Chapter 3

"Hey, sis!" Sam calls, rushing past me with a peck on the cheek.

"Bye, sis!" Alec calls, repeating the process but slower and he's not even three steps down when Dad calls my name from his office. "You're in trouble." He sings, following his dim-wit brother down stairs. They have always been a handful ever since they were younger, especially after Mom was killed. I walk into Dad's office, expecting the worst.

The room's the darkest room despite having the biggest window with the desk near the far wall, leaving the floor with enough room to hold up to twenty people. There's a stair case winding up behind him with an overhanging balcony where the chest containing some of Mom and Dad's wedding things is standing.

Exactly the way it's always been.

As I look at Dad, he's on the phone with someone but he beckons me in with a finger and as I pass the photo of Mom, I press my fingers to my lips then to her face. You might think it's weird but it's the only thing I have left to show I love her.

"Of course. Double the guards on the East side then and on the South, just to be sure." I hear someone mumbling on the other side but Dad's holding the phone in such a way I can't hear what they're saying. "Excellent. Thanks, Lewis. Oh and make sure the pipes don't leak again. We don't have the funding from the restaurant yet." I let out a laugh, remembering the incident last time. He drops the phone back in the receiver as I drop onto the nearest chair.

"You know, what's the point in having a mind-link if you don't use it? It kind of defeats the purpose of having the ability to talk to each other telepathically," I comment and he just shrugs. "What was he saying?"

"Some wolves have been spotted on the Eastern side of the territory. The guards chased them as far as the creek but then lost them," Dad explains, looking directly at me. Why is he telling me this? "They were Red Blood."

"I told you." I shrug, feeling rather smug at being proved right. "I smelt them, Dad. I've been training to smell imposters," I say and he nods.

"And one day you will be a great Luna, Cecily." He says, stacking folders on his desk and I watch him, confused. Why does he insist I'm going to be a Luna? Sure, Alpha's daughters do tend to either be the mate of Deltas, Betas and Alphas but that didn't mean I was going to be one of those.

"Dad, I might not be mated to an Alpha. Besides, I don't even want to be a Luna. I'm not made to be one; I'm not like Mom," I argue and see him flinch slightly.

"No one's quite like her but, Cecily, you are amazing at what you do. The only reason anyone in this pack is still here, still has hope and still laughs is because of you. You protect them and they want you to be happy." He's going down a path I don't want him to go down. "You need to start looking for this mate of yours. He's going to be one very lucky guy."

"Dad, I can't. Red Blood are coming and I don't want to leave the only home I've got. If he wants me, he's going to have to come and get me. I'm not leaving my pack." I cross my arms defiantly, sinking in my chair, not planning on moving. Dad sighs, rubbing his eyes.

"Sweetheart, I've spoken to Beta Stewart and Delta Richards. They have agreed to hold a meeting tonight in the pack house; in fact they are doing it now. Everyone is present, except us." He says, looking right at me. "They are voting on whether they wish you to go searching for your soul mate or stay here."

"What?! Dad, that's not fair!" I shoot up quickly and he looks almost pained at my outburst. "I don't want to go anywhere! You can't make me leave and I'm never going to!" I stand to my feet and storm to the door.

"Cecily. Cecily, stop!" He uses the Alpha tone on me, forcing me to stop. No matter how much I try, I can't defy him. "Turn around." I do and Dad stands and comes up to me. He pulls me forward into his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me. "I'm sorry. I just want what's best for you. You've been pushing yourself so hard lately; I don't want to see you break."

"I know, Dad. I just don't like the idea of having a mate; I mean, he might not even like me. I only know how to fight," I say, fisting my hands in his jumper. It's true; the only thing I know how to do is fight. I can cook but I only do that when Luke is helping Dad with Alpha stuff because he's soon going to be taking his place. It's a good thing and a bad thing.

Good because Dad needs the break and Luke deserves to be the Alpha.

Bad because then he'll be even more protective. He hates my exercising clothes as much as Dad does and seems to hate the attention I get more than Dad. He's been that way ever since I could walk. Yup, that long.

"He'll love you and if he doesn't, I'll have to teach him a thing or two or he's blind and thick. No one could resist you, as much as I hate that thought." I laugh, feeling the first tenses of anger in his chest. "Then Luke can have a go at him, which I'm sure he'll love doing. Cecily, mates need each other. You're soul mates paired by the Moon Goddess, one day it will inevitably happen that you meet and you will have to go with him."

I nod silently, knowing he was right. After that, we go downstairs and have dinner. It's surprisingly good; Luke looks smitten with himself when I pass that comment.

That's when everything goes to Hell.