~Portia~
I’ve been dreading today for weeks now. I hate that I have to go back home, but I have no choice. My name is Portia Colby, but I go by Tia. I’m a part of the Emerald Lake pack, where my father is the head warrior, and my mother is a pack doctor. I have older twin sisters that are the apple of everyone’s eye. They are four years older than me and my father’s favorite. He dotes on them and spoils them. To him, they are his everything, and I’m just a mistake.
No, he literally told me that I was a mistake. He said he didn't want any more pups after my sisters because they were already perfect. He and mom have gotten into many arguments over this. She says that is an ugly attitude to have. She loves all of her kids, though I think she likes me better. I've never asked because I don't want to put my mom on the spot like that.
My sisters have always been indifferent to me. They only acknowledge me when they have to, never going out of their way for me for any reason. I honestly think if I were to die right in front of them, they wouldn't bat an eye.
That describes the rest of the pack as well. It seems as if I'm invisible to most. My Alpha, Alpha Paul Attwater, is usually kind to me, though I bet that is just because he's the Alpha. Then there is the Beta family. I have spent so much time with Beta John and his mate Celina. Their kids, Lynn and Mark, are my only friends. Lynn is my age, 21, and Mark is 22. He treats me as if I were his other sister. I'm grateful for them because, without them, I would have been lost long ago.
As soon as I graduated high school, I went straight to college. There was no point in staying around. I knew I would miss my besties, but they understood my need to go away. I started college at 18 and have been gone since. I would meet up with Lynn and Mark over the years. We would meet halfway between the school and the pack. Now I'm being called home and what's worse is that I can't say no. It is an Alpha command, and if I ignore it, there will be serious consequences.
My phone rings, and I know it's my mom before I answer. I was supposed to leave the night before, but I didn't, so now I'm a bit late. "I’m making my way to the car now, mom."
"You were supposed to be home last night. You know that all pack members have to be at this ceremony. We are welcoming the new Alphas." Ah, yes, the new Alphas. While Alpha Paul was always nice to me, Luna Kimberly didn’t spare me a second glance, nor did their sons. They are identical twins and the next in line for the pack. They are my sisters’ age, 25, and they never really paid any attention to me. There was no reason for them to anyway. We were never in the same grade and didn’t have the same circle of friends. Being a pack member, it is vital for me to be in attendance for all major events, and this classifies as a major event.
“Mom, I will be there, I swear. There was really no need for me to make it home last night. The less time I’m around dad and my sisters, the better.”
“Speaking of your sisters…….” My line beeps, and I notice it’s Lynn. Since I’d much rather talk to her, I quickly tell my mom I will see her when I get there.
“Hey girl!”
“How far away are you, Tia?” I chuckle.
“I’m just now getting on the road.” Lynn whistles at that.
“You are cutting it very close.”
“You know that if I didn’t have to come, I wouldn’t even bother.”
“So did your mom tell you?” Since I cut my mom off, she probably wasn’t able to tell me whatever it is that Lynn is talking about.
“I barely spoke to her. What’s up?”
“Well, the word is that your sisters will be named Lunas at the ceremony today.” That’s interesting. My sisters and the Alpha twins started to see each other in high school. It was the talk of the pack; two sets of twins together. The Alpha twins are identical, whereas my sisters are not. One has a birthmark under her right eye, while the other does not. It’s pretty easy to tell them apart in other ways.
Everyone thought they might be mates, which would have been kind of weird. It has always been that identical twins share a mate. My sisters will be blessed with their own mates, but not the Alpha twins. When they turned 18, the age we can find our mates, they realized they were not fated mates but stayed together. I always thought that was weird. Why put yourself in so much potential heartache? If they find their mates, the relationship will be like it never existed. “So, did they even try to find their mates?” Lynn laughs.
“Much to your sisters’ dismay, yeah, the Alphas did try. They traveled all over training and trying to find their mates, but nothing came of it. I guess since they want to take over so badly, they have quit looking.”
“I’m not sure if I could do that to my fated mate. What if I were to meet him down the road? Do I give up my chosen or my fated?” Had my sisters and I been close, I would have told them my opinion on the matter. As it is, I didn’t even know they were still dating, so I guess it doesn’t matter what I think. Lynn and I stayed on the phone most of my drive back to the pack. It is a 4-hour drive from school. I really should have left last night or at least super early this morning, but I really, truly didn’t want to have to come back.
