~Chapter 4~

"Jamie wake up," my dad yells just before the sun light hits my face.

"No," I mutter going under the covers more.

"No," he repeats like he's never heard of it before, "Did you just no me Jamie Renee Pipe? You better get out this damn bed before I 'No' you upside your head," he growls out.

"Yes sir," I respond and pull the covers off my head.

"Training starts in 15 minutes you better be there in ten," He leaves the room before I can say anything.

...

When a knife flies through the air it's kind of like a bird. It has a target, a purpose. It's graceful, like it was always meant to soar. And it whistles songs of warning just before hitting its prey. I think it's like a bird, my father does not.

"You were supposed to catch the knife from the air Jamie, not step out the way of it. Do it again," he orders.

I block out everything around me as my father positions his arm. The knife is coming fast. I blinked and it was so close I almost dropped to the ground before I remembered I had to grab it. My hands go up and clamp around blade. My whole palm stings and I hiss. The blade plummets to the ground covered in blood.

My palm is split open and Chris rushes to my side.

"Gamma Charles this is ridiculous," Chris declares while taking off his shirt and pressing it to my palm.

"Tell me Chris what do you find ridiculous about this?" My father retorts.

"The fact that you expect her to catch a knife while its flying towards her," He snarls.

My father lets out a warning growl, Chris was over stepping his boundaries.

"I can do as I please in my class."

"Can you catch a knife as its flying towards your face?" Chris asks.

There's no saving him now I think as my father face turns cold. My father's harsh laugh seems to silent the others on the field.

"Pick up the knife Jamie," he commands.

My hand is nearly healed and I'm just happy he didn't decide to use silver today. I mumble a thank you to Chris as I hand him back his shirt. I grab the knife quickly. I take a deep breath. I couldn't allow my current annoyance towards my father to affect how I throw the knife. I place my eyes on the target, bring my arm back and flick my wrist. The knife cuts through the air. I blink and its nestled tightly between my father's hands.

"Shit," Chris mutters as the field erupts in applause.

"Since you have so many questions you can be the target for the younger kids today. It's a good thing Ms.Christi is back don't you think?" My father tells Chris. I go to say something but Chris gives me a look that says not to.

I was not allowed to leave the filed until I caught the knife. It was way past time for me to go home when I finally did. Practice started at eight and ended at three, I stayed until six. I would've been really mad at him if it wasn't for the fact that he took me out for burgers and ice cream afterwards.

Despite everything it was nice spending my last normal day with my dad. If this was two months ago I would've been hyped for my 17th birthday but as the day starts to end I find myself dreading waking up tomorrow.

...

"Happy birthday to ya! Happy birthday to ya! Happy birthday!" My mother sings waking me from my sleep.

"My baby's 17!" she shouts jumping on my bed.

Laughing I kiss her cheek. My best friend was coming home today and my mother made my favorite breakfast. The house smelled of bacon and fried potatoes. I was going to have a good morning before afternoon comes by to destroy it.

...

Breakfast ended faster than I liked. My mother took today off but my birthday was to be a big celebratory event so she went down to help. July would be arriving at any minute but my mind was occupied by other things. The son of the Alpha and Luna of Sheer Shadow pack had arrived three days ago. He had his sniffing ceremony yesterday. Alpha Jack told me I couldn't go but it wasn't like I wanted to. His name's Jordan and at the age of 20, two years after he was supposed to find his mate, he still hadn't found the one destined for him. Yesterday he found one girl who was his possible mate so he only needed one more but the chances of him finding her were slim.

The doorbell interrupted my thoughts and I get to my feet. July has arrived.

I open the door and she engulfs me in a monster hug. We spend the rest of the morning talking about her summer in New Orleans. She's going to Arizona after my party for the start of warrior camp. I would've been going too but plans change.

"What do you mean you not coming with me?" July asks.

"I mean what I said," I mumble, she knows how much I hate repeating myself.

"Don't get slick with me. Why aren't you going to camp?" she questions.

"Because I'm not. Now we've got five hours to get ready and it takes four to put on eyeliner."

