Chapter 1

"First one back home has to wash the dishes for a week!" My brother started running ahead of me as we were walking home on our way back from our hike.

"I'm too old for racing Adam, I mean you would probably beat me now, you're – huge." I glanced up at him. He was already 6'5, almost as tall as our father. With Alpha blood running through our veins we were built stronger and bigger. However, I looked more like my mother. Petite, but witty. I would rather use my brain then brute strength anyways.

"Come on sis, you're going to be mated soon, you might as well enjoy our time together before you have to play games with – what's his name again?" Adam jokingly replied.

I gave a hard tap to his big arm while we continued walking. This was our favourite way back home, through the trails along the river. It was so quiet and scenic. It also gave Adam a lot of opportunities to get the inside scoop on all the single she-wolves from me.

"Screw off, I don't even want a mate." I sighed as he mentioned the word mate. There was so much in the world I wanted to see, why did I have to settle for a man?

"If you get any older no werewolf will want you!" Even know I was annoyed he was speaking the truth. I needed to settle down if I wanted to have a family one day. I was already 21, and usually she-wolves would be mated on their eighteenth birthday. I managed to convince my father that I needed to focus on studying before I even made a decision. I've been approached by a lot of potential suitors but my father always let me have the final call. He just wanted me to be happy. When our mother died from cancer he focused on me and my brother.

One day Adam would take over our pack and I knew he would be a kick ass Alpha. My fate was undetermined and I sort of liked it that way. All my friends from our old school were already mothers, and I was still reading books in the library on my free time.

"Let me ask you something Diana," Adam said as he put his arm around me. "Is it because of her?"

"What do you mean?" I acted confused but I knew deep down what he meant by asking. My mother Greta. I missed her so much, maybe this is why I didn't want to settle down. The fear of losing my family by moving away.

"It's ok Diana." He squeezed me in tighter as we kept walking. It was already autumn and the trees were changing colours. We both looked around as we kept our silence. As wolves, we were most connected to the forests. Our ancestral hunting grounds were still prevalent in our modern society, but only a handful still liked to hunt shifted in their wolves. The world was changing and so were the wolves.

I heard leaves crunching in the distant tree line but didn't see anything. Adam heard it too and we were both looking around. We paused briefly to listen again.

"Who's there?! Show yourself." Adam loudly stated to what looked like nothing, then suddenly a familiar young man appeared from the bushes. It was Aaron. He was Adam's stupid goof friend that always annoyed the hell out of me with his jokes.

"Christ! You scared me!" Adam said as he started walking towards him with open arms.

"The soon to be Alpha is scared of a lil'ol wolf like me!" Aaron jokingly said. I rolled my eyes as they both did their lame handshake that they always did when they saw each other.

I really worry for the future of this pack with these two loonies at the top. I knew he would make Aaron his Beta one day. They were friends since childhood and they were inseparable.

To top it off Aaron had a big crush on me and it was obvious. Adam always hinted it to me but I told him I only saw Aaron as a brother, or as Adam would call it, "friend-zoned." He actually looked just like Adam, but a few inches shorter of course. He had more a tall slim build while Adam was tall and very bulky.

"Hey Diana, how are you? I'm glad I ran into you, did you hear the news?" Aaron finally noticed I was standing there the whole time while they did their lame hand shake.

"No-what news?" I curiously asked. Usually my father would always keep us in the loop of anything going on with pack related events.

"Alpha Holden is visiting-"Adam interrupted him with a gasp.

"Wait what?! Since when? What business does he have coming to our small community? Doesn't he have bigger fish to fry? I mean his pack in the biggest in the country. What interest does he have here?" Adam spoke so fast it was hard to follow him. I could tell his was excited to have such a prominent Alpha visit us.

"Whoa, slow down there Alpha Adam." Aaron playfully replied. "I have no clue, but I just found out. It's all what everyone is talking about today. Everyone is getting prepared for his arrival."

"I need to get to father, I need to find out. I can't believe I'm finding out through you! – I mean no offence Aaron." Aaron lifted his arms out in surrender of his insult. I giggled at their exchange, they were acting like boys being kissed for the first time. So immature.

While the two goons were talking to each other about Alpha Holden possibly bringing single-she wolves my attention was sparked at the sound coming from the distance in the forests.

"Guys you hear-"I tried speaking but they were still talking and ignoring me.

"GUYS, SHUT UP!" They immediately turned their attention to me. "You hear that?"

"What the hell?" Adam sniffed the air trying to figure out what the smell was. It was unfamiliar to the area.