“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I exclaimed springing from my chair in an instant, my parents watching as I paced the kitchen, anger in my step.
“Mind your language in my house.” My father warned me with a pointed look, but I could only scoff a little turning to look at him with such annoyance. “Who cares about my fucking language, you want to throw me out anyway and into some pack with an Alpha and his son who I’ve never even met before miles away from here!” I shout throwing my arm in the air in hopes of presenting the distance, my mother only sighed looking down at the table while my father shook his head. “That is not what’s happening Iris, do you believe I want to send my sixteen-year-old daughter to a pack miles away from here, I most certainly, do not but we don’t have any other choice, you’re the only one we can send!” My father said trying to make it seem as though his hands were tied and there was nothing else we could do, but I knew that was far from being the case. “There are so many other people in this pack who would be more than happy to go in my place!” I reply with a look of shock that he hadn’t thought of this, I could list around twenty others off the top of my head who would be thrilled to take this opportunity. “We cannot simply send some regular pack member, the Alpha is hoping to build more bridges with The Full Moon Pack, they have many resources that would allow our pack to thrive, you’ll be helping our pack in such a great way Iris.” My father said much calmly getting out of his chair, whilst I could only shake my head in response. “So how is sending me, a sixteen-year-old girl over to their pack to allow them to try and train me going to really help this pack?!” I asked not seeing the point of packing my life up and training when all the resources are here before me, The Full Moon Pack wouldn’t gain anything from that. “Because the Alpha had said he wanted to see if our members have the ability to grasp such intense training in order to evaluate if joining forces with us would be in his better interests. We need someone who has the blood within them to take on the task, hunny you’ve got such powerful Beta blood running through your veins, you’ll thrive.” My father smiled pulling all the stops out to have me agree, but I wasn’t about to lay down and take what they were handing me without kick back. “Why can’t the Alpha send his diabolical son to receive this training, I mean he’s about to be Alpha of this place soon anyway, wouldn’t he need to have that type of training to be an adequate Alpha?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest with a look of disgust, even thinking about that man makes such anger pulse through me. “You know why the Alpha can’t send Alban, as you said he is about to be Alpha and needs to remain beside his father to learn the ropes. With your brother becoming his Beta, he also needs to stick around too and considering the Alpha didn’t have anymore reliable children, the responsibility has moved to you. We need you to do this hunny, if not for the Alpha or the pack, but for your mum and I, we can’t let the Alpha down, how awful would that make us as a Beta family look?” My father asked softly, now standing right in front of me with a look of plead on his face, where I could only sigh looking down. “How long?” Is all ask knowing I didn’t really have much choice but to agree, the Alpha had already made his decision and if I knew him as much as I did, he wasn’t one to go back on something once his mind was made up. But when my father didn’t go to tell me the answer straight away, I lift my head up watching as he turned to look at my mother, a look of nervousness on her face as she gazed back at him. “Five years.” Was all my father said after turning to look back at me, the look on his face seeming to be as though he was bracing for some kind of explosion, which I was sure to give him. “FIVE YEARS?! You’re sending me away to go and live with some strange Alpha’s for five years! I would have understood if it was a few months, but years!” I shout with such anger but also, disbelief that my family would seriously agree to sending me away for five years. “I know it seems like a long time hunny, but the Alpha wants to ensure you can be trained to the best of their abilities, by the time you come home, he is assuring us that you will be such a defined and invincible fighter. You’ll be so busy and having such fun that the years will fly by.” My mother smiled from the table as though this was going to be some big life changing happy experience, but she wasn’t the one being sent away from everyone and thing that she knows. “I don’t really have a choice do I, you guys have already sat around a table and decided my fate for me, thanks for having my back.” I sighed pushing away from my father when he went to give me a hug, I wasn’t in the mood. “Iris!” My father shouts after me as I leave the kitchen and run up the stairs, but my bedroom door slamming behind me told my father I wasn’t about to turn around and talk