Chapter 1

Chapter 1. Sam´s POV

”Wake up, Sam!”

“I’m awake. I promise…” I answered with a raspy sleepy voice. Obviously, I wasn’t awake at all.

Before realizing that someone was next to my bed, I felt strong arms pulling me up, only to crash into my bedroom wall.

“Ough. What’s your problem, Jake? “

I knew it was my brother even though my eyes were still closed. The smell of cinnamon, earth, and sun lingered in my room. That was one of the highlights of being a werewolf. Our enhanced sense of smell and being able to identify anyone by their unique sent. I didn’t need my eyes open to realize it was my brother that so abruptly had woken me up.

“You’re my problem, sis. We’re going to be late. Today is the day we’ve trained for the last couple of years. I need you to be on time today and to make an effort. We need this. Our pack needs this. I don’t want to remind you what happened last time, do I?”

How could I forget? The whole pack resented me for it. I would never be able to forget. I stood up from the floor and walked over to the bathroom door. I looked at my brother and smiled. He was my best friend, and I knew he meant well. Even though we’re siblings, we looked nothing like each other. He had sandy blond hair and beautiful blue eyes and was always cheerful. I, on the other hand, was, well, tall to be a she-wolf, but I had dark brown long hair and honey-brown eyes. We’re both muscular and fit, but he cared about his looks. I’ didn’t. I lost the will to care about anything a few years back and had my reasons for it.

“Have you packed your bag yet?”

“Of course not.”

To say I was a bit of a mess was an understatement. I didn’treally care about anything except for my family and a few friends that I worshiped.

“Let me help you then,” Jake said and grinned. “I know you hate to pack, so I will do that for you while you take a shower. You stink!”

“Thanks, Jake. Just don’t forget the vodka under my bed.” I winked at him as I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I was mean, but we all knew I had problems with drinking. That was also what he was referring, as it always seems to get me into trouble.

Two years ago we went to the Evening-Games and won. The Evening Games were well known and well attended every year. It was a chance for all the packs to demonstrate their strength and enjoy the festivities, and mingle.

Except for two years ago, I fucked up. I got drunk after the finals and disobeyed the Alpha of the Moon-pack, the pack that was in charge of that year’s arrangements. Well, at least that’s what they think I did. I want to forget- but either way, that little rendezvous and my anger issues and drinking problems made it seem like our pack- the White full-moon pack seemed disrespectful, and that was it: no more second chances and no chance to explain myself.

“Get a grip and move on,” Lucy said. My wolf. I have a conscience, and she doesn’t. Well, a part of me at least does.

I took a quick shower and released my inner frustration as the warm water fell on my skin with smooth touches, making me relax. I took the vanilla shower cream and started slowly rubbing it all over my body.

“Ready, Sam?” My brother called, frustrated at me through the bathroom door. “I don’t want to be late.”

“I’m coming. Are you done packing?”

“Indeed I am,” he called out once again.

I could feel his mischievous grin even through the door, which made me smile. I would have no future if it weren’t for my brother. I did love him dearly, and I knew he loved me too. I quickly dried myself and put on some black ripped jeans and a grey tank top, and put my dark hair in a long ponytail. I took a deep breath and looked at my face in the mirror while I was trying to give myself a pep talk.

“I can do this. I can behave. I will behave. I have no feelings for Blake still,” I whispered and turned around to exit the bathroom door.

Ten minutes later, we’re in our SUV driving to the Forest-White pack and the 100th game of Evening-Games. I was nervous. My brother was worried. We would compete against all the best of the warriors in all the packs of the East Coast. That was quite a few warriors, to say the least. Before the grand final, we would train all together under the Alpha himself. Each year all the pack took turns to arrange the Evening-Games, and this year was no exception. The Forest-White pack was a pretty big pack, with around 500 wolfs. The majority of them were warriors. I both dredged and looked forward to the games. It would be my chance to help my pack win, and then… well…perhaps I would get to see him again. The man still had a place in my heart, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

“Listen, Sam. I don’t know what happened last time, but it’s been two years, and we are now 19, and you’re almost 18 years old. I’m old enough to find my mate, and you can feel your mate soon too. Many wolves find their mate at 18 if they’re lucky. I know you are afraid, but finding your mate is something to look forward to as it completes our souls. We need this to strengthen our pack.”

“Easy for you to say. You can stay in our pack, but being a she-wolf, I probably would have to leave if my mate is not within my own.” I snapped at him.

We both knew that finding a mate would come with some uncertain future aspects. I was different even though we pretended that I wasn’t. I decided that was enough talking for now. I put my head back to the seat and pulled my long ponytail to the side like I always did when I slept. I put my legs up on the dashboard and closed my sleepy eyes. It would be a long drive through deserts, busy nightlife, and endless forests. I fell asleep and didn’t feel bad for not offering to drive. I knew Jake loved to go, and he always tried to help me in all the ways he could. “Thank you,” I whispered to him before letting my mind drift off.

Sam’s dream

The same dream as always. A distant memory mixed with thoughts about what could have happened that night. That night two years ago, when I fucked up. I had been drinking alone in the forest, close to the border of another territory. Even at 16, I loved getting drunk to forget hurtful events from my childhood, but this time also, newer events were on my mind. I was utterly heartbroken. We ‘were not allowed to drink, of course, being underaged and all, even though werewolves could tolerate much more than an average human, but sometimes I went overboard and just drank until I lost my consciousness.

