CHAPTER 1. JAKE'S POV

Dense cloud cover blocked the moon and yet my wolf felt stronger than ever. We were finally close to our destined territory. I leaned back onto a tree, trying to make the most of the last moments of peace I would have in a while. The hypnotic sounds of the waves crashing on the shore did nothing to distract me. Even though I knew we had the element of surprise, even though I was sure nobody in the Amethyst pack would have dreamt of what was about to happen, I couldn't let myself relax. Every drop of sweat and blood over the past years of my life led me to this moment. I had waited to enact my plan for more years than I'd be willing to admit. Therefore, I wouldn't... I couldn't let anything ruin it. I felt the wind change and I instantly knew a storm was coming. I made a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess thanking her for aiding me. The storm would make things so much easier for us. 

"Are you sure about this?" Kyle mindlinked me for the thousandth time in the past week, making me growl at him. "I just want to make sure that you remember that we don't need this. You don't need it." He shrugged, as if whatever decision I made would be all the same to him. We both know that was definitely not the case. 

This time, Marte, my wolf, pushed forward to the surface so he could answer Kyle himself. At that exact moment, my wolf didn't care that Kyle was my best friend. All that mattered was rank and Kyle was my Beta, so he should not question his Alpha's choice. "We are sure. This, right here..." His voice was much hoarser than mine as he spoke. He gestured to the werewolves around the camp. "...is our pack." He then moved my head to point to the territory we've been observing from afar. "But so is that one. It's my territory, my rightful place and I will take it." Kyle bent his head in submission and I heard some Omegas whimpering as Marte's aura expanded, so I knew it was time to take control. He was too strong now and I couldn't risk someone out of our pack feeling his aura. "I have said it again and again: No one here needs to risk their lives for this. I understand if you prefer to wait until I have assumed my position as the Amethyst's Alpha before you come." I made sure to say it loud enough for everyone to hear, emphasizing they all had that option on the table. As always, the reaction was the same. One by one, they looked up, shook their heads and mindlinked, letting me know they would not let me do this alone and then, everyone went back to erasing all signs of our presense there.

Loyalty.

That was of the utmost importance to every single one of us.

See...

Our pack started a few years ago, when I was only fifteen and a rogue. I was hunting when I heard a scream coming from a waterfall nearby. I still don't understand why, but Marte felt an obligation to help. We ran over and found human hunters surrounding two kids and a teenage wolf. This wolf was fierce in trying to protect the children, but there were too many humans for him to handle by himself. Marte and I didn't hesitate. We immediately jumped on one of the humans, catching the hunter by surprise. Instict took over and my wolf made his first kill, ripping the human's neck right off. Along with the other wolf, we were able to either kill or scare all hunters, making sure that the kids were not hurt in the process.

What surprised me, though, was that when it was all over, I turned to find the kids and the teenage wolf bowing to me. Just like that, they chose me as their Alpha without any introductions needed. Just like me, they were rogues and orphans. They felt the urge to follow a leader and I was it. 

I learned that the teenage wolf was Phoebus and his human was my now Beta, Kyle. The kids were his younger siblings, Jane and Ian, who hadn't turned yet because of their young age. From then on, our pack slowly grew. We were thirty now. Definitely still small, but we made sure to become well-trained in all forms of combat so we could protect ourselves.

Everyone had been a rogue orphan or somehow abandoned by their families when they'd pledged their loyalty to me. Maybe, because of that, we were so close. We were a family by choice, not by blood. They had always known that we were meant to become part of a bigger pack. That's why we only refered to ourselves as the New Order. That's what we are meant to represent: A new order in the Amethyst Pack. 

"They have left, Alpha." Ian's voice brought me back from memory lane. 

"It's time, everyone. You know what you have to do. Tonight, we take the Beta princess and..." I swallowed hard. "My baby brother." 

I had no intention of hurting either one of them, but I needed leverage. There was no way we would be able to enter the Amethyst territory without being killed. They were too many for us to take and had the advantage of being at home. The only way to have a chance at this was to force them out.

My father had died two years ago and the Amethyst pack was waiting for my younger brother's wolf to appear so he could become the new Alpha. He was thirteen, which meant it would happen at any time soon. It also meant that the Beta was acting Alpha. 

Therefore, I had to act now. If I waited, that would mean challenging my thirteen-year-old brother and I had no intention of doing so. I have no problems with killing hunters or enemies, but a child? Yeah... F*ck no. 

Thankfully, we had the perfect window. Every year, the students of Pack Schools around the country made a field trip for a National Wolf Youth Convention. As Ian announced, the bus heading towards the Convention had just left the pack's territory. Inside those buses were tens of teenage wolves, including my half-brother and the Beta's daughter. 

I didn't know much about either of them, I hadn't even seen them yet. What Henry and Ian, my best scouts, had told me was that the Beta's daughter was a "f*cking hot" blonde and a senior (which I didn't care and barely paid attention to any other intel they had on her)... I was more interested in the information they had collected on my half-brother, Thomas. Their description was long, but summing it up: He looked like a mini-me. It had made Marte proud to know that, but I wasn't so happy about it. After all, it meant that I looked a lot like the sh*tty ass of a father. 

The scouts told me everything about his routine, habits, preferences. Ian also mention several times that Thomas seemed to be a very introverted kid. Henry, blunt as ever, disagreed. According to him, my half-brother looked like he was "sick as hell". I had to force back the part of me that worried about Thomas. I couldn't let myself worry yet. 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. This is my first one, so please let me know if you have any tips, suggestions or any feedback at all. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much for reading Jake and Delilah's story <3