by CY Jones
“I see you have your mother’s curiosity,” my grandfather says, watching me as I look over their home.
“Which she must have gotten from you,” I state, pointing out his obvious gawking.
“Ah, bella. It seems you have your mother’s smart mouth as well,” he replies chuckling, and I smile with him. Outside he was quiet and stoic, but now I see I have misjudged him. Not good for someone who’s on a path for redemption. Up close he looks a lot like my mother with their matching coffee brown hair, and they share a similar bone structure, but his eyes are a warm brown where my mothers are a brilliant blue, which she clearly got from my grandmother since hers are the same shade.
“What is this business about Dante not being your mate anymore?” Grandmother asks once we’re all settled at the kitchen table with steaming cups of tea in front of us.
“Dante denounced me as his Alpha mate, and took on another. One he got pregnant,” mum admits, and my grandmother gasps loudly clutching her chest.
“Oh my, I didn’t even know you can do that,” she finally says.
“You can’t, but Dante thinks he’s king of the world, and can do whatever the hell he wants,” mum cries out in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air.
“We did try to warn you, cucciolo, about men like him, did we not? You were too wrapped up in your own selfish desires to listen,” grandmother lectures.
“I did not come here for a lecture, mama, or an ‘I told you so’. I need a safe place for me and Aspen to stay.”
“We will have to petition for sanctuary with the Alpha, but it will not be easy. A lot of people will not be happy to see you have returned, and Dante, regardless of what he says or done, is still your mate. If he wants you to return, you’ll need an Alpha backing you to be able to stay. I don’t know how you’re pushing his orders out your head as it is now,” grandmother responds.
“I’ve cut both mine and Aspen’s ties to him and the pack. We can’t hear him and he can’t hear us.”
“How can that be? Only an Alpha can do such a thing,” grandfather says in shock.
Shrugging, mum replies, “his blood runs through my veins. I have the power of a True Alpha now.”
No one gets to say anything else after that because the doorbell rings, stopping all conversation.
“I’ll get it. Why don’t you all go into the sitting room? I’ll have our guest join us in there,” grandfather says, standing up.
I follow mum and my grandmother into the sitting room while wondering who is at the door. Were my grandparents expecting company before we came?
The sitting room just as the rest of the house is nice and cozy. The couches are the kind your body sinks into, a nice warm brown made from Italian leather, the ornate rug looks old and antique in bright beautiful colors, the coffee table also appeared to look antique as well. Heavy gold curtains are drawn open, letting in the bright sunlight, and a pretty decent sized TV is mounted to the wall above a red brick fireplace that I suspect has never been used with how clean it is.
Grandfather walks into the room with a man following close behind him. He’s tall like my father, well over six feet with a broad build and sandy blonde hair. Just like the guard up front, he’s stacked with muscles, and is pretty good looking for an old guy. Well maybe not too old. He appears to be around my mother’s age, but with how slow wolves age who knows. My grandparents don’t appear any older than their late thirties when I know for a fact they’re well into their eighties. The man’s light blue eyes twinkle with amusement when they take in me and my mother, and he smiles at both of us.
“Alpha,” grandmother says greeting the man, bowing her head in respect. "What brings you here on this fine day?”
“I heard we had a couple of Wolfhavens here, and I had to drive by and check it out for myself,” he answers never taking his eyes off my mother.
“Ah, I see,” grandmother responds. “We were going to see you as soon as we got done here.”
“Tell me, Isobella,” he says rolling my mother’s name smoothly off his tongue. "Why have you come back here?”
Swallowing hard, mum looks him straight in the eyes which is a bold move to do to an Alpha, especially one from a different pack. “I’m here to ask for sanctuary for me and my daughter,” mum answers only breaking eye contact to look over at me.
At mums answer, the Apha turns his cold blue eyes to me, and looks me over with a tic in his jaw. I don’t know what his history is with my mum, but he doesn’t seem happy to see us.
“And what of your mate?” He questions.
“I have no mate. He left me for another wolf, and denounced me as the pack’s Alpha mate.”
At that he raises his brow surprised, and some of the coolness leaves his eyes.
“I’m going to have to check out your story. Until then you and your daughter can stay at my home as guests until we get everything straightened out.”
“Fanculo no,” mum swears, and grandmother calls out her name loudly in embarrassment.
“I see your manners haven’t changed, Izzy,” Alpha states.
“Why can’t we stay here with my parents? I’m sure your mate will be more comfortable with that,” mum says trying to be reasonable.
A look of sadness crosses the Alpha’s face before anger takes its place. “Rebecca died over four years ago in a plane crash, so she’s no longer here for you to offend.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” mum mutters, the only remorse she has on the subject before continuing with her argument. “I still don’t see why we can’t stay here.”
“You two are wolves from another pack. Regardless of your excuse of being here you’re still Wolfhaven wolves. You’re a threat to the wolves I was born to protect, and let’s just face it. Not everyone is going to be happy you’re back. Now either you come with me, or leave my packs lands immediately.”