again. Pushing myself over to my window and taking seat, I couldn’t help the sadness that rippled through my chest, was I really being sent off to some pack miles away without any warning? I have a life here, friends and family that I didn’t want to leave and an education I was receiving at the local college. I had my whole life and the way I wanted to live it planned out in my head but now because some Alpha wants to conduct a little experiment, I was thrown into the deep end. The sound of three soft knocks on my door only makes me sigh and place my head against the cold glass window, I truly didn’t have the energy to speak about this anymore. “Go away.” I mumble thinking it was my father on the other end coming in to tell me what a great experience this would be but instead, my older brother Lincoln poked his head through the door. “Even me?” He asked with a little smile watching me, he knew even when we were at each others' throats, I’d never throw him out or ignore him. “Have you come to persuade me more saying how much of a good thing this is and how much experience I’m going to gain? Well, there’s no point, I know I don’t have a choice as the Alpha’s already decided I’m his guinea pig.” I sighed allowing him to see that I wasn’t going to put up a fight, there was no point, I wasn’t going to win. “I’m not here to persuade you to do anything, I’m simply here to talk to my little sister.” He said with a smile closing the door behind him, whilst I shook my head again moving my legs over so he could sit beside me. “It’s not fair, I seem to always be the fall guy for everything and now, I’m being forced away for another person's agenda and appearance. I’m going to miss so much, my birthday, your Beta title being handed to you.” I sighed looking over to him, where I was sent a sympathetic smile in response. “It is going to be hard at first, it’s a different experience with people you don’t know but what father said is right, this is a new experience for you, you are going to learn things from this Alpha that most would dream about learning. Yes, you may miss some things from here but you’re not leaving forever, when you return, we can celebrate it all in one big celebration. I’d want to see your face in the crowd when I take my title, but I know my little sister will be kicking ass over in The Full Moon Pack.” He said nudging me a little allowing me to laugh but still look down at the windowsill in front of us. “And hey, by the time you return, you’ll be able to drink more spicy beverages… if I allow you to though, you’re still my baby sister.” He joked before looking off with a little regret for what he said, which did finally, make me look up at him smiling. “I’ll tell you one thing, I’m gonna miss you.” I sighed feeling the sadness of even thinking about not being able to see Lincoln for five years budding in my emotions. “Not nearly as much as I’m gonna miss you.” He said wrapping his arm around my shoulders and placing a kiss on my head, where I could only lean more into the hug hoping to live in this feeling with my older brother a little longer. “This is going to make you Iris, when you return, you’ll be unstoppable.” He said holding me so tightly as we watched the rain beat the window. Lincoln as always was very right, I wouldn’t be the same person when I returned, but neither would many others.Not even a week later, my brother was helping me move some of my boxes from my room and down to the car which was waiting to take me away. The Alpha of The Full Moon Pack apparently, was overjoyed that I was being sent over and proceeded to get all the relevant balls rolling to have me arrive at his pack quicker than I would have hoped. “Is this the last one?” Lincoln asked as he placed my final box to join my others in the boot, I was only taking three boxes with me, one with my clothes, the other with my other essentials and the last with some keepsakes things which I was planning to keep in case I get homesick. “Yep, seems as though I’m all set to begin my next terrifying journey.” I sighed holding my bag in my hands looking down at the ground, but he only smiled as he closed the boot. “Don’t look at this as terrifying, but one big adventure you’re about to undertake. Iris, you’re much stronger and tougher than you allow yourself to feel, you are going to ace this and make us
~ 5 years later~“I think this is everything.” I say pushing at the brown cardboard box in front of me, the other boxes I had squeezed into my car seeming to add resistance allowing my feet to skid along the floor as I pushed.“Not everything.” Max smiles arriving at the steps of the pack house with another box in his hands, my mouth hung open as I looked to the box and over to my car which was already bursting at the seams! “There is no way I’m getting that last box in, I have a feeling the boot is going to fly open mid-drive anyway, with that I’ll just be tempting fate!” I exclaimed walking around to the passenger door in hopes I could squeeze more in, but the full box looked back at me smugly riding shotgun. “How did I arrive here with three boxes, just to leave with seven?!” I asked slamming the door in a huff as though it was the box's fault, I was the one that packed them and allowed myself to accumulate all of this junk. “I mean you have been rather busy these past five