And that was precisely what happened that night. I woke up in the middle of the night and suddenly realized I was not in the bunker with all the other competitors. No, I was alone in the forest close to the Black Wolf pack. The most feared pack of all packs. They were known to be ruthless, evil, and deceiving.

“What the hell” I whispered to myself. “Nice Sam, try not to kill yourself today,” I continued, very annoyed. When the news of the previous hurtful events had reached me, I just collapsed from heartache and ran from the compound. At least I had remembered to bring the booze with me. But without realizing it, I had run much close to the border of the most ruthless pack of the East Coast. I was alone and a bit scared since I knew I would get in trouble for this.

I would be in deep trouble if I got caught. So I decided that I would make it all seem very obvious. Sometimes that is the only way to fool people by making it f*cking obvious. I would tell them I fell asleep in the forest after a run. Yes, that was the truth. But of course, if I could make it back to the bunker without, that would be the best.

The territories of all wolf packs didn’t consist of straight borders; instead, the terrain became barriers that marked the boundaries, such as rivers, mountains, deserts, and cities, in rare cases also the forest. I was just across the border from the Black wolf pack but still within the boundary of the white Moon pack. So to get back to the bunker without being seen, I needed to cross the river, fallow it downstream, through the dense forest, and fallow it on the other side since the river made quite a few meander bows into the territory. I could enter the bunks from the east side instead of the west side.

Yes, that was a good plan. However, as in real life two years ago, and also very livid in my dream, something happened. As soon as I went over the river into the Black wolves pack, I heard a howl. And then another. And then several wolves, singing to the moon. But there was also something else that filled the air—a scent of someone. The smell of mint, earth, and forest combined with dark black musky coffee filled my complete body, making my wolf, Lucy, stir. And then I heard it again. The howl was loud, breathtakingly, and deadly. But also longing, searching. I stopped. I Realised my mistake, but it was too late. I had already trespassed, perhaps they would think I was a rouge, and we all knew that the black wolf pack did to them.

I breathed heavily and decided quickly and without another thought to run as fast as possible. I didn’t need to make it to the bunkers unnoticed I needed to make it there alive. Yes, alive. I shifted to my wolf without taking off my clothes and ran. I ran. I ran as fast as I could. The wind seemed to change not for my advantage, and I could again hear the howls ordering me to stop and surrender. I was, though, but not that though, that I could manage to take down a whole group of angry wolves of my own. But again, did I have no choice, I would. I would kill them all. I knew they were getting closer; they knew the area, the terrain so much better than I, and god, they made it difficult for me to outrun them. I could hear their breaths, the twigs breaking as they sprinted through the covered paths.

My black wolf Lucy was a tough cookie as well. She was bold, fearless, and aggressive. But that was not the wolf that would get me out of this mess. No, it would have to be Lily. My other wolf. That was the curse of my heritage. I had two wolfs. Two completely different wolves, and one of them was tough to control. It was like she had her will that never linked to my desires.

The color frame of Lily that existed of orange and black combined was something I always hid from strangers since they could tell my heritage since only wolves with black and orange color traits were ancestors of the most brutal pack that had ever existed, the Desert Forest pack. I could never be sure that Lily would not overpower Lucy, so to hide my heritage, I needed to shift back to my human form.

Before they could catch me, I had no choice but to shift without anything to cover my naked body. I just stopped in the middle of an open area and shifted as fast as possible. I was trying to scan the area for suitable cover-ups but found nothing. I would have to stand here naked and wait for the others to see me. In 20 seconds, they were there. They surrounded me, and they were all silver-colored wolves except one brown and one black: the Alpha and the Beta, I assumed. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and cover the nervousness in my gut, but I had no other choice than to wait for them to make the first move.

“Well, well, what do we have here…?” The guy that I assumed was the Beta said. He had also shifted to his human form, and he was a tall, muscular guy with green eyes and brown hair. He let his eyes roam my naked body, and then he grinned while he took one step closer. He was around 20, and he was huge in all aspects. I locked eyes with him before saying, “I’m just passing through. I got lost on my way home.”

I could tell he didn't really believe me, and then he took one step closer to me. He had a smirk on his face and shook his head in disbelief before he said, “And now why would I believe you? Maybe you are a spy?”

I looked past him; there were around ten men and women standing around us. Watching. Waiting for an order to kill me.“Like I said… I was just on my way home to the bunkers and got lost,” I said with as much authority. Perhaps they would let me pass?

Before I could do anything more, I could feel a presence behind my back, making my hair at my neck stand up. I didn't want to look back at the person next to me, but the scent I had smelled earlier was increasing—dark, musty coffee mixed with earth, forest. I could not get enough of it. My body was filled with desire, lust, and fear.

He came closer and just started to smell my hair. I froze.

“You sure smell interesting; I must say,” The man behind my back said. I didn’t dare to turn around to look at him.

“Do you know who I am”? He said, and I could hear a low rumble from his chest.

First, I said nothing.

“Well, he continued. Do you know who I am”?

“Yes, you are a f*cking p*rv standing behind me! Obviously!” I snapped at him.