Not being able to argue with his ultimatum, mum stays silent and nods her head. Quite frankly I'm surprised she was able to argue as long as she did. Just like with daddy she let her anger take control of her mouth. At least this time she was able to keep her hands to herself.
“Well with that settled you should get going. I’m sure you’re both tired from being on the road all night,” grandmother says, breaking the tension in the room along with mum’s simmering anger.
“Come along Aspen,” mum says, turning away from everyone as she head towards the front door.
Remembering my manners, I tell my grandparents bye, and follow after my mother’s angry steps. Once we’re safe in the car I ask, “why don’t you want to stay at the Alpha’s home?”
“I don’t relish trading control from one Alpha to another,” she answers.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Unless you’re an Alpha that is how it’s always going to be,” I tell her frowning.
“I wish it wasn’t. I wish we were free and could live regular lives away from a pack and all their stupid rules and restrictions, but with how the world is today we will not make it. Humans hate our kind, and we need the protection of numbers to live in safety.”
That was a mouthful. I never knew mum felt that way. I don’t know what to think. I’ve heard people talk of such things from time to time, but not much. Usually those are the ones who end up separating from the pack to become lone wolves. I was never the one to care for humans. The only time I left the compound was to go shopping, or on vacation. Even the school I went to separated us from humans. It makes me wonder if mum didn’t have me with her, would she have left to become a lone wolf too?
We don’t speak as we follow Alpha’s truck to his home. Turns out he didn’t live far from my grandparents. A couple miles at most. The Alpha’s home was a custom log cabin. A bit larger than my grandparents’ home, but still not as grand as my old home. Also, just like my grandparents’, his home was warm and homey and looked lived in, in a good way. I was about to tell him he had a nice home when a bouncy blonde runs up to him, and jumps in his arms.
“Daddy,” she gig
gles in his shoulder.
The girl is beautiful. Slender with shoulder length wavy blonde hair, light blue eyes like her father, and a light sprinkling of freckles on her nose and cheeks. She’s tall like me too, probably only a couple inches shorter than my 5’9’, but that’s common among animal shifters. What took me off guard was how close she is to her father. She’s lucky the Alpha cares about her, and I was insanely jealous.
“Who’s this? Did we get a new maid?” She asks, looking me over like the dirt under her feet.
“No, darling,” he answers chuckling. "These are special guests of mine from the Wolfhaven pack. They will be staying here while transitioning to this pack, so I need you to treat them with respect. “
“Oh,” she murmurs disappointed. I can tell by the look on her face she wanted us, especially me, anywhere else but here.
“Isobella grew up with me in this pack, but Aspen here, will need someone to show her around. I’m sure you can take care of that, can’t you, pumpkin?”
“Of course, Daddy,” she replies, smiling wide.
“Good, I knew I could count on you, pumpkin. Why don’t you show Aspen to the blue room across from yours while I chat with her mother?”
“Sure, daddy,” she answers grinding her teeth. I take it by the look on her face and her body language she didn’t want me rooming anywhere near her, especially right across from her. This is a fucking nightmare. The one thing I wish to avoid I ran straight into headfirst. The Alpha here just had to have a daughter around my age. Let's hope she’s nothing like the old me, or this will be a long stay.
“You know we had a couple wolves transfer here from your old pack,” she says as we walk up the stairs.
“That’s nice,” I mutter not really caring.
“They’re both fucking hot, and they’re mine. I’m already talking to daddy about making them my mates, so whatever claim you think you had on them since they were in your old pack is null and void. I wouldn’t want you to get any ideas when you see a familiar face in school.”
“Look, I just got here. I don’t give a shit about any mates right now, nor am I looking,” I huff.
“Just giving you some friendly advice, plus I don’t think they’re into your kind anyways.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask, stopping in my tracks in the hallway.
“You know, women of color,” she answers blushing.
What the fuck kind of racist comment is that?
"Look, not that I have to explain anything to you, but my mother is Italian, and my father is half African American and half Brit, so if I don’t meet yours, or your stupid mates, racist expectations then you all can go fuck yourself.”
I’m pissed and barely able to keep my wolf in. I don’t need a mirror to know my eyes are glowing, and a few tufts of dark grey fur is sprouting across my arms.
“Here’s your room,” she says, pointing at a heavy wooden door with a moon carved into it. The rude bitch doesn’t apologize for her ill considered words. In fact, she looks quite full of herself. Without saying anything else to her, I pull the door open and quickly shut it behind myself. Another second alone in the hall with Goldilocks, I would have probably ripped her throat out, which would not be the greatest impression to make on the first day. Inside my temporary room, my wolf grumbles from being held back from making someone pay for disrespecting us. Sighing, I pinch my nose, agitated. This is going to be a long transition period. The quicker we can get out the Alpha’s house the better. With my exhaustion from the uncomfortable car ride, and not having enough sleep finally catching up to me, I barely glance around the room before I sink into the comfy looking queen size bed. Before I know it I’m out like a light. I need my sleep if I want to survive princess Goldilocks.
