Chapter 1

Rhea PoV

I’d never My head throbbed as I rolled over in bed, I swear I could still hear the music blearing from last night's celebration of my eighteenth birthday, my brothers Nathaniel, Lewis and I sneaking some much-needed alcohol. Though, I regretted my first taste of the devil juice as I tried to sit up, my stomach lurching painfully. I gagged and ran to the toilet connected to my room, emptying what was left in my stomach as I groaned, how did I let them convince me that whiskey was a good idea?

Ugh, I was so stupid. I flushed the toilet once I was sure nothing else was going to make an appearance from my stomach, quickly jumping in the shower and brushing my teeth.

I dried off just as quickly, glancing at myself in the mirror with a smile on my face, I had long wavy mousy brown hair and teal eyes, my pale skin littered with freckles. I wondered if I would change once I got my wolf, most wolves did, their key features became more prominent, their skin healthier.

I glanced down at my petite body and small breasts, laughing slightly, I hoped that they would get bigger once I was developed fully, I wanted curves like the others that were my age. I wanted to be beautiful.

I know I wasn’t exactly ugly, I mean, I already had offers of a chosen mate from last night, the men of the pack knowing that I would my wolf come the next full moon.

But I wanted to moon goddess to gift me with a soulmate, I wanted the connection my mother and father, the Alpha and Luna had. I wanted to become one with another soul, their life connected to mine, our hearts beating as one.

A chosen mate wasn’t exactly a bad thing, it worked for some, but I didn’t want that. I wanted so much more.

I guess I was looking for the fairytale dream, I wished for the purest form of passion and lust, the protectiveness and knowing that my mate was mine and mine alone.

I dragged myself away from the mirror and stepped into my walk-in closet, picking out a simple yellow dress with a high neckline and lace sleeves, I pulled it over my head before tying my hair into a messy bun, I wasn’t going anywhere today, so I decided to go to breakfast without shoes, I had no need for them, all they did was confine your feet. I hated the way they felt constricting, only wearing them when I had to leave pack grounds and go into the human city. Which wasn’t often.

My room was decorated in a soft yellow, my bedding the same shade as the walls, the furniture was all made of wood, apart from the yellow armchair by the window where I read on an evening. I smiled to myself, I wondered if my mate would like the colour yellow as well, it always seemed to sooth me, it made me feel warm and content.

Shaking away the thought, I made my way down to the kitchen, we lived to the side of our territory in a large mansion with five floors, the top floor being for the alpha, his Luna and their children, so my siblings and I. There was seven of us, which wasn’t too unusual, Alpha’s needed to bare enough children to ensure they had an heir, which was of course the males, daughters like me would be sent to other territories to be mated to a different Alpha, that’s why those who came to ask to mark me last night were all rejected. My father told me last night that he already had someone in mind for me, and I trusted him I knew that he had my best interests at heart, just like he did for my brothers and sisters. Though secretly I hoped that I would meet my soulmate before then and we could mark each other, that way I wouldn’t have to be given away like other women, I would have someone that was mine and mine alone.

Anyway, the oldest of us was Nathaniel, he would be the next Alpha of our pack, the white moon. He was 21 and gained his wolf on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, he was lucky that his landed on the full moon, something that was rare. He looked just like my father, raven black hair and Icy blue eyes. Though to be fair, I was the only one who didn’t look like father, I looked like my mother instead, my soft features, high cheekbones, mousy brown hair and teal green eyes matching hers.

Next was Lewis, he had turned 19 three weeks ago, he got his wolf three months after his birthday, which wasn’t bad, I knew some that didn’t transform for the first time and gain their wolf until after their seventeenth birthday. I just hope I wasn’t one of them.

Then after me theirs the twins Isaac and Dylan, they turn 13  in a few months near Christmas. They are the most annoying hyperactive boys I know, but I still love them. Younger than them theirs Lilly and Joseph, twins again, though non identical and definitely not the same sex. They were six and I wouldn’t change either of them for anything, I loved them with all my heart. They were sweat and kind, always getting into trouble, but all pups did when they were young, alpha kin or not they were still kids. They again, looked like our father, which was strange, you’d think that Lilly would be like me and take after our mother, but surprisingly she didn’t. Just me.

By the time I walked into the dining room everyone was already here, including mother and father and the beta wolf and his wife and children. Which wasn’t unusual, we tended to have breakfast together every day. I mean, the Beta was my fathers younger brother Kendrick and therefore his two children Samantha and Liam were family. I smiled sweetly as I walked around the table, kissing 5 year old Liams head and messing up the seven year old Sam’s hair, which she immediately corrected and scowled at me. I rounded the table and kissed the youngest twins on the head as I walked by, fist bumping the teenaged before I got to my seat between Lewis and Dylan.

We sat in age to order at every meal, i down know why, it was just the way things were done. Not that I minded, I was used to it, it was the way things were done and I wasn’t going to change it. I loved breakfast with the family. It was hilarious.

Father looked directly at me as he called for the omegas to bring our breakfast, filling the large table with pastries, pancakes, bacon, sausage, egg and toast. It was a lot, but our kind tended to eat quite a lot, especially when you gained your wolf. We were all about to tuck in when father raised his hand and stopped us as he raised his nose and sniffed the air, I immediately tensed when the black eyes of his wolf locked on me. Oh no.

“Rhea would you mind telling me why you smell like alcohol?” He growled, and I immediately dropped my eyes, the strength behind his words forcing me to submit. “Answer me!”

I glanced at Lewis beside me who had gone pale, knowing that Nathaniel would be the same, they broke the rules by letting me drink before my wolf came, but it had been one of the best nights of my life minus the raging hangover. I couldn’t tell on them. They were my brothers. But would father see through my lies? I was a terrible liar and my brothers knew that, everyone knew that. I had hoped the shower and mint toothpaste would get rid of most of the smell. But nothing got past the alpha.

“Dad, I wanted to try it.” I whispered, keeping my eyes on the table, mapping every dent and pattern in the wood. “I only meant to have a taste but I got carried away.”

My father growled again, slamming his hand on the table and making everyone jump, including mum. “What were you thinking?! You are underage! Do you even release that you could have postponed the transformation by consuming that shit?!”

I shook my head, but it was mother that spoke up, her tone as soothing and soft as ever. “Love she is sixteen now, you know how rebellious and curious you were at that age.”

“Yes but I am a man!” My dad yelled, yanking his hand from my mother’s. “Rhea you know your duties to your pack and your family and yet you do something as reckless as this!”

“Dad I didn’t mea…”

“Enough!” He roared as he stood with enough force that his chair crashed into the wall three feet behind him. He stormed out of the dining room, with the Luna chasing after him. “What did I do to be given such a useless daughter from the moon goddess!”