~Landon~
My brother and I have waited for this day since we got our wolves at 14. We have always wanted to take over the pack ever since we understood what this was all about. We decided to run the pack together.
Our dad sent us to get trained in different packs, allowing us to learn various skills. While we trained all over, we took online courses and searched for our mate. It was hard for us, in the beginning, to wrap our heads around having to share a mate. I mean, who honestly thinks that they will have to share their love with someone else? After we discussed it for a while, we realized that it wouldn’t be too bad since we shared mostly everything else anyway.
When we didn’t find her, we decided to take the Colby twins as our mates. We had already dated them in high school, and they were strong. They would make okay Lunas, but I have to admit that my wolf, Goliath and I would much rather tie ourselves to our fated mate as opposed to a chosen mate. Lincoln convinced me to give the chosen mate thing a chance, and I couldn’t really say no. What if I come across my fated mate or Adela comes across hers? Would our union be thrown away? “Are you ready for this?” I turn and look at my brother and shake my head.
“No, not at all. I just……..”
“We have talked about this. I don’t want to keep waiting for some fated mate. Adela and Aida are good she-wolves. They are strong and smart. They will be good Lunas for this pack. We need to take over and if we wait for our fated, we won’t be able to do it anytime soon.” My brother is right, of course. I guess I have to let the fairytale go and do what’s best for the pack.
My brother leaves my room, and I get back to getting ready. Our pack colors are black and gold. My brother and I are wearing a black, three-piece suit with a gold tie. Both my brother and I cut our hair short, letting the natural waves shine through. We are clean-shaven with the same light brown eyes. The only real way most can tell us apart is when they see us casually dressed. Our tattoos give us away. I have a sleeve on my left arm, while my brother only has a tattoo on his back. It was always fun to confuse people when we were younger. I must admit that we have done it a time or two as adults, but not too much.
The Colby twins are not identical. I’m with Adela, who is the older of the two by 5 minutes. She has a stronger will and a tougher attitude. Aida is with my brother. She has a birthmark under her right eye, and she is the more sensitive one. They are both amazing warriors, thanks to their dad. He has trained them all of their lives. I guess when it comes to picking a worthy Luna, they aren’t a bad choice.
I take one last look in the mirror and head downstairs to meet with the family. My dad is sitting with my mom while talking to my brother. He considered wearing a gold suit to offset my black, but the girls decided they would wear gold dresses. My mom looks at me and smiles wide. “Look at my handsome boys! I can’t believe how fast you two have grown.” Mom gets up and pulls me into a big hug. “I am so proud of you both.” My dad gets up and claps me on the back.
“We are both proud of you.” A throat clears from behind us. Stuart Colby is standing in the entryway with his mate, Nikki, and his twins. They look flawless with their gold, A-line, off-one-shoulder dresses. They are floor-length and soft gold. I have to say that they look gorgeous, and I do feel a bit lucky.
“Gentlemen. Alpha….Luna…….it’s nice to see everyone.” Stuart has always been a smooth talker, and he is a great warrior. I never really liked him, though not really knowing what it is about him that rubs me the wrong way. He dotes on the twins, but I have seen how he treats his youngest daughter. The twins have a younger sister that they don’t really deal with. As a matter of fact, not too many people deal with her. I never understood why that was. I’ve asked around, but no one can really answer the question. Stuart will go to the wall for his twins but rarely entertains his other child, Portia.
I have seen her mother, Nikki, with her a lot, though. Nikki is one of our pack doctors, and I always liked going to her when I was growing up. There were many times that I saw Portia in the office with Nikki. She would help her with the little things around the office and hospital. I was always a bit jealous because I wished that I could have moments like that with my parents and not have everything be about training.
My parents give the twins a hug and shake hands with their parents. I have always noticed how my mom seemed to love the twins, yet my dad......not so much. He is always polite, but he never really interacts with them as mom does. I have seen him with their sister, Portia, on many occasions. I had always planned to ask him about that but never got around to it.
“You look amazing, baby,” Adela says while straightening my tie. I give her a small smile and kiss her cheek.
“Beautiful as always.” Adela puts her hand in mine and faces everyone else. I have to admit that I haven’t been feeling the same about her lately, especially today. I like her and everything, but my feelings have been weaker than before. I spoke to Lincoln about this, but he said it’s probably because we haven’t slept with them. He and I decided not to rush that because we wanted to find our fated mate. If we had found our mate, if we had made this physical with the twins, it would be harder for them to let us go.
