Chapter 1 Chapter 0001

Lily’s pov It’s always busy at the packhouse, but especially tonight. I am the fifth child out of six. My father Alpha Edward Burton has always wanted a big family and so did my mother, Luna Katherine. My parents decided after having two girls they really wanted a boy, but it took them 4 more tries. My thirteen year old brother Edward the Second, or Eddie as we call him will be the alpha of our pack one day. While we have to wait to find out mate. It feels really outdated that we can’t start our lives or careers before meeting our mate. My parents always hoped that our mate will be a Beta or Alpha from another pack, like with my older sisters. I just hope whoever my mate is, he will be kind and get me out of this pack. I love my family, I do. But I am not like the others, my sisters are all gorgeous and smart. They honestly look like models. And I lack their elegance and good looks. Maybe I am being too hard on myself, but it’s hard not to compare yourself. Especially in this family where winning is everything. Everyone needs to be the best in school, win every fight and look their best. And I am an average looking girl, with brown curls and big green eyes. I am not as skinny as my sisters or as tall and I don’t have their sleek blond hair. I don’t pay much attention to my looks, I usually just wear my hair in a braid or ponytail. Anything to keep the curls down. No-one in my family has curls except my grandmother. She was the only one that made me feel special, but sadly she passed away last year. Every once in a while an unmated Alpha or Beta visits our pack to see if one of Alpha Edward’s daughters is their mate. No-one usually pays attention to me, I am not even of age yet. Besides people often assume I am not one of the Burton sisters since I look so different from the rest. Tonight is one of those nights, the packhouse is full with three Alpha’s and their Beta’s who are looking for their mate. And I am stuck next to the most awful Alpha ever. It’s not his looks that are awful, but that look of arrogance and boredom on his face. He’s actually pretty good looking if you look passed that arrogance. I don’t even know his name, but I can tell he’s an Alpha by his strong commanding aura. He is tall, dark and handsome like my grandmother would say and he has a big scar across his forehead clipping his eyebrow. He looks like he can kill a man with one punch. I guess that’s why the seat next to him was empty, most people would feel fear in his presence. I’ve tried talking with him, but honestly I don’t even think he’s listening to me. I assume he’s not listening, because he has not said a word the whole night. My sister Angelina just turned eighteen a couple of months ago and my nineteen year old sister Emma is still unmated, so every unmated wolf of importance is coming by to see if they’re a match. It honestly feels like a strange way to find love, if you’re meant to be you’ll find each other sooner or later right? After dinner finished the guest headed to the lounge area for some coffee and tea. This was usually the time I would go up to my room, I was in no mood to socialize. When I walked out into the hallway I heard two men talking. “Why are we still here? They’re not my mates,” said a deep sounding voice. “Alpha Osiris, just stick around for a bit. It will be good for our pack to have Alpha Edward as an ally. The Moon Stone pack isn’t large, but has great resources to offer.” I could hear Alpha Osiris sigh “Fine, Beta Riker. But why did they place me next to that girl?! She was talking non-stop.” I guess he did hear me, just choose to ignore me. Alpha Osiris, I’ve heard that name before. My father had mentioned him when discussing potential mates. Alpha Osiris has the reputation of being one of the most brutal Alpha’s around and he has one of the largest packs. Beta Riker answered “that’s one of the Burton sister’s I believe.” Alpha Osiris laughed “of course they sit the ugly duckling of the family next to me.” There was that arrogance again. I decided to walk right passed them and gave them both my most deadly look. It wasn’t polite to look an Alpha in the eye, especially not one as important as Alpha Osiris. But right now I didn’t care, I strutted past them and looked directly at Alpha Osiris “the ugly ducklings name is Lily Burton by the way” and I walked to my room. As soon as I was out of sight I ran as fast as I could, my bravery slowly fading every step I took. This was really stupid of me, I shouldn't have said anything. My parents always said I was a bit too mouthy. It probably didn't matter anyway, it was not like I was going to see either of them again after tonight. Alpha Osiris seemed to have no interest in staying here, that much was clear.

