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FALLON 

  

I barely slept last night. The past few days have been exhausting, with high school graduation and all of the celebrations that accompany that milestone, but I was too keyed up to get any real rest. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’ve been waiting for today for my whole life. 

“Brooke!” I call out, throwing a pillow across the room. It lands on my sister’s sleeping form and I hear her groan in protest. 

I pad across our bedroom to the en-suite bathroom, kicking her bedframe as I pass. “You’d better get up, or we’re going to miss the bus.” 

I flip on the light in the bathroom, yawning as I study my reflection in the mirror. My stick-straight blonde hair is a tangled mess, so the first thing I do is brush it smooth until I can sweep it up into a long ponytail. Then I trade my geeky black glasses for contact lenses, brush my teeth, and pack up the last of my toiletries. By the time I exit the bathroom, Brooke is sitting up in her bed, blinking sleep from her eyes. 

Brooke reaches to the bedside table to retrieve her glasses, settling the large black frames on the bridge of her nose. We have the same glasses, and even though we’re identical twins, I swear she pulls off geeky-chic far better than I ever could. “What time is it?” she asks sleepily, sliding the comforter off of her body. 

I toss her a grin over my shoulder and waggle my eyebrows. “It’s time to blow this popsicle stand.” 

Brooke and I have lived in Summervale all our lives. Our sleepy little town nestled in the Colorado wilderness probably wouldn’t seem like anything special to someone passing through, but all of the residents have something in common; a closely guarded secret. We’re wolf shifters. 

Most people think that werewolves are the stuff of fairytales, but there are packs of shifters all around the world, hidden in plain sight. As a species, we tend to keep to ourselves, flying under the radar. Most packs have their own territories, towns, and schools so we can stay separated from the general population and live without the fear of being discovered. We’re generally wary of outsiders, because from youth it has been engrained in us that revealing our secret to a human could ultimately lead to our extinction. 

As a kid, I remember a lot of hushed conversations about our pack’s safety in our little town. Shifter packs generally keep a pulse on one another and don’t have much conflict, but about six years ago, one power hungry alpha in the pacific northwest started launching coordinated attacks on other packs, taking out their leaders and absorbing their packs and territories. In doing so, he started to form one massive pack- which he dubbed the ‘shadow pack’- and seemed hellbent on continuing his reign of terror until he usurped power from every other pack in north America. When it all started, we lived in a constant state of apprehension that the shadow pack would come after us next. Brooke and I were still young, so we weren’t privy to a lot of the details, but I remember our parents sitting us down several times to go over escape plans just in case our pack was targeted. 

Everything changed for us about five years ago, when our pack formed an alliance with five others. They moved into the surrounding territories and we formed a sort of ‘super pack’, where each individual pack remained autonomous but worked together and had each other’s backs. All of the packs joined together out of necessity to protect ourselves from the ever-growing shadow pack, but it has actually worked out really well, because our little corner of the world isn’t so small anymore. With the influx of the population came more opportunities and the place built up really fast. Throughout our territories, we now boast a successful brewery, ski lodge, and countless businesses. The tourism on the outskirts brings in a lot of cash, and we’re able to keep that area sequestered from the rest of the pack territory so that we aren’t actually bringing outsiders in. We formed an alliance to survive, but now we’re thriving. 

Because our alliance is made up of six packs, some people jokingly started referring to the collective as the ‘six-pack’ and the name stuck. Even though we call ourselves the six-pack and our interests are aligned, we remain six very separate packs, each with its own alpha. We each live in our own territories and have our own ways of life. The six alphas form a council of sorts when dealing with matters that affect the territories as a whole and its security, and the six-pack has a collective security squad. The squad is made up of the best fighters from each of the six packs and handles everything from major threats to routine border patrols. From the moment the squad was formed, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had to be a part of it. 

I’ve never been a great student. While my twin sister was easily pulling off straight A’s in school, I was skipping classes and sneaking cigarettes behind the bleachers. I know it’s cliché, but even though we shared a womb, Brooke and I really couldn’t be more different. She’s thoughtful and cautious and brilliant, while I’m reckless and careless and stubborn. I’ve always been scrappy, and a field trip to the squad’s training center when I was fourteen was a major turning point for me- I’d never thought much of the future, but watching the badass fighters that day piqued my interest in something for the first time. I knew I wanted to be one of them, and from that day forward, I threw myself into training. 

