Chapter 1 - Realisations

Mila’s P.O.V.

Wolfsbane. A silver bullet, laced with wolfsbane. “This is it Mila, this is where we die” I thought to myself. “Don’t you dare give up on me Mila, we have come too far for this” Tae said to me, she was my wolf, and she was mighty. Much more than I ever deserved. “MILA!!! Don’t you dare leave me Mila, don’t you dare die on me. You CANNOT LEAVE ME. I WON’T LET YOU!” This voice was familiar, I tingled at the sound, like a choir on Christmas day. This man, was mine. But it was too late, I was doomed for sure.

One year earlier.

It was another glorious day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and my brother was punching me in the arm for the tenth time that day.

Damon, my brother – well step brother actually, was the future Alpha of the Steelfang pack in the East coast. We were the largest, most fearsome pack in all the local lands. Not to say we were brutal or deadly, but we were strong, happy and just.  Alpha Marcus was the kindest most loyal leader that Steelfang has ever had. And he was mated to my mother, Talia. Step families are rare in the wolf community, but the moon goddess saw fit to give my mother and Damon’s father another chance in life. My original pack was the Bluemoon, another pack on the east coast but very small. My father Zachias, was their alpha. He too, was kind and loyal, but he was too trusting and it became his downfall, he was unable to see the folly of others, particularly his beta Jett. I was only small, I really don’t remember much, but I remember how he used to make me feel, he was peculiar, sneaky and he had an insatiable desire for my mother. One day, that desire got the better of him, he raped her, my father of course felt this through the mate-bond. It drove him mad with rage, he managed to kill Jett but he died from his injuries, my mother too nearly died. Once you witness the death of your mate, the pain is unbearable, most wolves either lose their minds and go feral, or die from the heartbreak. But my mother was different, she says it was me who saved her, being so small she had something to live for, but I know it was Alpha Marcus really. He found us, and what was left of our pack and took us all in, the moon goddess shined down upon them and gave them a second chance. As I understand it Alpha Marcus had never found his true mate before my mother, Damon was the gift of a younger she-wolf while Marcus’ father was still the Alpha. Destiny and a lot of help from the goddess herself brought them together when the time was right.

Damon is a few months older than me, and his birthday is soon, meaning he will also soon shift for the first time and meet his wolf. Everyone has big expectations for him, I on the other hand have time to wait still, but me and Damon have always been inseparable, more like a best friend than a brother, but his protective side peeks out every now and then, other boys are never allowed close to me, and frankly half of them wouldn’t dare take on Damon, He’s tall, around 6”3, has shaggy dark hair, but always well styled. And he is built like a brick. The closer he gets to his birthday the more his muscles seem to be growing, but I like it, he wraps me up tightly in his arms the same way he always has done, and I feel safe. I feel home.

But with friendship comes a lot of beatings, I am of Alpha blood as well, so I can easily hold my own, despite my small frame, but being Alpha Marcus true son, he is the one who will inherit the title and the pack, but I have always been an exceptional fighter and today was special. “Mila! Come with me will you?” Alpha Marcus asked me, I was terrified, not of him per say, he was wonderful, and an amazing father, but being asked into his office was rarely followed by good news. “Before you say anything, I didn’t know it would break! Me and Damon were just fooling around and it got out of hand, technically it was Damon that rolled into the picture! Not me!” I started to explain, frantically thinking the worst. “Mila! Slow down, this isn’t about the picture… but now you mention it, we will get to that later with your brother. I asked you in here because I have an important decision that me and your mother felt you should apart of. You are an exceptional fighter Mila, your skills in training have not gone unnoticed, and your loyalty to your brother makes you even stronger. We can all see the difference when you are together, you are a force for sure. So I would like to expand on your skills, and I am hoping one day, when you are ready, you will take up the role of Beta standing by Damon’s side in guiding and protecting the pack” Alpha Marcus announced, I was starstruck for a moment, totally lost for words, I knew I was a good warrior, but traditionally the role of beta falls to a male who are naturally stronger. “I don’t know what to say dad, Alpha! I mean – sorry.” I was still speechless, totally stumbling at every word. “You will be just fine, you are more than good enough for the job Mila, and it doesn’t matter than you’re female, I know what you are thinking” He looked like he was shining with pride, I was used to seeing him look that way at Damon, but not me… never me. Not because there was a lack of pride or anything, I am just used to being the supporting role. “Thank you Alpha, it is a huge honor and I very humbly accept, I will protect Damon as my alpha, as my brother and I will always protect this pack.” I tried to sound dignified, and a little more grown up, I wasn’t sure if it was working but my father’s smile kept on beaming.

