One Word (The Wolves Book 1) Read online

  1

  -Ashely-

  It will be ending soon, my last year of high school; one month left. I look around at this party that I'm at and grimace. I don't know a lot of these people since they go to a rival school, but the stench of humans is so strong that I could make a perfume of it and sell it to other wolves to help them hide better. I wouldn't be having such a problem with it, but the fact that it's being held by the Midnight pack and not mine makes it that much more of a joke. My pack, the Stargazers, is held up by the high standards of my father, the Alpha, that it's so hard to believe that he actually forced me to come to it. I know he is only looking for me to find my mate, but I don't want to be tied down to some pup when I'm only seventeen.

  Someone turns up the music so that the humans push their bodies closer together on the dance pad and they have to yell to hear what they think. It's only increasing my headache tremendously.

  However, my nose twitches as I smell the Midnight pack finally show up to their own party; how nice of them. I look around to find my best friends who also happen to be mates, Jasmyn and Theodore. When she threw her sweet sixteen and Theo showed up, it was so romantic when they found out they were mates. Thankfully, they haven't really shoved it into my face.

  I can't find them, probably have their tongues down the other's throat. Usually, I wouldn't have a problem with a fight against a bunch of boys, but this is their territory and I have to show respect. If we were on my territory then the tables would be a complete 180 and I would have no problem putting them in their place. I give up; they deserve a break anyway. Besides, I'll just use the pack link to find them later. Hell, I deserve a break too.

  I walk to the edge of the party and slip behind some bushes and transform into my giant wolf. Although it's almost pitch black outside, no one can see my pure white color, like untouched snow. I walk for a little bit but stop immediately when I hear a snap to my left. I turn to my left to look at the intruder, who smells like a wolf who rubbed themselves all over a pack of humans. Something about his scent is off though as if I have walked into a field of bluebells and the taste of honey is on the tip of my tongue. I have never in all my years' alive smelt something like this on another being. The wolf part of my brain clicks automatically and tells my human side - he has found me. My mate has finally found me.

  What will I do now? All I wanted is something normal but now that will never happen for me.

  -Chris-

  I am trying to rush everyone to our party, especially one of my best friends, Dillon. Let's just hope that he makes as good as a beta as he does a friend. He likes looking perfect though, even at parties he knows he will be getting so trashed that he won't be able to tell his head from his ass; just like a girl, sort of. I know it sounds weird that we have to drive to our party, but it's a safety precaution that protects the future pack, my future pack. How could I even explain to a simple minded person why we have wolves running around like chickens with no heads if it was at the pack house.

  "Hey bro, something good is gonna happen tonight, but nothing will if you don't hurry up," I shout in his direction.

  He rushes down the stairs and does his "jazz hands" move, signaling that he is FINALLY ready. My smile grows and people start to file on outside and into the car. I grab the keys and toss them to Dillon. My Alpha, and dad as well, clears his throat.

  "Start the car," I tell him as I face my father.

  "Son, I need to tell you something," he states solemnly.

  He has my full attention now.

  "Yes, father?"

  "The Stargazer Pack will be there, at your party I mean."

  "Is there something wrong with someone?" I ask, instantly worried.

  They are known for their healing, magic, and powers. It's a rumor that they started as a pack when a lonely Alpha lost all his pack mysteriously. It is said that he looked at the stars and started crying about his Luna because they reminded him of her; he asked the Moon Goddess to at least give her back. He pleaded with her that if she did then he would serve her until eternity ended, no matter if he was alive or dead. His Luna and a new pack fell to Earth, but when she returned, she was pregnant and had other-worldly powers; so now they always are born with a power except for the Alpha or Luna, they get mind powers also when they take their proper roles. It is also said that the first werewolf born into this new pack belonged to the Luna but not Alpha; the Luna kept saying that the true father was the Sun God who ruled the heavens and worlds with the Moon Goddess. The child was a female who could see the truth of people's souls, but when she turned eighteen, she vanished. Her mother said that it was so she could be with her real parents in the sky.

  I pull myself back into focus so I don't miss what my dad says.

  "Yes, you."

  "What do you mean? I feel fine, better than fine actually. I feel perfect."

  "You have no mate yet Christian. You can not wait around for much longer. You are eighteen and when I spoke to their Alpha earlier, he said his next in line was seventeen but would be turning eighteen soon."

  "And you don't want me to wait for my proper Luna anymore?"