The drive back to The Blood Wolf Pack was odd, I knew I was heading “home”, but it truly didn’t feel that way anymore. I had been staying with Max and The Full Moon Pack for five years now, I was essentially, still a child when I was sent away but to return when I’m twenty-one, it feels as though I’m a different person now so I couldn’t help but worry that this place was no longer mine anymore. But my wolf on the other hand, seemed to be giddy about the prospect of returning, she bounced around happily in my head and even said numerous times that I should ditch my belongings and this car and head back in wolf form which would be much faster. Her reaction did confuse me for a moment, I had never shifted in this pack before, I had turned eighteen at The Full Moon pack and know it’s all my wolf knows, but still she couldn’t wait for me to return home and refused to tell me why the many times that I would ask. When I finally, drove through the borders of The Blood Wolf Pack, it was gr
The thought of Alban and the unfortunate situation I had found myself in clouded my mind, the way his eyes looked into mine caused me to want to shrink but at the same time, run into his arms. That man was awful to me the last few years I was staying at this pack, each time he would see me, the look on his face was as though I had betrayed him in such an outrageous way, and I was his worst enemy. But the awful mixed with confusing thing, I had never done a single thing which would grant being treated the way he treated me. It wasn’t only me that he’d do it to, but almost to every friend that I had. It was as though he thought I was such a repulsive person that I didn’t deserve to have friends, so he did everything in his power to force them to leave me. I even recall around a month before I left, my best friend Malcolm and I were walking home from a little get together deep in the woods when Alban appeared out of nowhere. I knew what he was like, so I grabbed Malcolm by the hand and
Waking up the next morning back at home in my own bed, I truly felt more lost than I ever did back at The Full Moon pack. Leading up to this point when I knew I would need to head home, I did worry that I’d get like this. I felt so at home there and knew everyone and knew I had a place in the world, but now being in this pack again, it was as though everyone had moved on with their lives and here I was, seeming to go back to where I was when I left, I didn’t have a place anymore. As I sat up in bed looking out of the window with such sadness in the pit of my stomach, I realised I hadn’t messaged Max after returning home and worried he’d either get worried himself or feel as though I had simply forgotten about him because I was back home. Throwing my blankets off and grabbing my phone which sat on charge beside me, I write: “Sorry I didn’t text last night, once I returned home, I hadn’t stopped. I’m back safe but I miss you so much.” Once I hit send, all I could do was sigh and l
My eyes began to flutter closed the longer I sat on the sofa, I had only been awake for some hours but due to the amount of crying I had done in that short amount of time, my eyes stung and begged me to rest them. Feeling as though I didn’t have much else to do, I was ready to oblige and take my first nap in my parent's house, but the front door beginning to knock three booming times jolted me forward. My heart pounded in my chest from the shock of this sudden visitor, my hands seeming to grip the armrests of the sofa as though that was going to aid me in anyway. The repeated knocks on the door once I hadn’t even rose from the sofa yet to get the door snaps me from my delirious state, I believe that is what led me to get up from the chair and quickly walk towards the door without taking much thought as to who could be waiting on the other side. But that seemed to all change when I reached for the handle and pulled open the door, only to reveal the very same Alpha I had locked ey
The longer Alban’s body lay pressed against mine, the more those burning desire feelings took over my senses but also, the less air I was able to take in due to my whole body getting pressed against the hardwood flooring. “Do not get me wrong little mate, I do enjoy a little fight, it simply excites me for the punishments I can bestow upon you with my own special weapon.” He whispered right by my ear which only allowed my wolf to howl in excitement and me to attempt to move myself but due to the position, I couldn’t get very far. “You’re…. such a… dick.” I manage to reply not able to get a full breath of air in my lungs due to his body weight and the floor sandwiching me in place, but even with this I wasn’t going to allow him to win. “That is exactly right little mate, one you will greatly enjoy when the time comes, I wonder if it will be now.” He whispered even closer to my ear but this time, a little piece of his saliva falls from his lips and lands on my cheek, this sending
