After breakfast, while Lucas and Noel got ready, I made sure to have everything I needed for school in my bag, I give mom a peck on the cheek and say my goodbyes to everyone else. By the time Lucas and Noel come down I'm already in the car waiting. The three of us head out to school together in Lucas's car, a Shelby Mustang GT500, all three of us are in our final year of high school. We go to school in Crestwood, a large town close to where a lot of packs live. It was agreed upon by the counsel that Crestwood is neutral territory. No pack can claim it as their own or cause trouble for the humans in it, which would just draw unneeded attention. Because of this Crestwood has become the unofficial capital for all the werewolves in the region, with many pack and packless wolves working and going to school here. Packless wolves are wolves who don't belong to any pack. Some like it this way and just come to find work while others come with the hope of finding a pack that will take them. Packs from across the country come here, even sending their kids here to build connections with other packs.

Lucas is driving and Noel is in the passenger seat while I'm in the back. I notice through the rear view mirror Lucas has a blank stare on his face, which is a telltale sign that he is talking to someone through the mental link. A mental link is something werewolves in a pack together share, it's a form of telepathy. It's perfect for when the alpha needs to give out orders or for coordinating with each other during a fight. Usually when a werewolf becomes of age and are officially accepted by the alpha and extension the pack, a mental link is established. The only exemption being the bond between mates. Mates once found can immediately communicate with each other. But just like everything else I can't get a mental link; human minds aren't built for it.

I wait for Lucas's eyes to regain their focus before asking. "So, what was that about?" But its Noel who answers me. "It was just your mom reminding us to keep you safe." Something tells me there's more to it than that, but I don't push it any further.

School is rough for me, there are some werewolves not happy with a human like me being part of a pack and their attitudes are picked up by their kids, especially high school kids. I do have werewolf friends outside of my own pack, but there are some that try to take advantage of the fact that I'm human. They never straight up attack me, because human or not I'm still the son of an alpha and a direct attack like that could start a war between packs. So, they stick to the basics like tripping me, bumping into me, smacking my books out of my hands, and other non-direct forms of attack. Lucas and Noel do their best help but that can't be with me all the time, and I'll be damned before I let them win by going to my father for help. Thankfully this year hasn't been too bad thanks to Alice and Cora having classes close to mine.

I'm roused out of my thoughts by the car pulling into the school parking lot, we managed to get a spot no too far from the school. I let out a sigh as I wait for Noel to let me out hoping today goes by quick.

Ring, ring, ring

"Ooh thank the goddess, lunch time, I don't think I could've taken another minute of math." Cora says this loud enough for everyone in the room to hear but doesn't seem to care. With her pale skin and dirty blonde hair, Cora's beauty is always drawing people's attention anyway.

"No, you're just a glutton who can't go five minutes without eating." Alice teases, she sits behind Cora. Not one to be out done, Alice also has quite a few admirers, drawn in by her olive skin, long jet-black hair, and facial features that make her appear exotic.

I decide to chip in. "Oh, please your just as bad. I saw you sneaking that honeybun during class." Cora gasps and Alice gives me a dirty look.

Cora turns to Alice. "You had a honeybun and didn't share with me? Your buying lunch for the three of us humph."

Alice groans while I chuckle.

As we leave the classroom and head towards the cafeteria, Alice and Cora walk on either side of me, vigilant and ready for anything. Alice and Cora are werewolves and my best friends, they also happen to be mates. Being gay or lesbian is not looked upon very well by other werewolves especially since werewolves have low birthrates to begin with. A lot of werewolves believe that it is a wolf's duty to continue their species, so when a gay couple comes out its not usually received very well. Alice and Cora themselves were kicked out of their pack by their own parents, disowning them and making them packless and homeless.

I first met Alice and Cora during our freshman year. I had spotted them during lunchtime eating by themselves at a table away from everyone. They were being shunned by the other werewolves and no human could get close because of the aura they were exerting. I had heard the gossip surrounding them, but my parents had taught me well. Telling me to respect everyone, werewolf and human even if they were different. So I decided to try and get to know them. As I walked toward their table the pressure from their aura hit me but since I had been trained to fight and withstand a werewolf's aura since I was young I had no problem reaching them.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here with you guys." At first both of them just sat there staring at me shocked by the fact that a human had just walked right through their aura and had asked if he could take a seat. They finally just nodded still too shocked to speak, as I sat down and grabbed my lunch from my bag I continued to talk. "So, you guys are mates, that's pretty amazing, finding your mate at such a young age is pretty rare."