Thankfully she drops it and goes to the bathroom to shower. Time speeds by after that. Before we realize we're throwing on our shoes and rushing out of the door. I was in something simple. My one guideline to my birthday outfit was that it had to be lose. My hair was in curls parted on the side. My mom had help me put it in flat twist the night before so I just hoped it lasted through the night. I had on a lose white dress that was slit on the arms and tan shoes.

Entering the pack house felt like going down the stairs to check on the creepy sound when you know damn well you should run the other way. Everything in me was screaming to turn around. My foot shuffles backwards and I'm about to turn and make a run for it when the first person shouts happy birthday catching the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Thank you, Luna Miranda," I say with a small forced smile as the room erupts in shouts of celebration. "Thank you everyone for attending my party even if it was mandatory," I try to joke with a laugh.

My mother comes over and places a crown and my head and a pin with ten dollar bills on it to my shirt. Despite my not exactly happy mode I smile at my mother because she made sure at least this would stay the same. Every year on my birthday I would get to wear a tiara and we would pin money to my shirt then as the day went on people would give me money, it is honestly the best part of my birthday.

"My only baby is finally 17! What am I supposed to do when your all big and I no longer have my baby," she says with a laugh.

"You get a pet," I tell her with a grin.

"Jamie! Could you come over here please," Luna Miranda shouts gesturing me over.

I hold in a groan and turn towards my mom. "I'm sorry, duty calls."

My mother frowns at the Luna an annoyed look in her eyes. "It's all right dear, I'll find you later."

I nod before walking over to Miranda. I take as much time as possible stopping every time I can get in a quick greeting. When I finally get to Luna Miranda she's standing with the Alpha couple from before. Now that I'm this close their power radiates off them like sunrays.

"Jamie this is Alpha Michael and his Luna Amber," she introduces with a smile.

"It's so nice to meet you Jamie, Alpha Jack has told us so much about you," Alpha Michael says. His voice is deep but smooth and has a hint of under tone power. I bet he doesn't have to command or force anyone in his pack to do anything.

I nod my head and they look at me as if they expect me to say something in return. I don't. When they realize I don't plan on replying Luna Amber decides to say something.

"I was very disappointed when we were told you couldn't participate in our son's sniffing ceremony," she tells me.

"Why?" I ask forgetting my manners. The Luna sends me a scolding look and I must stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Well honestly my son has been to almost every pack in Florida and Alpha's usually only get two potential mates. I'm just ready for it to be over," As soon as the finale words leave her lips her son arrives.

His skin is tan and seemingly a balance between his mother's and father's. He takes after his father with his facial structure as well as his mother with his eyes. His hair is light brown and curly. His smile is warm and his lips soft.

Beside him was a girl, I'm guessing his potential mate, with long brown hair. It was straight and slicked back by a hairband. Her dress was short and black and tied around her neck. I only talked to her a few times but she was really nice. She was a year above me which means she graduated this summer. Other than that, and the fact that she was one of those females who didn't train, I don't know anything about her.

"This is the one everyone keeps telling you about. This the is chosen," she tells the Alpha's son.

This time I don't stop the roll of my eyes. "Everyone is talking about me because it's my birthday and my name isn't 'Chosen' it's Jamie," I express.

"Jamie this is my son Jordan and his first potential mate Maya," Luna Amber introduces.

"As I was saying before," Alpha Michael says, even though he wasn't talking before they arrived, "I wanted you to meet Jordan because we already know that you're a potential mate for Alpha's so maybe you'll be one for him too."

His wife glares at him but I can see her holding in her laugh. If I wasn't the one he just through under the bus I probably would've laughed too.

"You don't have a mate?" Jordan asks.

I nod my head no longer wanting to be here.

"But you weren't at my sniffing ceremony," he adds.

"No I wasn't," I say.

"Well we can just do it right here if that's okay with you?" Alpha Jack offers.

"No, we can't," Luna Miranda cuts in, I had forgotten she was here.

