Le-ww0417-1

1 ~The Beginning~ {Warning: This story is complete fiction. Please note that some chapters may contain triggers for some people, including adult scenes, domestic abuse, both sexual and physical, and some strong language. (I do not condone or glorify any violence or abuse of any kind.) Please read at your own discretion, as contented chapters will not be marked.} KATNISS I walk around the Royal training field, watching and teaching some of the younger warriors. I correct a stance here and there to some while giving encouragement to others. I may be the Luna of the Royal HighClaw pack and the Queen of Werewolves, but I am a warrior born and redefined. I am a 22-year-old female warrior werewolf. I am 5’5" with olive skin, long black hair with silver streaks and deep green eyes. My life has been anything but simple or normal, and it all started when my mother met her second chance mate, and my stepbrother entered my life. My name is Katniss Kingsley. This is my story, though it’s not for those faint of heart. HOW IT ALL STARTED… My father, Dante Walker, and my mother, Callie Walker, were High Warriors for the Crescent Moon Warriors, working directly under Gamma Ryan Beckett. Unfortunately, when I was four, my father was killed protecting our Alpha, Carlos Cooper, from a Rogue attack while en-route to the neighbouring Pack, The Moon Guardians. Two years later, when I was six, my mother found her second chance mate in Beta Jasper Sylvan of the Crimson Shadows pack. My mother was Beta Jasper's second chance as well, so he had a 10-year-old son of his own, Langdon. The first 6 years were good, we were all happy, and other than the normal small bruises here and there as siblings play, my stepbrother seemed to love me as a real sister. However, something in Langdon changed when he got his wolf, Vaskun, and shifted at 16. His playfulness seemed to dissipate, and he always seemed to need to be close to me in a slightly different way, while adding to his brotherly protectiveness, and it seemed to get worse after he turned 18. We were both friends with the Alpha family, as the Beta family usually is; however, Langdon was much closer to Alpha Lukan’s twin sons, Bryden and Brody, and our Gamma Christos’s son, Joseph, as he grew up with them. Though he had many other friends throughout the pack as well. Even at 18, Brydon is a typical Alpha at 6’4" with amber eyes. He has golden, tanned skin and black hair with blonde streaks, which he has cut short on the sides and long over the top. His wolf’s name was Mortas. Brody, being Brydon’s twin, is, of course, the same age and nearly an identical image; the only difference in their appearance is that he has red and gold blonde streaks running through his hair. His wolf’s name was Mike. The only other difference was their scents; Brydon’s scent was a soft but distinct scent of Rainforest, whereas Brody’s was a little more masculine scent of Cedar and Sage. Joseph was also 18; he takes after his father; he’s 6'1" with golden tanned skin that covers defined muscle. He has hazel eyes and a Mint, Lemon and Woody scent. His wolf’s name was Elio. My best and only real friend was Alpha Lukan’s daughter and the twins’ little sister, Richell. Though Richell has other friends, she has been mine since my mother met and moved us to this pack to be with my stepfather. I found it a little hard to make other friends, as most of the other females were either intimidated by my close friendship with the Alpha family or believed I didn’t belong in their Beta family, as I was born a warrior's daughter. Sometimes I wondered if Langdon’s possessive over-protection might have also had a part in why most people avoided me. Anyway, Richell is slightly taller than me at 5’10". She is, however, entirely different from her twin brothers, with shoulder-length red hair and green-blue eyes, and her wolf’s name was Carey. After he shifted, Langdon and Joseph joined the Alpha twins, Brydon and Brody, at the Werewolf Academy for Alphas, Betas, and Gammas, giving them extra study and experience mixing with other packs and their next leaders. ------- LANGDON It had been just me and my father, Jasper Sylvan, for my entire life, as my mother, Tanya Sylvan, had died just after I was born, so when my father came home from visiting the Crescent Moon Warriors, with his second chance mate Callie Walker and her 6-year-old daughter, Katniss, it turned my whole world upside-down. When my father introduced me to Katniss, she was a bundle of energy, and her delicate Lavender and Strawberry scent drew me to her. With the appearance of Callie and Katniss, it was surprising how much my father changed, and we slipped into a comfortable life as a family. My father, Callie and Alpha Lukan were overly surprised when I got my wolf, Vaskun and shifted at the age of 16. Alpha Lukan said it was a sign that I would become a strong Beta for his sons, Brydon and Brody, when they took over as Alphas of our pack. I had been staying at the packhouse for a few days under Alpha Lukan’s request, so when I returned home, Katniss ran out of the front door and nearly knocked me off my feet, jumping into my arms and hugging me tight. I returned the hug, but something had changed, and when I had taken a deep breath, Vaskun went nuts in my head. Later that night, as I lay in bed, Vaskun was pacing in my head, giving me a headache and causing my cock to throb painfully. After over an hour of this, I had had enough and snapped at him. [‘Vas, what the hell is wrong with you?’] [‘Katniss, is ours. She needs my scent on her. Go; do it now.’] [‘But Vas, she is our sister…’] [‘Don’t care. Claim her now.’] Without any warning, Vaskun pushed me back and took control. I watched as he used my body, got out of bed, walked out of my room, down the hall and into Katniss’ room. I managed to keep him from doing anything other than standing in the shadows and breathing in her scent before making him return to my room. The attraction Vaskun and I felt toward my stepsister felt strange and wrong, but when I noticed 6 months later that other young males were looking at her with lust and desire, especially in school, it caused other voices to start whispering. {‘She’s ours…’} {‘No one’s allowed to touch her…’} {‘No one’s allowed to be near her…’} {‘Protect her…’) {‘Take her…’} {‘Claim her…’} {‘Make her ours…’} These voices were possessive and obsessive; however, I managed to resist the voices' influence and control Vaskun, keeping to the shadows of her room over the next two years by concentrating on my Beta training and maintaining a selection of she-wolves, especially Jezebel Waldon, a high warrior's daughter close. While at school during the day, I would hang out with Brydon and Brody and our other friends while letting