Werewolves usually can't sense or smell their mate until they become of age, usually around eighteen or nineteen. Even if your mate had been next to you your whole life, you wouldn't know it until you became of age. There have been some cases where if one mate is of age and the other isn't they would both feel something, but wouldn't know for sure until the other reached maturity as well. So, for Alice and Cora to feel the connection and become mates at such a young age is pretty rare and remarkable.

When I looked back at them their eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets stunned by the fact that a human knew what they were let alone what mates are. When they finally recovered from their shock I explained to them who I was and how I knew all this. From then on we just seemed to click, I suspect it's from our mutual understanding of being part of the werewolf community but not being entirely accepted by it, we were outcasts. We became fast friends, which automatically put them in Lucas and Noel's good graces. At first, they were afraid of how Lucas and Noel might react to them being lesbians, but they quickly realized that Lucas and Noel couldn't give a rat's ass about their sexual orientation. As long as they were my friends they were okay in their book, so over the next few years we grew closer. They would even spend the night and train with us sometimes, and they're strong, even giving Lucas a run for his money a couple of times. Knowing they were homeless and had to hunt in the woods to eat, I offered them a place to live at the main house and to join our pack, with my father's permission of course. But they were proud and said no, saying that it would feel like they were taking advantage of me. Not willing to watch my friends go hungry I instead had dad pull a few strings and got them both part time jobs in town after school. They were going to turn that down too but after a stern look from me they accepted and thanked me.

One day during our junior year, while they were walking me down to my next class, a voice called out to us. "Hey dead ends, if your gonna put a male between you why not me!" All three of us stopped in our tracks. "Dead ends" is a derogatory term for gay werewolves referring to the fact that they can't procreate with each other, effectively ending their blood lines. We turn around to see who it was that said that and see it was Cole Bloodfang and his stupid posse.

Cole is the son of the alpha Demetri, leader of the Bloodfang pack the largest pack in the area with a whopping sixty wolves. He's also a class A asshole who thinks he's God's gift to women with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Like his father he believes he's entitled to anything and everything. For years Demetri has been clamoring for a spot on the counsel, only concerned with the size of his pack, Demetri let's just about any werewolf join his pack good or bad, usually bad, in the hopes that the counsel will make him a member. This has put a strain on his packs living space and financials which he can barely maintain as it is. He uses most of the money the pack makes for himself and on those that kiss his ass. Most of his wolves are struggling just to get by, in reality his pack only has a few good warriors.

Cole is also my main tormentor, all the bullying that happens to me is usually from him, not that I'm the only one. He's constantly talking shit about Lucas and Noel behind their backs and he's always using his status as son of an alpha to bully, take advantage of, and beat up weaker wolves. He's never flat out hit me because he knows he would have to answer to Lucas and Noel if he did, not that I think he could even take on Alice or Cora for that matter. Who were at that moment furious from the remark, visibly shaking from trying to control their anger from making them shift.

The humans that were in the hall quickly left, not really understanding why their instincts told them to run. Plus, the pressure the girls were exerting would make them want to run away regardless. Cole and his posse begin to laugh while he continues with his insults.

Cole points at me. "I mean come on the monkey, you might as well stick to plastic."

The girls are snarling at this point but Cole just continues to laugh knowing they can't do anything. As packless wolves, if they were to attack him he could go to his father and have them banished or worse, the girls can't do anything and he knows this. He's always throwing insults or snide remarks at me which is fine I can take it, I just shake them off. But this was the first time he'd ever gone after my friends. I was livid, with blood boiling in my veins I walked right up to Cole and putting everything I had into my fist I cracked him right across his jaw. It was like punching a wall, and I was pretty sure my hand was broken or at the very least sprained pretty badly. But I was too hopped up on anger and adrenalin to care or even feel it. Cole immediately went down, he wasn't knocked out but the hit definitely rattled his brain, and he stumbled to get back up.