  "We both know that if she wanted you, then she would have shown up by now. No wolf should stay this long away from their mate once they turn sixteen, she might have mated to someone else by now."

  Now I am mad. My Luna will be everything to me, and he wants me to just forget her because she might be with the wrong man. Why would he tell me about the other pack being there anyway? We might get along but it definitely doesn't mean that we like each other. All these puzzle pieces finally shift into place.

  "So you want me to be with the Stargazer's Alpha's daughter?"

  I might not have met anyone from that pack, but it's said that that pack always have a born in Luna unless a boy is the second-born.

  "Yes but you must be very kind to her; she wants to leave her fate of running a pack and be as wild as the wind can be."

  While my anger subsides, laughter pops up. There will never be a moment of being nice to someone who is supposed to be a replacement, especially when they also don't want me. He is just asking for a disaster to happen, but I hold my laughter on my tongue.

  "A female rogue, that's practically unheard of."

  "Not a rogue my son, she wants to play her life out as a human."

  I can't help the disgust from coming out, she doesn't appreciate the gift of her wolf? The wolf is a part of our lives and our minds. I can't be with her. I don't tell my dad this as he excuses me by walking away. I simply walk out the door and get into the passenger seat.

  "You okay dude?" Dillon asks.

  I only nod my head and tell him to go.

  ----------20 minutes later----------

  I finally get out of the car and start looking for Ashley. I figure I might as well be quick about meeting my soon-to-be Luna and wife. I may not agree with my father, but I will still obey him completely.

  On the way over here, I learned as much about her as I could - she goes to the other school, has big green eyes, long wavy red hair, about five foot four inches, and wants to leave the state as soon as high school ends to move to a state that is known for the lowest amount of werewolves.

  I stop in my tracks when I find the scent of flowers and something sweet; since I have yet to find Ashley, I will follow this instead. Whatever this thing is, I have never smelt it before.

  In a few minutes, I find a completely white wolf and my own wolf is screaming "mate" at me. I no longer need Ashley anymore and this fills me with glee. I knew that something good would happen tonight, but I could never imagine it being something this amazing.

  2

  -Ashley-

  My wolf wants to run to him, but I o
nly want to laugh. I should have known that my mate was going to be the next Alpha of the Midnight Pack, Christian Sebastian. His brown hair that looks so perfect on him and his icy blue eyes; no, stop Ashley, you don't want this. I need to stay focused on the fact that my dad sent me here to match with him. This is what he wants, not me; I need to escape.

  It only makes sense on every level though-he is the most popular person at my school and he doesn't even go there. He is known for how delicious he looks and has the personality of a superhero to fit. Every week another girl talks about how they hooked up over the weekend and how it was the most magical thing ever. I laugh every time because we werewolves, especially males, don't "hook-up" with humans and only the human girls talked about Christian like he is some kind of God. They didn't even really think to make their stories seem different from one another; he always took them to this cabin with a great view of the sky and they all "made love" under the stars. We werewolves don't even attempt to date them at all. We like to stay pure for our mate, it makes the marking and bonding more special. Besides, humans are gross.

  They have no care for how they smell and they throw themselves at the nearest body just to hope for something special. When they find out there is anything there and if there was something to begin with, they move to the next person like it's nothing. They act like sheep who forgot how easily they can be herded. I'm not saying that they don't have some moments where they do great things in society, but they can't even grasp the concept that we are living among them and that there are monsters out there in the dark; so we all get shuffled into fiction, labeled under fairytales. Sometimes, there are some humans out there that know, so they try to hunt us down. Usually, those humans keep it in "the family business" though. Even they know that a normal person couldn't handle the truth; it would end the natural order of things. Humans need to feel like they're the most superior beings that were ever created and we would ruin that illusion.

  "Hi there," Chris states, bringing me out of my head.

  "Chris, where are you baby?!" some girl yells from about a hundred feet away.

  Baby? I look back at him and his face is filled with shame and worry all over it. I take off running, my wolf growls. Stupid. I wonder if her comment is directed at me or him. Maybe those stories were true-he has a girlfriend and he really does get around like chip dip at a party. Why would I ever think that he would want someone like me? I'm a simple girl who only wants to run away from being trapped. Did I even want him? Yes, just not right now. I would have come back in a few years, once my peers had matured correctly and weren't just a bunch of stupid, horny teenagers. I stop running; I need to gather my mind before I lose it completely. Words about losing focus is what kills us filters into my mind.