Vaskun have the fun he wanted with willing females like Jezebel, who always seemed to come back for more, no doubt wanting the Beta female position when my father stepped down and handed over his title. However, I couldn’t stop Vaskun as the voices kept insisting that we keep our scent on Katniss or when he discreetly threatened every male within the school and pack, so that no one would even think about taking her away from us. When I turned 18, everything increased. Vaskun wanted Katniss even more, and just standing in the shadows taking in her scent didn’t seem enough now. So I stepped everything up with Jezebel when I wasn’t at the Werewolf Academy with random she-wolves, when I was, to carve my wolf's sexual tension. I managed to control both Vaskun and the possessive voices until Katniss turned 16, and then just standing in the shadows wasn’t enough, though I never touched her, I gave in and lay on the bed next to her, the close proximity working to calm them. I also started sparring with her on the weekends I was home from the Academy; however, I don’t know what it was, but two weeks after Katniss’ birthday, Vaskun was restless as Katniss entered our family kitchen smiling. She gave me a quick hug before opening the fridge and saying casually. ‘Richell and I are going to the mall to meet some friends. Tell Mum and Dad I’ll be back later.’ I don’t know what it was, whether it was the thought of her going out with friends who may be teenage males or the fact that she hadn’t told either Mum or Dad, but all I saw was red. Even though she was in a pair of jeans and a short-cut blouse, I grabbed her hand as she closed the fridge and turned to leave. I pulled her out of the back and growled. ‘You’re sparing with me first. You manage to hit me three times, and I will drive you and Richell to the mall to meet your friends.’ She seemed a little reluctant as she looked down at her clothes. I let out a little chuckle before saying. ‘Little sis. A warrior fights no matter what they are wearing. If you can only fight in leggings and a sports top, then you shouldn’t even consider yourself a warrior…’ I knew that what I said would get under her skin, as she had done nothing but state that she wanted to be a warrior just like her birth father. It worked as she stepped back a little and slipped into her defensive position. I just stand there and then nod, giving her the opportunity to attack me. She takes it, and I block her easily. She steps back and attacks again, which I block again, except this time I return the attack, catching her in the side of the ribs, and say. ‘You left your side open. If this were a real fight and I had my claws out, it would have done serious damage.’ I let go, and she whimpers as she rubs her side a couple of times before returning to her defensive stance and then coming at me again. This time, she managed to connect with my abdomen and with a fair amount of force. However, this just worked Vaskun up even more, and before I realise he has taken part control and as she tries to punch me in the jaw, he grabs her wrist, pulls her a little closer and gives her a backhanded slap. I couldn’t explain it when a sudden wave of pleasure and satisfaction ran through me. We continued, and with each contact, that pleasure and satisfaction grew. Katniss, in the end, managed to hit me three times, and as promised, after we cleaned up, I drove her and Richell to meet their friends at the mall. After that first sparring match, I started looking forward to coming home even more, especially after I got my father’s and Callie’s permission to continue teaching her privately. However, instead, I used the sparring with her to exert my control and dominance over her. 2 ~Substitution & Controlling Dominance~ After dropping Katniss and Richell at the mall, the unexpected pleasure from sparing was still buzzing in my body, and though Vaskun and the voices only wanted Katniss, I knew that we couldn’t have her yet, so instead of going home, I made my way to the packhouse. I pull my truck up in front of the packhouse, kill the engine and then reach over to open the glove box. I reach inside and move my hand around amongst the contents, knowing that there should be one in there somewhere. I smile as I feel the smoothness of the foil packaging and pull out a werewolf condom. As I undo my zipper on my pants, I make a mental note to restock my glove box, as I always keep a few in there for times out with either Jezebel or other she-wolves I pick up at the Academy from time to time. As a wolf, its primal instinct is to reproduce, and the feeling of a normal human condom made the wolf inside feel constricted and rebel against using them. So, werewolves designed a special condom for werewolves. It was created to feel non-constricting for the male and not there for the she-wolf. I smile as the only way for a she-wolf to realise that the male is actually wearing one of these condoms was to see them put it on. I rip open the foil packet open pull out the thin rubber circle, and slide it onto my hard, throbbing cock before tucking it back inside my pants and pulling up the zipper. Once I’m straightened out, I step out of my truck, enter the packhouse and make my way up to the High Warrior family’s floor. I knock on the Warrior Waldon family door and smile as Jezebel opens it. Jezebel’s eyes go wide when I move quickly, sliding my hand behind the back of her neck and pulling her forward, slamming my lips to hers as I wrap my other arm around her back and pull her close, rubbing my throbbing cock against her. Jezebel whimpers and moans into my dominant kiss, and as I take a step, she jumps slightly, wrapping her legs around my waist, allowing me to then freely walk through her family’s suite to her bedroom. I kick the door shut before reaching behind me and locking it. Not able to wait any longer, I slide my hand from her waist, along her thigh and up under her skirt. I stop for just a second at the thin waist strap at her hip before hooking it around my fingers and pulling, ripping it from her body, causing her to let out a surprised gasp. I then lift her a little, allowing me to curl my arm under her and reach my pants. I undo them and allow my hard, throbbing cock to fall free. I use my hand to line it up with her entrance so that as I lower her to the bed, I slide inside her. She moans into my dominant kiss as a groan rumbles through my chest at the pleasure. As soon as I’m settled deep inside her, I can’t control myself, I pull back my hips and thrust them forward hard, slamming my cock deep inside her again. I thrust into her again and again, increasing my thrusts harder and faster until my balls tighten and my shaft swells. I break my kiss as Jezebel screams. ‘… LANGDON!