Pennsylvania
April 1923
The forest was shining with the last light of the day. Tea heaved a heavy sigh as she reluctantly began climbing down from the enormous oak tree.
She had to be back before dark or her father would punish her severely. He didn't have tolerance for disobedience... That's what he always said, and Tea knew the consequences.
Gathering up her dress from around her ankles, she trudged through the underbrush and tried to maneuver around the tickets and brush, with no such luck. The clothe still picked up a few thorns here and there, but she didn't mind.
As she got closer to her home she heard it. A soft rustling sound. The noise drew the girl's interest, pushing her away from her main course as she drew nearer to it.
Curiosity sparked inside Tea when it grew louder as she drew nearer.
Suddenly a delicious smell overpowered her, making her stop in her tracks. Tea inhaled again, the honey and hickory scent causing her to go dizzy with pleasure.
A smile erupted at the corner of her lips.
Before she knew what she was doing, she rushed forward. Straight to the owner of the maddening fragrance.
An angelic looking willow tree met her search, along with a figure bending over the side. His mocha colored hands collecting mushrooms at the base of the bark. The mess of waves on top of his head suddenly shook as the man's body stiffened.
The head of the stranger whipped around quickly, chocolate eyes meeting Tea's. She shivered at the look in those deep irises, he seemed awestruck.
"Mine." He breathed, his creamy lips twitching upwards. Tea tilted her head to the side in confusion as the guy got closer, easily a head taller than her.
He was her one true mate.
The creator of all mythical creatures, the Moon Goddess, granted each of her children with an eternal companion. Some waited years to find their mate.
"We are mates, little lycan. What is your name?" He asked in a thick accent, each syllable spilling across his tongue.
She also noticed that his left ear was missing the top half as if someone had hacked off a chunk of it. Instead of hiding it with his unruly waves of hair, he seemed to display it without a second thought.
He grabbed at Tea's hand and gripped it in his. She smiled jubilantly, all the radiance of a star in her expression. Mates. She knew she had a mate somewhere, but never did she expect to find him at 17 years old.. or that he would be a werewolf.
Werewolves were weak compared to her kind. Lycans were rare, powerful creatures who lived forever.
"Tea, but, uh, that's not my real name. I hate my given name. My Grammy use to call me Teacup, so I go by Tea instead." Her mate grinned at the revelation, his long fingers playing with her neon blue painted nails.
"Then we shall forget your real name, Tea." He winked, black lashes falling and rising. "I am called Franco." He whispered, smiling softly as he stared down at Tea.
Making her feel loved.
Making her feel as she'd never felt before.
Special.
Before long, Franco had told Tea all about his home down in Mexico, and how he would take her away with him. They would make a home together. A life together.
Tea felt like she could cry, or scream. Joy overtaking her completely at the mere thought. Never had her life seemed so amazing.
"Young one, you are a lycan, no?" He asked, and Tea nodded grimly, feeling uncomfortable.
Lycans were different than werewolves. Some would even go as far as saying superior.
She didn't want Franco to feel inferior, though she still had at least a year until she could actually shift into her Lycan form. By then her human form would grow taller. Judging by her mother's height, that would be at least 7 more inches. Her strength would reach ridiculous heights and she wouldn't age a day.
"Are you... okay with that?" She asked nervously, looking at her bare feet. A soft laugh filled the air, the deep timber of it sounded like the sweetest music. A warm finger caressed a lock of her fiery red hair before going to her chin to lift her face to look up at his.
"Of course, mi amor. You are perfect the way you are." Franco said, a twinkle in his eyes. "So shy. So sweet. Adventurous." He laughed, referring to her shoe-less feet. Tea giggled, making Franco smile.
"And, may I say, beautiful." He breathed as he brushed Tea's lips with the pad of his thumb. "And that's not even the best thing about you."
She smiled brightly, feeling overwhelming happiness fill her. Her mate thought she was all of those wonderful things. No one had ever talked to her like that before.
"Meet me tonight after sunset. There is a small house east of here, the only house for miles actually." Tea mumbled, holding Franco's hand tighter in hers. "I will be packed and ready for you to take me away by then."
With a kiss on the hand and a heart full of excitement, Tea sprinted to her home to collect her things.
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A golden flash was all it took to change her life for good. Who knew love could come so fast?
It was immediate. It was deep and beautiful and hope filled. Tea could hardly contain her excitement as she sprinted farther and farther through the grass field, heading straight for the dark black farmhouse.
The front yard was spotted with pink light from the sunset, making Tea smile ridiculously big.
Everything was beautiful on a day like this.
"Father! Father!" Tea yipped when her palms hit the screen door, propelling the frame into the wall with a loud smack, her power forgotten in her haste.
She traveled from room to room until she came upon the alpha office. The towering door clad with the dreaded words, "Alpha Cole".