Chapter 2 Chapter 0002

Osiris’ pov I hate going to these dinners. I don’t even want to meet my mate right now, I am too busy making sure my pack is safe. I am the Alpha of one of the largest packs in the world and this makes me somewhat of a target. I took over the pack 4 years ago, when I was 18. I am known for being ruthless, but in reality I’ve haven’t done everything they say about me. I don’t mind people being scared of me, that makes it less likely for them to attack. I will protect my pack at any cost and I am not afraid of using violence. My Beta Riker is the opposite of me, while I hate socializing he excels in big crowds. That’s part of the reason why I chose him as my Beta, the other reason is that Riker and I grew up together and he has always been there for me. Riker is the one that made me go to this awful dinner, apparently some of the Burton sisters are unmated and they are known for their beauty and skills. They are trained in combat, excel in school and they would make sure I would have the Burton family as my allies. Edward Burton is the Alpha of the Moon Stone pack, his daughter the Luna of the Blood River pack and his second oldest is Luna of the Eclipse pack. That would mean I would have 3 new packs to call on when in need. I wasn’t the only Alpha around this evening and most of the guests were too scared to sit near me. They were chatting with Beta Riker and the other Alpha’s though. I am used to it, I just wanted the dinner to be over. If any of the sister’s was my mate I would have felt it as soon as I walked in the door. Suddenly a teenage girl sat next to me and started to talk to me. She probably didn’t realize who I was or she wouldn’t have taken the seat. “She did notice you’re an Alpha,” my wolf Santos said, because she addressed me in a polite and dominant matter. “I am not interested in whatever she is saying,” I replied as I emptied my plate and waited for this damn dinner to be over. When she finally realized I wouldn’t respond to her chitchat she stopped, which gave me a chance to observe her. She didn’t look like the Burton sisters, they all were tall and had long blond hair. This girl had chestnut hair with curls in a braid. She was average looking. “She had some nice curves though,” Santos said. I actually preferred curves over tall and skinny, then you had something to hold onto. Her scent was pretty nice, I first thought they were serving apple pie for dessert. But when dessert came it was chocolate cake, I tried to find the source of the apple and cinnamon scent and could only conclude it came from the girl. When dinner was over I wanted to leave, but Beta Riker convinced me to stick around. Even without one of the sisters as my mate I could still try to make an ally of the Moon Stone pack. I was really surprised the girl next to me was one of the Burton sisters, she must have been the ugly duckling of the family. I continued talking with Beta Riker when the girl passed me. “The ugly ducklings name is Lily Burton by the way,” Lily said as she walked passed us. No one usually dared to speak like that to me and she even made eye contact with me. Everyone knew not to look at me the way she did or they’d regret it. I didn’t understand why her look and comment didn’t piss me off, I actually found it refreshing and amusing. I could see Riker was awaiting my response and he breathed a sigh of relief when I returned to the living room without a word. Why would I kill a chance for a new alliance just because of a bratty teenage girl. I walked right to Alpha Edward and started to talk with him. I could see he was nervous at first, but when he understood I was there with good intentions he loosened up. Alpha Edwards promised to try to come out to my pack or send his Beta for further negotiations. I guess tonight wasn’t a total waste after all. I just hoped Beta Riker would stop hassling me about finding a mate, if someone was meant for me I’d find her. I didn’t need to go looking for her at every Alpha’s house. Besides I was doing just fine on my own, I had enough women who’d want to spend the night with me if I did need some company. Santos did not agree with me, he had been looking forward to finding his mate for 4 years now “You should try harder to find your mate, we need her.” I didn’t agree, I was fine on my own. I didn’t need anyone but my pack.

