The next dayChilli POVI was never really a morning person but that's all changed now. My beta in waiting training was hard enough without having to be up, dress and downstairs ready to start for half seven, eight o'clock, surprisingly father didn't mind the vague starting time, he was always finishing up some business on the phone anyway so I think secretly he was glad for a slight delay. But Pauline on the other hand did. If I was a minute late I would have more chores to do in the evening before bed, she'd say"You slept in so going to bed later shouldn't be a problem with all that extra sleep you've had this morning".What this meant was whilst I was training and following my father around all day, she would be finding me the most pathetic, silly, little chores to do to keep me from my bed. So when I would really over sleep the next day, making my father wait, I would be in proper trouble, not that I could say why. That would be making excuses and a beta does not make excuses, i
Weeks pass and my training has intensified, father is including me more in his decision making, even explaining the reasons behind it. Combat training now includes shifting, running on all fours and fighting in my wolf form. Some times, when father is too busy, I spar with the other young wolves.Tomorrow night is the annual alphas ball at the packhouse and every alpha within a thousand miles radius attends each year. We walk into the packhouse, everyone is busy getting everything ready for tomorrow. The main entrance is glistening and sparkling with the added twinkle lights, going all the way up the winding staircase, it feels like a fairy tale. I can hear our packs Luna in the next room preparing the main hall with other pack members who are here to help. Thankfully Pauline is never asked to help anymore, she can be a control freak and tries to take over, forgetting her place next to our Luna. Although if you ask Pauline, she says she wouldn't want to help, anyway she hates being i
Once back home, I collapse on my bed, completely exhausted. I lie here for a few moments until turning my head in the direction of my wardrobe, thinking. Then look towards my bedroom door which I left slightly ajar. I listen for a second. Sounds like Pauline's in the kitchen preparing dinner. I pull myself up, everything hurts, a shower will help sort that in a minute. I hobble over to the wardrobe my limbs and muscles are stiff from a days hard work. I gently pull open the door and sigh, looking at what my options are for tomorrow. I know what ever I wear she will make me feel stupid in or fat or ugly, the list goes on. Even the ones she picked out for me. I don't even want to touch them as I slide them out of the way. I look at the dress I mind-link to Erin about. Could I? Should I? Shit, I don't know. I pull it and hold it up to myself in the mirror. It's a figure-hugging, knee length, black lace dress with a v neckline. It was a classic style, one that never really goes out of fas
Well it's been another long day as I get back to my room to very quickly shower and get ready for the ball. We started our day before the sun had even risen, once we got to the packhouse we didn't really stop, only for a quick bite to eat from the packhouse lunchroom again, but there was still so much to check was perfect. Must have checked the seating plan and name cards at least 4 times. Setting the tables and spot checking the gold cutlery and glassware, no detail was too small when so many alphas, lunas, betas, heads of security plus spouses and of age offspring would be in attendance tonight looking and judging us. Everyone seemed happy with their work and the end result."Nothing more we can do, that's it. Go home you two. See you back here in an hour looking your best" Alpha winked at us as we waved bye for now.Now standing in my bedroom, my hand on the door handle, I can hear father and Pauline's muffled voices downstairs. I take a deep breath and turn the handle, as I step
When we get there, the hall is already starting to fill with guests, Erin is on the door checking names and invites against her list. Uncle Alpha, aunt Kay and Elias are of course the welcoming committee. They all smile at me as we walk up the steps to them, as we stop for the parents to talk, I go stand by Elias, who nearly drops his jaw at the site of me."Yeah right" I glare at him "come on, don't be an ass" nudging his shoulder." No really, no joking you look .." he paused as if searching for the right adjective ".. beautiful" Tucking my hair behind my ear and trying not to blush, we both suddenly notice we are being observed. " Why are they looking at us like that?" Elias links to me. " It's ... Weird" I couldn't agree more."Yeah, I don't like it" Pauline, obviously not happy about the attention being on anyone else, especially me, coughs, pulling their eyes away from us. First time I've ever been grateful for her self-centeredness. Few hours later after we found our seats,
Chilli POVAs we get back to our table, Erin claps and we wave her off. I sit back down and reach for my drink " That's mine" Pauline suddenly behind me, taking it from my hand inches away from my lips. Ok I think to myself . "That's yours" she points and disappears into the crowd." That was strange even for her" Erin says, as I pick up the glass and take a gulp of it and finish it in two. "Wow, Chills" Erin stares at me."She does that to me" we laugh. Erin and Elias are dancing and mingling with our guests, while I nurse a glass of water, that last drink isn't sitting well. It's not like I have had a lot, only two or three. Pauline starts calling my name, then she mind-links to me ' sit up child, stop slouching' with a grown, I do as I'm told, only to see her escorting someone this way. Not another one, she's had me dancing with so many men tonight, there been Lucas, Mika, David, Simeon to name just a few. Now who? "This is Charlotte" she tells the older gentleman. "Chilli plea
