Hey guys, this is my first draft, so i apologise in advance for any spelling/grammar mistakes. I will be gradually editing the chapters to fix these, thanks :)
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Prologue
His loud and booming voice barely roused my senses as I briefly acknowledged his words.
‘You will do as your mother says’!
Pfffffft, yeah right; me follow orders, no way in hell. My father had always been walking a fine line with me and threatening me the way he had resorted to recently did nothing for our friendship.
‘I will do as I please’.
Dad stood over me, his eyes a distant black; if I were just any werewolf, I know this would intimidate me but then again I wasn’t. My Dad’s use of his title was such a turn off; it was really a poor excuse for parenting. He may have been important in our society but that did not give him the right to stomp on me.
In my opinion my own father should have known that if his blood ran through my veins, I could resist his commands, after all we were supposedly blood relatives.
I hoped for once he would listen to what I had to say but like usual I assumed my words would mean nothing.
‘Dad please, you know that trick doesn’t work on me’.
Not taking my comment too lightly; Dad slowly inched forward, his figure creating a shadow over me, he was now that close. I never hesitated to take note of his tense stance, the way his muscles begged to attack me.
Looking ready to shift; his body was shaking in the usual way when someone tried to keep their animalistic side at bay.
‘Vera Thurmont! You will do as I say; now get out of my house and go feed your precious inbred sheep’!
So Dad still holds it against me that I left the ram gate open one day, leaving the rams to impregnate half their children. How was I supposed to know sheep were that stupid! If I didn’t mention it before, I suppose I should now…..
My family runs a sheep farm here in the Crescent Pack, now as fun as that sounds; getting to eat the little buggers whenever you want……it’s not. Unfortunately for me, I had to be tasked as the one to help look after the sheep when Dad was busy and since he was Beta……that was very often.
Beta in our pack was pretty much another word for the slaver driver of the Alpha, although I’m sure if Dad heard me disregard his title with such disrespect, I would soon find out what a slave really was.
Being shoved out the front door for it only to slam hard enough to crack the hinges; this was not a new routine to me and this was simply an everyday occurrence.
I was never allowed to tend to the large flock of sheep that grazed the many hectares of land we actually owned; being appointed with the task of only having to look after the sheep which were ‘my’ creation.
Hearing the low growl echo over the porch, Dad must have been serious this time, as if his little intimation technique didn’t give it away.
Striding over to the sheep; I really did feel a bit like some lunch, maybe one of the ‘inbred’ suckers would do……
Meat was meat regardless where it had come from and I was yet to see much difference between the sheep I looked after and the large flock, I was sure the difference in taste wasn’t even noticeable.
Eyeing off the helpless sheep, its frantic pacing back and forth in the little pen did nothing for it. These animals knew when they saw me; they were in trouble. Just looking at the way the sheep hunched together, trying to push each to the front, they knew what was coming.
Leaning over the fence, the sheep began to shake; such helpless animals they were, only good for eating in my opinion. Trying to be the animal’s best friend farmer that I saw regularly on television, I held my hand out waiting, but of course none of them would approach.
The fact that I was a werewolf and I most likely stunk of predator, you would think would be the first clue.
I was sure any onlooker would think I was on the edge of hysteria, my voice coming out relaxed like I was talking to any other person.
‘So which one of my little suckers would like to be today’s meal’?
If only the sheep could understand me; really they just didn’t want to be eaten, that was obvious. Maybe I’d pick off the small and most skittish one; she was always the first to get to the corner being the smaller of the few.
Making my decision, yep it would be her. Climbing back off the fence, this would be so much more fun in wolf form, so I figured I’d give it a try since Dad wasn’t around to scold me.
Stepping back to shift into my wolf; I felt my bones changing, popping into my canine form as a surge of relaxation hit me from changing. My senses like always were sharper, the fur now hiding my body keeping the warmth inside me.
Being a wolf always felt good, especially now I could see the sheep barging against the back fence, knowing what was coming, knowing they were going to die.
I know the technical term for us is werewolves but really, we’re just oversized wild wolfs, who think it’s fun to prance around in our own little groups of families as humans.
The feel of my fur moving against the soft wind, made me tremble with pleasure. I was just an average size for a werewolf, slightly bigger than our natural lookalikes but small enough to be classed as an ordinary wolf with a serious steroid problem.
If I was to describe myself, I would say my fur is a clean and crisp shade of white, common in our pack but rare among others. My mother had always told me it had something to do with genes and heredity; not like I care.