Chapter 3 Chapter 0003

Lily’s pov My brother Eddie and I are the only ones of my family still in high-school. As the next Alpha in line Eddie is pretty popular, I am happy to say he’s not one of the mean kids. I know being an Alpha can go to your head. There is this kind of hierarchy in most packs with Alpha on top, then Beta, Gamma, the rest and the omega’s. The rich families fall somewhat between Gamma and Beta I guess. I am not one of the popular kids, but no one dares to mistreat me. They just avoid me. I have my own small group of friends, Sasha and Aubree were my friends since we were four. They are the most loyal friends you can have, but always tell me the truth when I need it. We usually hang out in the drama room when we have a free period. I couldn’t act if my life dependent on it, I am horrible at pretending or lying. But Sasha and Aubree are absolutely brilliant and have been the leads in most plays. I help with the set pieces, I love to paint. That’s where I am headed right now, to see if I can finally finish painting the Victorian backdrop for our Jane Austen play. We’re doing ‘Pride and Prejudice’ this year. I told Sasha and Aubree about my evening with Alpha Osiris and they were both proud and shocked at the same time. “You dared to speak up against an Alpha? And not just any, but Alpha Osiris?! I heard he killed men for simply looking at him,” Sasha said. “I couldn’t contain myself, I really tried to be friendly. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but he was so rude to me.” I paused “what are the chances of me running into him again. I am sure he’s already forgotten about me." “But none of the guests were Emma mate?” Aubree asked. She continued “She’s about to turn 20 and has had so many chances of running into her mate now. I really wonder who it will be.” Aubree had always had a fascination with romance and finding your true love. Her father had passed when Aubree was young, so she hadn’t seen that love between her parents growing up. Her mother had taken the loss of her mate hard and Aubree was often left to fend for herself, until my father stepped in. The last few years Aubree’s mom had really been trying to be there for Aubree, but I always saw Aubree look at my parents with a wishful look. When the bell rang we walked back to class. One of the popular kids was sitting behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. His name was Noah and I didn’t really know the guy. I knew his parents came from money and that he was one of the top ranking guys in our sparring matches. At our school kids were taught to fight and defend themselves from age twelve. From 18 years old we had morning sparring sessions led by the Gamma, Caleb. Noah would soon turn 18 and I am sure he couldn’t wait to get his wolf. “Lily, you have some paint on your face,” Noah said. I started to blush and tried to wipe it off with my sleeve. “Come here,” Noah gently wiped the paint off my cheek with his hand. It almost felt like his hand was lingering and then he quickly wiped the paint on his jeans. “Thanks.” I said softly. “Anytime,” he replied. I turned my head back to the teacher and tried to focus on the class, but I kept thinking about Noah. I think this was the first time he ever talked to me. I saw him hanging around Angelina before, but he always ignored me. The next class was gym, so that would mean we spar in sets of two. I usually sparred with either Aubree or Sasha, but this time Noah asked if we could team up. I saw both Aubree and Sasha look at me with surprise in their eyes and I mouthed to them “I know!” I wasn’t the best fighter around, but having Alpha blood made me faster and stronger than the average wolf. I knew Noah was holding back though, because I won too easily. “You are a great fighter,” Noah said. I laughed “and you are holding back. It’s fine, I can take it.” I regretted those words as soon as Noah began to come at me. I did my best, I got some good shots in, but by the end Noah had me pinned down on the floor. He was holding my arm while hovering above my face with his face. “I am impressed,” Noah said. I felt almost uncomfortable having him so close, we were almost close enough to kiss. “I lost though,” I replied while wondering why he was still on top of me. He smiled “yeah, but you put up one hell of a fight. You’re full of surprises Lily.” Noah came even closer. I held my breath, not knowing what to do as he slowly moved his head to my neck. He breathed my scent in and then stood up. Noah offered me his hand and I got on my feet. Well that was weird, I thought. I never got much attention from boys, but I was pretty sure Noah had been flirting with me all day. When I was in the dressing room Aubree and Sasha came running over. ‘What was that?” Sasha asked. “I have no idea,” I replied “but I kind of liked it.” Sasha and Aubree started to giggle “who’s the ugly duckling now,” Aubree joked. I had no clue why Noah was suddenly showing an interest in me, but it made me feel really special. A popular boy chose me to spar with. Is this what if felt like to be one of my sisters?

