From the day you are born it is determined wether or not you will be a wolf or not. They say it is all in your eyes. I say it is all in your soul. When you are in your human form you feel trapped like its a tight pair of skinny jeans. When you change into wolf form it sets you free you feel the wind in your face as you run. Ever since I was a little girl I loved this feeling. Now I am 25 my place in the pack is a tracker. Not many can do what I do that's what makes me so special. Many packs have wanted me. Honestly my heart has always been in the mountians. I decided to plant my roots not far from Jackson County, North Carolina. Its a small town full of good ol' boys and smart housewives. I mostly keep to my pack. There are about 57 of us in my pack. Our packmaster is young only about 35. He treats us well. We live off the land and protect the humans from the demons. My father was a tracker, one of the best, he taught me everything he knew. Demon tracking is in my blood. I knew i was going to be chosen soon by a high member of the pack to be his bride. I just never saw this coming.
It was the second full moon of the year, mid February, there was seven of us summoned to the house of our packmaster. Justin had been our packmaster for five years. He took over on his 30th birthday when his father was killed in a demon attack. It was horrific and we all knew Justin had to kill him after he turned demon. When a werewolf is killed by a demon we turn into a demon ourselves.
As we walked into the meeting hall Justin was sitting at the head of the room as we all walked in I was the first to kneel and bare my neck as my sign of submittance. The others followed suit quickly behind me.
"There have been more Demon sightings. They are getting closer to home." Justin stood and commanded the room. I bowed my head lower this was the only person I ever wanted to submit to. This was a mission I needed to put everything else out of my head it won't matter who they choose for me as long as I am a member of the pack. " I have summomed the seven of you because you are all the best that we have in this entire pack." He began pacing infront of us. "We need this stopped but first I need the nest of demons found and scouted out and I need an estimate. We may need backup." Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Josephine, I need you to track them back to the hide out the rest of you can scout it out. John, Scott, Mavrick, Christian, Lucian, and Elliot you are my best scouts do not dissapoint me." He hissed through his teeth. "Go get ready scouts you don't have much time. Josephine doesnt like waiting." The other six left us i am still kneeling infront of Justin. "Josephine stand." He extended his hand to me. I place my hand in his and I stand infront of him, my black hair cascading down my back from the side I tucked it too when I bowed before him "When you return I need to speak with you." He said
"Anything need you know you can always count on me." I said my light brown eyes met his dull hazel eyes. He is a little shorter than me maybe an inch or less a strong manly build bald headed. Rough hands he is hard working before my father died he said 'you can tell a hard working man by his hands.'
"Just come back to me safely Jo." Justin said before he kissed the back of my hand. This was odd behavior for Justin he had never done this to me or any woman before... not that I had seen anyway. His eyes glowed green I felt a shift in the wind I felt the wolf come alive inside of me as I saw him try to control his urge to shift I tried to control mine. I didnt understand this urge. It was overwhelming.
I heard howling in the distance and I could smell a demon. I couldn't hold back anymore I shifted. The pain of the shift lasted for a few mila seconds now. Before when I was young it hurt so bad I used to have to have a recovery time. Now I hit the ground running. I was on the scent of the demon before anyone could catch up with me. I knew I was closing in. I could hear it's breath. I stopped, I listened, and I waited. It would make itself known to me soon. If I could smell it and hear it, then the damned thing could sure as hell hear me. I knew the others would be here soon. I didnt have much time. I had to make it show itself to me. I darted towards the woods knowing if it thought I was alone it would single me out. Sure enough it was right behind me in seconds and the chase was on. I let out the loudest howl I have ever let out. I knew I could take this demon on but I wanted everyone else to know where I was. I got to the edge of the woods shifted into a human and got up into the tree and shifted back into a my wolf self. The damn thing entered just underneath me. I leapt down onto its back and tore its head off of its body I heard its screams as it died. I stayed shifted as the rest of my pack showed up.
They all gathered around waiting for Justin to make himself known.