“Let’s go everyone. The pack has gathered.” My dad leads us out, through the dining room to the back. We have a stage set up off to the side, and the pack members are gathered in front. We usually have our ceremonies outside to accommodate the size of our pack. I take a peek around the corner and see the seats filled with our pack members. I can’t wait to be made the official Alpha of this pack. It will be my greatest honor to take care of this pack and protect the members with my life.
Stuart and Nikki head to the area where the other pack members are to take their seats. My parents hold hands and head to the stage. The plan is to have us introduced first and then the girls. We will then take our oaths together.
My brother and I listen to our father’s speech, which is a bit long. That’s our dad, though, he is usually wordy. Goliath starts to stir in my head. He is usually laid back unless we are in the midst of a real problem.
What’s up, Goliath?
I’m not sure, but it feels like something is going to happen.
Lincoln mind links me: Hey, is Goliath a bit worked up right now?
Yeah, he is. What’s going on with Brutus?
He is as well. He says he feels as if something is going to happen.
That’s what Goliath said. Maybe they are excited about becoming Alphas of the pack.
Lincoln slightly nods at me, and we focus back on the scene before us. Dad finally wraps up his speech and looks toward us. “Please allow me to introduce your new Alphas: Landon and Lincoln Attwater.” The crowd erupts, and we walk up to the stage, hugging both our mom and our dad.
A strong scent hits me, and I stop in my tracks. It smells like lilacs and sandalwood. I have never smelled that before, and it’s making my mouth water. I look at Lincoln and can tell he smells it too. If we are both smelling the same scent, that can only mean one thing. Our mate has to be here, but who could it be? I don’t really see anyone in the crowd that is new to me.
The scent is getting stronger, and I notice some activity at the back of the area; someone is entering late. She quietly comes up the side to find seating along the back row. She starts to make her way, along the row, to an empty seat in the middle. She stops mid-stride and looks up, sniffing as she does. Her head turns to the stage, and my eyes catch her.
MATE!!
Book one will end on the epilogue. The next chapter will start book two.
~Tia~I finally make it to our territory and drive through the gates. I can see a slew of cars in the distance, and I know that we will be meeting out back, off to the side. It will be outdoors, which is the best location because we are a pretty big pack. Any event where the entire pack has been invited always takes place outside. We usually have a small stage set up, and seating is available. I quickly park close to my parent's house since it is pretty close to the packhouse. I don’t want driving up in my car to be a huge disruption to the ceremony that I’m late for. My mom won’t be very pleased, and my dad may actually be upset since I would be messing up his golden children’s day. I quickly take off to the packhouse, cursing myself for being late and also wearing what I’m wearing. Swearing in a new Alpha is a big deal, and you have to look nice at the ceremony. I opted for a knee-length, sleeveless black dress with red pumps. I always like to have an item stand out from everythin
~Landon~“Portia…..Portia Colby.” She sighs and looks down at her ankle, inspecting the damage. “Tia.” “What?”“I said, it’s Tia.” She sighs again and tries to get up. I quickly move to her side, grabbing her hand. She pulls away at first but then places her hand in mine, and the sparks fly. My body shivers at the contact, and I have to take a deep breath to stay focused. I place my other hand on her elbow and help her off of the ground. She leans into me, trying to keep pressure off of her ankle. I know it will heal pretty soon, but it looks kind of bad right now.“Why ‘Tia’?” She turns her head to me and raises an eyebrow.“Huh?”“Why do you go by Tia?” She chuckles a bit, but there is no humor in her voice. “Do you know what the name Portia means?” I shake my head. Truth be told, I never really thought about what people’s names mean. “It means, well, in many circles, it means pig or hog. Shakespeare meant it in a different way, but that wasn’t the intended meaning when the name
~Landon~I make it to the packhouse with Tia in my arms. I take her up to my room and set her on the bed. I watch her look around the room, taking in all the details. I have a king-sized bed in the room against the back wall. A big screen television is mounted on the opposite wall, big enough that I can see it from several different locations. There is a small eating area in the room with a love seat and a small, two-seater table. I have a huge 4-door armoire with matching end tables on each side of the bed. My room has a walk-in closet as well as a luxury bathroom. My brother’s room is pretty much the same, though with different color schemes. Actually, there is a door that leads right to his room from mine.I place Tia against the headboard and prop her foot up on the pillows. I know she will heal soon, but this should ensure that she heals properly. “Hang on, and I will get you an ice pack.” Tia grabs my arm, and I look at her. “You really don’t need to go through the trouble.” I
~Landon~I feel the bed next to me, but it’s empty. I open my eyes and come face to face with the eyes of my brother. Tia isn’t there. I sit up and look around the room, but there is nothing to see. Lincoln heads to the restroom but comes back quickly and shakes his head. I have no idea where she went or how long she has been gone. Trent?Yes, Alpha Landon.I need you to find someone. Find Portia Colby. See where she is. Check with her family if need be.Yes sir.“Trent is going to look for her.” Lincoln nods and sits on the edge of the bed.“Thank you.” “For?”“For talking to me last night. I really needed that. I don’t want to lose out on our mate.” I reach over and pat Lincoln on the back. I head into the restroom to shower and get dressed. I throw on some jeans, a long-sleeved v-neck sweater and a pair of Timberlands. When I come out of the closet dressed, Lincoln is sitting on the bed, having changed as well. He has on a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt with Air Forces.