The security squad isn’t something you can just sign up for- after high school graduation, you have to make it through a grueling summer of training and be selected. The squad is really important for the six-pack, so they recruit heavy. When I was still in school, a couple of the squad fighters would come down to the high school once a week to run a training course, and those of us who had aspirations of making the squad someday would continue to practice with one another on weeknights. I tried to talk Brooke into training with me, but she was more interested in sitting in front of her computer than getting her hands dirty. That worked out for her, though, because the security squad isn’t all muscle. There’s a small faction of tech savvy individuals that work the IT unit for the security squad, tracking the movements of the shadow pack and any other potential threats. Brooke is a little computer hacker genius, so she was invited to join. She doesn’t even have to try out or prove herself- she’s just in. Lucky bitch. 

I tend to leave things to the last minute, so of course I’m still packing my suitcase for summer training camp with barely any time to spare. The suitcase on my bed is bulging, and I lean my body over it to try to force it closed. I can hear Brooke giggling from across the room as she watches me struggle. 

“A little help here?” I grumble, shifting more of my weight onto the top of the suitcase. I lift my head to see Brooke slide out of her bed, crossing the room toward me. She waves me out of the way and turns around to sit on my suitcase. 

“Here,” Brooke says, wiggling into a position so that all of her weight is squarely on top of my luggage. “You zip. You’re stronger than I am.” 

It’s true. While we’re genetically identical- the same blue eyes, long blonde hair, tan skin, and tall, lean frame- I’ve packed on a lot more muscle through my training over the last four years. I wrestle with the zipper for a few minutes, and with Brooke’s weight on top, I’m miraculously able to get the overpacked suitcase to close. 

While Brooke heads into the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready, I change from my pajamas into a pair of high waisted yoga pants, a white sports bra, and a cropped white t-shirt. She emerges a few minutes later in black jeans and a flannel, reaching for her suitcase nestled in the corner. Of course she’s already packed. I can’t help but roll my eyes. 

We head downstairs to have a quick breakfast with our parents and say our goodbyes, and Mom is especially emotional about her girls being all grown up and leaving home. I go to give her a hug and she cups my cheek, cradling my face in her hands. 

“Will you at least come back for the full moon run?” she asks, and I have to bite back my usual sarcastic response. I know she’s going to miss us, but I also know that she has ulterior motives in asking whether we’ll return for the run. Brooke and I turned eighteen last month, which means we now have a chance of finding our mates. The mate bond is something unique to wolf shifters and can only be triggered on full moons. If we’re in proximity of our fated mate on the full moon, our wolves will lead us to one another and the mate bond will snap into place. My parents have described the experience of the mate bond as this incredible thing, but I guess I’m just a little cynical. I think it’s a little unfair that we can’t choose who to love on our own- I mean, what if fate gives me a crappy mate? I just have to accept it? The whole concept seems antiquated to me. 

Brooke doesn’t share my cynicism; deep down, she’s a romantic. However, she’s said that she’s not ready to find her mate just yet because she doesn’t want anything to pull her focus from her studies or her computer stuff. That’s why she didn’t date in high school. I didn’t date because I didn’t see any point in developing feelings for someone who most likely won’t wind up being my fated mate. The chances of actually choosing someone who winds up being your fated mate are so rare that I just don’t see how dating is worth the inevitable heartbreak. I suppose fate will choose for me eventually, but until then, I’m going to keep living my own life. 

“We’ll see if we can get away,” I tell my mom, though I don’t really plan on coming back for the full moon run. I need all of my focus this summer to be on my training. 

Mom smiles, wrapping me in a tight hug. She’s smaller than me- Brooke and I definitely got our height from our dad- but even though she’s petite, she gives the best bear-hugs. As eager as I am to finally leave home, I have to admit that I’ll miss her hugs. 

Dad drives us to the town square to catch the bus to training camp and is unusually chatty on the short drive. He tells us how proud he is that we’re joining the squad, and it starts to sink in how much I’m going to miss both of my parents. I can’t dwell on that, though- I’ve been waiting for this day for so long. It’s the first day of the rest of my life. 

Alpha Anders came out to the town square to see off the group of recruits from our pack, and Dad breaks off to chat with him while Brooke and I head to join our classmates. There are fifteen of us from our pack that are heading to training camp for the summer and the other recruits are already loading their luggage onto the bus. 

“Fallon! Brooke!” I hear a voice call, and Boyd shoots a hand up to wave us over to where he’s standing with Davis beside the bus. Boyd and Davis are close friends of mine that I’ve trained with on weeknights for the past couple years. Boyd is tall and lean, with shaggy brown hair and suntanned skin. He’s conventionally attractive, with a square jaw and handsome features. I suppose I wouldn’t mind if he wound up being my mate, though it’d definitely be a climb out of the friend zone. I’m pretty sure he’s always had a thing for me- he’s a shameless flirt- but I’ve just never really felt that chemistry between us. Maybe that’s what the mate bond would add. 