I knew I was in trouble. I just didnt know how much trouble I was actually in. Justin showed up we all knew it was him he was the only black wolf in our whole clan. Just like I was the only white one. We all bowed. Justin approached me and started looking me over. I tilted my head to show submitance. He put his head on my neck and nuzzled against me then proceeded to lick my face. His eyes met mine and I knew at that moment what was happening. I was about to become Beta to his Alpha.
He shifted back into a human. When we shift back we arent wearing any clothes which is very inconvenient.
"How did it get Through!?" Justin demanded "Who was on the south end tonight?" I don't mind the male figure but I have never really been as atracked to anyone in this pack. What the hell is happening to me right now? I thought about it as they all talked back and forth for a minute.
There is so much Justin and I have in common he is our only packmaster and I am the only tracker.
Trackers are very rare. We are rare because there was a huge hunt for Trackers when I was little. The necromancer who controls the demons sent batches of demons out to hunt all of the trackers down. Thousands of us died. My father died protecting me from the last wave of demons. He didnt turn my brother Lucian being about 4 years older than me he was the one who ended up killing our father after he started to turn into a demon himself. I was 10 when my father died. I couldn't pay attention to what Justin and the rest of the pack were saying. I lay on the ground thinking of all my lost tracker friends and loved ones. Luckily Lucian did not have the tracker gene. I don't know if he ever hated me for being a tracker or if he felt the need to protect me even more. I started fighting harder for everything I have. I learned to fight. I learned battle tactics. I worked so hard to become what I am today. I just hope that the pack sees that.
I didn't look around very much during my time of reflection. I didnt realize that everyone had left but Justin. He transformed back into wolf form and he sat next to me and he lay his head on my shoulders nestling into me trying to make me feel better. I think he can sense my emotions. I'm not sure if he can or not but he is still here trying to make me feel better. I didnt know how to feel. I felt very odd here beneath him. I knew I needed to submit and so I stayed.
I lay there for a while. He stayed there with me then he moved off of me. He transformed into his human form.
"Jo, sweetie I need you to come back with me." He said softly kneeling down next to me. "You can stay with me tonight." He offered. I knew I needed to snap out of my funk. I transformed. He tried to look me in the eyes. I tried to look away. "You already figured out what I want to talk to you about haven't you?"
"You need a Beta." I said quietly "you've known for how long that this was going to happen?"
"The Elders just told me this morning. But I have been watching you since you came here."
"Why didn't you tell me this morning?" I whispered. I kind of felt like a pouting child. How could he know all this time and now tell me? It's almost midnight. "Its almost midnight and you just now decided to tell me? Start telling me when any of this is fair."
"Jo I am sorry. I can ask them to pick someone else if this makes you this unhappy." Justin looks hurt and confused.
"You barely know me and I barely know you." I said calmly. "I want a chance to get to know you before we are married."
"So this isn't a no?" Justin asked
"This is a I want to get to know you packmaster. If I may." I said kneeling down into the dirt still naked. I exposed my neck. He bent down next to me and kissed my neck softly.
"I hate the rule that you have to bow to me. Becoming mine. All you would have to do is expose your neck." He said just as softly as the kiss on my neck and he tilted my face so I would face him. "Jo, what if you dont like the wolf you get to know?"
"Just as we trust in you, I ask that you trust in me." I said. My body finally remembered tonight and my limbs felt heavy. I fell almost over.
"I do trust you or I wouldn't still be out here with you." He said catching me. "Put your arms around my neck you are staying with me tonight." I felt naked weak and exposed. I havent I haven't felt this way in so long it hurt. I put my arms around his neck. He swept my legs from under me and grabbed me behind my knees and supported my back. I lay my head between his neck and my arm. He smelt awful. When was the last time he showered. "I got you Jo. Just relax and I will get us there." I used my nose and nudged his neck lightly. He walked slowly I could feel my hair moving in the wind. "Jo..." he sounded concerned.
"Hmm?" I managed.
"Do you eat enough?" He asked the truth was I eat but it's not much in surprised Lucian hasn't told on me.
"I eat." I whispered. "It's not as much as the rest of the pack or most humans but I do eat."
"Anything else I should know before this starts officially? Besides the fact I need to get to get you to eat more." He said as we approached his back door.
