~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 thi
~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