Chapter 1

Aryan-

“Aryan, get up or you are going to be late!” My Godmother yelled from the other side of my bedroom door.

“I am almost done!” I rolled my eyes in amusement.

I loved my Godparents, but they were the most disorganized people I knew. When I started living with them after my family died, I had been the one to get them up every morning. Transferring to Grandview Academy wasn’t bad, but as long as I stayed in the background, I could get through my senior year with ease.

The only reason I attended such a prestigious school was because my Godparents were on the faculty. I was on a scholarship, which was bad enough, not to add the fact that I was the daughter of one of the most feared Alphas in history, who couldn’t shift. Being around kids that came from large packs and their parents were amongst the top ranks, would make me a target of their bullying.

Last year, shortly after I transferred during my junior year, I witnessed a kid being made fun of. That kid had run out of school crying, and I heard he transferred. If it weren’t for that kid also being a scholarship kid and unable to shift, I would have revealed that I was the same.

Since I had just transferred there after my parents and younger brother died, I decided that I didn’t need the hassle. Granted it wasn’t like the entire school didn’t already know, but if I kept my head down, I could blend in without standing out. Today was the first day of my senior year, so I was almost done.

As soon as I got enough credits and could leave, I planned to try to rebuild my pack. That is if I managed to shift before then. One thing no one knew, except a select few, was that I was the future Alpha of the Blackwood pack.

After my pack had been slaughtered, I had been the only one to survive, but not without witnessing the carnage. Since it also happened on my seventeenth birthday, the day I was supposed to have my first shift, my wolf became suppressed. I kept thinking that I would shift on the following full moon, but nothing happened.

Now seven months later, I gave up the hope of shifting. If everyone knew I was a wolfless she-wolf and future Alpha, I would bring shame to the Blackwood Pack. My only hope is that by some miracle I will be able to shift by the time I graduate.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, I stared at my reflection. Wearing a pleated black and red skirt, which was shorter than I would like, I pulled up my black stockings to cover as much of my thigh as I could. I also wore a white dress shirt, which was tucked into my skirt, with a formal jacket that matched my skirt.

The uniform wasn’t bad, but I missed being able to wear whatever I wanted. My parents had let me attend a public human school, so for the first two and a half years of high school, I was able to express myself. Now I guess it helped me to blend into the crowd since we all wore the same uniform.

I wasn’t the most beautiful girl at school, but I was in the top five. Well, when I wore makeup, I was. Since I needed to keep my head down, I didn’t bother putting make-up on anymore. It was weird going from a popular girl to a nobody by transferring schools.

I used to take pride in my appearance, but now I just wanted to get through the day so I could hurry home. After throwing my hair into a loose bun, I grabbed my Chapstick off my dresser. The worst thing about living in Florida was that the heat made my lips feel dry all the time.

Grabbing my bag, I left the room to hurry downstairs. My Godparents were sitting around the table eating breakfast, with a plate for me already filled. Anymore, I hated breakfast the most because it had been my favorite memory of my family.

No matter how busy my mom and dad were, they always made it a priority to eat breakfast with us kids, every morning. Now that they weren’t here, I only had a pain in my heart when I saw a breakfast table. I thought about trying to sit down with my Godparents for a change, but as I stepped closer, an image of the last breakfast I shared with my family filled my head.

“I, uh, maybe next time.” I repeated the same thing that I have every morning since I moved in with them.

They understood that I was still struggling with losing my parents and younger brother, but every morning they prepared breakfast anyway. This was the only part of the day that was difficult for me. For the most part, I have come to terms with their deaths.

“Okay, Sweetie. At least grab an apple before you leave.” My Godmother, Maize, said as I turned to leave.

Doing as she suggested, I went to the counter and grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl. Making my way to the front door, I paused long enough to put my black dress shoes on, which was required of all students. Making my way out the door, I waved behind me as they yelled out for me to be careful on the road.

As far as parents go, they were doing a wonderful job, but I couldn’t bring myself to call them mom or dad. Heading off the porch, I looked back at the two-story family home that I have called home for six months. It wasn’t as large or as grand as the home I grew up in, but at least it had the warmth of family.

I tried to live where I grew up for the first month after everyone died, but when Maize and Dexter arrived, they told me that I needed to come with them. If it hadn’t been for the nightmares, I would have stayed. At sixteen, I could have legally lived on my own, but mentally I wasn’t prepared.

Turning from the grey house, with blue shutters, I walked down the long sidewalk to where my car was parked on the side of the street. This was the last thing my parents had bought me after I got my driver's license. It was a cherry red Dodge Challenger convertible.

I grew up with money, so at least I had something I could use to blend in with, especially in the parking lot at school. Unlike the other kids at school, I hadn’t been spoiled. Once I graduate, I will get a large inheritance, but I will need to use it to rebuild my pack.

My only goal currently was to rebuild the pack that my family has had for generations. This is part of the reason I had agreed to attend Grandview Academy rather than stay at Milborne High. At least at Grandview, I will be able to learn what I need to in order to rebuild.