"Can we talk about it once I have something covering my body?" I asked.
"I can make hot chocolate after my shower. If you want a shower you can use my robe until I can find something small enough for you to wear you can use the big shower upstairs. The robe is hanging behind the door in the bathroom." He said as we stopped infront of his back door. "First door on the left Jo." He pointed at the stairs.
I walked up the stairs. I opened the door slowly trying to imagine what it would be like to do this every night. Coming home every night to Justin how it would feel. There were faint flickering lights in the room when I opened the door a female came flying at me.
"Baby!" She exclaimed knocking me over. My head hit the floor with a sickening crack. I saw black dots in the corners of my eyes. I recovered quickly and by this time this girl was mad. "Who the hell are you?" She demanded.
"My name is Jo."
"You're naked in my house bitch." She started pushing me backwards. "How dare you be naked in my house around my man he is down stairs who the fuck do you think you are?" She had finally pushed me down onto a couch. "Get the fuck out of my house and away from my alpha. He is mine." She hissed through her teeth. I didnt know he already had a mate.
"Jo what are you doing up here?"I pushed past her and him went down the stairs as quick as I could and then ran out the door.
Transforming and running no matter how much my body hurt it didn't matter I wasn't going to be a mistress for him. All at once I felt stupid. My head hurt. I didnt ever check to see if I was bleeding or not. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of everything. I didnt want to be alone but I didn't have a choice. Lucian had Elizabeth and their new baby. I couldn't go there. There was no one else I could trust.
I always liked being alone until this moment. Honestly I had never felt so alone in my whole life. I'd never been in love. I've had crushes yes but what girl hasn't in her life. I stopped running about 40 feet away from my front door. I returned to my human self. I walked into my home. I felt a hole in my chest. I knew it couldn't have possibly worked between Justin and I. I closed my door and leaned on it sliding down I remembered all of the times he looked at me from across the room. All the times he helped me. All the times he stopped by to see how I was when I was sick. Was that when he actually cared or was that all fake like so he would have a wolf Beta? When I hit the floor the tears began to fall. I pulled my knees to my chest and just let the waves of sobs hit me.
It wasnt to long before I began to feel stupider which made me angry. I picked myself up off the floor. No matter how much it hurt I was still going to have to face Justin everyday. I walked into my bathroom and started a bath. I checked the back of my head. The bump back there was amazingly huge and painful. I wonder who that girl even was. My bath was half full as I climbed into it. The warmpth that surrounded made me realize how cold I actually am. I felt the need to wash off the whole night. I needed to ignore the alpha, but not disgrace myself. I scrubbed myself clean and gently washed my hair as I tried to let the night fade into memory.
When I finished my bath my mind was numb. I had about two hours before I had to go to work. Jackson County may be a sleepy little town but their one upside is the bakery. I am the morning person I always open. I always start off the day alone. And today I think that would be a good thing.
Solitude is what I needed. I made myself a good breakfast that consisted two eggs three slices of bacon and one piece of toast. It looked amazing. It smelled even better. I sat there in my robe staring at it. I couldn't eat it. I stood up grabbed the plate and dumped it all in the trash. I rinsed off the plate and looked put my window at my truck, 1998 Chevy Silverado. The windshield was all smashed in.
"You're fucking kidding me..." I said out loud it's almost 3am who the hell is still awake enough to take me to work? Fuck. I grab my cell phone and text Lucian
'Lucian I need to borrow a car I know you have three...' within seconds it sent. Then my phone started ringing. It was Lucian.
" I promise I will return it as soon as I get mine fixed just please..." I begged
"Jesus calm down" he said sleepily "I called to see if you needed me to come pick you up from somewhere. What happened?" He asked I could hear him waking Elizabeth up.
"My windshield is smashed to shit. I don't know when or how." I didnt want to tell Lucian about last night with Justin. It was a long pain in the ass story and I hadn't slept.
"Alright I'll be over in 15 with the car. Try to put clothes on." Lucian teased.
