1.

AMIRA

“Amira! Amiii!” I almost dropped the plant pot in my grasp as Ruelle ran over, screaming my name like her ass was on fire.

“Ru, did you forget again that we have a sensitive hearing? I can still hear you if you whisper.” I scolded her before dropping the pot before I accidentally dropped it. My dad wouldn’t like that.

I used my pinky finger to scratch my ear as it was ringing because of how loud she was screaming. I rolled my eyes as I watched her run towards me. Even though I corrected her a billion times, she was going to do it again.

She silently screeched to a stop in front of me and placed her hands on her knees while she panted dramatically.

“What is it now?” I asked with a roll of my eyes. Ruelle was a drama queen and would always be.

“What are you still doing here?” She asked after she straightened up.

My brows shot up at her question and I pursed my lips while placing my hands on my hips “I should be the one asking you that. Why are you here when you should be getting ready for school?”

We had about twenty minutes to get to school but she had training clothes on instead.

“Amiii” she whined with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “Did you forget what today is?”

I scoffed, “What does the Zeta's team selection have to do with us missing school? Only Koa is allowed to miss school today.”

The Zeta was the defence head of our pack. Our Pack, Red Haven was the largest pack in the world which meant we needed many wolves on the defense team.

The Zeta team was divided into three sub-units. The enforces who maintained order in the pack by ensuring the pack members followed the pack laws and they were usually the largest wolves physically.

We also had the warriors who fought in wars or battles and border patrol who defended the pack borders.

Koa, our best friend, was going to be the next Zeta when we turned 18 in two weeks so he had to select the people who would be on his defence team today. The old Zeta team will still be active but most would retire as they were older now.  

To pick his team, Koa would have to hold an event to test all the wolves who wanted to join his team and pick the best candidates for each division.

“You are going to be Beta, Amii. You should be there as well." Ruelle cried out, her hands going up in an exaggerated show of dramatics.

“No, I don't. You just want to check out sweaty, hot guys,” I accused, and she pouted, knowing I caught her.

“Fine” she whined, “you caught me, but that's really not the main reason you need to go. Soren and Koa are sparring, and you know what happens when Soren fights."

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Soren is fighting?”

I took off without waiting for her and she growled in annoyance behind me before running after me.

“That's one way to thank me for the information." She hissed but I ignored her and ran faster, my feet barely touching the ground as I raced across the pack towards the training facility.

Ruelle caught up with me just as I stopped at the entrance to Sparta, our training facility. Our pack was well known not just as the largest pack but also as the most technologically advanced one as well.

The training hall was one of the largest buildings in our pack. It was so advanced that we could train with technology that was able to simulate real-life scenarios to help us train as though we were on the battlefield.

“Come on, we are going to miss the fight." Ruelle pulled me inside the hall and I stumbled after her, trying not to fall on my face as we reached the hall for combat training.

The combat hall was already packed with wolves who cheered excitedly at whatever was going on in the middle of the circle they had formed around the combat ring.

We found ourselves in front and my eyes found him immediately.

Soren.

My future Alpha, my best friend, and the subject of my sinful dreams every night.

Soren moved like a god when he fought. The way his muscles rippled with every blow and how his core clenched with every hit he took was a form of art that needed to be studied. I wasn’t the only one who admired him as the crowd cheered in admiration for Soren and Koa.

“Come on, Soren” I yelled as he barely managed to dodge a blow from Koa.

Soren’s eyes found me immediately when he heard my voice, and he sent me a wink that made me giggle like a young pup with a crush.

“You both are sick. Just mate already." Ruelle groaned beside me, and I smacked her shoulder playfully in warning even though I desperately wished her words would come true.

I was going to become the Beta of the pack and Soren would pick a chosen mate to be Luna when it was time to become Alpha.

“You know it's not possible,” I told her while trying to mask the disappointment in my tone.

“It's not impossible. You both just want to keep insisting on being best friends. The elders won't be against the both of you mating” she pointed out and she was right to an extent.

The majority of the pack always made jokes about how Soren and I would have been mates if fated mates were still a thing but Soren didn’t share the same thoughts as the rest of the pack.

He was always quick to refute the claims and stop whatever jokes they came up with, so I had to learn to hide the feelings I had developed for him. I didn’t want to lose my friend because of a stupid crush.

There were no words to describe the way Soren made me feel. He carried this rugged yet youthful look that gave him a scary but innocent aura. It was a deadly combination that my heart could barely manage.

As he fought, I caught a glimpse of the fire in his green eyes that reminded me of the vast forest just inches from the pack.

I got lost in him like I always did. Soon, the crowd faded away and it became just me and him in the entire room. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to ignore the heat that fueled my body as I watched him.

“Don’t you think Soren’s blows are too strong?” Ruelle asked, shaking me softly until I was pulled out of my thoughts.

“What?” I asked, unable to tear my gaze from Soren but she shook me more urgently and I turned my attention to her.

“Soren?” she asked again, gesturing towards the duo that were fighting.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, my eyes scanning his form but seeing nothing wrong with him.

“His blows are getting too strong for Koa.” She said with worry towards our friend.

I watched Soren again with more attention and I noticed what she was talking about. Soren’s blows had more force on them now like he really wanted to hurt Koa.

Murmurs began to rise from the wolves as they noticed it as well and I could feel the tension rise as they noticed Koa switched his movements to defence.

Soren’s eyes turned red, screaming danger. This was one of the reasons why we were never separated.

Soren has always had anger issues since he was a child. His parents had tried multiple means to help him control it better, but none worked except for me. It was a discovery we made ourselves when we were still pups. Soren had gotten out of hand, and a word from me had the anger filtering out of his body like water.

It had caused a lot of trouble, especially with the Alpha. There was some tension between the Alpha and my father, but it didn't last for long.

After that, the Alpha decided I would take over as Beta from Ezekiel, the pack’s current Beta. I don’t have any Beta blood, but the pack agreed since I was as strong and fast as most Betas, even at a young age. And it also helped that Ezekiel and his wife, Adela, didn't have a child.

Rune, the future Delta and our friend inched towards Soren and Koa, but Soren sent him a warning growl that froze his movements.

“Amira” Rune whispered and gestured towards Soren.

Koa was now struggling as Soren spiralled out of control.  

“Amira, now!!!” Rune yelled when he noticed Soren lifting his fist with the intent to knock out Koa. His eyes were bloody red now. A sign that we should not let that blow land on Koa.

I dashed towards the middle of the grounds and pulled Koa back just as the killing blow made its way towards him.

I closed my eyes as the fist came flying towards me as I now stood in Koa’s former place.