“Hey there, beautiful,” Boyd coos as we approach, tossing a wink in my direction. 

I roll my eyes, chuckling softly. “Hey, Boyd. I see you packed light,” I tease. 

“Already loaded up. Here, let me get yours.” Boyd reaches out for the handle of my suitcase before I can protest, pulling it toward the bus. 

“I can take yours, Brooke,” Davis offers, moving toward her. For a dude who wants to be a fighter, Davis is one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met. I never thought he had the temperament for the security squad, but he’s actually really impressive when it comes to sparring. He’s not as tall as Boyd, but he’s really bulked up over the past year. As he carries Brooke’s suitcase toward the bus, the toned muscles under his t-shirt ripple with his movements. Davis has sandy blonde hair and green eyes, and like Boyd, he’s conventionally attractive- but unlike Boyd, I really hope he doesn’t wind up being my mate. He’s way too sweet; I’d walk all over him. 

Alpha Anders says a few words to send us off, basically reminding us that our actions while we’re away will reflect back on him and the whole pack, and the next thing I know I’m waving to my dad through the window of the bus as it pulls out of the town square. 

“It’s only for a couple weeks,” Brooke says, more for herself than to me. 

“You’re not really coming back for the full moon run, are you?” I ask, shifting in my seat to face my sister. 

Brooke shrugs, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I mean, it’ll be nice to see Mom and Dad…” 

“But do you really want a mate? Already?” I scoff, shaking my head. “Don’t let Mom pressure you…” 

“I’m not,” Brooke interrupts. She folds her arms across her chest indignantly. “I’m just going to miss them, is all. And you know how my wolf is, she has to run on the full moon.” 

“Whatever you say,” I reply, skepticism dripping from my tone. 

It’s Brooke’s turn to roll her eyes now. “We can decide later,” she says, effectively dropping the topic of conversation. 

I know Brooke won’t go back home for the full moon run if I don’t want to come with her, but I also know that if she really wants to, I’ll come, too. We may not have a lot in common anymore, but we still do everything together. She’s my best friend. There isn’t anyone in the world I trust more than Brooke. 

“So what do you think it’s going to be like?” Boyd asks, throwing his arm over the seat in front of us and craning his head in our direction. Davis is sitting next to him and quickly follows suit, peering back at me and Brooke. 

I shrug. “People say it’s hell, but I can’t imagine anyone else is more prepared than we are.” I’m trying to play it cool to mask my building apprehension about training camp. We’ve been training so hard all year, but now is when it will really count. What if I’m not good enough? What if I get cut? I try to push those thoughts out of my head as quickly as they enter, but they linger. 

“I’m just glad we all get to do this together,” Davis offers, flashing his million-dollar smile. It immediately puts me at ease. 

“Let’s see if you’re still saying that after I take you down during practice,” I laugh, nudging his arm with my fist. 

“Oooh, she’s got you there!” Boyd laughs, punching Davis’ arm playfully. He makes a face, rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue. 

I turn to Brooke, who’s staring out the window as we drive the winding road through the forest. I can see her face in the window, but I can’t quite read her expression. Nervous? Sad? I reach out for her hand, giving it a little squeeze. It’s our secret ‘are you okay?’ signal. 

Brooke turns to face me, offering a small smile, though I can tell she’s forcing it. She squeezes my hand back to tell me she’s fine, but something seems off. 

“What’s up?” I ask, and the boys pick up on my hushed voice as a cue to turn around, sink back into their seats, and give us a little privacy. 

Brooke shakes her head. “Nothing.” 

I raise my eyebrows, urging her with my eyes to spill it. 

She sighs. “I just… it’s going to be weird being away from home. Away from you. That’s all.” 

“What do you mean? We’re both going to be at training camp together…” 

Brooke shakes her head. “We don’t know how much we’ll see each other, if we will at all. At least you have Davis and Boyd. I’m going to be all alone…” 

I take Brooke’s hand again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “No you won’t. We don’t even know what it’s going to be like yet! You can’t worry so much.” 

I force a smile, but realize that Brooke’s right; we don’t know whether we’ll be seeing each other every day this summer or not at all. A lump begins to form in my throat as I consider what it would be like to spend the whole summer without my twin. 

“Yeah,” Brooke breathes, relaxing her shoulders a little. “You’re right. We’ll just have to wait and see.” 

I suppose she’s reassured, but I can’t say the same for myself.