"I'm working on it." I said then he hung up i walked back into my bedroom I found a pair of my favorite jeans no holes but worn in good enough that they were comfortable. Then I found our uniform T-shirt Honey Bee's sweets. It was kind of cute. There was a small bee over the left breast. On the back it said 'bee kind bee sweet' I love this shirt. It's a little big but not so big when working in the kitchen it still let's me breathe. I slip into it and tuck it into my jeans. I run to the bathroom and put on a little make-up just my eyes nothing more. Everyone always loved my eyes. Always complimented them. I never knew why. My wolf eyes are a violet color. My human eyes were what they complimented. I guess things aren't supposed to make sense. I heard my brother come in my front door.
"You had better have clothes on." Lucian hollered back to me.
"I have clothes on." I rolled my eyes he caught me one time with no clothes on and now he won't let me live it down.
" so what happened between you and Justin that he is looking for you?" Lucian said looking up from his phone as I entered the room.
"I have to leave for work in two minutes..." I sighed loudly "some dumb bitch tackled me last night. I don't know who she is. Or anything like that. So I left his house and came home ignoring him. Did you know that I was supposed to become a fucking Beta?" I turned around and looked at Lucian he wouldn't even look at me. "You knew..." I said.
"Jo, I'm sorry." He said. I grabbed the keys off the table grabbed my purse and stormed out the door. I got into Lucian's car and took off. What the hell is it with all of the men in this God damned pack today. I tore out of my driveway I love this little car. Porsche Cayenne 2017 beautiful blue. My brother knew how to pick out cars. This damn thing could move. I had a twenty minute drive and i didnt want to be early so I went the long way around.
When I arrived at work the parking lot was empty. I grabbed my purse and got out of the car locked it and walked inside. I started with the doughnuts. While they baked I made all of the frosting for the day. The doughnuts finished. I turned the radio on to drown out my thoughts. I could not think about Justin.
I have to keep my head up I still have ten and a half hours left of work... this was going to be the longest morning of my life. It's just after 5:30am the music is blaring. The doughnuts are cooling they are almost ready for frosting. The cakes are almost done in the oven. This whole place smelled amazing. The muffins were next to go into the oven. Taking the cakes out of the oven I burnt my arm. The full length of my forearm.
"Fuck!" I said loudly. One of my co-workers walked at this point. I set the pan down on the counter, my arm was starting to bubble with blister from my burn. I closed my eyes it took everything I had not to do anything else.
"Josephine, what did you do?" Mrs. Jones said practically running up to me. She took ahold my arm gently. "You need to go to the emergency room sweetie. Can you drive yourself?" She asked. Mrs. Jones was a sweet little old lady.
"Yes ma'am I will have a friend meet me there." I said. Taking off my apron I hung it up and grabbed my bag and my keys. I texted Lucian on my way out the door.
'Meet me at the hospital... I got a bad burn.' I put my phone in my bra. I hoped my brotherwould come. The drive to the hospital wasn't very long the blister was getting bigger and more painful. I parked and got out of the car locked it and turned around and Justin was there. He actually came for me. He approached me slowly.
"Jo..." he said softly looking me over. Then he looked into my eyes after seeing my arm. He looked like he never showered and he looked exhausted.
"I didn't know you would be here I called my idiot brother. I'm sorry if I interrupted things between you and your girlfriend." He examined my arm carefully. As I spoke. "I should have known Lucian would call you. I'm sorry." I was sick to my stomach. I wasn't sure if it was because of the pain, the sight of this nasty thing on my arm, Or the fact that he was looking at me like that.
"Jo..." he sighed. "I have been looking for you all night. Lucian finally tells me you went home... you never even said goodbye." He was searching my eyes. "Tracie, she is my ex she lied to me about being a wolf. About being one of us. So I took her into my bed and let her into my heart. She broke me. And now here I stand infront of you a broken man. Trying to piece myself back together. I tell you I have feelings for you, and you leave." He let go of my arm.
"I told you I called Lucian." I said holding in every tear I wanted to cry for him. He didnt want my pity he wanted my love. I already knew I didn't want that
"No. I chased Tracie out last night. I have come to get you all fixed up here and then you care coming home with me to my house and we are going to talk and you are going to eat."