Alpha Michael suppresses a growl but his glare is not held back. "Why is it you won't let them do what they have the right to do."

"Because she is a member of my pack and I've told her she couldn't do so," Miranda replies.

"Whether she's a member of your pack or not you get no say in the business of mating," Alpha Michael says smugly. He knows he won the battle against Miranda but he had yet to win me over.

The mate bond to werewolves is equivalent to a true loves kiss in fairytales; it overcomes almost everything. Therefore, Alpha's and Luna's don't have the power to control a mate bond and they don't get any say in what happens between a wolf and their potentials. There are very few bonds that can overcome a mate bond and an Alpha and pack bond wasn't one of them.

During all this Jordan, had somehow gotten closer without me noticing. He was less than a foot away from me when I hear his deep inhale of breath. I open my mouth to say something to reject whatever was going to happen but he beats me to it.

A piercing snarl rumbles the walls and silences the room. All eyes turn towards the source of the loud noise. Jordan's eyes flicker from hazel to a deep brown. "I know why the hell she can't mate," Jordan says. His voice is harsh and rough, nothing like before.

"And you know the funny part? I could smell you're scent the second I walked over. It wasn't until I got closer that I smelled the other on you," he spits at me. His eyes hold so much anger I swear I can see flames in them. "Pregnant and mateless," a bitter laugh leaves his lips, "I bet you don't even know the father."

My jaw drops the same time my heart seems to shatter. I never wanted to be a statistic. Pregnant at 16 and still in high school. Society would already look down on me because of my race and now I was pregnant. Being a werewolf didn't erase my history or how people would see me because of my skin tone. Even werewolves had slaves. The fact that he assumed I didn't know the father hurts more than anything else he said because I do know the father and that makes everything worse.

I shouldn't be this upset, I shouldn't be this affected by his reaction. I was only supposed to be one of his potential mates even if my scent was stronger than Maya's. From his reaction, he must've accepted our bond over his and Maya's the instant he smelled my scent. So, in more ways than should be I'm considered his mate.

My head hurt and my throat was clogging up. I was going to start crying soon and I didn't know what to do. I look at Miranda begging with my eyes. All those times she said she would be there for me in whatever I needed was going to be tested. She had been silent throughout most of the encounter but she couldn't stay silent now, she wouldn't stay silent she's my Luna, she wants what's best for me. I look at her harder begging her to explain because I couldn't do it myself.

"You're not to tell anyone, no one at all. Not a person or thing of what happened to you or that you're pregnant." Alpha Jack's words fill my head as Miranda looks at me and smirks. She wasn't going to help.

I glance at Jordan right before my dam breaks. He looks more hurt than mad now and a part of me wants to comfort him but the smarter part makes me run from the pack house and leave all of them behind.

I need to get away and I need to go now.

...

Third Person POV

As Jamie races home the once silent pack house erupts into whispers. Alpha Jack rushes to the stage his wife weaving through the crowd to get to him. Alpha Michael orders Jordan to follow him out of the pack house. He should've known that something like this would happen. The moon goddess loved to play games with Luperca pack and she decided to add his pack to the board and he wasn't happy, not at all. "Shift," he tells his son once they are outside. He watches his son shift into a gray wolf with dark brown eyes and take off into the forest behind the pack house. He lets out a tired sigh. He never really was a fan of games.

During Jordan's shift, Alpha Michael managed to get the room under control once again. He clears his throat as he looks out at the crowd. None of this was supposed to happen this way and he was angry. There was a reason he sent his mate to watch over Jamie and she seemed to have failed at the task.

"Sadly, our big news wasn't announced as we had hoped. One reason Jamie has such a big birthday ceremony is because this is where we planned to announce what she was chosen for," he starts, "Jamie is now holding the future Alpha of this pack. She will be providing an heir because Luna Miranda, unfortunately, is unable to." The room is soon full of unsure applause.

Jack can feel her eyes on him despite everyone else watching him in the room. He can always tell when she's watching him because he knowns her stare. He can't bring himself to look at her so he stares straight as the clapping continues. Her gaze was like a magnet pulling and tugging on his own. She was angry and she wanted answers he knew that much. He could read her without even trying. After all, she was his favorite book once.

