Chapter 1

Amikat’s POV

I always find myself in the woods after a long day. Work sucks, all I do is talk to customers all day, and I am not a people person. I work at a local grocery store in the customer service booth. That means I get all of the angry and disgruntled customers. I’d like to think that one day I’ll have a career and a life that I enjoy, but for now, it’s just working to make ends meet. 

The air is crisp and cold tonight. It’s summer, but I live in Northern Washington in a little town no one’s ever heard of called Greggs. It had just rained a few hours prior, so the foliage is dripping with rain and the soil is wet. This is my favorite scent. Musky, after the rain, mixed with the smell of pine and sap. The moisture has already soaked through the canvas on my Converse from my short walk out to my favorite spot. It’s a little cliff, probably about twenty feet or so, overhanging a little pond covered in lily pads and algae. The frogs are always singing by this time of night. It’s just after 8, and the sun is starting to go down. As I make my way to the edge, I sit down letting my feet dangle off the edge. I know the water underneath is only a couple feet deep. This drop could kill me. Or it could just injure me pretty badly. I guess I could perch myself on the edge of a tall building in town, but what kind of place would that be to die in? If I’m going to die, I want all the control over how and when it happens. 

A small reason I’ve never attempted is solely the fact that no one will come looking for me. Maybe my landlord, when my rent is due, or my work, when they realize I didn’t show up for my shift. I have no family. No friends outside of work. Even then, it’s just a couple of elderly ladies working customer service with me, both on the edge of retirement. No one would come looking for me. 

I was an only child, I believe. My parents died when I was very young, and I was in foster care for as long as I can remember. I never found any sort of permanent home. Surprisingly enough, coming across good homes whilst in foster care is harder than it looks. That, or I’m just the unluckiest person to ever walk the face of the Earth. 

The sun is now completely set, and I decide to head home and clean something. I can’t be letting my thoughts run this rampant. It’s not good to focus on the past. 

The short walk home was uneventful, and eventually I find myself in the kitchen wiping down every surface, regardless of if it needs it. After the kitchen is done, I deep clean the bathroom, the bedroom, and the living room. Once everything is completely spotless, I’m finally exhausted enough to fall right asleep. I change into a set of pajamas and crawl under the covers of my queen size bed. As I drift off, some dumb, small, part of me is hoping that tomorrow won’t be so bad. Maybe I’ll make a friend. Maybe something will change. I’m hoping for any kind of change at this point.

When I wake up, the sun is filtering through the blinds, shining right into my face. I have today off, and I have no idea what to do with myself for the day. I get up, get dressed, and brush my teeth. I comb out my long, brown hair as best I can. I really need a haircut. It’s all the way down to my waist, and a huge nuisance. I put it in a tight braid down the center of my back and pin down the flyaways that frame my face. After making myself a bowl of cereal, I plop down on the couch and flip the TV on and open N*****x. I click on the pick random option and zone out to whatever animated movie is now playing. I open my phone and mindlessly scroll through my social media apps. Eventually, I move myself from my position on the couch to get up and retrieve the mail. I head down the stairs outside the door to my apartment and walk across the parking lot to the mailboxes. The metal door of the mailbox creaks loudly as I open it and grab the envelopes inside. I close it up and start to head back, scanning through the small pile as I go. Water bill, great. Power bill, ugh. But what’s this one? It’s in a pretty blue envelope, closed with a wax seal that looks like a moon sitting over some water. Stange. That’s the same little design on the necklace I always wear, which is the only thing I have that was my mother’s. I flip it over, and sure enough, it’s addressed to me. It’s all handwritten, so this definitely isn’t any sort of spam mail. The return address is somewhere called ‘River Moon’ in Oregon. Interesting.

Once I’m up in the apartment, I drop the bills on the kitchen counter and head to the couch with the mysterious envelope. Part of me is panicking at the moment. My parents are from Oregon. Same little design on the envelope. Could this be some family members I never knew about? Could this be some key to figuring out where I’m from and who I am? 

The little faint voice in the back of my head is telling me to rip into it and read it, and to quit stalling. 

I am not stalling. 