I looked at his posse who were just gaping at me astonished, not believing what they had just witnessed. I turn around to Alice and Cora whose mouths were also hanging open, but they quickly recover, grab me and place themselves in front of me ready for anything. Cole roared as he finally stood back up. The girls get into a low stance ready to fight, sending Cole glares as they smile, daring him to attack. Cole snarled at us while his friends pull him back, his handsome face contorted into a mask of pure hatred as he stared at me and I just stared right back. When they were gone the girls pulled me into an empty class. Confused, I just looked at them as they both got down on one knee.

"Caden Silverblood, we swear ourselves to you, we will protect you until our dying breath and follow you until forever." As they said this in unison I could feel my eyes bulge. This was something werewolves said to an alpha to join their pack. They had basically just sworn there lives and loyalty to me, I had no idea what to do so I just bowed and told them I accept.

Now with their birthdays just a month away, they'll be officially joining the pack and will be moving into the main house as my personal guards. As we enter the cafeteria I spot Lucas and Noel at their usual table; surrounded by girls that want to be with them and guys that want to be them. They wave us over to sit with them, but I shake my head, I don't feel like putting up with all fake interest from girls today. It's a well-known fact by all the girls in school that the quickest way to get into Lucas's or Noel's good graces is to be nice to me. It happened when a girl Lucas was dating made a snide remark about me. He promptly dumped her on the spot very loudly and publicly.

As we get our food and sit down at a table I notice a lot of new faces around and all of them werewolves, I can tell by the way they act and move.

"What's up with all the new wolves in school?" I ask Alice and Cora because their good at keeping their ears to the ground and know all the gossip.

"You haven't heard, I thought you guys had a pack meeting least night?" Alice asks me first.

"Technically I'm not part of the pack yet, usually Lucas and Noel tell me everything afterwards but the meeting ran long last night and I forgot to ask them about it this morning." A weird look crosses their faces when I tell them this, something I said had them fidgeting. I think back to the car ride to school and how Lucas and Noel were keeping something from me after they got that mental communication from mom. "Why, what do you know?" Alice starts stuffing her mouth trying to avoid my question, so I turn to Cora a who also starts eating a little too intently. I pull her lunch plate away from her. "Cora?"

Cora looks at me like a deer caught in headlights, swallowing the food in her mouth she lets out a deep sigh. "Apparently two new packs have moved into the region with a third on the way. Word has it they were run out of their own region by the White Moon pack."

Whoa, two packs moved in already with a third on the way, that's crazy! Though packs within the region will sometimes fight each other for whatever reason, there's always been an unspoken truce when it comes to the region as a whole. For them to allow three new packs to move in so quickly means something big is going down. "White Moon? I've never heard of them who are they?"

Alice finally chips in. "That's not surprising all the alphas have been trying to keep it hush hush not wanting to worry everyone. But the White Moon pack is one of the largest and most brutal packs in the country. Over the last two years they've been aggressively expanding their territory, any packs caught in their way is given the option of submission or destruction. The alphas are worried that this is a sign that the White Moon pack might be headed our way."

"Yeah, and they say that the alpha of the White Moon pack is smart, dangerous, and unpredictable. Rumor has it he fought and killed ten rogues by himself and when one of his own tried to jump in and help him he killed him too. The other alphas are letting the three packs into the region to bolster our numbers in case the White Moon pack does decide to head our way." Cora adds in.

"Geez, alright I get it; but I still don't see why you guys were so hesitant to tell me this or why you think Lucas and Noel were trying to keep this from me." Both their faces scrunch up which was not a good sign.

Cora starts to tell me as gently as possible. "Weeell, that's not the reason, the truth is Demetri has stepped down and has made Cole alpha of the Bloodfang pack."

I close my eyes and can feel myself shaking in anger. "Are you fucking kidding me? Cole just turned nineteen a few months ago. He's years away from being ready to lead a pack what the hell is his father thinking?" My voice came out a lot calmer than I thought it would.