~Adela~That ugly bitch! I hate her; I hate her; I HATE HER! How dare she interfere in our lives like this? Why didn’t she just stay gone? How could Lincoln or Landon even consider taking her as a mate? She is weak and useless; she always has been. Landon and Lincoln belong with myself and Aida. We are stronger, smarter, and will make better Lunas. This pack knows us and will support us over Portia any day. I watch her drive off, contemplating going after her. I figure there would be no point. Soon, I’m sure, either she will do what Daddy said, or the boys will reject her for us. Either way, Aida and I will take our rightful spots as the Lunas of the Emerald Lake Pack. I couldn’t believe it when Luna Kimberly told us that the twins had not only found their fated mate, but she believed that it was our sister. Smelling her on them and her silence this morning was the confirmation needed. This must be some sick joke, but I’m not laughing. While training, I see Trent approach Daddy. I a
~Tia~I swear I cried the entire way back to my apartment. The four-hour drive was filled with sniffling and wailing. I have no idea what went through the minds of anyone who noticed me while I was driving. I can’t say that I’m surprised at what happened. I could have guessed the outcome would have been something like that. My dad only wants the best for his amazing daughters, and here I am, just getting in the way of that. I’d imagine that I will get a rejection letter or something in the next day or two. Let’s face facts. There is nothing I can offer the Alphas that my sisters couldn’t provide tenfold. Times like this, with high stress and anxiety, I usually shift into Andricia and let nature bring me back to a more manageable state. There is no way I can do that today because if I shift into Andricia, she will just hightail it right back home to the pack. She has been whining for her mates since I got on the road, and it has taken everything in me to fight the urge to turn back.
~Tia~*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*At first, I thought it was a part of my dream, this annoying knocking. I turned over multiple times, hoping it would go away. It was the knock on my bedroom wall that got me moving. ‘WOULD YOU ANSWER THE DAMN DOOR?!’“So….sorry,” I swear, sometimes I hate living in an apartment, and I hate living around so many humans. Don’t get me wrong; I have no issue with humans at all. It’s just we are different creatures, and some of the things that irritate them are small and petty, in my opinion. I throw the covers back and try to put my feet into my teddy bear slippers. I’m groggy and still sleepy. There is too much on my mind to be able to sleep soundly. I make my way to the door, the knocking getting louder with each step. I have no idea who the hell would be at my door. Maybe it’s my dad, and he will sit here and force me to reject the twins. Maybe it’s the Alpha and Luna, and they will demand that I reject their sons. I r
~Lincoln~I step toward my mate, wanting to grab her and show her exactly how I feel about her. I want to prove to her what I can really do, what I can make happen. How could she tell us apart?I have no idea, L, but I guess that’s a good thing.“How could you tell it was me and not Landon?” Tia seems surprised by my question. I know it doesn’t pertain to our discussion, but I’m curious. “It’s simple, really. Your scents give you away.” Landon and I look at each other, confused. Tia chuckles. “Both of you have a strong peppermint scent. Lincoln, yours is mixed with grapefruit, while Landon’s is mixed with lemon.” Tia shrugs her shoulders as if the explanation is obvious, and maybe it is to her.“That’s a weird combination, but it doesn’t matter. We are here to get to know you, and we want you to get to know us. We have been waiting for you, and we won’t let you go. Linc is right; anyone who doesn’t approve can leave the pack.” Tia looks over to Landon and back at me. Her stomach gru