The long and toned hind legs I carried I knew were something I had also inherited. Our pack was built like fighters; large ears used to detect even the slightest noise along with the thick coat to protect us from the ever changing weather were just a few of the traits I had noted.
Putting all my weight on my back legs, I prepared to jump the pathetic excuse for a fence, waiting for the moment to strike when the sheep thought just maybe I was after them. Of course that wasn’t going to happen but a girl could dream.
Seeing an opportunity when my sheep was suddenly at the front, I threw myself at them; bounding over the fence, only metres from my target, I had great speed and yes I did like to brag about it.
Merely thirty centimetres from my target, claws almost close enough to snare and rip apart the sheep; my senses let me down, forgetting to warn me of my onlooker.
A large dark brown wolf; almost chocolate in colour bounded in front of me, grabbing a hold of my throat and throwing me across the yard.
His body structure too resembled my own, his skeleton somewhat larger than mine though due to my father’s bloodline.
Everything happening so fast, I didn’t even have a chance to react before he was literally standing over me, teeth barring; spit falling from his chin; the usual.
It was my brother Dingo, well that’s what everyone called him anyways; his really name was actually Sebastian.
If only it was times like this that the little mind link trick our pack possessed like every other would fail; ‘are you flipping crazy Vera! Dad would hang you out to dry if he saw you eating those sheep’!
Chuckling in my head, I even got on my brother’s nerves; who would have thought. Admittedly we fought a lot and that was an understatement but he was always going to be my brother.
‘I’m not crazy, I’m just hungry, Dad said I could’.
‘You know for a fact Dad did NOT say you could’!
Yawn; this guy was as bad as everyone else, under both the Alpha and my Dad’s spell to follow their rules and be a part of the pack. ‘Whatever Dingo, or should I say Sebby……I know you love the pet names……’
Dingo growled, lowering his head over mine; ‘you so asked for this little Sis’!
Now when we were younger these fights were considered play to the both of us, neither trying to cause any harm to other. Of course that changed pretty soon and so the majority of our fights these days were simply us spatting over some pointless argument.
Seeing Dingo lean down to grab me and most likely throw me across the yard again, I kicked against his stomach, managing to squeeze out from under his hold. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he would get.
Scurrying back to lunge at Dingo, the trick with this guy was not to take him head on. He was as big as Dad and that was not a good thing to confront head on if you had a brain.
Pushing my shoulders into his large form, Dingo was taken off guard by my actions, we both knew I preferred to play lethal and Dingo was always on guard knowing I would most likely kill him if I could.
To Dingo, these little fights were merely only a reminder to himself that he was older and stronger than me, my lethal approach only helping his strength I guessed.
Lunging to his side, I grabbed at his paw with my teeth, just grazing his leg as Dingo flicked out of the way. Turning to run at me, I span around; taking off towards the house.
Being the faster of us young ones, I reached the veranda just as Dingo was catching up. My feet padding up the steps quickly as I gripped into the soft wood, my feet left the ground soon after.
Using the wall as leverage, I bounded off the bricks, springing into Dingo’s side before he could process what was going on.
Being on top now, I dug my teeth into his back, hearing him yelp in pain; before brushing it off and climbing to his feet. Growling lowly as Dingo always had when he was mad; the moron lunged again, this time, cutting me off from the road I had just run down.
Barely getting out of the way; his teeth connected with my tail, as he grabbed on tight, with my escape being brought to an abrupt stop. My eyes focusing on the threat, I bucked and kicked; connecting a couple of times with Dingo’s face before he let go and jumped at me, this time landing on top of me.
His massive feet pressed against my back, as his weight shifted; his face leaning down near mine and if he were human right now, he would be laughing his ass off.
‘You lose Sis…………’
Growling and snapping wildly, Dingo was soon quick to get off me and take off into the house, whilst I got to my feet only to see my Mother standing in the doorway; a saucepan in her hand, obviously being today’s choice of punishment.
‘Get your butt in here now lady! That was the last straw! I want you off our property and out of this pack; I don’t even know you anymore’!
So here I was sitting at the table, staring into the empty canister of salt as Alpha Toby eyed me up and down before taking his own seat across from me to wait for my parents.
His eyes were a gentle emerald green but that was such a cover it was ridiculous, Toby was a ruthless killer and if I tried to argue with him, he would skin me alive.
Only merely half an hour ago, Mum had been belting me with her trusty saucepan; making blood draw on my skin. Obviously since we were werewolves, we healed so much faster than any human but that still didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
Mum was just as disconnected from me as Dad, following orders from her Beta; I knew part of her actually felt sorry for me and wanted to help.