Carefully, I break the wax seal, to preserve the little insignia intendented into it. Inside, there is a plane ticket from Seattle to Medford Oregon, the departure date being tomorrow. There is also a single piece of off white paper folded neatly into the envelope. I pull it out and unfold it. 

Dear Amikat,

You are hereby formally invited to River Moon Pack Territory for our annual Summer Solstice Celebration. Enclosed with this letter, you will find a plane ticket to the Medford Airport. You will be picked up at the Airport by Gamma Samuel Johnson, who will take you to our Territory. 

Seeing as your parents were highly ranked warriors in our pack, we have arranged an extended stay at River Moon pack for you, so that you may get to know the pack, and maybe eventually be initiated into it if you so choose. 

I look forward to our encounter,

Alpha Arienne Decrescent

What?

Were my parents in a cult? That’s what it sounds like. They want me to join this cult. I mean, they refer to themselves as a pack, so it has to be a cult. Do I even want to go?

I mean… They knew my parents. I know so little about them. They said I can choose to join or not. I can stay as long as they’ll allow me without having to be initiated or whatever they call it, learn whatever I can about them, and then leave. This really might help me fill in the holes in my past. This could mean so much.

I only have tonight to decide if I want to go. I’ll have to leave early in the morning to get to Seattle on time for the flight, so I have to decide now.

Some part of me is almost howling in my head, saying I might finally find where I belong. Should I listen? What if it’s a trap? Wat if joining their cult isn’t a choice when I get there? I can’t help but think about all of the things that could possibly go wrong here, as I turn the plane ticket over in my shaking hands, trying to decide what to do. 

I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of herbal tea, hoping it’ll help me calm down and rationalize a bit more. I can’t be stupid. If I go, I have to be prepared for anything. 

Alpha Arienne’s POV

The sun is setting, and I stare out the floor to ceiling windows of my office, admiring the view. Tomorrow is the longest day of the year. Summer Solstice, a big celebration for my pack. I’ve only been Alpha for a few months since my father died, so this will be the first year that I’m in charge of the celebration. Typically, the Alpha’s Luna would be in charge of planning such a thing, but that’s something I don’t have. Something I’m not looking for. With the war brewing between River Moon and Blood Moon, love is something I’m not very well equipped to deal with at the moment. 

My true mate died two years ago and I am not ready to start looking elsewhere. I’ve been egged on by my mother to choose a Luna, but that’s something I just can’t bring myself to do. Layla was perfect. She was my sunsets and my stars, my only reason to be alive, and that’s all gone now. I try my hardest not to think about her, but there are just too many beautiful things that remind me of her. So, I bury myself in my work. Beta Collin offers to help me all the time, but I need the distractions. 

I return to my dest and start going through some paperwork and financial stuff for the Solstice Celebration. A soft knock sounds at the door. “Hey, you didn’t come down for dinner again, Ari,” says my sister, Carmen. 

“I wasn’t hungry.”

“That’s two days in a row you haven’t eaten. You need to keep your strength up, you know.”

“I don’t need you to mom me,” I shoot. Carmen falls silent. I can still hear her shuffling around outside the door though. 

“I just care for you, we all do. You know we can help out. you don’t always have to do everything by yourself.”

“I can handle it perfectly fine.”

“I know.”

“Then leave me be.” I listen to Carmen scurry off without another word. 

I turn my attention back to my work.

Morning comes, and I find myself asleep at my desk. This tends to happen a lot. The sun is pouring in through the window in shades of orange and yellow. It’s just after 5:30, so no one will be awake quite yet. Arlo, my wolf, has been howling in my head to go for a run since yesterday, so I oblige. After heading to the edge of the woods, I strip off my t shirt and jeans, and then I shift. 

Arlo is a beautiful all white wolf, with blue eyes, much brighter and deeper than my own. I let him take full control as we run through the woods. He runs faster than any other wolf in the pack, perfectly dodging any obstacles in his way. Soon, he stops us by a creek and laps up some of the cold water. I let him lay down in the grass and bask in the sunlight for an hour or two before we return to my discarded clothing and shift back.

‘We need to do that more often. I miss it,’ says Arlo. 

‘You know we haven’t had the time.’ I reply.

‘Whatever.’ He sulks off in my head, putting himself in a dark corner, just out of touch with me. He’s been doing this a lot since my father died. And since Layla I suppose, as well. 