She says three words to him and although the room is roaring and she whispers them so low even her neighbors don't hear he does.

I hate you plays through his head for the rest of the night.

...

Jamie's car ride is long and peaceful. Her phone rings and she shuts it down completely. She doesn't notice the gray wolf that follows her half way there or the other thing watching from the trees. Her head is completely and utterly consumed with thoughts. Her life seemed to be crumpling to pieces around her and she didn't have the time to try and fix it before everything yelled timber. Her eyes were blurry from her giving up her fight with her tears and she was thankful that the rode seemed to be clear tonight.

When she arrives at the small house about an hour away from the from the pack center she seems to let out a deep breath. She was far enough away for right now and that's all that mattered. Her aunt and uncle were gone on an anniversary vacation but since she had a key she let herself in. Her first stop is the bathroom where she takes a long hot shower to calm her nerves and cry out her heart. Then she grabs a blanket and collapses onto the couch.

Her phone stays off for the entire three days that she's there. It isn't until the fourth day of her stay that she turns her phone back on. It doesn't even take a minute before its lighting up with notifications. Missed calls from unsaved numbers almost a hundred from July and twice that much from her mother. Chris called her a decent amount of times also. But the most notifications were from her father. Jamie slid her thumb up on the screen just looking at everything. Her thumb rested over her mother's name but her index figure cut of the screen.

She spends much of her day like she did the ones before this one. Sitting in self-pity while Kehlani, Ed Sherran, and Melanie Martinez blast through the house.

Something tells her to check her phone when she hears it ring unlike all the other times. It and unknown number. She skims the message quickly stopping when she sees the name Amber. That was the name of the Luna of Sheer Shadow. Seeing that is all it took for Jamie to open it.

Unknown: Hello Jamie, this is Amber Lite, I'm the Luna of Sheer Shadow pack. I'd like to apologize on behalf of my son for is horrid behavior. Even if shocked by the news he shouldn't have acted the way he acted. It was immature and unfair to you. I could tell you had a lot on your mind and he should've at least heard your side first. You are welcomed to visit me at any time, I'm available whenever you need me.

Please save my number Jamie. I'm here to listen.

She doesn't reply.

...

That afternoon Jamie decides to leave and return home. The house isn't empty when she walks in. There in her living room sat July, Chris, Ms.Christi, Mr. and Mrs. Pipe, and even Maya.

"Where have you been?" Charles, Jamie's father, asks, his voice coming out completely calm.

"If you looked hard enough you would've found me," I retort.

"You were gone for nearly five days and didn't think about getting in contact with anyone."

Jamie's tired and by the look on her family and friends faces they were too. She wasn't in the mood for this. She knew that she was in the wrong and she probably should've called but she didn't have the energy to care.

"I'm going to bed," she tells everyone before leaving the room.

...

Jamie only left her room when it was necessary. Her mother knocked a few times but never just walked in like she would do if this was any other circumstance. Jamie wanted her mother to barge into her room and demand that she tells her what was wrong. Jamie craved for something to be normal for someone to treat her like they did before the choosing.

The sixth time that Jamie's mother comes and knocks at the door Jamie is staring at the wall. The lights are dimmed to where they are barely on and she has her legs pulled up to her chest. Jamie hears her door open and listens as her mother's feet cross the floor. Tears pool in her eyes and the first one drops just after she's wrapped tight in her mother's arms. They stay like this the rest of the night. 

(Rewritten 11/30/16)

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Hey guys! Long time no speak. I just want to say thanks for all the support and love I've been getting. I hope you guys really do enjoy the newer versions. You'll understand why I'm adding so much once we get closer to the ending. I'm sorry for the long wait until an actual new chapter is out but I hope these rewritten ones are holding you over. Do you guys want me to put pictures up for the cast? Thanks again for all the reads, comments, and votes! I hope you guys enjoyed this lol I didn't do my math homework to finish it. 

~Tae