Tossing my bag into the passenger seat, I walked around the car to get in on the driver’s side. We lived in a relatively safe neighborhood, so I generally kept the hood down. It was kept in the garage, but every morning, Dexter, my Godfather, would park it on the street so it would already be warmed up for me to leave.

Dexter was one of the best Doctors in the werewolf community, but after years of service, he decided to teach instead of practice. He and Maize had been best friends with my parents, which was why I was their Goddaughter. They have gone above and beyond for me for as long as I can remember.

Every morning Dexter would get my car out of the garage and check it over to make sure it was in the best condition. They weren’t exactly rich, but they were well off because they had saved for years and didn’t spend frivolously. They couldn’t buy a mansion or a hundred luxurious cars like most kids at my school could, but they lived well within their means and enjoyed life.

I just wished I could give them more. Even though I loved them dearly, they would never be able to replace my parents. I knew that they were sad about it because they occasionally tried to get me to call them Mom and Dad.

Glancing at the clock on my dash, I put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. The cool morning air felt great as it caressed my face and ruffled my hair. Making the twenty-minute drive to school, I wondered how I could get into the school without being noticed.

There were already kids running around the parking lot, greeting old friends and new friends. Slowing down to five miles an hour through the parking lot, I put the hood of my car up. At least it would grant me a little privacy, so no one noticed me.

I was about to pull into the parking spot I used last year, but before I could, another cut me off to take it. I would have let it go, but the sound of metal grinding had me slam on my brakes. Not thinking about anything except my car, I threw open the door and ran to the front.

The driver’s side corner was bent in, right by the headlight and the car that had cut me off had a large scratch running along the side. So much for me keeping under the radar because I quickly moved to the driver’s side door of who cut me off. As soon as the door opened, I started yelling.

“Are you insane? You could have hit someone! Oh wait, you did hit someone!”

My mouth snapped closed when the owner of the car exited the vehicle. Brianna Holloway, queen B of the school, student class president, head cheerleader, and all-around mean girl, stood in front of me with a sneer on her face. Of course, I had to make enemies with her on my first day of senior year.

“It looks like you hit me. I was here first.” She said in a mocking tone as she folded her arms over her ample-sized breast.

Pulling my gaze away from her, I looked back at my car. It wasn’t that bad. It wouldn’t take much to fix it. Stepping back, I tried to avoid further conflict with Brianna. I didn’t get far before she grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop.

“You need to pay for the damages you caused.” She let out a huff as she moved around to the other side of the car, pulling me with her.

Although I wanted to keep out of the limelight, I wasn’t about to let her walk all over me. My dad would roll in his grave if I didn’t stand up to a bully. Pulling my arm from her grasp, I pointed to my car, at the driver’s camera I had on my windshield.

“Why don’t we take this to Headmaster Belmont, and let him sort it out?” My eyes returned to her, narrowing into slits.

“Whatever.” She dug into her purse and threw a wad of cash at me before storming back to her car. “Don’t think this is the end.”

She got into her car and backed away, to park in a different spot, at the end of the parking lot. The way she parked, I knew she was attempting to conceal the damage to her car. Brianna was the most superficial person I have ever met.

I thought about ignoring the cash, but until I got my inheritance, I was relying on my Godparents to take care of me. Bending over, I grabbed the wad of cash and then got back in my car to park. Before exiting the car again, I called my best friend from my old school to see if he could help me.

“What’s up, Aryan?” Dirk Sikes answered on the second ring.

Their school wasn’t in session for another week, and I didn’t want Dexter or Maize to find out about the fender bender. They wouldn’t be mad at me, but they would worry. The last thing I wanted was for them to worry about me.

“Is there any way you can come get my car and get it repaired? I had a little accident. I will leave the money in the glovebox, along with the spare key.”

“Consider it done. Give me about ten minutes, I am out with some friends for breakfast, but I can take it to my dad to have him fix it.”

After telling him he was a lifesaver, I hung up the phone and waited until he arrived. I didn’t have a lot of time to waste, but I wanted to make sure he found my car. Once he left with the car, I hurried inside the school to get to my locker.

In my rush, I bumped into someone and fell to the ground. Could this day get any worse? Hoping that it wasn’t Brianna again, I looked up to find Kierian Laken standing over me with his hand held out.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” His tone was silvery as he helped me to my feet.

He was the only guy I have met who held as much power as he did but could speak in a clear, light, and pleasant voice. Of all the guys I could have bumped into, why did it have to be him? He was not only the star athlete and most popular guy in school, but he was also one out of three Lycans who attended this school.

Kierian was none other than the Lycan Prince and someone I had harbored a crush on since we were kids, except he didn’t remember me. Right now, it was a good thing, because I didn’t want him to look at me with pity. When he learned about what happened to my family. Those intense ice-blue eyes were the last ones that I wanted to look at me with pity in them.