Alice places her hand on top of mine trying to calm me. "Hell if we know, but you've met his parents, to them he can do no wrong. They refuse to see what we see what everyone else sees, a spoiled egotistical asshole." Cora grabs my other hand to calm me down as well. It works and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

Our human friends, Peter and Marisol, spot us and walk over to sit with us effectively ending any more wolf conversations for now. After lunch, the girls walk me to my third period class, world history, which is thankfully right across from their class. I head straight to my seat in the back when I walk into class. With my mind still reeling from all the things the girls told me during lunch. I didn't notice my friend Hannah take her seat next to me or the good morning she was clearly waiting for me to return until she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"You ok?" Genuine concern in her eyes and tone.

Disgusted with myself I tell her I'm sorry. "My mind is just kind of all over the place right now, but, how are you? You doing ok?"

Hannah's a werewolf, and someone I genuinely like, she's one of the only girls at school who hasn't tried to suck up to me just to get closer to Lucas or Noel. When I asked her about this she just snorted and said, "I'm just being realistic I'm nowhere near your brother's or Noel's league." Which kinda made me angry that she thought of herself that way. With her wavy brown shoulder length hair and soft features, she definitely wasn't ugly. The only negative thing I think of is the fact that she's in the Bloodfang pack, Cole's pack, ugh.

I refocus my attention to her as she talks to me. "I'm fine, just the homework due today was really giving me problems last night."

"You could've called me if you needed help." I inwardly cringed, I could hear the eagerness in my own voice. I had asked Hannah out on a date four months ago in which she very politely told me she didn't see me that way, which stung, but was to be expected she's a werewolf and I'm a human. Ever since then I've been trying very hard not to become that creepy guy friend who's always trying to be next to her, and as far as I could tell I was failing horribly.

"Nah, I was stuck in a pretty long pack meeting last night anyway which didn't help." She either didn't notice the eagerness in my voice or choose to ignore it, either way I was thankful.

"Yeah, I heard Cole was made alpha of the pack." I couldn't keep the disgust completely out of my voice when I spoke. "That's gotta be tough I mean regardless of my personal feelings towards him, which you know, he's way too young to be an alpha he's not ready."

Hannah lets out a sigh. "Yeah, you may be right, I mean he was bad before but ever since last night he's been even worse. He's even picking on wolves in his own pack just because he can." The look on my face must've told her what I was thinking, because she answered my next question before I even asked. "I'm fine though, I don't seem to be on his radar, yet." The last part of that sentence came out a little angrier than I expected.

"Have you ever thought of... you know... joining a different pack?" I regretted the words as soon as I said them. Way to not seem desperate dude, I chastise myself.

"It has crossed my mind, but I could never leave my family like that. Besides, as bad as it is right now I just know things are gonna turn around soon." The certainty in her voice made me want to believe her, but with Cole as alpha I just didn't see how

Most wolves join the pack they're born into, but some leave to join a different pack. This usually happens because their mate was in the other pack other times some they just want to try and make it on their own until they find a pack they do want to join.

"Ahem, anything you two would like to share with the class?" Our teacher Mr. Cutters voice snaps us out of our conversation, he's one of the teachers that's also a werewolf.

I notice that the rest of the class is looking as us, some were even snickering. "J-Just that the homework from last night was really tough, and was giving us problems."

But Mr. Cutter wasn't having it. "Oh, well if that the case you two don't have to worry about turning it in."

"Really? Why?" Hannah gives him a skeptical look.

"Because you two will be writing me a 2000-word essay on why you shouldn't be talking during class!" The look on his face told us he was dead serious.

"2000! There's no way we can do that in one night!" Hannah exclaims rising from her seat.

"You have until Friday, that gives you the rest of today and tomorrow to work on it. Now sit down and pay attention." Mr. Cutter's words were final. Hannah sinks back into her seat, we don't speak for the rest of class.

After class, me and Hannah decided to each write a thousand words tonight and then meet up tomorrow to compare and combine them for Mr. Cutter for Friday. The rest of the day was uneventful, once school was done Alice and Cora walked with me to Lucas's car.

While walking a sudden pain in the back of my head knocks me forward to the ground, something hit me. I can feel the girls' hands on me trying to figure out what's wrong and saying something, but I can barely hear them. The blow to the back of my head caused a ringing in my ears. I touch where I was hit, it's tender but no bleeding thanks goodness. I look around and see a tennis ball on the ground, that must've been what hit me. The girls help me up, I turn around and see what I expected to see, Cole and a buddy of his laughing. I can feel Alice and Cora getting ready to lunge at him but I grip them by their arms.

