves the six-pack and our interests are aligned, we remain six very separate packs, each with its own alpha. We each live in our own territories and have our own ways of life. The six alphas form a council of sorts when dealing with matters that affect the territories as a whole and its security, and the six-pack has a collective security squad. The squad is made up of the best fighters from each of the six packs and handles everything from major threats to routine border patrols. From the moment the squad was formed, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had to be a part of it.

I've never been a great student. While my twin sister was easily pulling off straight A's in school, I was skipping classes and sneaking cigarettes behind the bleachers. I know it's cliché, but even though we shared a womb, Brooke and I really couldn't be more different. She's thoughtful and cautious and brilliant, while I'm reckless and careless and stubborn. I've always been scrappy, and a field trip to the squad's training center when I was fourteen was a major turning point for me- I'd never thought much of the future, but watching the badass fighters that day piqued my interest in something for the first time. I knew I wanted to be one of them, and from that day forward, I threw myself into training.

The security squad isn't something you can just sign up for- after high school graduation, you have to make it through a grueling summer of training and be selected. The squad is really important for the six-pack, so they recruit heavy. When I was still in school, a couple of the squad fighters would come down to the high school once a week to run a training course, and those of us who had aspirations of making the squad someday would continue to practice with one another on weeknights. I tried to talk Brooke into training with me, but she was more interested in sitting in front of her computer than getting her hands dirty. That worked out for her, though, because the security squad isn't all muscle. There's a small faction of tech savvy individuals that work the IT unit for the security squad, tracking the movements of the shadow pack and any other potential threats. Brooke is a little computer hacker genius, so she was invited to join. She doesn't even have to try out or prove herself- she's just in. Lucky bitch.

I tend to leave things to the last minute, so of course I'm still packing my suitcase for summer training camp with barely any time to spare. The suitcase on my bed is bulging, and I lean my body over it to try to force it closed. I can hear Brooke giggling from across the room as she watches me struggle.

"A little help here?" I grumble, shifting more of my weight onto the top of the suitcase. I lift my head to see Brooke slide out of her bed, crossing the room toward me. She waves me out of the way and turns around to sit on my suitcase.

"Here," Brooke says, wiggling into a position so that all of her weight is squarely on top of my luggage. "You zip. You're stronger than I am."

It's true. While we're genetically identical- the same blue eyes, long blonde hair, tan skin, and tall, lean frame- I've packed on a lot more muscle through my training over the last four years. I wrestle with the zipper for a few minutes, and with Brooke's weight on top, I'm miraculously able to get the overpacked suitcase to close.

While Brooke heads into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready, I change from my pajamas into a pair of high waisted yoga pants, a white sports bra, and a cropped white t-shirt. She emerges a few minutes later in black jeans and a flannel, reaching for her suitcase nestled in the corner. Of course she's already packed. I can't help but roll my eyes.

We head downstairs to have a quick breakfast with our parents and say our goodbyes, and Mom is especially emotional about her girls being all grown up and leaving home. I go to give her a hug and she cups my cheek, cradling my face in her hands.