[One]
*Mae*
September 13, 2036
"How does it feel to be eighteen?" My mom asks as I walk into the kitchen dining area. Yesterday was my eighteenth birthday and I honestly don't feel any different. I offer her a smile as I sit next to her an across from Uncle Trent. He gives me a wink before he continues a private conversation with Aunt Natalie.
Everyone has changed. Mostly for the better. My mother has flourished with beauty. Her guilt for the death of my two siblings has slowly faded. Or at least, she's been able to cope with it. I never judged my mom for what she did. I wasn't born, it had nothing to do with me. My dad is a wonderful father. He is hardly ever blind anymore, however that tires him out quite a bit. My parents are closer than they ever were before.
Trent is back to normal; as my mother says. Apparently he was very closed off to her, but I never had a chance to witness it... He's a great uncle and he loves Natalie, despite the age difference. They have a young boy, Michael. He looks just like his father, with the smile that reaches his eyes.
Jesse and Mason. If I didn't have my parent's love to envy, I'd certainly be jealous of Mason's and Jesse's. They look at each other as if they are the last thing they will ever see. Mason always has an arm around her, or is playing with her hair. Jesse is also a mother of a young boy, Joey. He looks just like his mama, with piercing eyes and dark hair. My mom says it's a shame we don't have another 'Blondie' in the family.
Yes, she still calls Mason 'Blondie'.
Jenny, Tyler and Duke come over every Friday night for a cookout. Duke is two years younger than me; sixteen. I'd say he's grown in to being a good looking man. He has his father's tan skin and dark hair, and his mother's brilliant green eyes.
Everyone is happy.
Especially me.
Granted, I don't have a mate... But right now I don't need one. I look at my family and I am content. I couldn't ask for a better bunch.
My father then walks in from the back yard, walking over to give me a kiss on the top of my head and a kiss to my mother's lips. I watch in amazement as my father's eyes glow a bright, cobalt blue. They scream power. He has overcome so much.
Landon Grey Matthews in my role model. I strive to have the courage and the passion that consumes him everyday. I hope, one day, I will be able to run the Shadow pack as he has. He took a crumbled pack at the age of sixteen and revived it. He now has over two hundred members, all loyal to him.
"Morning, everyone." He's sweaty. He must have gone for a run.
"Morning!" Everyone said back, while my mother leaned over and whisper, "Morning, baby" and pecked him on the cheek.
Yes, I was definitely envious of their love. After everything they've been through together, they will never be broken.
"Sorry I was late. I was meeting with an Alpha." My father says. That catches everyone's attention. We all put down our forks and look at my father.
Who would be contacting him? The packs have all lived in peace since Castor's execution.
"Who?" Mason asks, his spine straightening as he is fully intent on what my father has to say. He still keep his arm over the back of Jesse's chair.
"A pack from Wyoming territory. The Cipher pack." I arch an eyebrow. I've heard of that pack. That was where the Rogue Massacre took place. Many rogues stormed through the pack and murdered the Alpha family, all except the youngest son.
Lucas Donovan. He was given the pack at the age of fourteen. The Cipher pack is in turmoil. Half barely follow Lucas' demands. He struggles to keep the pack united. However, it's hard when he can't speak to them.
I hear he uses his mind link, but when speaking to such a large audience, it is hard to link in everyone and most of the words get lost along the way. Poor kid.
I was ten when the Massacre occurred. It was a long time ago and the pack is still in pieces.
"What did Lucas want?" I ask. My father averts his eyes towards me, a smirk playing on his lips.
He's pleased I have been paying attention to his Alpah-Beta-Theta meetings. He calls Mason and Trent to his office and speaks to them about the events that go on throughout the packs. He's been having me sit in so I can learn what it is to be an Alpha.
"He's searching for his mate." A frown plays on my lips. He still hasn't found his mate? He has to be... twenty two now? He should have found her four years ago. I can't help but feel sorrow for him.
Just like my father, he is wounded. Perhaps, when he finds his mate, he will be reborn again. Just like my dad.
"He will be meeting with the pack tomorrow, to see if she is here. If not, he will move on to the Rose pack." Everyone nods their head and goes back to eating their breakfast.
I wonder what he looks like. I also wonder why he lost his voice... Stories are told that half of his throat is missing. Or that he simply just chooses not to speak out of respect for his fallen family. That's what I hate about stories passed through one another... they are never true.
I dismiss myself from the table and give my mom a hug before I head outside, feeling my wolf itching to come out. I call upon her, closing my eyes as I embrace the change. My skin tingles and stomach drops as I fall onto all fours, a hairy beast.
Just as I look similar to my father in human form, I share the white wolf he has.
I was born with golden hair, however as time passed, it slowly transitioned to a milky brown. My eyes are hazel, which I think matches the brown better.
My wolf claws at the ground and I grant her what she wants. To run.
With our pack as big, and having an alliance with our neighboring packs, we solemnly worry about running too far. It will take nearly a day to reach the outside of the three pack territories.
So I run until my heart is nearly bounding out of my chest and my legs collapse underneath me. Even though that sounds painful, I love it. It gives me such a high, to run until I can no longer run. It means I have pushed myself. And everyday, I go just a little bit further.
I lay on the cool forest ground. It is not nearly three. I ran for five hours. To a wolf, that is a perfect run. I know in human form, I'd be dead on the pavement if I ran for five straight hours. But it is amazing how much endurance a wolf, or even a dog, truly has.