Chapter 4 Chapter 0004

Lily’s pov The next day I didn’t see Noah until after lunch. Sasha, Aubree and I had lunch at the drama room that day, because I wanted to finish up the last of the set pieces. When I left the classroom I bummed into Noah. I almost stumbled, but Noah caught me “I missed you at lunch, I was hoping we could sit together,” as he held onto my arm. “I needed to finish something, but maybe tomorrow?” I asked shyly. I hated that Noah made me feel so shy, I usually didn’t feel this way around people. “It’s a date” Noah said as I started to blush. I quickly turned around and walked to my locker hoping Noah wouldn’t see my red cheeks. I explained to Sasha and Aubree that I would have lunch without them tomorrow, but when I told them the reason why they didn’t mind. They both got really excited for me. Aubree was saving herself for her mate and refused to even think of dating. I really hadn’t given dating much thought. Not because I was saving myself like Aubree, but because there was no one interested in me before. I wasn’t sure how far I was willing to go with anyone if I ever did start to date. I knew Sasha had been seeing Oscar for a few months now. She found the notion of saving yourself a bit outdated, although she respected Aubree for sticking to her beliefs. Sasha and Oscar seemed like the perfect pair though, it wouldn’t surprise me if they turned out to be mates. I guess I should just see how things go, right now I hadn’t even had a date with Noah yet. Before yesterday I hadn’t looked at Noah properly, but I always noticed he was cute though. He had his brown hair shorter on the sides and he had pretty blue eyes. He wasn’t as tall as the men in my family, but that didn’t matter that much to me anyway. Besides I was the shortest of my siblings, even my 13 year old brother was taller than I was. He was muscular like most werewolves are, but instead of him having a six-pack Noah bulked up. He was “short and stocky” according to Sasha. The rest of the day I was distracted by the thought of Noah. It felt nice to be wanted, especially by someone who was popular. I know that made me sound a bit shallow, but after you’ve been ignored for so long it was nice to get attention. This must be how popular kids feel all the time, I thought. I went home and did my homework, studying didn’t come naturally to me. But I knew good grades were important to my family. If I had my way I would spend all my free time painting. I couldn’t wait for the summer break when I had all the time in the world to focus on my art. My favorite thing to paint was nature, that’s why I loved doing the set design at school. My parents let me decorate my own room and I had painted flowers and plants all over my walls. I guess it was fate that my parents named me after a flower. When I went to dinner my parents were discussing something through their mindlink. I could tell because they were looking at each other with lots of emotions going back and forth. Finally my father started to speak, everyone knew to be quiet when he had an announcement. “Your mother has decided it would be a good idea for Emma and Angelina to visit your sister at the Blood River pack for the summer.” Emma seemed very excited, while Angelina started to cry. “But mom, I was going to spend the summer with my friends. I made all these plans,” Angelina said. My mother explained “we want you to see what’s it’s like to be a Luna in a new pack. To gain some experience from your sister. The Blood River pack does things very differently from ours. Perhaps you’ll find your mate there.” Angelina continued to cry and left the table. I would love to be in her shoes and be able to leave for the summer. I have always wanted to see the world, see new places and find new inspiration for my paintings. Perhaps I would get my chance next year, if I didn’t meet my mate as soon as I turned 18. How funny would it be if Noah was my mate? But wouldn’t I have already sensed something? They say even before you’re of age you can already feel the bond, just very lightly. I always did this, I overthink everything and make a whole future with someone I haven’t even gone on a date yet. I should just let it go for now, shower and go to sleep. I went up to my room and took a shower, I braided my hair so it wouldn’t need much care after I woke up. I put on my pajama’s and went to sleep. I had the strangest dream, I dreamed about Alpha Osiris. He was sitting next to me at dinner, but instead of ignoring me he actually was listening to me and laughing at my jokes. And then he wiped some food of my face in the same manner Noah did with the paint. His hands lingered and then he bend forward and kissed me softly on the lips. When I woke up I felt really strange, I didn’t even know Alpha Osiris well and what I did know I didn’t like. So why in the Goddess name would I dream about him instead of Noah?