The place was strictly off-limits, but Tea made a fist and wrapped her knuckles against the wood anyway.
"What?!" The alpha growled, making Tea shiver, but it didn't erase her resolve.
"I need to speak with you, father! I have amazing news to share! Open the door." She knocked again, and sure enough the hinges squeaked as the large room was revealed, as was a hulking lycan, an angry, hulking lycan.
"What could possibly be more important than my work as running this pack, and what did I tell you about calling me that awful name?" He demanded, his red mustache scrunching up with malice as he sneered down at his daughter.
"I'm sorry fath... alpha." Tea corrected with a cough to clear her throat. "I found my mate! Isn't it wonderful? He will here to take me away soon. I must pack my things." Tea practically exploded the words to him, a smile springing to her face as she jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
As she backed away from her father, she saw the shock in his ivy eyes, the clear curiosity.
"Who is your mate?" He asked breathlessly, not even meaning to say the question aloud.
"He's name is Franco. He's from a pack in Acapulco, Mexico called the Fossil Saints pack. He is a wonderful wolf, you will love hi..."
"Wolf?" Alpha Cole raged, his face clouding with pure rage as he grabbed for his only daughter's arm. His whole body suddenly tense.
"No child of mine will mate with a werewolf." He roared, his fury filled voice shaking the bones under Tea's goosebump covered skin. She ripped her wrist from her father's strong grip, glaring up at him.
She went bounding up the stairs, salty tears falling down her cheeks as she tore into her dresser drawers with a vengeance.
Pulling things off hangers, ripping trinkets from shelves, and collecting all of her favorite memories, Tea knew she had to leave. She needed to get far far away from here with her mate. She never wanted to see her hateful father ever again.
Gripping her shoes in a tight fist, she practically threw them on her cold feet before trudging back down the stairs and straight for the kitchen, suitcase in toe.
Soon after Tea began roughly rummaging through the refrigerator, she heard a bone chilling ound. A deep, throaty growl. Her heart stopped when a certain honey scent drifted into her nose.
Franco.
Tea dropped a jar of pickles as she crashed through the house to the back door, tears already filling her eyes in silent fear for her mate's life.
The sight she came across made her stomach twist in disgust. Franco standing rigid as he glared at an enraged Alpha Cole.
Oh no.
"You really think you are good enough for a lycan? A lycan warrior's daughter at that?" He seethed, his enormous back trembled as Tea flew toward him in a clumsy hurry.
"Please father! Oh please leave my mate be!" She cried. Tea let go of her suitcase full of belonging, clutching at the alpha's strong forearms that were shaking with the force of his madness.
He roughly threw her off, pushing her hard, making her cry out in surprise. Franco bellowed in absolute rage as she roughly tumbled to the ground. His clothes began to shred as his body took shape, shifting and snapping while it formed a shaggy, fluffy wolf, it's body still quivering from the transformation.
Franco's wolf body shot forward, going straight for the alpha.
It was a huge mistake made in his anger, there was no competition with a Lycan. Especially a blood born alpha. Tea knew this, so she screamed as her father and her mate fought. Begging for mercy, searing tears falling.
Alpha Cole didn't even have to shift to defeat Franco, he tackled him and started pummeled the werewolf with no mercy. He broke bones and ripped skin, tearing and biting as they tumbled relentlessly in the fading daylight.
Tea's father had the upper hand the whole time, he was simply playing with the pup.
With a yell fit for a warrior, Tea threw herself towards the pair.
Pulling at her father while she shook with horror, her veins began stinging from the acidic flow of adrenaline. Her father's fist accidentally caught her face in pursuit of Franco, his knuckles cracking against her jaw with a loud crunch.
His blood splattered face held confusion when he saw what he had done, his gaze empty and unseeing.
Tea stared back at him, lip quivering. A soft whine sounded behind her before a few popping sounds. Franco was back in his human form, his face a bloody pulp, his handsomeness almost forgotten.
He held out a hand for his mate, and she dropped to her knees at his side, heavy sobs already wracking her body.
"Do not cry, mi amor. I will make it better for you. I will always.." His rough words were cut off by a croak. A horror stricken Tea spotted the silver knife handle sticking out of her mate's heart, Alpha Cole standing above, his features still clouded.
Tea's world shattered as the light vanished from Franco's eyes, his mouth hanging open, a river of blood running down his chin.
She felt as cold and fierce as a winter storm, blowing and swirling in fury. Tea's whole body shifted as she broke apart inside.
"I will never forgive you." Tea whispered as her father took a staggering step backwards, voice breaking, hands trembling as she cupped her love's cheeks, her eyes filled with tears.
"Never." She vowed.
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If you're reading this, I love you :)
Hello my beautiful readers! Thank you for choosing this book. Enjoy!