Ebony wants to belong more than anything.
The daughter of a beta, she has never fit in with her easily intimidated pack mates. She has been isolated, ignored, avoided. So she does something crazy, something fully out of character... She transfers...
The van drives amidst the midday traffic unassumingly, blending into the mix of vehicles drifting across the bland motorway. Every so often it splutters, lagging a little, before continuing to on its merry way. I take it as a good sign that we've made it this far - maybe the Moon himself is watching over our dusty little cruiser. But then again,it could be luck. Or maybe the van can sense Dad isn't the kind of man you want to disappoint. Especially not when the high pitched voices of modern pop singers has him in constant ire.
We're three hours into the journey when the radio station finally moves away from 'the charts' and starts playing something new. As the radio station switches up the song all of us scream. Well, Mum screams, Dad grins and I give an awkward half-hearted "woot" of approval. Which is as close as any of us get to full excitement - a shocking reaction over something trivial like music.
"This is my tune!" Mum cries, fist pumping the air. The song is our official family hype song, each if us having a pre-chosen verse to complete. When it comes on at pack parties - large gatherings commissioned by the alpha and luna to let our pack 'wind down' - you can guarantee that we'll be there, trying to dance like a squad of old ladies and belting the lyrics with everything we've got. "You guys ready for this?" She asks as she deepens her voice to imitate her favourite rapper, an excited smile stretching across her tanned face.
Dad reaches for the old radio in the cars centre console. Taking hold of a tiny black dial which controls the music he turns it up louder, giving my mum a subtle nod of the head. Flexing my hands, I get ready to jump into the song.
"Hey yo, one two three, the crew is called re-fu-ge-ee-es," I start to sing passionately, as my parents both bob their heads to the music, mouthing along. Mum and Dad know this song like scripture, saying it's a strong reminder of their youth. When it comes on, Mum's excitement hits the roof and Dad breaks out of his Beta persona into his inner teenager so fast I get whiplash. I have a feeling his wolf is howling like a pup in his head.
As soon I finish my lines, Mum hops on the track quick as can be and starts rapping the female's bars. I start to dance in the back seat, pumping my arms in and out to my chest like a deformed crab, pretending to be a backup dancer.
"Go girl," I call, sending a cheeky grin to Mum to continue. She flips her hair, the fluffy curls swaying slightly before resuming their static position. Feisty.
Dad, acting as Mum's hype man, is oohing and ahhing like he's constantly impressed by Mum. Then, he swings in for the males verses. As he hits high notes his voice was never meant to hit, I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach. What the actual hell?
"You sound like a chipmunk."
He turns his head slightly to give me a dirty look, smile still stretching his dark lips from one side of his face to the other, then starts singing even harder. There's a split second where Mum's eyes catch mine, both of us staring in shaken silence at the boy released from within the wolf. Then a giggle bursts free of my throat, steadily building into a gut clenching laugh that leaves me gasping for air. As though triggered by the sounds of my merriment Mum soon joins in alongside my Dad who has given up on being a vocalist for now. The van shakes with laughter.
*** A/N
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