Chilli POVWish he'd just let go of me, although I think I might fall to the ground if he does. What is wrong with me, my mind and inner wolf are racing to get away but my traitorous skin is tingling at his touch, it feels like pins and needles. My surroundings are fading away, everything is blurry except him. This can't be what its like, what it feels like when you've found your mate? Please goddess no!Help!I was fighting to keep my head up, desperately not wanting any more of me to be touching him. Over Thoran's shoulder I can sense him coming my way before anything else, his silhouette breaking through the misty fog. Just seeing him makes me feel the tiniest bit better.Elias taps Thoran on the shoulder to attain the man's attention."May I cut in?" Standing strong with his head held high, not really asking. My body screaming for Elias."No" Thoran's snarls, tightening his grip on me, tears begin welling in my eyes."I insist.. " Elias says through gritted teeth but still smilin
2 months laterChilli POVPauline has been more of a bitch than normal. She's been on me constantly, since the ball and with father being away with the alphas on their tour of other packs, she seems annoyed with me because I've ruined her plans of having the house to herself for twelve weeks. They left the day after the ball, Normally I would have gone with, to assist father plus It's a great way for young wolves of the beta, alpha etc to find their mates if they are from other packs but I wasn't feeling well enough and would have slowed them down. So I've had to stay with Pauline which means chores all day everyday. Each day they are gone, I feel more lonely and isolated. Even Erin has gone too but I miss Elias the most. We barely had a chance to talk before he was gone. Waking up the morning after the ball, in his bed with him sitting across the room. He looked pissed off and angry at something. Wouldn't really say much, just made sure I was ok and left. Weird and hurtful. It felt
Elias POV I look up and watch as Chilli steps out from the en suite, wraped in just a towel, making her way towards her dressing table as I lay on our bed where I was just aimlessly flicking through my phone. Taking a seat and opening its draw, she removes a single, plastic pot housing her facial cream and unscrews its lid. It's nothing fancy, not expensive, its just a simple, none branded, vitamin E night cream.I continue to ovserve as she dips two fingers into the pale lotion and looks into the mirror, to then slowly drag said fingers down her face, starting at her forhead, gliding smoothly along her nose and then finishing with a dab on her chin. She then wipes a bit of the remainder on each cheek before replacing the lid and putting it back in its draw. My eyes are fixed to her as she slowly but firmly works the cream into her skin, taking extra care near and around her eyes. Her finger tips caress over her own face and down her neck, over my mark on her neck
Chilli POV Perching under a tree with Chant as we take a break from sparring whislts our mates for some reason decide to chop some fire wood. I find it amusing and humble how as the alpha he likes and enjoys chopping fire wood for the pack house, no job is to small for our mighty leader.Chant's seductive eyes never leave her mate as he swings the axe up into the air, where it seems to pause for the briefest of seconds before falling down onto a chunk of wood, spilting it into two. The whole movement and process is magical, so smooth and artistic like poetry. I had watched my own mate for a time, admiring his tensing biceps with every swing, the beauty of his movements and strength of the action, but now I'm just leaning back against the tree's trunk with my eyes shut, listening to the beautiful rhythmic sound of the wood splitting, of metal against nature, somehow for some reason I find it peaceful as I smirk at the thought of Chant lustfully gazing at Jay, it al
Elias POV That was brutal, oh my goddess do I hurt, I haven't hurt this much from training since, shit, I don't know when. Sure, I was mad and needed to work it off, but fuck me, Chilli was livid, she was masking it well, I mean, wow. My ass hurts. I had to use all my strength to stay on my feet, especially after I hit the ground hard the first few times of her kicking and taking me down. Once she swept my legs out from underneath me, my wolf instincts took over just so I could stay on my feet. I think I pulled something that time, thank the goddess for wolf healing, cos my left ass cheek and leg are killing me. With Chant now paired with Chilli and Erin and Leroy working together, that leaves me with Jay, who is as good as his mate, oh dear. I sigh inwardly as we step away from the others to train, I can spar and keep up with anyone, I'm alpha afterall, but after the beating I've just endured, I'd prefer a nice easy spar, but hay ho, lets do this. Thankfully, Jay see