I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread which washed over my body when Alban had my phone in his possession and I didn’t, I knew there wasn’t anything incriminating on those messages between Max and I, but I worried how this Alpha would take some of them. “Iris, I was beginning to grow worried the longer that I hadn’t heard from you, I miss you more than you could ever imagine and wish for you to be close to me again. Let me know how you’re settling in and just know, the offer still stands.” Alban said reading the message that Max had written, due to what I had led Alban to believe, some of the things in that message didn’t seem to sit well with him as he let out a growl. “What offer is this grotesque man referencing?” He asked looking away from my phone and down at me with that same look of anger, where I simply rolled my eyes in response. “That is no business of yours.” I say not faulting in my response at all, where a sick little laugh escapes Alban’s lips as though he was mock
Once the initial sense of exhaustion from being marked finally, faded, Alban allows me out of bed where I begin my normal routine of getting ready and going to let the hounds out of their house and hand them their first meal of the day. Due to them only getting here yesterday, I didn’t have a clear schedule of when the hunters needed to give me their food, but according to Alban, he had already sorted everything out and the food should be waiting for me when I get there. I hadn’t quite given myself much time to think about what I’d just allowed to happen; it was all so quick that my mind was still playing catch up. But one thing I did know, the mark was still sore from it only getting placed on my neck not even an hour ago which meant I was forced to wear my hair in a ponytail which fully, showcased to anyone around what Alban and I had gotten up to this morning. Taking a look in the mirror to ensure I hadn’t any stray hairs wanting to protest, I catch a glimpse of the new symbol
As I slowly began to drift out of dream land, a source of warmth brushed against my cheek, the warm sparks of electricity only called me in a way a siren call used to towards ships in the raging sea. As like those ships, I had no other choice but to snuggle in even closer in hopes of absorbing all the warmth and remain in that state forever. Feeling arms which were already wrapped around my body only tighten and pull me even closer to the warmth woke me up even more, where was I? Slowly opening up my eyes, I discovered I was not laying on the soft bed I had fallen to sleep on, but the extremely warm and toned chest of the Alpha. Lifting my head up as much as his arms which tightly wrapped around my torso under the blanket would allow me, I find he was still deep in dreamland sleeping peacefully under me. I went to try and move away before his facial features began to catch my attention, due to everything that’s happened between us since my return, I hadn’t had the chance to really
Once the gash on my arm had stopped bleeding and was wrapped tightly with a bandage, Alban retrieved the clothes someone had brought for me and helped me dress, even when he saw my body while he helped with my clothes, he didn’t go to make a comment at all, with all that happened, he knew it wasn’t the time. We were now sat at the foot of the bed in silence, with all that had happened and the new information we were able to uncover in this moment alone, I don’t believe either of us knew what to say. Through the silence, I feel a hand move closer to mine and interlock with my fingers, this little gesture bringing me so much comfort. “Now that you are safe and are no longer out in the freezing rain or bleeding in the bathroom, please tell me what happened?” He asked in a soft tone slowly looking over to me, even though his tone was soft, I could see the deep anger building in his eyes at the thought of Max doing the one thing he and I should share. With his question came the wave
Once I disclosed to Alban the horrifying truth that had been revealed to me, I was carried inside of his warm home and out of the storming weather that pelted the area. My entire body shook with the cold as freezing water drenched my thin clothes, in my daze like state, I didn’t think to grab my coat and walked out as though I was tempting the water to hurt me. My hair only leaked even more water to run down my back. As I was placed on the bed I had slept in the night I had stayed with Alban, I sunk back into that foggy state and watched with a blank expression as the world turned around me. It was as though my mind had witnessed such a graphic and frightening memory, it sent my body into a still and dark state in hopes of having the energy to absorb the information. I trusted Max, I thought he was the only person I could depend on when I was away from home to look after me. He was always there when I needed him and truly for me, stepped into the role as my brother as my own was b
