Chapter 1

Beep beep. Beep beep.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm and groaned loudly. After turning it off, I rolled back onto my back and squinted up towards the ceiling. Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I laid there and listened carefully for any signs of life around me. One of the best things about being a werewolf is our heightened sense of hearing. We can hear anyone's conversation up to five meters away, even through walls, doors, and floors.

Like every morning, I could hear raised voices coming from somewhere in the house. As I strained my ears once more, I realized it was my Dad and Julianne having yet another heated discussion. We had lived with Julianne and Louisa, for just over a year now, but recently, the last two or three months or so, Dad and Julianne had been arguing. And I mean a lot. Julianne was becoming unhappy with the increased amount of time my Dad now spent at the packhouse since being promoted to Gamma after the previous gamma had died in battle. Julianne, a healer, was upset to hear that my dad had become very close to Iona, the Female Lead Warrior. Dad always denied any wrongdoing with Iona, insisting that their relationship was purely business and in the greater interest of the pack. However, Julianne was convinced that my dad was having an affair, despite the lack of any evidence to support her claims.

As I sighed, I swung my legs out of bed and started making my way to the bathroom to get ready for school. When I opened my bedroom door, I was surprised to see Louisa, still dressed in her fluffy pajamas, leaning over the banister and gleefully listening to the commotion downstairs.

“What are you doing, Louisa?” I snarled angrily. “Can’t you just keep your nose out of other people’s business for once?”

“Good morning,” she sang cheerfully, ignoring my question. “It's another beautiful day, isn’t it? Another day my Mom despises your Dad. Hopefully, she will kick both of you out and I’ll finally have my Mom all to myself again!” Louisa smiled and then walked to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her, causing the house to shake gently.

"I'd rather be anywhere right now than in this house with you or your mother any day!" I muttered angrily before storming into the bathroom and out of sight.

I stormed over to the sink and began brushing my teeth and hair furiously while glaring angrily at my reflection. How dare she talk about me and my dad like that! Snarling, and pushing the thoughts of my even angrier wolf to the back of my mind, I rushed back to my room, still hearing snippets of angry conversation below me.

I hastily picked up a pair of blue jeans and a black vest top from my bedroom floor, quickly putting them on. After glancing in the mirror to check my outfit, I nodded in approval and grabbed my school bag. As I was about to leave the bedroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror once more. Even a year later, I still had the same long white-blonde hair and pale skin. My hair was no longer lank and limp, but voluminous and had a healthy shine to it. My nickname at school was "Ghost Girl," and all the kids would ask if anyone had seen a ghost when I walked by. I had hoped that now that my dad was third in command of our pack, the other school kids would back off and leave me alone. But if anything, it only made me more noticeable. I closed the bedroom door behind me and marched downstairs to see what fresh hell was happening now.

"I thought you loved me, Paul!" screeched Julianne loudly, her eyes brimming with tears. "What does she have that I don't?"

"I do love you, you silly cow! I wouldn't have married you otherwise!" my Dad protested loudly. "But I'm not going over this again, Julianne! I'm not having an affair. There's nothing going on between me and Iona!"

“I have been told that you have been seen getting close to her!” Julianne screeched, slamming her hand onto the table, making us all jump. “Have you kissed her? Have you slept with her!?”

“No! I have not kissed her!” My Dad yelled furiously, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. “I’m the Gamma for our pack, Jule. I train all of the warriors. Iona is one of the Lead warriors. I have to speak to her daily to train the other warriors!”

“Then why don’t you show me any attention or affection anymore!” Julianne wept. “I can’t remember the last time you ever made love to me. Is it because you still love Christine? She is dead Paul! She isn’t coming back!”

“I know she's gone! You don’t have to keep reminding me!” my dad snapped, holding his hand up toward me to shush my angry growls.“Don’t bring my deceased partner into this! I’m finished with this! I’m heading to work. I'll be back later, hopefully in a better mood, and we can talk then!”

Dad walked towards me, hugged me tightly, and gently kissed me on the head. He whispered, "I love you" into my ear before walking out the back door and slamming it loudly behind him. I turned around and glared at Julianne, who was calmly drying her eyes with a tissue and staring at the floor. For someone who had just been on the verge of tears and shaking with rage moments earlier, she seemed quite composed now. I watched as she walked towards the kitchen table to grab her phone before tapping out a message. Looking up at me, she smiled sweetly and pointed to her watch.

“Don’t you think it’s time you went to school?” she simpered. “Don’t want you being late now, do we? Now, run along and don’t worry about your Dad. We will sort it out. We always do.”

“What about Louisa?” I protested, pointing towards the kitchen door. “She is upstairs, and she’s not even dressed yet! And what’s going on with you two!? You’re always arguing lately. And what’s my Mother got to do with it?”

“Excuse me, young lady! Who do you think you are? Don’t you dare question me!” Julianne replied loudly, raising an eyebrow. “Louisa will be at school when she is ready. And it’s about time you kept your nose out of mine and your father’s business if you know what is good for you! I know your father still loves your mother and if I’m honest, it sickens me. She is dead and gone and you two had better get used to it. Now, get out of my house before I throw you out!”

Glaring at my step mum angrily in disgust, I grabbed my school bag off the table and stormed through the back door, slamming it loudly behind me, just like my dad had done moments earlier. Angry thoughts swirled around my head like an angry sea fog, but I knew one thing.

'Things needed to change around here and fast!'