3
Logan
“The Alpha’s daughter is at the door,” I tell my brother as I look out the window. From here I can see down to the porch where the blonde bombshell is waiting. Kassie is hot, and vain enough to know it. Too bad her personality sucks, and is about as intriguing to me and my brother as watching paint dry.
Groaning loudly, Ethan sits up in his bed. “Isn’t it your turn to deal with her?”
“Fuck no dude. I had to entertain her last night when you ran off to do gods knows what.”
“I needed air, and she’s exhausting to deal with,” he gripes.
“Well, we need to figure out something. It won’t be long before dad comes knocking on the door to tell us she’s here.”
As if I summoned him up with my words alone, a knock sounds on the door before dad pokes his head in.
“Kassie is here for the two of you,” he announces. Unlike us, he’s happy as fuck the Alpha’s daughter is paying us attention. Way different from the attention we got from the last Alpha’s daughter from our old pack. That bitch sent us running across states with how wicked she was.
“Lets both go. At least with us both there it won’t be so bad,” Ethan says, and I have to agree with him.
When Kassie sees us descending the stairs, she’s practically jumping with joy. She’s always bursting with excitement, and often reminds me of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. Kassie can also be a real bitch, especially if you’re on her bad side, so we try to steer away from that.
“Hey guys, did you miss me?” She asks.
“Not really,” my brother answers honestly, and I have to cough to cover up my laugh.
Ethan never fails to remind Kassie of how uninterested he is in her. He’s the more brutal twin, where I’m the fun one. Yeah, I believe honesty is the best policy and all that, but to me there's such a thing as being too honest.
“Oh, Ethan you're so funny,” she says rubbing her hand over his chest, and he takes a step back
Not at all deterred, she goes on chatting like the chatterbox she is. All summer we had to endure her long rumor filled conversations when we weren’t off with our best friend Mekka. Ever since we’ve moved here five years ago, Logan, Mekka, and I have been like The Three Musketeers. Kassie may be the Alpha’s daughter, but us three are the ones who run the shifter school we all attend. They are the ones who have my back, and I have theirs. It’s like we’re our own pack.
Tuning her out, I barely catch her conversation as she drowns on and on about her bitch house guest, her words not mine, when something she says does catch my attention. “You say she came from Wolfhaven Pack in Colorado?” I ask.
“Yes, her and her mother just got here this morning. Her daughter thinks she’s all that just because she has an English accent which is totally weird if she lived in Colorado,” she says snidely, and I look over at my brother wide eyed.
I can practically read my brother’s mind, and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. There's only one female wolf around Kassie’s age with an English accent in Wolfhaven, but that’s impossible. She said her and her mother are transitioning here, so it can’t be the Alpha’s daughter. Someone else must have moved there after we left. Probably ran off by that bitch Aspen too.
“Do you know what her name is?” Ethan asks.
“Amy, I think. I don’t know, I didn’t pay her much attention. She’s nothing interesting to look at,” she huffs, which is bitch talk for the girl is probably fucking gorgeous. “Why so many questions about her? You’re supposed to be entertaining me.”
“Actually we promised Mekka we will help him out today. He has some things he needs to get done before school starts next week,” I tell her.
“Oh,” she replies disappointed. “I can come along and help.” she offers hopefully, bouncing on her heels.
“We’re doing manual labor, so that won’t be a good idea. You should get to know your roommate. She’ll probably be there for a while if they’re staying there until they’re full members of the pack,” Ethan tells her, and she frowns. She probably wants to hang out with the new girl as much as we want to hang out with her.
“Yeah, ok,” she answers rejectedly.
Making sure she leaves, I help her to the
door, and quickly shut it as soon as she steps outside.
“You don’t think her house guest is who we think it is?” Ethan asks as soon as I reenter the room. Already I can see the fury in his eyes as his wolf pushes for control. Out of the two of us, Aspen treated him worse. Just hearing her name sets him off.
“I doubt it. No way would the Alpha’s mate and daughter be looking for another pack to settle into, nor would they leave a prosperous pack like Wolfhaven. You remember how spoiled and high maintenance that bitch was, and her mother was no better.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. I think it’s because it’s Wolfhaven that set me on edge.”
“Yeah, I get it. Let’s go find Mekka before Kassie comes back checking on us.”
4
Aspen
“Lets play a game,” I say, looking over at Logan and Ethan, and they both look up at me with hopeful eyes.
“What kind of game?” Lora asks, tugging on her ponytails.
“I know,” I shout loudly like I just came up with this idea when I really been plotting it all day. “Let's play spin the bottle.” Pulling out the bottle I had hidden under my bed, I turn my attention to my friends I invited over. “Now I want you all to sit in a circle, and I’ll put the bottle in the middle. When it’s your turn, spin the bottle and kiss the person it lands on,” I explain, and some of them wrinkle their noses. I swear they can be such babies. “I’ll go first,” I volunteer.
No one argues. They immediately do as I say because they don’t have any other choice. I am the daughter of the pack’s Alpha. What I say goes and they know it. When I spin the bottle around I carefully use my power so no one suspects it's me that’s making it turn until it points between the twins. No one knows I have extra abilities, and my plan won’t work if they knew I’m cheating.