After returning home, Alban showed me the pen the hounds had been made as a temporary shelter until the proper one can be created before he left for the meeting, he had explained he was required to attend. I was so beyond happy that he’d agreed to allow me to take the hounds back, I don’t know if I’d be able to walk out of that pack, or ride on his back home if they weren’t. Just from seeing the state they were in, all had deep cuts to their necks as though some chain was wrapped around it, Conrad had a deep cut to his leg which looked as though it was a sword mark which I had to assume was made when someone was trying to defend themselves and even though they managed to have a grand meal in the most horrible way, they were all malnourished, all in all it broke my heart and I was glad they were back with me so I could help them get stronger. Once I ensured they were all happy in their new home, I lock them in for the night to shelter from the growing storm taking a hold of the lan
The only sound around was the growling of the hounds with their eyes placed on one person, Max, who also didn’t look the happiest in this moment. These hounds didn’t like Max in the slightest, I didn’t know why, but even when he would come with me to feed them every now and then, they wouldn’t allow him in the pen and would go for him any chance they got. So now I had ordered them to stand in the position as though they were about to fight, it was an easy task for them to fulfil. “I’m not doing this to get one up on you Max, even though I don’t live here anymore doesn’t mean I suddenly hate you, you’re still as much of my best friend as you were when I left. But you know what keeping these here without me is going to do, I mean the countless dead bodies which are laying on the asphalt not meters away from us is evidence alone. Please Max, I want to make sure they’re kept safe but all the people I’ve come to love in your pack safe also. I’m not your enemy Max.” I say looking Max righ
Alban bounded through the pack with me still sitting on his back, the closer we got to the main section, the louder the screams became and the more my heart sunk. The guard hadn’t given me much information, but to hear the hounds only escaped because they were looking for me, I couldn’t help the guilt that I felt for leaving them. “Stop here, if you shift and hide within the tree-line behind me, I’ll call them over.” I instructed Alban as I recognised the thinning of the trees meant we were close to entering through the town, the screams and shouts but now, the unmissable sounds of biting and growling told me I was in the correct place. Alban does as I ask him and stops, allowing me to lift my leg over and slid down his wolf’s side until my feet landed on the floor. Standing alone for a moment, I couldn’t stop my entire body shaking from worry and anticipation, what if these hounds are angry that I’d left and won’t listen to me or worse, because I’ve been away and at a different p
“What kind of urgent plea?” I asked with a hint of worry in my voice, yes, I was concerned as to what my wolf may know that I may not, but I lived at The Full Moon Pack for five years and built such a strong connection with many people there, I didn’t want any of them getting hurt. “The Alpha Maxwell sent a distress call in; such a call is only utilised in dire situations. In most cases, they request immediate back up from an army, but he has only identified needing you.” The former Alpha informs me from the side, where my mind still littered with the unknowns, what’s happening that only I can help with? “Did he give you any other information?” I asked now turning back to look at Alban, who sat back in his chair watching my face intently, as though he was attempting to catch if my emotions changed as the conversation progressed. “He mentioned their group of hounds, we believe they may have escaped their pens and are now attacking pack members but that is simply speculation.” The
Lincoln managed to show me around most of the pack grounds before he was called away to the border, some kind of rouge had appeared and due to Alban getting held back in some other meeting, it was up to the Beta to handle it all. This left me to stroll into Lincoln’s house alone, the emptiness of his home mixed with the darkness, I couldn’t help but sigh. Back at The Full Moon Pack, I never felt lonely or bored because I’d always have something to do, there were many times I’d be on my feet getting work done late into the early hours and would be up two hours later to begin my work for the day. I didn’t have much time to allow my thoughts to wonder, which is why I believe after the first few weeks of being away I lost the feeling of home sickness, I didn’t have time to think or feel anything which weren’t the tasks I was given. But now I’ve returned home, it’s as though all I have is time for my mind to wonder, time to question everything that’s happened to me and what will happen