I head back inside the pack house and find that some pack members have started to wake up. There’s an excited buzz in the air, and I can’t help but feel it a little too. Carmen seems to be avoiding me; she’s been off with Gamma Samuel today talking in hushed tones. I watch her from a distance, watch as she blushes at his words every now and again. I know they’ve been flirting with each other for a while now, and I’ve even approached her and confirmed my approval, which she brushed off and denied having feelings for him at all. But anyone with eyes can see how she acts around him. She shares the same pale complexion as me, and wears her emotions across her face very outwardly in bright shades of red. She also shares the same, thick, wispy white hair as me. It’s the same hair our father had as well. We derive from a very pure line of werewolves. I don’t believe in all that crap that werewolves can only be with werewolves, and neither did my father. It’s just always been the Moon Goddess’s intention to make our true mates pureblood werewolves as well. 

Layla was a pureblood. She was also gorgeous. But I can’t think about her right now. I need to go into the human town close by and deal with a few more things before the Solstice Celebration. I let my Beta know that I’m leaving before hopping on my motorcycle and ride into the nearby town, Ashland. 

It’s a smaller city mostly centered around the College University here. There’s lots of outlets for people who practice fine arts here as well, and we even allow some of the wolves from our pack to open shops here to gather more business with their crafts. As long as no one finds out about us and the pack remains strong and safe, I make sure my people are happy and are allowed to do as they please. I find a place downtown to park my bike, and begin working on my errands.

Amikat’s POV

All night, I thought about all the pros and cons to going. No matter what conclusion I came to, that small part in my mind wouldn’t let up, telling me I had to go. So, I decided that I would. I wasn’t told how long I’d be staying there, so I packed a full suitcase and a carry on for the plane, also making sure to pack something I could wear for this party.

The flight there was uneventful, but I stayed entertained with my phone. 

The plane lands, and my stomach is starting to twist and churn. Is this really a good idea? I walk through the tunnel and follow the directions to the baggage claim area, and after grabbing my stuff, I head to the main portion of the airport and try to find whoever it is I’m looking for. I stop in the middle, letting people move around me, trying to pick out someone who looks like they’re looking for someone. So far… nothing. Then, a man with a warm skin tone and dark brown hair makes his way in, holding a sign with my name on it, like cheesy movie style or whatever. I approach him. “Amikat?” he asks.

“That would be me,” I say. 

“Great!” he says. “Well, I have a car parked out front, if you would follow me.” I follow him outside the airport where a black Mercedes SUV is waiting. He opens the back hatch and takes my suitcase from me, lifting it inside one handedly with ease. He leads me to the passenger side of the car, where he opens the back door and beckons for me to enter. After I’m situated, he closes the door and hops in the front passenger seat. “So… Amikat” he starts. “I’m Samuel, Arienne’s Gamma.”

“Call me just Kat,” I answer. The driver puts the car in drive and exits the airport, heading East towards Ashland. 

“Okay, 'just Kat', are you excited to finally get to visit your home?”

“Seeing as I was too young to even remember it, it doesn’t count as home.” He nods to that. 

“Okay, so where did you grow up then?” he asks. I can tell he’s just trying to converse with me to lighten the awkward tension in the car, so I oblige.

“All over the place, really. Never stayed in one place too long being in foster care and all.”

“Oh,” he says. “Well this could be your new home if everything goes as planned.” I raise my eyebrows at that statement.

“What plan?” I say, shortly. He shuffles around nervously in his seat. 

“Well, Alpha Arienne doesn’t know you’re coming. That could stir up a bit of trouble.”

“But the letter I received had his name signed at the bottom?” 

“About that… His sister, Carmen, wrote that letter.” I ponder this new fact for a moment. Why have they brought me here, then?

“So why go through all this trouble for me, then?” Samuel taps his fingers on the arm rester for a moment.

“That’s more Carmen’s deal than mine. Your parents were pretty high ranked back in the day before they were killed. There was a bit of a scuffle with Blood Moon pack, and only your parent’s bodies were recovered. Never you. So Carmen dug into it. Us werewolves are pretty privatized from the outside world, so there was never any official record of your birth. All we had to go off was your name. She’s good at all that sleuthing stuff, and she managed to track you down.” He stops, and I begin to process everything he’s told me. It sinks in, and there’s one word circling my head. Werewolves. What?

