Chapter 1

This is my second book based on some of the characters that were introduced in Twin Moon Curse. It is a stand-alone book but if you enjoyed the first I hope you will enjoy this one just as much. If you haven't read the first I hope you will check it out. Happy Reading.

Quinn POV

Ten years old

“Meg, where are you? Come on we need to hurry up and get back.” I don’t know how I let her talk me into coming out here with her. Today is my first official training with Dad and Uncle Shane. It’s supposed to be the first time that they are going to let me start fighting against their wolves. Well not so much fighting as learning to defend myself. The fighting will come later. It's not going to look good if I'm late, but Meg just had to come out here now. The problem is that it’s been getting harder to say no to her. I mentioned it to Mom one day jokingly. I told her that Meg had been bugging me more about doing things with her and I didn’t know why. When I told Mom about not liking to say no to her though, she gave me a weird answer. “Aww, my little boy is starting to notice girls.” Like what does that even mean? Noticing girls? Yes, Meg is a girl. I noticed that a long time ago. How could I not? I was always told to be nice to the girls, to include the girls, so of course I know she is a girl. If Mom thinks that I’m going to start being like those warriors that I see going all gaga over the she-wolves, she better think again. There is no way that I’m going to go all possessive and stuff over a she-wolf. I don’t need that kind of trouble. The only thing that I am going to be concentrating on is training and being the best Beta I can be. I’m not saying I don’t want a mate but what is the sense of getting all possessive and starry-eyed over a girl that may not be yours to keep? What kind of fun is that? If and when my wolf and I find someone that we both agree is a good match to us then I will worry about if she wants me. So until then just training, school and friends are all I need, no romance, crushes or mushy stuff for me. I shiver at the thought.

It’s just that Meg is getting pushy but I don’t like saying no to her because I don’t like how it makes her look sad. She is just like a little sister that is all. I don’t like seeing April sad either. Argg, why am I even thinking about that right now? Mom is putting crazy ideas in my head. Maybe I should ask Dad to talk to Mom. Maybe he can get her to stop saying things that mess with my brain. I need to find Meg and get to the training grounds. “MEG?” I yelled getting frustrated that I was getting distracted by my thoughts. “Meg, we both need to get back for training, but I will leave you out here by yourself. I'm not going to risk being late just because you didn't want to walk in the woods by yourself.” Why am I even thinking about what Mom said? I need to just find Meg and go. There is a small breeze that blows towards me and the smell of coconuts is carried with it. Inhaling deeply, I reach up and move the branch that was blocking the path to find Meg kneeling on the ground. She is picking wild strawberries. The sun shining through the strands of her blond hair that have fallen over her face is creating a beautiful almost angelic glow around her. She looks up at me as she hears me move behind her and her beautiful ocean-blue eyes meet mine. Shit maybe Mom is right. I shake my head trying to wipe the ideas that Mom has been putting in there out. I don’t need this and besides, it’s Meg she’s just a friend, that’s all. That’s how that works right you say it enough times it becomes true. Girls can wait. I need to focus on starting my training. I want to be the best I can. I want to be worthy of running this pack alongside my cousins. “Meg we need to go,” I say as I reach my hand out to help her up. She takes my hand and smiles at me while raising a bottle of strawberries. “See what I picked for you.” She says her smile getting bigger. I try to keep a stern look on my face, but when she looks at me like that, I don’t even know what that look is. I just can’t stay looking mad. She is just a friend. With eyes, you can get lost in. Ohhh, Nooo. Mom, what did you do to my brain? “Thanks, Meg,” I say as I return her smile. “Now let’s go.” I kept a hold of her hand as we ran to the training grounds. I just want to make sure she doesn’t stop anywhere else. It's not because I like the feel of her hand in mine. That would just be weird. Meg is just a friend.

Meg POV

Nine years old

 I can hear Quinn calling me. I ducked under the branch that was hanging over the path. I can’t believe that I talked him into coming out here with me. I could have come alone. I know where I’m going but I wanted company, his company. The whole group of us used to run through the woods all the time. Climbing trees and spending the day out by the waterfall. Then a couple of years ago the boys decided that they didn’t want to hang around with April and me and do what they call girlie things. Then we all started focusing more on our training. The guys mostly, I understand, they are going to be the ones leading the pack and they need to know how to defend it, but I’ve missed doing stuff with them. Quinn more than I thought I was going to. I like having him chase me through the woods. Mom keeps telling me it’s because I have a crush on him. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about, he is just a friend. Like a big brother. A big brother that I have been missing. The fact that he is closer to my age is nice too. I like April and all, and she is only a year younger than I am, but there are times that I find the things she wants to do a little boring. I don’t want to tell her that though, I don’t want to hurt her feelings. That is why I thought I would ask Quinn to come with me today. The only time I could find that it would be just the two of us was just before his first official Beta Warrior training with his Dad. I was really surprised that I got him to come. I was so sure he was going to tell me to go by myself.

I kneel in front of a patch of wild strawberries. It is one of the biggest out here, it grows in this spot every year. It is hard to get any sometimes it is rare that you find this many all at once. The birds and other animals usually get them first. They are one of Quinn’s favourite treats. That’s the other reason I wanted him to come with me, so he could get some before the rest of the gang was around. Maybe that’s why he always smells like them. It’s a scent that I will never get tired of smelling. I start picking some and putting them in the empty water bottle that I have. I’m so focused on getting the best berries that I can I don’t hear Quinn walk up behind me at first. I turn to look up at him my ocean blue eyes meeting his dark green ones. They have always reminded me of the dark green moss that grows on the logs in the forest. Just staring into them can make everything feel right, it calms me. I notice a weird expression passes over his face before he shakes his head and glares at me. “Meg we need to go.” He says as he stretches his hand out to help me off the ground. Taking his hand I smile at him and raise the bottle of strawberries. “See what I picked for you.” His glare softens and he smiles back. “Thanks, Meg. Now let’s go.” He doesn’t let go of my hand as we run to the training grounds. I like it, in the way that I would like to hold the hand of a friend, whom I think of as a brother.