The moment I walked out the room Damon had me on the floor, he ticked me until I couldn’t breathe and gave me the traditional arm punch. “You were gone! I couldn’t find you anywhere and I don’t like not knowing where you are. Where were you?” Damon looked hurt, he always looks hurt when I wander off places without his knowledge, I’m sure it would annoy most people but I always found it sweet, it made me happy to know he cared enough for me, to worry about my whereabouts. “You are NEVER going to believe the conversation I just had with dad, like seriously. Groundbreaking, life altering news!!” I practically squealed at Damon, he looked at me with intent as I went on and explained exactly what happened in the office. Suddenly something in the air changed, I finished telling Damon all about the news, and he looked happy, as expected but different, he was staring at me, longingly, adoringly, but not the usual kind, I could tell he was having an argument in his head so I punched his arm to snap him out of it, and it worked – kinda. He was still looking at me, well more staring actually, but now he looked like he would pounce on me at any moment, we were still on the floor from the tickle attack, I tried to move him but I couldn’t he was far too heavy. He grinned, a delicious grin if I ever saw one, he looked unreal in that moment. ‘ Pull yourself together woman that is your brother!’ I thought to myself. Ew. Did I just perv, on my brother, I mean I’ve always said we never really felt like brother and sister more just the best of friends but still, ew.

Just then one of Damon’s friends walked in, Chris. Now Chris was undeniably handsome, even I could admit to that, although I was never actually attracted to him for some reason, definitely never had the same pervy thoughts I just had about Damon – still ew. Chris was tall, tanned, blonde hair, blue eyes, covered in tattoos, every girl in school pined for him, I felt bad for him, I was gonna have to tell him that dad made me beta today and not him. He was the natural choice after all and Damon’s best friend. He laughed on his approach, “haha! What’s with you two? You stuck there all night?!” Damon grinned that dirty grin again. Surely not at the thought of being stuck with me all night… although… ‘no Mila! Stop with the pervy thoughts already!’ Chris held out a hand, and leaned in to help me up, when all of a sudden a huge growl ripped through the pack house, it took us all a minute to realize that that sound, was Damon. And he was growling at Chris! “Damon? DAMON!” I shouted, “snap out of it, what is wrong with you? I thought you would be happy to hear the news”. Damon looked astonished, he suddenly seemed to snap out of his daze and looked right at me, and then back to Chris “I’m sorry guys, I have no idea where that came from…” Damon looked appalled with himself, and very apologetic to Chris, “Chill man, no drama. You’ve never liked anyone touching Mila, looks like you never will either haha” Chris mocked, and forgot all about it.

I explained my news to Chris and he took it as graciously as I knew he would, I half hoped he would be annoyed or something so it made it easier to not feel bad, but no, he was his usual annoyingly polite self. So I of course felt terrible. The rest of the night more of Damon’s friends started piling over to our house, our parents were going out for the evening so they let us have friends over for movies and snacks. But the appetite of five soon to be werewolves was not an easy thing to satisfy, but the chefs were masters at feeding hungry teens. I ran up to Damon’s room to let him know that everyone had arrived and were already tucking in to the food, so he would need to be quick. He was in the shower, no big deal, I’ve barged in on him loads of times, I just say what I need to and go, but today, my eyes wandered. Involuntarily. I watched as the water cascaded down his perfectly chiseled abdomen, his rock solid abs. They were glistening with the water, his hair was soaked and slicked over, still in its usually shaggy way but dripping water down his face, I could see every single droplet, I watched them touch his lips, his cheeks, his nose, then I noticed his eyes, they were the same as they were when he had me pinned on the floor earlier today, deep, dark, staring at me like I was prey, the most delicious prey he had ever seen and he had to get me. I was fully clothed, but it felt like he could see right through me. I was frozen to the spot, something inside of me was telling me to strip down and straddle him right there in the shower ‘Mila! That is three times in one afternoon. Gotta stop thinking about him’ my mind was right of course, I haven’t ever had these thoughts about Damon before but there he is, standing in all his god like glory. “Joining me Mila? I know you want to. I can smell it on you, your arousal. No one else can make you feel that way and you know it. You’re MINE” Damon growled at me, did he actually just ask me to shower with him, wait he’s making a pass at me, and he knows I want it. ‘Run Mila. RUN. Get out of there!’ I obliged to my mind, it was absolutely right this time, I high tailed it out of there, every inch of me wanting to go back, to give in to my new cravings. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was just because he is alpha, and all the girls feel that way around him, you know. ‘Nope’ - shut up brain.

I made my way downstairs, pushing what just happened out of my mind, grabbed a plate of food and plonked myself right between Chris and Brad, the two biggest pack members. “Hey Mila! Chris told us the news!! How exciting?! Congratulations Beta Mila” That was Ebony, one of my best friends, I adored her, she was going to be a pack doctor one day, she had more kindness in her little toe than anyone else I knew had in the entire bodies. The entire group whooped and hollered for me. “That’s my girl!” Damon entered, “the most fierce she-wolf to ever exist, a warrior, a princess, a prize” he continued. I blushed fiercely. To everyone else this was just a normal statement, Damon always praised me, always had me on a pedestal and until now I never thought anything of it. He came over exerting more than his usual aura of dominance, but he was about ready to shift now so it was to be expected, he took one look at Chris and Brad and they moved immediately, he definitely seemed more threatening, but as soon as he sat with me, and had me in his arms, he relaxed. He was the same Damon I was used to, we watched horror movies all the time, mostly ones of werewolves because they were so ridiculous they were more like comedies, we snacked all night and laughed for hours, until eventually I slept. Happy and content.