“Excuse me, but did you say my parents are werewolves?” I ask. 

“How else do you think it would be possible for you to be one?” he laughs. I stay silent. He suddenly whips his head around, eyes all wide, gawking at me. “You don’t know.” He breathes. 

“I don’t know what exactly?” He turns around and puts his head in his hands. The driver is keeping his eyes on the road, and I can tell he’s trying really hard not to gawk or say anything as well. 

“Fuck…” he breathes. “I don’t know how we would justify bringing a rogue to River moon, but a rogue who doesn’t even know what she is?” He turns to me. “How old are you?” he asks.

“Why does that matter?” I say sharply. I pick at my cuticles and try to soak everything in. It’s hard.

“Just answer the question, please.” 

“Seventeen.”

“Seventeen… When do you turn eighteen?”

“Again, I don’t see the relevance.”

“Trust me, it’s relevant. Just tell me.” 

“My birthday is in four days.”

Samuel falls silent for a moment, before punching the dash, startling me with the sudden noise. 

“Can you please tell me why that’s important? I’m really confused.” And scared, truth be told. I’ve just been informed that I’m not human. How is it possible that I’ve never known? Wouldn’t there’ve been signs?

“I really don’t know if I’m the best person for that conversation.”

“Then who do I talk to? Who?” I’m starting to panic. 

“Let’s just get to the pack house, I’ll take you to Carmen. Arienne’s not there right now, so it’ll be fine. Nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about… okay…” 

We both stay silent for the remainder of the short drive. We head through Ashland, and then continue on a road that heads far up into the mountains. Eventually we reach a little village looking place. We drive through and I look at the houses out the window and watch the people. They all seem to be in good spirits about something. I’m not really paying attention, and I don’t realize we’ve stopped until Samuel is opening the door for me. I step out, and look at the house in front of me. It’s a huge house with white walls and a brick foundation, covered in beautiful green vines and foliage, and it’s three stories tall, with big floor to ceiling windows. Absolutely gorgeous. Samuel has my bag now, and he leads me by the arm to the front door of the house. As soon as he opens the front door, I notice people bustling about, putting up all sorts of decorations, presumably for the Solstice Party. After I’m led inside, the people started to pause and stare. Samuel scans the foyer before leading me to a hallway. We walk down and eventually reach the kitchen. There’s a tall girl about my age with short, snow white hair popping a large dish into the oven.

“Carmen,” Samuel says. She turns around and instantly lights up when she sees the two of us standing at the doorway. 

“Come in! You must be so excited!” She says in my direction. “How was the-” Samuel cuts her off.

“Carmen,” he says quietly. “We have something important to address.”

“What is it?”

“You know she doesn’t know about any of this? About what we are?” Her face falls. 

“What? How? I thought for sure you would know… how old is she?” She turns to Samuel.

“Seventeen. Seventeen, and guess when her eighteenth birthday is.”

“When?”

“Four days.”

“Crap. We need to figure this out before…” Both Carmen and Samuel pause.

Suddenly, the best thing I think I’ve ever smelled in my life filled my nose. No, I don’t think this is the best thing I’ve ever smelled. This is the best scent in the world. It smelled of rain and pine, and when I closed my eyes I swear I had been teleported to a beautiful forest or something. That little voice in the back of my head demanded I find the source. Right now. I push right past Samuel and Carmen, making my way down the hall, and at the end, there was a man. I knew he was the source. He had to be. This man was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. He was on the taller side with snow white hair much like Carmen’s, with piercing blue eyes and a sharp bone structure. His soft pink lips formed a perfect pout, and his figure… oh man. Not too bulky, but definitely on the muscular side. He was everything to me at this moment. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I needed to meet him. I needed to know him. 

He was looking at me in a very intense way. There was something behind his eyes I couldn’t quite place. Anger? Hurt? Before I could approach him, he approached me quickly and grabbed me roughly by the jaw. At his touch, I felt something tear in my head. Pain began to shoot through my whole body, and the last thing I heard before hitting the floor, was the man’s gruff voice, declaring the word “Mate”.