Bowing down to Dad like everyone else though, she was weak and simply a mother and wife of a Beta in my eyes. Some might say it was a harsh way of thinking about your own parents but for some time now, neither of them have treated me right.
Mum and Dad soon sat down either side of me as this little meeting began, making me scoff at the stupidity of it.
Dingo has ventured off to finish whatever task had torn his attention before our fight started, the tension between us still sitting fresh in my mind.
Alpha Toby began the meeting asking what I thought was a pretty self-explanatory question. ‘So Miss Thurmont, if I have been informed correctly, your parents wish to gain permission to remove you from our pack’?
Rolling my eyes, I folded my arms across my chest, if my parents thought I was going down without a fight, they had another thing coming.
This was not how it was supposed to work; even the Alpha was too blind sighted to even question what the cause was.
‘Obviously; can we skip the formal stuff; we both know why you’re here’!
Alpha Toby frowned at me, clearly becoming annoyed with my effortless attempts to infuriate him. It would have only been years ago that the Alpha actually did try to get to know me, Dad probably complaining about his problem daughter and begging for help.
‘You have killed many of our livestock, including your own, which will only detriment your family in the long run child. On numerous occasions, you have assaulted and tried to kill in daylight; many innocent bystanders and on one occasion; have managed to kill a human that was passing through our town’.
The list went on, I have done this and that but really it was just a list to me, nothing more. No one ever considered circumstances, I was not a bad person, they just made it seem that way.
Toby really should have been more concerned with the numerous packs trying to overthrow his authority on this land but instead here he was; reading my rights……..
‘I have also been informed that you went for a hunt today when your brother stopped you, yet again from killing more of our precious livestock; so unfortunately I am left with no choice but to banish you from our pack for a period of six months’.
My mouth dropping to almost reach the floor, I couldn’t believe what just come out of his mouth. Six months was a flipping long time to fend for myself!
Admittedly yes, I knew there’d be punishment but having to leave is a joke!
My wolf was both angry at me and her leader for banishing her; what built up inside me definitely didn’t have a word scribbled in the dictionary that was harsh enough to describe it.
Shifting to my wolf; shredding more of my clothes that would now be all I had; I lunged at Alpha Toby, seeing his eyes darken as I threw myself across the table, knocking over some of the most random condiments in the process.
Managing to grab hold of me and throw me aside, Alpha Toby had clearly been expecting a reaction but I guessed he wouldn’t stay human long.
My anger was only fuelled by my wolf’s determination to win, she had learnt long ago that no one was worthy of controlling us.
The seconds passed as Alpha Toby shifted also; darting backwards out of my reach as I landed on the other side of the kitchen. Head held down low with a small growl slowly erupting through my teeth.
‘You just overstayed your welcome Miss Thurmont’.
Not only ten minutes later and you would think I would at least be given a descent send-off but no………. my pack didn’t work like that.
Dragged to the border, kicking and screaming as Alpha Toby dragged me by my throat, the long and tiring kilometres to get here; I was thrown against a tree just outside the border.
A small bag filled with a few sets of clothes and a water bottle were then pegged at my face as my wolf lay hunched at the bottom of the tree.
I could feel as a zap of something seemed to flutter in my chest; to me it seemed like some sort of regret, my wolf now realising her mistake that she was alone.
My eyes not meeting Toby’s for a second, I knew I had only minutes to get going before he would strike again. I was right, don’t take on an Alpha unless you have a plan and I certainly didn’t have a plan back at my house.
My wolf was feeling broken from the loss of her pack; she failed miserably at trying to keep the emotions to herself. We now no longer shared the mind link; it has been severed the moment Alpha Toby had kicked me out.
His two trusted wolves, my Dad and his third in command stood beside him; both enraged that I had confronted an Alpha and disobeyed orders in such a short span of time.
Looking back into the eyes of my father, his expression never changed, his eyes never showed any sympathy, nor did it even look like he cared.
There was a hint of something familiar which I did spot for a second, his eyes seeming to change but remain guarded as I realised there was still something there that made him realise I was his daughter.
Getting to my feet, I did my best to slip the lose bag over my back before I bounded into the trees, a hint of regret eating at my wolf. Shaking off the feeling, I focused my mind on what was ahead and what would now be my life.
Not even a howl could be heard as a goodbye; the distance I put between me and my old pack increasing with each long stride.
Following a faint trail to the south, I hoped when I would return things would be different.