Chapter 5 Chapter 0005

I wouldn’t say I don’t pay attention to what I wear, but I do like to be comfortable. I get a lot of paint stains on my clothes anyway. Usually I wear pants or jeans with a nice top, blouse or sweater depending on the weather. And in the summer I wear shorts and summer dresses. Because I am more curvy than my sisters I can’t always borrow their clothes, although they love stealing my comfy sweaters and vests when they’re cold. But we all have different styles anyway. Angelina wear dresses all the time, she has hated pants ever since she was little. She wear leggings to workout in and that’s it. Emma has a more edgier style, in her case that means she wears a lot of black. Even though I am often jealous of my sisters they’ve actually always treated me nicely. I know they’ve got their own insecurities and issues, they just don’t talk to me about it. Probably because I am the youngest. But today I decided to pay some extra attention to my clothing and make-up, not too much or I’d seem to desperate. I used some eyeliner, I hated making wings though. I always got one wrong, but today they looked pretty even. I wore some black jeans with a top that showed some cleavage, but not too much. And I wore my hair in a high bun, so my face and neck were visible. Apparently that was a thing some men liked, seeing the place where they would mark you. Sasha also told me it’s really sensitive in that area. When I got to school it was hard to focus, thinking what I would do and say during lunch. I tried to practice in my mind, but it only made me more nervous. When lunch finally came everything was different than I had expected. Noah was sitting at his usual table with his friends and waved to me to come over. I sat down at his table awkwardly and we barely spoke to each other. I just sat there like someone who didn’t belong while most of the kids ignored me. Wasn’t this supposed to be a date? At the end Noah put his hand around my shoulder and asked if I would join them again tomorrow. Honestly I missed my friends and felt really out of place here, so I told Noah I had other plans tomorrow. Noah seemed surprised at my answer, as if he wasn’t used to hearing no often. I went to my classes and felt a mix of disappointment and relief, I guess I made too big a deal of the whole thing. Noah must not be that interested in me like I thought. During the last class of the day Noah grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. I blushed and looked up at his eyes. “If you can’t have lunch with me tomorrow maybe we can do something together after school?” I nodded, too nervous to answer. “I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Noah said and he walked away. When I got home I didn’t know what to do with myself. Should I change my clothes? I didn’t even know what we would do and I didn’t want to be disappointment again like during lunch. I asked Angelina for advice, she knew Noah a bit. But Angelina seemed reluctant to help me “you know Noah is a player right? Once you’ve had sex with him he’ll cut you loose”. I couldn’t believe her “you’re just jealous I am finally getting some attention,” I replied and I stormed off. I guess I would just stick to what I was wearing. I started painting in my room to distract myself until it Noah came. When the bell rang I headed downstairs, Noah gave me a big smile “ready?” he asked. “Where are we going?” I said. “Well let’s just take a walk,” Noah replied as he took my hand. We walked to the woods and took a long walk the forest, Noah talked about school and asked me about my interests. I shared my love for painting and nature. “It’s nice you have a hobby, especially when you’re mated. It will be good to have something to do while your mate is working,” Noah said. I never saw painting as a hobby, it was always sometimes that was special to me and that I hoped I could do for a living. It seemed so old fashioned to be a housewife that paints once in a while her mate does all the work. I didn’t want to ruin our talk so I said nothing. When we came to a clearing we sat down in the grass, I closed my eyes and let the sun hit my face. Suddenly I felt soft lips on mine, slowly kissing me. I opened my eyes and Noah stopped, stroking my cheek as he sat down next to me. “I am sorry, you looked so pretty with your eyes closed,” Noah said. I smiled, this afternoon had been almost perfect. “Thank you” I said and he leaned over and kissed me again. This time I kissed him back, Noah embraced me and we laid down on the grass. I could feel his body against mine, moving closer and starting to grind against me. His tongue entered my mouth and moved circles across mine. Noah’s hands went to my ass and he squeezed it as he pressed me closer against him. I could feel his erection through his pants and I backed off. This was my first kiss, I didn’t want to go this fast. And I certainly did not want to lose my virginity in a grass field somewhere. “I am not ready,” I said. Noah sighed “okay, another time” and he kissed me softly. We stood up and walked back, hardly saying a word. When we came close to the packhouse Noah kissed me goodbye and said “see you soon Lily” and left. I felt like I was living in a dream. I just had my first kiss! I never though this was the way my day would end, especially after that weird lunch with Noah and his friends.