1 | Alpha Caleb

ELENA POV

I jerk out of bed to the sound of my alarm clock blaring and the sun shining brightly in my face. There are a few more minutes left before I really, really have to get up so I decide to lay back and stare up at the ceiling for a bit trying to compose my thoughts and take a few moments, just for myself before the day starts. It feels like any other day, normal and unassuming, but it isn't any other day. Not "just another week." This is the last week of my high school career and tomorrow I'll be turning 18.

Not to mention that after graduation all the she-wolves would be undergoing "the reaping." It sounds worse than it actually is. You can thank centuries-old werewolves for naming a mating ritual something that sounds like it should be run from... at high speed.

Every year one pack is picked to host the ball and packs from all over the country send their unmated she-wolves and males. This year my pack- the Silver Moon pack would be the one hosting it. Since it's my first year going I'm glad I won't have to go too far to attend, which also means sleeping in my own bed at the end of the night. Yay for small victories!

I know becoming 18 means starting to look for your mate since that's the age wolves can begin to sense them. Every girl dreams of finding her soul mate and having pups and although it would be nice to find the other half of my soul, there are things I want to accomplish first. I want to be the master of my own fate. I've even thought about moving out to live among the humans and going to a human college to study Pre-Med which Alpha's rarely give permission for. I've always wanted to be a doctor, even more so after mom's death.

Mom was a pack warrior and she died while protecting us from a rogue attack, leaving behind me, my dad, and my brother- Tobias. I always thought that if there had been a doctor there, she may have survived the attack. My dad really struggled after her death and turned very overprotective, especially with me. Since she passed, he forbids us from leaving pack territory and he's the Beta, so what he says goes... until I turn 18 anyways, and then he can't stop me from going out into the world. But if I find my mate then I definitely won't be able to do what I want.

I look over at the clock sitting on my nightstand and almost scream when I realize I'd spent too long in bed lost in my thoughts. After showering quickly, I decide to let my curls air dry and apply some light makeup before getting dressed and heading downstairs, but my reflection stops me. Every time I look in the mirror, all I can see is my mom staring back at me.

I share her large, almond shaped hazel eyes that tend to change color based on my mood and the same light golden colored skin. I also have her hair, which cascades to right above my hips in rich brown waves and frames my plump, pouty lips and small, dainty nose. The only difference between my mother and I is our height and our body type. While she was only 5'2, I am 5"8 and a little curvier. I have always considered myself pretty but seeing as I was about to graduate high school having never dated or had a boyfried, I couldnt help but doubt myself sometimes. Not that my dad would have ever allowed me to date anyways. 

Shutting off my thoughts and turning my attention back to the mirror, I can't help but once again feel like I'm looking at my mom.

"I miss you so much mom, I wish you could be here. Nothing's been the same since you left." I whisper to the reflection staring back at me.

"Elena," my brother calls from downstairs, "we are seriously going to be so late," shaking me from my reverie. 

I push down the rising emotion and run down the stairs, stopping in the kitchen to grab a banana, and head towards the door where my brother stands. 

"Head in the clouds again?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" unable to help the smile splitting my face because he knows me so well. 

My brother and I have always been close and after mom died we became inseparable; he's my best friend. He's only 10 months older than me and is training to take over the Beta position once Alpha Caleb steps up. We're in the same grade since I skipped 9th grade in the hopes I would graduate sooner.

"Whatever you say Lenny," he calls me by my childhood nickname. 

"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to get in the car? You're going to make us late with all your chit-chatting," I say rolling my eyes and throwing him a wink.

Did I mention he's a little uptight?

I can't quite hear what he's mumbling as he gets in but it sounds a lot like he's threatening to push me out of the moving car. 

I say goodbye to him as I walk into the school and head to class but I trip over my feet and run into someone's chest. I'm thankful that I didn't faceplant until the realization of who I just ran into hits me. I look up into eyes so black you can barely make out the iris from the ring of color and my mind goes a little foggy. 

Alpha Caleb.