"I'm fine, let it go." I rub the back of my head hoping it won't leave a bump.

Cole and his buddy walk up to us. "Sorry monkey, I didn't see you there." The smile on his face said he was lying, "monkey" is a derogatory term werewolves use to refer to humans. The girls growl at him. "Ooh scary, I said it was an accident."

Every part of me wanted to scream FUCK YOU at him, but that's what he wanted, he wanted to get a rise out of me. "Heard the news about you becoming alpha, congrats." That threw him off, he wasn't expecting that, the stupid look on his face was almost worth it.

He quickly recovered though. "Yeah it was about time, the old fart took his sweet time, big changes are coming now that I'm in charge and after tomorrow night, every pack in the region is gonna know it too." The smile on his face when he says this gives me a bad feeling. "We're actually hosting a small party tomorrow night for the last pack moving into the region and to also celebrate my ascension. I'm actually feeling rather generous today so consider this an official invitation, you'll get a front row seat and see firsthand what's coming."

Hell no! I'd rather take a tennis ball to the face then deal with you for an entire night. "Sorry but I'm busy tomorrow."

"Yeah, I heard about your little homework assignment from Hannah, well I'm sorry to say she won't be going anywhere tomorrow." He's challenging me, if I refuse he can label me a coward and if I go he'll spend the whole night making me miserable, he knows it and I know it.

"Fine, I'll be there." I refuse to back down, I'll never show him my back physically or metaphorically. I hear soft whimpers behind me, I look at the girls and see worried expressions on their faces. "It'll be fine don't worry." I try to reassure them.

"Feel free to bring your dogs with you." This causes the girls to snarl at him. With a smug look on his face, Cole walks off and I swear I hear him say, "Not that it will help." Under his breath. It was another challenge.

The girls walk me all the way to the car and even after telling them not to say anything to Lucas, they tell him everything anyway. Him and Noel both get angry and scan the area for Cole, their faces looking like they want to tear something apart.

I try to calm them down. "Look it's no big deal, don't worry about Cole, I can handle him. And thanks for the heads up on him becoming alpha last night." The sarcasm in my voice had Noel cringing.

Lucas snaps his head towards me. "Look we didn't tell you because we knew you'd be upset and mom didn't want to worry you. And just to be clear you are not going to his territory tomorrow, that's an order."

At his tone and words, my human teenage hormones kick in. "What the hell makes you think you can order me around!"

"As future alpha of this pack you will obey my orders!" He lets out some of his alpha aura to put pressure behind his words to make me submit.

A small part in the back of my brain was happy that he was treating me like a pack member, a werewolf. But my hormones mixed in with my lingering anger from earlier made me want to fight, and with my training over the of years I can easily resist even his aura.

"Well I am not a werewolf or a member of this pack yet, so I can do whatever the hell I want!" I can sense that Noel, Alice, and Cora are getting uncomfortable, but me and Lucas just continue to stare each other down. Which is harder for me because I'm shorter than him.

But suddenly Lucas gets a thoughtful look in his eyes and stops his aura, a wide smile spreads across his face; that can't be good. "Well your still my little brother and as your big brother it's my duty to tell mom and dad about this."

Shit, he's got me, he knows I haven't told either of them about my real trouble with Cole; they just know a watered-down version of it and he promised not to tell them. "You wouldn't, you promised."

"Yeah well I said okay as long as you weren't in danger. And I think going into a different pack's territory by yourself qualifies as danger."

Out of the corner of my eye I can see the other three nodding their heads in agreement with Lucas. "Oh, shut up." I tell them even though they didn't say anything.

Lucas continues. "Either you listen to me or we can talk to mom and dad about it when we get back home, your call."

I growl in frustration. "Fine." With that I get in the car and slam the door. I can still hear Lucas talking to the girls outside.

"We're going on patrol tonight, Zaya is babysitting the girls. Can you guys come over and watch over Caden?"

"Sure."

"No problem."

"Cool, just come over whenever you guys are ready, I'll make sure to tell Shawn and Linda to make dinner for you guys too, see you soon."

With that Lucas and Noel get in the car and we drive home with me grumbling the whole way.

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