  A pitch black wolf jumps in front of me and my own yips with happiness. I guess she was mad at me all along, she didn't have to call me stupid though. I look around to make sure we are alone before changing back into my human form; he also changes. I know that he didn't know it was actually me until I am in my human form but he seems less surprised to see my face than I thought he would be.

  "Why are you following me?" I snap at him, letting my fiery temper run wild with no leash.

  "Why did you run?"

  I laugh. Does he have a brain or a balloon between his ears? I mean, I know boys are stupid, but I didn't know that they were this stupid.

  "What's so funny?" he asks.

  "You."

  "I don't understand."

  "Of course you don't, let me spell it out for you because you obviously can't do it on your own. Your girlfriend calls you and I leave so that you two can be alone, we both know that if she saw a wolf then both of our packs would be screwed since wolves aren't supposed to live this far north, but then you ask me why I ran off. Maybe it's because I don't want to see my mate's tongue in some slut's mouth. You know what, I don't even care what you do at this point; if you want to screw up your future and your pack's future then go ahead, but I and my pack will stay out of it."

  "She's not my girlfriend, I actually appreciate some things like purity, my mate, and my wolf."

  His wolf? What does his wolf have to do with anything at the moment?

  "Excuse me, but I appreciate all those things too," I fire back.

  "Yea right," he replies snidely.

  "What do you mean by that? You first saw me in my wolf form, and I haven't slept with anyone."

  "I've been told that you are ungrateful for your wolf, that you would rather be a human than a werewolf."

  "Whoever said that lied. I love my wolf more than I could love another being, including you."

  That hurts. I feel tears coming up. How could I be ungrateful for my wolf? She has given me so much that it would be impossible to not be grateful. She is a big part of who I am and to ignore her would be an abomination. I turn and run, not caring to change again. I leave him there to realize that he is the dumbest person alive.

  I swear to the Moon Goddess to set this rumor straight. If it wants to act like a snake, then I will start at the head and cut it off with a single swift blow. Whoever started this nasty lie will not get away with it, I will see to it.

  3

  -Chris-

  I watch her as she runs away. My wolf wants to tear me apart, he won't even talk to me but I can feel his anger seeping out. As she said, I met her as her wolf first, so why the hell would she not appreciate her wolf. I have always thought that my dad would only tell the truth but this lie makes him fall from the grace I have put him on. She hurt me and I wanted to do the same to her, like a child. While I ran after her initially, I heard her say "Do I want him? Yes, just not right now." Our new mind link isn't strong enough for me to hear her now, but it was at that moment. That very second, she pulled my heart out of my chest and threw it into nothingness. But what if she had said more? What if I didn't hear it all? I shouldn't even be judging her for what she did say, those were her own personal thoughts and I don't think she meant to send them my way; during the time, I thought she might have just to get me to stop following her but she seemed shocked to see me, she didn't notice me.

  I don't dare to move until I see my Gamma and other best friend, Andre, finds me. He has a big bruise setting in on his face. I wonder how he got it, I bet it was by Dillon; those two can get into it, sometimes a little too rough. I mentally shrug it off, it would be healed soon anyway.

  "Chris, you okay bud?" he asks gingerly.

  My legs feel so weak like I have run a marathon, so I plop onto the damp forest ground. I let a few moments of silence go between us while I think about how much I really want to tell him.

  "I'm an idiot," I finally say. I figure that there is no better way to start this conversation than by saying that.

  "Yes, you are," he replies shortly after me.

  He sits down next to me and rubs at his face where the bruise is coming in clearly now.

  "What happened to your face? Run into a tree or something?" I inquire.

  "Well, I tried to stop that chick you were supposed to meet, Ashley, I think that is her name and the others. I must have had said the wrong thing because she punched me in the face and told me that she had no business here anymore and that I can go to hell."

  He might have said my name which is why she got mad at him.

  "Stop the others? What do you mean by that?"

  "They were leaving."

  "Who is they exactly? If you couldn't tell, I haven't been to the party yet, at least not since we first got here."

  "Her, her Beta and Gamma; I don't know their names though."

  "Okay, thanks for letting me know."

  "Why are you even out here? There is a party going on you know; one you put on, by the way."

  "I met my mate before you showed up."

  He pats me on the back, "that's great bro."