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PROLOGUE
SERENITY – AGE TEN
I look up at the back of the packhouse from where I’m playing with some of the other kids on the playground. This is my favorite place to play, especially when I can talk Mom or Dad into pushing me on the swings because I can’t get as high when I’m all by myself. I love the feeling of flying and what better place to feel that than on the swings?
Todd, the Alpha’s son who is a year older than me and the same age as my brother, Samuel, is over on the monkey bars getting frustrated because he gets almost all the way across, but then loses his grip. As I’ve been twirling back and forth on the swing I’m sitting on, I’ve watched him try it repeatedly. He doesn’t seem to want to give up, but every time he falls, his face gets redder. His frustration and embarrassment are becoming suffocating.
All the other kids have moved away from him, not wanting to be on the other end of his anger when he blows up. I’ve seen him do it before and it is kind of scary. Even though none of us have shifted into our wolves, which won’t happen until we’re 13, Todd’s alpha aura can get out of control when he’s mad.
I asked my mom, the pack’s Beta female, about it one time and she patted my hand gently before telling me, “Alphas need to learn how to control their emotions, even when they’re young and haven’t been blessed with their wolves yet. He has a lot of power inside of him.”
I nodded and wanted to ask her why all the other kids were afraid of him when he was mad or frustrated, but it didn’t seem to bother me in the same way. I knew, logically, I should be afraid and not approach him, but it wasn’t real fear.
Not the kind of fear I felt last summer when we were at a pack picnic and a group of four rogues came out of the tree line, snarling and itching for a fight. That was the first time I felt fear because I knew I wouldn’t be able to defend myself against them. Thankfully, those four rogues didn’t stand a chance against the Alpha and the rest of the high-ranking members and warriors who were at the picnic. Still, that feeling of fear, true fear, is one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Todd doesn’t scare me, but I can read the faces of the other kids. It’s clear they’re fighting against the need to submit to him. He doesn’t even realize the aura he’s giving off right now. All because he’s being stubborn about some stupid monkey bars.
When I can’t take it anymore and I can see the kids around us about to fall to their knees and bare their necks in submission, I huff as I stand up. I slowly make my way over to where Todd is glaring at the monkey bars like they ate the last cookie in the cookie jar. I feel eyes on me, but when I glance back at the packhouse, I don’t see anyone watching me and shake off the feeling.
“Todd,” I say softly, “how about we go inside and get something to drink? It’s awfully hot out here and I’m thirsty.”
Todd’s eyes remain hard when he looks at me, the same glare he was giving the playground equipment moments ago now leveled on me, but I don’t flinch away from him. He nods curtly before we walk side-by-side toward the back door of the packhouse. I can almost feel the breath of relief the kids on the playground let out as we walk away.
With my family being the Beta family and Todd’s being the Alpha family, we’ve grown up together and are good friends, but Sam takes the spot as Todd’s best friend. Todd’s sister, Kathy, who is my age and my best friend, said she wasn’t interested in coming out to play today.
I’m not surprised, she loves soaking up the attention of anyone and everyone. With visitors from the Blood Rising pack here today, it’s prime time for her preening. I’ve never been one to want the spotlight, which is one of the reasons we’re such good friends—we balance each other out.
Todd seems to calm down as we both drink some lemonade one of the Omegas who works in the kitchen made earlier today. I’m glad because getting that mad at some monkey bars is kind of pointless. He’ll be able to make it across eventually. He was already so close.
“Do you want to come back outside?” Todd’s question doesn’t surprise me, nor does the look of determination on his face. “I’m going to get all the way across this time.”
“I think I’m going to read for a little while and cool off,” I tell him with a smile and start to giggle a little when he’s out the back door from the kitchen almost before I finish speaking.
I put both of our glasses in the industrial dishwasher, not wanting to make more of a mess for the Omegas to clean up. They have enough work to do, and I try to always clean up after myself. With a book in my hands, I get comfortable on the window seat in one of the large lounge rooms available for anyone in the pack to use.
I feel eyes on me again as I’m reading and look up to find a young man staring at me from across the room. His eyes are a deep, dark green, the same color as the trees in the forest surrounding the pack’s territory. I’ve never seen him before, but that doesn’t mean much. He’s probably here with the visiting Alpha from Blood Rising and I don’t see the reason to get involved in pack politics. Still, I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from his.
At least not until a throat clearing has me looking over to see Dad and Mom along with another man who could be the green-eyed guy’s older twin. He must be the Alpha considering the power rolling off him. Oddly, I’m not intimidated by it, just like I’ve never been intimidated by my Alpha’s aura. Or Todd’s. Strange.
“Serenity,” there’s a hint of worry in Dad’s voice which has me wondering what is going on, “say hello to Alpha Nathan and his son, Tristan, who will be taking over as Alpha of the Blood Rising Pack soon.”
I give them both a smile, my gaze lingering on Tristan for a moment. “Hello,” I chirp. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Both men give me small smiles, but there is a warmth in Tristan’s eyes which causes my heart to flip. Before I can analyze it too deeply, Alpha Nathan turns to my father and gives him a nod. “Thank you. We should be on our way now.”
Then they’re gone and a hollow feeling in my chest has me wondering what in the world just happened. I shake it off and get back to reading my book. It’s a good one, all about a young girl who finds herself after discovering most of her life was a lie.
I’m so engrossed in my book that the next time I look up, I’m surprised to find Alpha Thomas, Luna Lori, Mom, and Dad standing close to me and whispering furiously. Pain is etched on Mom’s face, but when she notices me looking, she hides it behind a stoic mask, one I’ve never seen on her before.
The whole thing has me narrowing my eyes as my gut twists painfully. I don’t know what has happened, but I have a bad feeling about it.
Alpha Thomas and Luna Lori glide from the room with an uncompromising air about them. They reek of superiority. I guess they’ve earned it since they are ranked highest in our pack. Still, it doesn’t sit right with me, not when I’ve always felt their warmth and love before.
Dad marches up to me, his mouth curled into a sneer, and I find myself recoiling. “What was with the look you gave Tristan? I didn’t raise my daughter to be a whore,” he shouts the insult at me, and I’m stunned.
My mind is spinning, trying to understand what the man in front of me, who barely holds a resemblance to the dad I’ve known and loved for as long as I can remember, is saying. I start shaking my head and my mouth opens to tell him he’s wrong, or to say anything to him about the accusation he’s hurled at me.
I don’t get the chance to say anything before the sound of his hand against my cheek fills the room, painful stinging on my skin registering a moment later.