Chilli POV Finally everyone is out on the field, we can get started. I am needing to hit something. Elias insist on sparring with me first and to Erin's relief but Chant's dismay, I agree. Which just leaves the others to pair up, one of them did suggest mate paring but the guys seems a little bit wary so it's girls vs girls and guys vs guys. For now anyway. After a fairly rough spar with Elias, I finally start to calm down and release my rage, which I guess was his plan, so I don't feel gilty later now if I cause anyone else major harm. Clearly sensing this, Elias allows us to switch partners and Chant and I go straight to each other, to which the rest of the group chuckle at our predictableness. Chant and I exchange a sinister grin as the others repair up, Elais with Jay and Erin with Leroy. I mirror Chant as she raises her arms up into a defensive stance, declaring she is ready, a smile growing on her face. As we stare down on each other I am reminded of our rematch
"You know there was no way he would accept and train with us," Leroy says once we are alone and with just our own pack members, "I know, but it was fun and satisfying to embarrass him like that, the look on his face at the mere thought of it was golden. To watch him squirm." I can't help but let out an enormous laugh, to which Chilli shoots me evil eyes for finding any of this so amusing. "What?" I chuckle at her before pulling myself together because if looks could kill. I had to laugh, if I didn't I think I would have lost it, plus it felt so good, too good to put Jordan down a bit like that in such a slight way in front of the others. However, by Chilli's facial expression, she does not agree, goddess, did I want to kill him, thankfully in a way he did say no, or we would have had a dead alpha on our hands and territory. "Come on, your telling me you didn't want a chance at hitting him?" I ask her in a teasing way, she looks at me whislt crossing her arms across he
"I hear some incorrect information has reached the ears of my children," "Oh, and what's that got to do with us? Idle gossip is not what these meetings are for." "No, not normally, but," she pauses for the briefest of moments to adjust her tone and the ferocity of her words, "but when it comes to petty, stupid, horrible lies about my family, my children, then you and I have a problem! A big problem!" He nearly chuckles in her face as he asks half heartedly,"Pray tell what are these so called insults?""A spare heir, a baby," she lists off the tamer ones first, working up to the biggest and worst one, before she stops again as I feel a heat burning off of her directed straight at Jorden, "and an inbreed!" The room falls silent after everyone gasps and shoot death stares at the alpha. A low growl escapes from mine, Erin and Leroy throats, our protectiveness taking over. Jordan looks like he doesn't know weather to laugh or bite back."Jordan!" One of the ot
Jordan holds his hands up in defence as I take a few deep breaths to calm myself before turning to the rest of the room to acknowledge our other guests. "Alpha Jonathan, Luna Suzie, beta Willow, sorry for my tardiness, how is Maxwell?" I ask taking my seat next to Elias, pushing my anger down for now, eyeing up Jordan in the cornor of my eye, I'm not done with you yet, I think to myself."No problem Luna Winters, father is doing well and thoroughly enjoying his retirement," he smiles with a nod of his head, which we return, "thank you for asking." Jonathan took over as alpha of the west pack two years ago with his mate Suzie and appointed Willow Steal as the first female beta of the west pack. She is a strong minded woman with a powerful right hook."Alpha Alex, Luna Ela and beta Karl, welcome and thank you for coming today," Elias smiles to the leaders of the Spring rise pack from the south, who joined our alliance about four years ago.With the greetings done and out of the way, we
The drive to school is a pretty normal one, we talk, sing and laugh all the way there, forgetting about any and all problems the day may have already brought. Once there and out of the car, we all walk hand in hand with Marcus in the middle, through the blue painted gates."Luna," the teacher on the gate addresses me with a nod of the head, as does any other adult that comes into eye contact with me. I smile back and return their nods.Like always, even though we come to Lily's class room first, we walk Marcus around to his first at her insistence, she says its part of her job to look out for him to make sure herself she sees him to his door. It warms my heart the care and love they have for each other. As I kiss my son goodbye and he hugs his sister, I take note of the other high ranking children from other packs, sitting at their tables ready for the lessons to begin. Future alpha's, beta's and Luna's all learning together including Tammy and Willow, Erin and Leroy's twins who are a
Chilli POVEleven years later"Lilith Kay Rosalee Winters! Get your furry tail out here now! Don't make me call you again!" I call out by the front door as I wait for my ten year old to take her to school. "Mummy, is Li-li in tuble?""She will be if she doesn't hurry up sweetpea,""Oh,""Lily!" I shout again,"I'm coming, I'm coming," my oldest calls back at me, jeez, ten going on fifteen, she's acting like a teenager, where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday that she fitted in my arms as I rocked her, singing her back to sleep.Take me home tonight, I'd do anything with you, buy a bottle of whiskey, we'll get matching tattoos, tell me that you love me, let me drive your car, we can sit 'til morning light, just countin' every star, 'cause if there's a hell, I'll meet you there, and if there's a heaven, they're serving beer, and if you're an angel, then I must be high, if there's a church, It's rock 'n roll, if there's