Birds chirp from the trees above me and I lift my head, shifting my body to I am laying on my hip and elbows as I pant, listening to the songs they sing. My breathing is heavy, but as I focus on the music of nature around, I slowly begin to regain my energy and breath.
The sun beams through the leaves of the trees and I crawl away to find shade. There is no way I am baking in the sun with all this fur on me.
Just as I get used to the music, it cuts off and harsh flapping of wings take it's place. My ears perk, searching for what startled the birds. I get to my feet, my tongue lolling out as I pant. My eyes scan the area, but I come up short.
Maybe the birds decided to just move on.
Perhaps I should too.
I begin to walk home, too exhausted still to even go a pace above the walk. But as I do, I begin to feel a presence with me. The hair at the back of my neck stands up. Someone is following me. I twitch my ears, trying to catch a sound. A breath, a sniffle, a crunch of leaves. Anything... But I come up short.
No, there is most definitely someone behind me.
I spin around and bare my teeth, ready to attack until my body shuts down... Or comes to life... Whichever it is, I am frozen, gazing up at the beautiful man in front of me. I didn't need my wolf to tell me, I already knew.
I was going to love this man forever. I don't know who he is or where he came from, but he is mine, just as I am his.
The man before me is wearing nothing but black, low-waist track pants. His chest is bare, available for my admiring eyes. He bares a large tattoo on his left pectoral, but I am not able to make it out as my eyes rise to meet his big, brown, doe like eyes that hold so much sorrow. His blond hair is mussed, falling across his forehead as he gazes down at me.
I notice a horrid scar on his neck, but don't think twice about it as I contemplate shifting. I just met the man and I don't have a change of clothes. I back up a few steps and look around.
Maybe I can cover myself up with leaves? Like how Tinkerbell does it....
Yeah, go make a leaf dress. I roll my eyes as my stupidity.
When I look back up to my mate, he's no longer standing in front of me. I look around, a panic building inside of me. Why would he leave? I quickly follow after his scent, catching up to him in no time. He's just walking away, in a brisk pace.
I nudge his hand, yelping at the shock that starts at my nose and spreads through my body at the contact. My mate looks down at me as he takes his hand away. I mentally frown. Why is he dejecting me?
He can't possibly be rejecting me... can he? He hasn't even said a word to me and he just walks away?
No, I will not let him get away from me.
I follow him as he continues to walk, only stopping when he finally talks to me and tells me why he is rejecting me so quickly. Without not even knowing who I am.
My mate takes us through the forest for a couple of minutes until we come across a camp of tents. I look to see so many people gathering food, starting fires or even collecting firewood. Everyone seemed to have a job and was going it. I trot forward and meet the first woman I see, giving her a gentle nudge. When she looks down at me, she instantly understands what I am asking for.
Everyone in the werewolf species understands the difficulty of having to shift back nude. It is aggravating and we do well to help each other out.
The white haired, older woman comes back with a light blue sundress and I take it in my mouth, running into the trees to shift back and throw the dress over me. It's a little big on me but I am just grateful to have clothing.
I emerge from the treeline and scan for my mate. But of course, he didn't wait for me.
Jerk.
I breathe in, following my instincts as I storm through the camp. I ignore the stares I receive. They are wondering who I am and what I am doing here. But this isn't their territory. They are camping out on the Prowler pack's land, and I have every right to be here... More so than they do.
I find my mate sitting in a lounge chair by a tent, looking at a cooking fire. This angers me. Why would he just dismiss me so easily?
My stomping walk comes to a halt when I see a lone tear roll down his left cheek. My heart squeezes tight as I watch him. Why is he sad?
His beautiful brown eyes look up at me and I tilt my head to the side as he takes me in. Then, he shakes his head. He just sits there and shakes his head as another tear rolls down his cheek. I know what he's thinking. He wants to reject me.
Say it. Just say it.
"Can I help you?" I spin around and take a step back as a man in his mid forties stands in front of me. He has salt and pepper hair and an afternoon shadow that is sprouting on his face. His dark brown eyes glare at me, waiting for my answer.
"I-I-" I stumble over my words, but I am grabbed my the wrist and pulled back a few steps. I spin, ready to attack the assailant, however, I am met with a pitched tent. I feel my shoulders rub against a warm, bare back. I look over my shoulder to see my mate standing in front of the older man.
I peek over my mates shoulder to see him glaring at the man, however they don't speak. They must be using their mind link.
Salt and Pepper man looks over at me, his eyes wide. "Forgive me, miss. I didn't know." Didn't know I was the Alpha's daughter or the mate of a pack member? "I'm Grant, Beta of the Cipher pack."
I nod my head. "I'm Mae Matthews, daughter of Landon Matthews." I say, almost as a warning and security. No one in their right mind would harm the daughter of an Alpha.
Grant looks over at my mate again and I grow curious as to what they are saying. Why can't they just say it out loud?
Grant frowns as he meets my eyes again. "Lucas wants you to reject him." My eyes widen as I process what he is saying.
Not only the fact that my mate wants me to reject him, but what Grant just called him. Lucas... Lucas is the Alpha of the Cipher pack. Lucas is the poor boy who lost his family and his voice at the age of fourteen.
And now he wants to lose his mate.
I am sorry, but there is no way in hell that is happening.