…’ Her body tenses as her pussy tightens and then pulses around my cock as her body shakes, causing my cock to swell even more. I bite my lip to stop Katniss’s name from leaving my lips as my release explodes into the werewolf condom, and I groan low. I collapse over her, skimming my lips, softly nipping and sucking up and down her neck. She lets out a soft moan and tilts her head a little more to the side, exposing the junction between her neck and shoulder where mate marks are placed. She slips her hands into my hair and tries to discreetly guide me to that marking spot. I know she was pissed when we both turned 18, and she found out she wasn’t my mate, though each time I her, she keeps trying to convince me to mark her as my chosen. Though most werewolves can tell who their mate is once they turn 18, even if their mate isn’t; however, though Vaskun is adamant that there is a connection to Katniss, he just can’t confirm that she is our fated mate. So, we have to wait until Katniss turns 18 to find out. Once my breathing has returned to normal, I push up only on my hands and smile down at Jezebel as I say. ‘As satisfying as usual, babe.’ I then let out a low groan as I pull my hips back, and her pussy continues to pulse around my cock. Once my cock slips from inside her, I straighten and walk over to and into her bathroom. I slip off the werewolf condom and drop it into her wastebasket before using the toilet and washing my hands. I have never once not used a werewolf condom with any of the she-wolves I have had sex with. Though a male can tell when a female is entering their heat and can prepare accordingly, however, she-wolves are still half-human, so there is a very small chance that they can conceive a pup outside their heat, but it can and has happened. I walk out of her bathroom and through her room, glancing at her still lying on the bed as I say. ‘Gotta go…’ A smirk pulls at my lips at the stunned look on her face as I leave her there and walk out of her room, through her family’s suite, out the door and back down through the packhouse to my truck still parked out front. I get in and start my truck. I take off heading back home, so I can restock my duffel for my return to the Werewolf Academy … -------- KATNISS When I turned 16, I got my wolf, Kandra. I was excited as I will spend the next 2 years bonding with her before I shift and find my mate at 18. My mother and stepfather, along with Alpha Lukan, threw me a surprise Sweet 16 birthday party at the packhouse. The day after my birthday party, I managed to convince both Alpha Lukan, my mother and my stepfather to let me sign up for warrior training. Being the daughter of two High Warriors, I wanted to follow in their footsteps and maybe be able to protect myself a little. I felt free on the training field. It was like I was where I was meant to be, and it made me feel a little closer to my real father. I felt like he would have been proud of me as I surprised everyone and quickly worked my way up through the warrior ranks, under Gamma Christos Fox’s guidance. Once my 16th birthday passed and Langdon had shifted, something seemed to have changed in him, and whenever he was home, and our parents were busy, he was more controlling, asserting a dominance over me I didn’t understand. This is also around the time he started sneaking into my room, and I would wake up with him just lying next to me during the night. Shaking off the strangeness that was my stepbrother, I focused on my schooling and training, working to become stronger with Kandra. I prided myself on being able to fight and put nearly every high-warrior on their arse or their face on the training field. Two weeks after I had started training, Langdon started coming home on the weekends, and after a quick spar to get him to take me to the mall, he convinced me to spar with him each time he was home. However, it didn’t feel like he was sparing with me to increase my fighting skill or to teach me his technique; it felt like he was punishing me. He would use his new controlling dominance, blaming any bruise or mark on our sparring practice. With Langdon at the Werewolf Academy during the week, I got a little more freedom at school; however, thanks to Langdon’s over-protectiveness, I was still bullied, especially by Langdon’s passing girlfriends, the Cheer Captain, Jezebel Waldon, her Varsity Captains, Grace Devika and twin sisters Mandie and Jamie Tarrant. Jezebel was Langdon’s, Mandie and Jamie were the Alpha twins, and Grace was Joseph’s most frequent and devoted toys. Even though I was just Langdon’s little stepsister, Jezebel, Grace, Mandie and Jamie still saw me as a threat to what they had with Langdon, Joseph, Brydon and Brody, though Jezebel could have Langdon for all I cared because when he was with her, his strange over-protectiveness left me alone. I found it funny that Jezebel, Grace, Mandie and Jamie were all on the cheer team and yet they didn’t graduate with Langdon and had to repeat a year to be able to continue cheerleading at the college. ------ When Brodon, Brody, Langdon and Joseph all turned 21, they graduated and returned from the Werewolf Academy. Alpha Lukan and Luna Diana, along with my mother, organised a big 21st birthday celebration. Excited for my friends, my mother and Luna Diana spent the day before the celebration out shopping with Richell and me. We picked up a nice dress each for the formal part of the twins' celebration. Unfortunately, Richell and I were still only 17 and couldn’t attend the extra celebration after, though I was sure that Richell would convince me later to sneak in with her and try at least a glass of the wolf alcohol. With the way my mother and Luna Diana were acting, I had a feeling that it was going to be something more than just a birthday celebration for the twins, and I was right when we arrived the night of the celebration, Alpha Lukan surprised everyone by announcing that he was stepping down and passing the Alpha position to both his sons. The only thing I wasn’t expecting was for my stepfather to also surprise us by stepping down as the Beta of the Crimson Shadow pack and passing his title to Langdon. Gamma Christos decided that Joseph would go into the Royal HighClaw pack’s Elite Gamma training program for a year and then return to accept the title of Gamma. When all the official ceremonies were completed and the birthday toasts and speeches had been given, while all pups under 18 were sent home, Richell and I were sent up to Richell's room to do whatever, so that the real celebration could begin. With me being 17 and Langdon now the acting Beta, my mother and stepfather started doing a little more travelling, representing the Crimson Shadows Pack while they were away. Four months before my 18th birthday, Langdon dropped me off at school, where I met up with Richell as usual. As we walked the hall heading to homegroup, the chatter was overexcited, and everyone seemed to be only talking about dresses and makeup as if the senior prom was just around the corner. I looked at Richell, and she smiled as she casually said. ‘My brothers announced this morning that they received this year's invite to the Alpha King’s Mating Ball.’ I let out an annoyed sigh. There was always a big hype over and around the Alpha King’s Mating Ball. The Alpha King’s Mating Ball is an event that the Alpha King holds every year for unmated males and females from different packs to mingle and find their fated mates who would, under normal circumstances, be unattainable. Rumours through the packs were that Alpha King Kingsley was the youngest of the Royal Alpha Bloodline to take the throne at the age of 16, after his father was killed protecting him and his mother. Alpha Kingsley was deemed the most handsome and god-like Alpha King ever, though he was also the most unapproachable male to sit on the Royal throne. He is now 25 years old, standing at 6’8 with dark brown skin, light brown cropped hair and rare grey eyes. Within those rumours was that he hadn’t found his fated mate, and no matter how hard the council of elders pushed, he would not accept a chosen for his Queen. Due to their constant pushing after Alpha Kingsley had turned 18, his mother created the mating ball for him when he had turned 20. Unfortunately, the Queen was then killed in a rogue attack soon after while he was attending another mating ball located outside the kingdom’s territory. On the other side of his personality, he is also rumoured to be the most cruellest, barbaric, ruthless, merciless, remorseless, wicked, rough, vulgar and savagely rude Alpha male within the country. I sigh as others fantasise about being his Queen for the power, wealth and status. I didn’t dream of high status, fame or fortune by mating into it. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to work my way up and become the best warrior I could, and maybe even be one of the first females to make the Elite Delta Warriors unit within the Royal pack. Earning my high-ranked status and the fame or fortune that goes with it. So I ignored all the chatter and giggles and focused on my schoolwork as I only had a few months to go before graduating. Which was made easier when Jezebel, Grace, Mandie and Jamie all graduated early after they found their fated mates at the Alpha King’s Mating Ball. 3 ~Tragedy Strikes~ Six weeks before my 18th birthday, my mother pulled me into a meeting with Luna Diana to discuss what kind of party I wanted for my 18th birthday celebration. I knew that the whole pack would be invited; however, I opted for something simple. I didn’t want anything over the top. I may have been a Beta thanks to my mother's mating to Jasper; however, I was still my father's daughter. I was a warrior. Over the next two weeks, I went to school and then to the packhouse to help with the planning of my birthday. Unfortunately, Jasper was called into Alpha Brydon’s office, and then both my mother and Jasper were sent to the Swift Canines Pack to negotiate an alliance with the old, opinionated Alpha. Two weeks later, during a quiet study period, Kandra whimpered in my head, and I suddenly felt an emptiness inside me that I couldn’t explain. I gave my chest a little rub, and it seemed to settle. I then refocused on my studies. Just after school finished for the day, I was heading to the packhouse to meet with Luna Diana when Brydon and Brody opened the pack link to both Langdon and I. [‘Katniss. Langdon. Come to the Alpha office immediately.’] Without waiting for a reply, they cut the link and left me wondering what could have happened. However, as soon as I entered the packhouse, I knew that something was wrong. I headed through the entry and up the stairs to the Alpha’s office. I stood outside the closed door, lifted my hand and hesitated. Before I could find the courage to knock, the door opened, and I came face to face with Brody, who had a look on his face that made me want to back away from him and run. However, I didn’t run. As Brody stepped back, I stepped into the Alpha office, and as I walked slowly forward, I looked around and saw Langdon standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Alpha Lukan and Luna Diana sitting on the long couch in the office's casual sitting area, and it looked like Luna Diana was crying. I looked at Brydon, and just like Brody, the expression on his face made me want to turn and run. I watched as Brydon stood and walked slowly around his desk. Tears stung my eyes, and I took a step back, shaking my head, whispering. ‘No, no, no, no… Don’t… Please…’ Even in my state of shock, I heard the low warning growl that came from Langdon’s position by the window as Brydon grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest as he whispered next to my ear. ‘I’m so sorry, Kat. There was nothing we could do. It was so unexpected…’ I stepped back, pulling out of Brydon’s arms, tears blurring my sight as I looked around the office. I shook my head again, steeling myself as I whispered. ‘What was unexpected?…’ ‘They came out of nowhere… They hit the convoy an hour after they left the Swift Canines Pack…’ ‘Who?’ ‘Rogues…’ The word Rogue hit me like a freight train, and the tears I was fighting slipped down my cheeks. I don’t see him move, but just as my knees give way, two strong arms wrap around me, turning and pulling me into another firm chest. As I’m surrounded by Langdon’s scent of Pine and Nutmeg, I grip onto his shirt and sob into his chest. ‘No, no, no, no… Please, Lang. Please. Tell me. They’re fine… Please. Tell me it’s a joke… Tell me they will be home soon…’ Langdon tightens his arms around me and buries his face in my neck, taking deep breaths as his chest vibrates, and his shoulders shake as he whimpers. ‘I-I’m sorry, l-little s-sis… I c-can’t…’ I can’t stop it as a loud sobbing scream leaves my lips, and my legs give out completely. Langdon follows me down to the floor, keeping his arms wrapped tight around me as I cry. As my sobs calm, I feel Langdon lift his head, and I feel his chest vibrate as he says. ‘What happened?’ I hear Brydon take a deep breath, but it is Brody that answers. ‘From what we understand. Their SUV was surrounded and then separated from the convoy before being run off the road. The SUV hit the side gravel and flipped. The report was that they survived the actual crash…’ I froze, tensing in Langdon’s arms, a sliver of hope that if they survived the crash, then they would be okay and on their way home. However, Brydon’s next words make that hope crumble. ‘As they climbed out of the SUV, they were then surrounded by an unidentified number of rogues. Report says at least five rogues were found killed before Callie and your father were overpowered…’ He didn’t need to say it, but he swallowed, took a deep breath and continued. ‘Their bodies were found. Jasper had his hands bound and his throat ripped out. Callie was found a little further away…’ Brydon pauses for just a moment before lowering his voice to a bare whisper. ‘The report stated that, knowing rogues, they most likely raped Callie in front of Jasper, making him watch before killing her and then him.’ Hearing that, my face pales, the room starts to spin, and their voices muffle as darkness quickly surrounds me and pulls me in with a welcoming hand. -------- LANGDON I feel the moment Katniss passes out in my arms. I look at the others, and though I am upset that my father and Callie were ambushed and killed by rogues, I suppress a smile as I don’t feel any deep grief at the loss. I actually feel a sense of relief. I still have to be careful and keep my restraint on Vaskun tight until I can talk to Alpha Lukan. I slide my arm under her knees and pull her close to my chest as I get back to my feet. I turn and face Alpha Lukan, knowing that any pup under 18 that loses their parents automatically falls under the guardianship of the Alpha. I bow my head slightly as I say. ‘I’m going to put her to bed in one of the nearby guest rooms, and when I return, I would like to put in the paperwork to become her legal guardian.’ The office was silent, even Alpha Lukan didn’t say a word, only nodded his acknowledgement before I turned, unlocked and opened the door. I carried Katniss up the stairs to the Beta suite, thinking that something familiar would make it a little easier for Katniss when she wakes. I walk through our suite, and for the first time, it feels cold and empty. I carry Katniss into her bedroom and lay her on her bed, grabbing a spare blanket and draping it over her. Vaskun and the possessive voices are bombarding the inside of my head. I straighten as a smirk pulls at my lips, and I say to a growling Vaskun. [‘Relax, mate. No one will take her from us, her grief, her birthday in two weeks and no parents around to interfere. She will be ours permanently soon.] Two days later, we had a funeral pyre for my father and Callie. I had to practically hold Katniss up after losing her father to Rogues and now her mother. I could feel that her grief ran deep inside her. However, I did love the fact that she sought comfort in my presence, as it kept Vaskun calm and the possessive voices silent. Brydon had given me a month off my full Beta duties to grieve the loss of my father and stepmother. A week before Katniss’ birthday, Alpha Lukan called me into his personal office. Once I had taken a seat in front of him, he informed me that Brydon, Brody and he had done an extensive search and could find no other living relatives on Katniss’ mother’s side. Alpha Lukan placed a small pile of documents in front of me, and with a small smile pulling at the corner of my lips, I read through them, placed the pile back on his desk and signed my name at the bottom. Vaskun was prancing and practically purring in my head as Alpha Langdon had actually granted me legal guardianship of Katniss until she was 21 or found her fated mate. This was great, we had the house to ourselves, and as soon as Katniss was 18 and I found out she was my mate, I would claim her. Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long as I realised that Alpha Lukan had added his own little condition to the guardian contract. Vaskun growled in my head at Alpha Lukan's clause that if I took guardianship of Katniss, we had to relocate back into the Beta suite within the packhouse. It wasn’t what I had planned for, but to keep Katniss close, I will do as required. For the next week, I played the part of the caring brother and helped Luna Diana finish the preparations for Katniss’s birthday celebration. The night before her birthday, Katniss and I had been watching movies, and she had, like every night since our parents' passing, fallen asleep leaning against my shoulder. At the end of the movie, I turned off the TV, picked her up and carried her back to her bed. I was surprised when, after I had covered her with her blanket, her hand reached out and grabbed my wrist before she opened her red-rimmed eyes and whispered. ‘Stay with me, please.’ Not one to pass up a chance to be near her, I nod my head, and after she let my wrist go, I walked to the other side of the bed, pulled my shirt off along with my sweatpants, leaving me in my boxers and slipped into the bed next to her. Vaskun howled in happiness when Katniss moved of her own accord, draping her arm over my abdomen and resting her head on my chest. Her soft voice startles me as she asks. ‘Is this okay?’ I hesitantly wrap my arm around her and tighten it as I lift my head just a little and press my lips to the top of her head and whisper. ‘Yes, Kat, it’s fine. Go back to sleep. I’ve got you…’ I slip into a peaceful sleep with a small smile on my face, my arms wrapped around Katniss and Vaskun curled up purring in the back of my mind... 4 ~A Gift From Mother~ KATNISS It was just the two of us in our family home while Alpha Lukan tried to find any other close relative. Unfortunately, he didn’t find any, and as Langdon had shown interest in my guardianship, Alpha allowed it with one condition, and that was that we moved back into the Beta suite within the packhouse. Langdon seemed to be disappointed and disagreed with this requirement. However, it was the only way Alpha Lukan would accept giving my full guardianship over to him; he had to agree. A week before my birthday, we moved from our Beta house to the Beta suite within a couple of hours. My mother and Jasper’s stuff that wasn’t thrown out or donated would be set aside to be placed in storage. I know it was probably strange when Langdon started sleeping next to me after I turned 16, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it then or not; however, these last few weeks, since our parents were killed, I have found comfort in his closeness and scent. The night before my birthday, Langdon treated me to a nice home-cooked dinner of steak and roast veg before we settled on the couch in the small sitting area and watched movies. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I vaguely remember being lifted into his arms and him carrying me to my room before placing me on my bed. I was surprised by the grief that flooded me when he pulled my blanket over me, straightened and turned to leave my room. I quickly grabbed his wrist and stopped him as I whispered. ‘Stay with me, please.’ He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. I let his wrist go and watched as he walked around to the other side of my bed, stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to me. I turn over and am unsure if I should or if he would allow it. I move closer and lean my head on his chest as I drape my arm over his abdomen. I feel him tense and tilt my head up to look at him as I whisper. ‘Is this okay?’ He hesitates again before wrapping his arm around me and pulling me tighter against him as he places a soft kiss on the top of my head and whispers. ‘Yes, Kat, it’s fine. Go back to sleep. I’ve got you…’ With his familiar scent surrounding me, I quickly drift back into sleep. However, my sleep is a little restless with flashes of a white wolf, a large midnight black wolf with glowing gold eyes and an aura so powerful it feels a little suffocating… ----- When I wake the next morning, I’m still in Langdon’s arms, and he is already awake and smiling down at me. He places a kiss on the top of my head and whispers. ‘Happy Birthday, Little Sis…’ ‘Thank you, Lang.’ I look to the door and expand Kandra’s heightened hearing, waiting to hear my mother walk down the hall. When I’m met by silence, I glance around the room and remember that we are not at the Beta house anymore and that my mother won’t be walking down the hall or entering my room to wake me up so that we can spend the day shopping together. Not wanting to break down in front of Langdon again, I moved quickly, practically jumping out of bed and running into my bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me. Just as I turn on the water for the shower, a soft knock sounds on the door, followed by Langdon's rough voice. ‘Kat, are you okay?’ I step back over and lean my forehead against the door as I choke back a sob and whisper. ‘I’m okay. I just need a minute. I’ll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast.’ ‘Okay. Remember, I’m here if you need me. Little sis.’ ‘Thanks, Lang.’ I close my eyes, still fighting the tears as I listen to his footsteps slowly fade before I step back from the door, strip off my nightwear and step under the water. As soon as the warm water hits me, I can’t keep them at bay any more, and the tears slip from my eyes and steam down my cheeks. I let the sobs rake through my body as I slowly wash, hoping that this wave of grief will pass by the time I have finished. Once I have turned off the water, stepped out and dried myself, my tears have at least stopped. I don’t bother looking in the mirror as I know what the female looking back at me will look like, and walk out of my bathroom and into my closet. I pick out a matching underwear set, some light blue jeans and a simple purple blouse. I walk out of the closet and lay the clothes on my bed, and then get dressed. Once dressed, I take one more deep breath and walk out of my room, down the small hall and into the kitchen. I sit on one of the stools at the kitchen bench just as Langdon places a plate of egg, bacon and toast in front of me. Just as I had forced the last of my breakfast into my mouth, there was a knock on the door. I looked over at Langdon, who looked at me with a slight smile and nodded toward the door. Confused, I frowned, but got to my feet and walked to the door. I opened it and stood there with my mouth and eyes wide open until I heard her familiar voice. ‘Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. Now I know that your mother used to take you out for a shopping and bonding day...’ She paused as sadness filled her eyes, and her tone when she hesitantly continued. ‘I… Um… I know that I’m not your mother, but I.. I thought that maybe you, Richell and I could go for a trip to the mall and then maybe the spa to get ready for your birthday celebration tonight…’ Tears fill my eyes, my chest tightens, and my throat clogs as she steps forward and I wrap my arms around Luna Diana. I hold her tight and whisper into her shoulder. ‘Thank you, Luna…’ I pull back when I hear Langdon approach; however, Luna Diana doesn’t allow me to turn as she slides her hands on my cheeks, wiping away the tears before pulling my head closer and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. She must have allowed some of her Luna aura out, as I felt the grief and sorrow lift just a little and a warmth spread through me. When Luna Diana pulled back, she looked over my shoulder at Langdon and said. ‘I’m stealing her now. You will see her at the celebration later.’ I turned slightly and looked at him with surprise; however, I didn’t get to dwell on it much as Luna Diana then pulled me out of the doorway and down through the packhouse to the waiting SUV. A small smile pulls at my lips when I see Richell waiting for us along with Brody. Richell ran up to me and engulfed me in a tight hug, practically shouting. ‘Happy Birthday…’ When Richell pulled back, Brody stepped up and wrapped me in a hug. I feel him take a deep breath and then tense before he pulls back and looks me in the eye. I feel Kandra push forward as Brody’s eyes flashed with his wolf, Mike. I have always felt close to the twins, and the connection I feel looking into Brody and Mike’s eyes is something I didn’t expect; however, it didn’t seem like the overwhelming mate bond that everyone always talked about. Brody pressed a kiss to my forehead and then stepped back, saying. ‘Happy Birthday.’ Brody then looks at Luna Diana and Richell, as he steps back, turns, opens the door and makes a show of bowing as he says. ‘Shall we get going?’ I giggle, a real giggle for the first time since my mother passed, as I get into the back of the SUV, with Luna Diana and Richell following me in. Brody closed the door, walked around to the driver's side, got in and started them moving. The day was fun, though it was tinged with a little sadness, but both Richell and Luna Diana didn’t let it bring the day down. We spent the day just walking the mall before heading to Crimson-Shadow’s Spa. I felt amazing after our time at the spa, and when we returned to the packhouse, I saw some of the pack members arriving for the celebration to come and looked over at Richell and Luna Diana with a worried frown. Not letting me focus on the arriving pack members or allowing me to speak, Richell giggles as she grabs my hand and practically drags me up the stairs to the Beta suite. As we enter, Richell finally lets me go and says excitedly. ‘Go; check your room.’ Shaking my head, I walk down to my room and open the door and freeze as there, hanging from the door of my closet, is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I slowly and carefully step toward the dress, a little scared that it would disappear. I stop in front of it, lift my hand, reaching for the dress, only to stop mere millimetres from touching it. I guide my fingertips down the length of the dress and then back up to the envelope attached to the hanger. With shaky hands, I pick up the envelope and open it, pulling out the simple card inside. Katniss Enjoy your special day. Happy Birthday My sweet daughter I love you Mother. Tears fill and then slip from my eyes, as the first birthday present for the day was, as always, from my mother. I turn as I hear someone behind me and give Richell a small smile as she says. ‘Your mother loved you very much, and this was her gift to you for your birthday. She made me go with her to pick it out, I hope you like it…’ More tears slip from my eyes as I walk quickly over to where she is standing in the doorway and engulf her in a hug and whisper. ‘Thank you. I love it.’ Richell chuckles and hugs me tighter as she says. ‘Come on, let's get you dressed and head down.’ Once I am dressed, Richell escorts me out of the Beta suite, and we stop at the top of the stairs leading to the converted entry. Everyone and everything stops and turns to look at me, a shiver then runs through me as Brydon walks up the stairs and holds out his hand. I hesitantly place my hand in his, and he steps a little closer, takes my hand and places it in the crook of his elbow before leading me down the stairs and through the pack members until I am standing in front of Alpha Lukan, Luna Diana, Brody and Gamma Christos. I bow my head in respect to Alpha Lukan, who smiles and extends his hand. Brydon swaps my hand from his arm to Alpha Lukan’s, and as soon as I am standing by his side, Brydon steps aside as Alpha Lukan says. ‘Welcome, everyone. We are here tonight to honour a wonderful female, who isn’t only turning 18 today but has become the highest ranking warrior female ever in our pack’s history… congratulations and Happy Birthday, Katniss…’ ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATNISS…’ I swallow down the tears and the lump in my throat as I take a deep breath and I step slightly forward, saying. ‘Thank you, everyone, especially Alpha Lukan and Luna Diana, for everything your family has done; it means a lot…’ As the tears I’m fighting threatened to fall, and with now being a high-warrior, I didn’t want to show any weakness, so I quickly continued. ‘Now, this is a celebration, let's celebrate…’ Everyone cheers, the music starts, and it isn’t long before all their attention is on someone or something else. Brody chuckles next to me and hooks his arm in mine, leads me down the stairs and into the celebrating pack members, with both Brydon and Richell following. 5 ~Strange Behaviour~ After a little while, I lose sight of Brydon, Brody and Richell and end up on the makeshift dance floor with Langdon. The music slows, and he pulls me closer, and as we sway, he leans in, takes a deep breath, skimming his nose up my neck to my ear, where he whispers. ‘You look beautiful tonight. Mother made a wonderful choice…’ He pauses for a moment, just letting us sway before he continues. ‘Do you feel Kandra's restlessness? Is she pushing to shift yet?’ Langdon knew that I received my wolf at 16, as mother and Jasper had taken us out as a family to celebrate. Though I haven’t heard much from Kandra since we learned about the rogues killing them. I look up into his eyes for a moment before lowering them and whispering. ‘I feel her a little, but she’s not pushing yet…’ ‘Let me know when she does start, and we will head into the forest for some privacy. I promised our parents that I would be there for you if anything ever happened to them, and your first shift is important.’ I nod my head and lean on his chest as he tightens his arms around me. The song ends soon after, Langdon gives me a discreet kiss on the forehead and whispers. Happy Birthday, little sis. Find me when Kandra’s ready to shift.’ He then steps back and disappears into the dancing members. I frown a little as to why he would be so interested in when I shift. Yeah, family is usually present for the first shift, but something in him seems off today. I then make my way through the other dancing members and make my way over to where Richell is standing off to the side with a cup of soda for me, knowing that if I’m shifting, I don’t need the hindrance of alcohol. I had nearly finished my drink when a strong set of arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I jump a little until I am surrounded by the scent of Rainforest. I lean back and look up over my shoulder to come face to face with a smiling Brydon. I don’t take much notice as he takes a deep breath before whispering next to my ear. ‘It’s not long before the moon is at its peak, and you should shift. Wanna go somewhere much more private?’ I do a quick scan of the room and see that Langdon is distracted by a couple of the more unmated she-wolves of the pack. I know that he wanted to be there for my shift; however, something told me again that something was off with him and not to allow him to see Kandra in her wolf form. I give Brydon a slight nod, making him smile wider as he moves from behind me to my side, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers before pulling me toward the back door. I see him nod at Brody, who quickly falls into step behind us. When we get outside, Brydon drops my hand and makes quick work of removing his clothes. I giggle as he passes them to me and then floorlessly shifts into Mortas’s large black wolf. I step closer and rub my face against his before pulling back and groaning. ‘Yuck… Mort, that’s disgusting…’ I wipe my face, removing his slobber as he lets out a wolf huff as if he was laughing at me before lying on his belly and allowing me to climb on his back. Richell and Brody also strip, shift, grab their clothes in their mouths and follow behind Mortas as he runs through the forest. It doesn’t take us long to get to our favourite lake. Mortas skids to a stop at the lake's edge, allowing me to slide off his back before he continues on and into the water. Brody’s wolf, Mike and Richell’s wolf Carey drop their clothes at my feet before joining Mortas in the water, splashing and playing as siblings do. I sat down on a small grassy area near the lake's edge and watched them play, while every now and then I would look up at the moon and feel for Kandra; however, all I got was a soft whimper. I let out a soft sigh and keep my eyes on the slowly moving moon. I had a drowning feeling that Kandra wasn’t going to come forward and shift tonight, as other than soft whimpers and even softer mournful howls, Kandra had been extremely quiet since my mother and stepfather were killed. I watched the moon move across the sky as I watched my friends continue to play in the water. I’m nervous and excited; however, the sadness of my mother not being with me to witness my first shift overshadows everything. Just