"You're getting stronger," Gale laughed as we rolled around on the dry forest floor.
By this point in the afternoon, the late summer rays were shining through the leaves of the tall pine trees creating intricate amber designs on our playground.
"I've been training," I replied pinning his arms to the floor straddling my childhood-long best friend.
We'd been together since the break of dawn and had now resorted to playfighting- as our meetings usual did.
"Yeah, but...I'm still stronger," he announced as he shoved me off him so that I was the one on the pine needle ladened ground.
"I'm younger," I replied defensively whilst trying to wriggle free.
"And you're a girl," he said a cheeky smile flashing across his boyish face.
"Gale Rivers!" I exclaimed pulling my best scowl before using all my strength to free myself, fortunately, this time with success.
"And I'm not the one becoming an Alpha tomorrow," I said as he lay on the floor his hazelnut hair tousled and his jade-green eyes glimmering. He looked up at me and in a moment the sparkle had been distinguished and the smiled faded.
"Oh Robyn, don't remind me please," he groaned.
It was the evening before Gale's seventeenth birthday and as the Alpha's son that also meant the day before woefully taking over leadership of the pack.
"I'll still get to see you won't I?" I asked laying down beside him and gazing up into the network of intertwined branches.
"Of course," he reassured all though with a strong sense of underlying apprehension.
"I don't really have many other friends," I replied with a sigh watching as two birds perched side by side just like Gale and I but on a branch high above. "Correction: I don't have any other friends."
"Your sisters?" he teased.
"As if," I mumbled rolling my eyes.
I had three sisters: April, Willow and Summer all years older and wanted even less to do with me than the rest of the pack. They rarely spoke to me and I guess we had nothing really to talk about. I was the different one.
"I'm gonna be lonely without you Gale," I moaned wrapping my arms around his chest.
"Maybe I'll make you my beta," he said dreamily placing a comforting hand on my back.
"I think Thawn Hazelwood and Autumn Clearwater have their eyes on that title. I'd never beat them in the duel," I said sighing as I plucked a singular daisy from the ground and spun its stalk between my fingers.
"Well if I'm the Alpha, forget who wins the duel. I want Robyn Blossom," Gale said even though we both knew that's not how it works.
"If only," I replied softly tucking the daisy behind his ear.
Every year, the Elder Pack holds what we call the Beta duel. Anyone who wants to be Beta over the age of 14 can compete no matter their gender, height, size or strength.
The final decision between the top two competitors still comes down to the Alpha, but I didn't even stand a chance of getting that far.
"The sun's going down," I pointed out as the amber air began to descend with darkness.
"I wish it wasn't."
"Just sixteen hours of freedom remaining. The ceremony will be over by noon right?" I asked.
"Hopefully. I'd rather get it over and done with," he replied not sounding particularly enthusiastic.
I had known Gale for ten years. Since I was five and he was seven. How we ended up being best friends is a story for another time, but the whole time I had known he never wanted to be Alpha. Leadership, Obligations and responsibilities just weren't for him.
He also had three younger brothers: Blaise, Fern and Atlas, all of which would be perfectly happy to take on the role.
Maybe that's why Gale and I were so compatible.
We were both kind of...outcasts. Misfits if you like.
"You'll make a great Alpha Gale," I said running my finger along his cheek. "But, what do you wanna do for your last sixteen hours then?"
"I'd be happy just lying here with you," he said with a sigh.
"We have to do something! Why don't we go to our spot by the lake?" I asked dragging a reluctant Gale to his feet.
"Okay," he said a little smile creeping onto his lips again.
I smiled widely knowing my best friend was happy again, before taking his hand and beginning to run.
Our fingers remained locked for the whole twenty minutes run to the lake. Every so often, I would look back to check on him, each time we exchanged genuine smiles- just how it always used to be.
The lake was entirely surrounded by a pallet of greens and browns, but the water remained a soft, silky blue even in the incarnadine hue of the fading light. It was nature's finest masterpiece, threads of red and gold weaved through sky amongst the splashes of subtle watercolour. Pinks, purples, oranges and yellows. All providing a background for the slowly emerging stencils of glowing stars.
Our spot was so special because it was where we had met all those years ago. As far as we knew nobody else knew of the patch of soft white sand hiding behind the tall-standing trees and giant boulders.
It was our secret.
When we arrived, we were both breathless and short-winded. We immediately rolled up our trousers and ventured towards the refreshing water still warm from the heat wave of a summer we had had.
I only had a shallow paddle in mind, but Gale clearly had other ideas.
His shirt was flung onto the sand- shortly followed by his pants before he raced to the water's edge.
I squealed as he dove into the water, cascading droplets all over my dry clothes.
"What's wrong Robyn? Scared of the water?" he joked.
"No. I don't want to get my clothes wet. My sisters will have me hung, drawn and quartered," I replied watching my jeans to ensure that the lapping water didn't seep up into them.
An evil smile swept across his face as I shook my head.
"Gale Rivers don't you dare," I said my lips curling into a terrified smile as I backed away towards the safety of the shore.
He stood up and waded through the water far faster than I could.
"No!" I screamed as he seized me around the waist and threw me into the air.
My entire body plunged into the water and I immediately made brought my head to the surface gasping for air.
I opened my eyes to see Gale was already laughing.
"Gale!" I shouted. "You're so annoying."
My clothes and hair were both soaking wet, but a smile swept across my lips. Time for revenge.
I launched myself at him and knocked him back into the water. He came back to the surface spitting water from his mouth.
"Save some for the rest of us," I joked as he choked up some more of the lake.
Half an hour later, Gale had gone to find wood, returned and lit a small fire on our beach. He had given me his dry t-shirt and mine was hanging above the flames along with my pants.
"Why don't we run away?" I suggested out of the blue as we lay on the sand staring up at the now starlit sky.
"They'd find us," Gale replied. "And then we would both be in trouble."
"Not necessarily," I said. "We'd go far far away. Change our names, our ages, our lives. Neither of us has anything to leave behind."
"It's tempting," he replied before we heard a female voice call.
"Robyn!"
"That's my sister," I said sitting up.
"Robyn!" She called again.
"I have to go," I grumbled brushing the sand off me.
"I'll see you soon, Robyn Blossom," Gale said pulling me into a hug. He then kissed my forehead and let me go.
"Don't forget about me, Gale Rivers!" I called already running through the forest and towards the call of my sister.
"I could never," he said quietly under his breath.
"Where have you been all day?" Willow questioned from the front door of the wooden house I shared with my three sisters.
"With Gale," I replied shortly.
"I wish you would stay away from that boy sometimes. You aren't good for each other," Willow said sternly. "He's becoming an Alpha tomorrow and what are you? A 15-year-old Omega? It can never work out, you know that right? And it's only going to hurt the both of you when-"
"We are just friends Willow," I grumbled as we walked through the front door.
"You spend every waking moment with him and your clothes are constantly drenched with his scent. He's not just a friend."
"Whatever," I grumbled before running up two flights of stairs and into my room in the attic.
My sister's put me up here to get me out of the way, but I liked it. I had a skylight window and a mini balcony up here. It got a little hot in the summer and a little cold in the winter but never intolerable.
I threw my back onto my bed before realising I was still wearing Gale's dark green shirt.
Well, at least I'll have his shirt.