after the moon passes its peak, Brody comes running out of the water, over to where I was sitting and before I could protest, he scoops me up in his arms and runs back into the water, making me join in with their fun. Laughing and playing, reality doesn’t really hit me until the dawn starts to lighten the night sky. Kandra is still quietly whimpering in the back of my mind, and a sadness rolls through me as I realise that I’m not shifting tonight… As the sky lightens more, we slowly make our way back to the packhouse. Once we enter, Brydon and Brody wish me a Happy Birthday once more, placing a soft kiss on my forehead before separating and heading up to the Alpha floor, while Richell accompanied me into the Beta suite. Once inside the Beta suite, we headed straight to my room, Richell heads into my bathroom and showers first, and when she comes out, I head in. The warm water was nice in comparison to the cold water of the lake, and I relaxed a little; unfortunately, it doesn’t wash away the grief swirling inside my chest. Once I’ve rinsed off, I turn off the water, wrap a towel around my body, walk out of my bathroom and into my closet. I walk right into the back and open a small box, pulling out one of my stepfather's t-shirts that also has my mother's scent mixed in. I pull it on before returning to the entrance and pulling out a pair of panties along with a pair of my sleep shorts. I then climb into bed next to Richell. She wraps her arm around me as we cuddle up and watch the movie Richell has playing softly. She tightens her arm around me a little as she whispers. ‘Don’t worry, Kandra will shift when she is ready. You just need to trust in her.’ A small smile pulls at my lips as I let her warmth and friendship surround me. As darkness pulls me into sleep, I whisper. ‘Thanks, Rich.’ I then dream of those glowing gold eyes, the large midnight black wolf and the overpowering, powerful aura. ---- I slept in, and when I woke, I got dressed and headed to my afternoon lectures at the college. Once my lectures were done for the day, I returned to the packhouse, went up to the Beta suite, changed into my warrior uniform and then met with Christos down in the training field. As the sun set, I said bye to Christos and headed back into the packhouse and up into my room in the Beta suite for a shower before dinner. Langdon surprised me with a take-away dinner before I changed into my stepfather's t-shirt and my sleep shorts, and then joined him on the sofa for another movie night. As the movie played, Langdon slowly wrapped his arm around me and gently pulled me closer to him until I was leaning my head on his upper chest near his shoulder, and his scent of Pine and Nutmeg surrounded me. Just as I was dozing, Langdon leaned his head forward and whispered. ‘You disappeared last night, little sis. Did you shift?’ ‘No.’ I whisper with my eyes closed as sadness swamps me, and Kandra whimpers softly in my head again. Langdon tightens his arm around me, pulling me even closer as he says. ‘Oh, too bad. Make sure you tell me when Kandra is ready to shift. Vaskun is really eager to meet his little sister.’ That strange feeling I have been getting from Langdon is back. I slightly nod my head, and we go back to watching the movie until my eyes slide closed and sleep envelopes me. ---- The next morning, I woke to my alarm in my bed. I guessed that Langdon must have carried me and put me to bed after I fell asleep watching that movie last night. I get up, go into the bathroom and have a shower before completing my morning routine. I then get ready for the Lectures I have today and head down for breakfast. I am not surprised when I find Brydon at the stove, while Brody, Richell, Joseph and Langdon all sit at the small private table in the kitchen. I give them all a small smile and join them at the small table just as Brydon places a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of me. I look up at him and say. ‘Thanks.’ He just winks at me, grabs his over-piled plate and sits down next to me. I frown a little when I hear a low growl come from Langdon, which he seems to cover with a quick cough. A shiver runs through me as my eyes catch his, and something I have never seen before flashes in them. If I wasn’t paying attention, I would have thought it was jealousy. I frown a little as to why Langdon was jealous of one of our Alphas and friends. I shake it off, and as soon as I am finished, Richell gets to her feet, grabs her plate along with mine places it in the sink, and we walk out of the kitchen heading for Langdon’s SUV. We didn’t have long to wait for Langdon to join us, get into the SUV and drive us to the college campus. Richell and I watched as Langdon pulled and sped away. I frowned, and I snapped my head to Richell as she said. ‘What the was his problem?’ ‘You noticed it too?’ ‘Yeah. He was fine before you joined us in the kitchen…’ Shaking my head, Richell stops talking, we turn together and head into the college and to our first lecture. The day passed in a blur, and before I knew it, Langdon was picking us up from campus and returning us to the packhouse. I quickly showered and changed into my warrior training uniform and made my way down to the warrior training field, meeting Christos to start on my new training, allowing me to enter my first Warrior Games as a high-ranked warrior of the Crimson Shadows pack. I train with Christos until dinner, running back into the packhouse up to the Beta suite and into my room. I have a quick shower, ignoring the slight increase in my temperature when I get out and pull on the t-shirt and sleep shorts I’ve been wearing since my birthday, allowing me to feel safe surrounded by their scents. I sit on the sofa, intending to move to our small dining table when Langdon returns with a tray containing two plates full of the dinner they served down in the pack’s dining hall. I smile and move to get up, only to have Lagndon shake his head at me. I sit back on the sofa and get comfortable as he passes me my plate, grabs his and then sits down on the sofa next to me. He grabs the control for the TV and puts on a new movie release. We eat in silence, and once we are finished, I move again to take his plate with mine, only for him to shake his head, take mine and lean forward, placing them back on the tray, he had placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He then moves back and lifts his arm as he says. ‘Come here, little sis.’ I don’t argue with him as I scoot over and cuddle into his side as he brings his arm down and wraps it around me. I am quickly surrounded by his familiar but slightly stronger scent of Pine and Nutmeg, and relax against him to watch the movie. I’m not sure when I slipped into sleep, still cuddled up to him.