When Alpha Lincoln door opened, I turned around. He didn’t seem very happy, giving me hard look but he didn’t start yelling at me. I crossed my arms over my chest as he walked past and turned to face me. He leaned back on his desk, the palm of his hands pressed against the wooden table. “You will listen to me, alright?” he said.

I licked my lips and opened my mouth, but I heard Devin voice nagging in my ear. I closed my mouth and nodded.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kick you out?” he asked.

I straighten my back, “Because I realized how lucky I should be to be taken in. It . . . . It wasn’t very easy out there. It was a mistake to run away and I deeply apologize.” Wow, that was much harder to say than I thought it would be. I wish I could have just avoid this, going back to school as if I had never left. Apparently not.

“Matilda, you need to understand you just can’t walk out on a pack like that. I’m only willing to give you a second chance because of your father.” he said. He stood up and walked over to me, “One more thing. About Killian—you know this well be a scandal. People have already known about them. When they learn he decided to leave her, it won’t make her look pretty.”

“I understand, Linc—Alpha Lincoln.” I said. “I’ve tired—we both had. The was one of the reason why I had left. With me here, he wasn’t thinking straight. At least I thought he wasn’t.”

“You’re birthday is in seven days, Matilda.” he said. “You’re going to be feeling allot of things.”

“I can already. Some people smell like dirty laundry and the others smell like—well, like fresh air. Like the woods or smelling a flower.” I said. “Is that weird?”

He shook his head, “It’s who you can point out who’s a human and a wolf. That’s you smelling senses.” He stared at me before sighing heavily, “Look Matilda, not many know about you yet. So,” he brought his finger up to his mouth, “this really never even happened. For the ones that do, well you just got cold feet.” he said as he dropped his hand from his mouth.

I chuckled, “You’re letting me off that easily?”

“Ah, you got me. There is a price.” he said, confusing me. “You and Devin come with me to Washington in two weeks.”

My mouth dropped a little, staring at him, “Excuse me? Isn’t Washington like—I don’t know. Don’t the Alpha there kind of like hate my brother and I?”

“It’s time to make amends. We’re gonna prove to them how well you both are doing.” he said.

I arched an eyebrow, “So we just go and what?”

“He’s holding a party at his ranch. You and Devin will be my guest. I’m going to show you both off.” I said.

“Show us off?” I questioned and he nodded. “I’m not a side show to be stared—“

“Ah, remember. This is my way of letting you off with a slap on the wrist.” he said.

I scrunched my nose, a little angry but I forced him a stiff smile, “Alright, Alpha Lincoln.”

He patted the top of my head, “Good pup. Now you may go. I’m sure you got some packing to do to move in with your brother.”

*

I walked over to Alexander, one of the worker at Wings Hope, “Have you seen Emily?”

She shrugged, “I think she had gone to the park.”

I nodded, “Thanks.” I said, picking up my box. I walked out of the building and over to Devin car. Killian smiled, taking the box from me. He kissed my cheek, making me blush a little since Devin was here. I wasn’t very use to PDA. “I have to go to the park real quick. I need to look for Emily. I’m sure she’s real upset.”

“Alright, I’ll come with you and—“

I shook my head, “I should go myself. She’s not a real big fan of you guys. It’ll be best for just the two of us to talk.”

He nodded and I turned, walking down the street. It was only around the corner, so it only took a moment. I’m sure she heard the new and wasn’t taking it easily. I didn’t want to hurt her because I’m sure me running away the first place hurt her and now that I’m back, I’m just leaving again. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, I’m still gonna be there for her at school and we can always hang out after school.

When I turned the corner, she was indeed there. I found her pulling a cigarette out of her mouth, breathing out the smoke. My mouth dropped, shocked to see what I was finding. Protectiveness flooded inside me and I walked over to her with a hard look, “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She jumped, turning her head to look at me. Her eyes widen and she quickly stood up, “Mat.”

I took the cigarette away from her and threw it to the ground, “Since when did you start smoking?”

She shrugged, “None of your business.”

“It is to my business.” I said. “You’re not the kind of girl to start smoking.”

“I started when you starting hanging out with Marco group.” she said sarcastically said. “So what if I’m smoking? It calms my nerves.”

“This isn’t who you are though.” I said. I held my hand out, “Give me your pack of cigarettes.”

“No.” she said.

My eyes widen, “No? Yes you will—“

“You’re not my mother. Or my sister. Stop telling me what to do.” She started to walk passed me, “And go enjoy your new life.”

I turned quickly, “Emily, stop. Please, I want to talk to you. I may not be living at Wings Hope anymore, but I’m still gonna be here for you.”

She scoffed as she turned around to look at me, “Oh come on, Mat. You honestly don’t believe that.”

“Yes I do.” I said.

She chuckled humorlessly as she turned back around, “Whatever Mat.”

“Emily—“

She walked away, “Just leave me alone for now on.”

*

“You join the pack three days.” Will said. “Ready?”

I shrugged, “What am I supposed to really expect? I think I should be worried about turning into a big huge dog in six days.”

“I take being called a dog offensive.” Blue said. She grinned, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a hug, “But since you are my cousin, I forgive you.”

I chuckled, pulling her off me, “So many things are changing about me. I swear, I think buy now if I hadn’t learned about all this I think I might be going crazy. I don’t know how you guys can stand the smell of the jocks who sit a few tables down from us in high school. They smell horrible.”

Marco chuckled, throwing his can of empty beer into the fire, making the flame grow a little, “You grow to get use to them humans.” he said. He turned to look at me, grinning widely, “Brad and his jock straps wanna be followers ain’t shit. Once graduation comes, they won’t be hot shots anymore. The amazing thing about us though? We’re all on the same food chain. Some of us just have better advantage, Omega.”

I scoffed, “Omega? Like last in the group?”

He grinned, “Oh, Killian she is smart! Sorry pup, but right now you will be the last to join the pack. So, Omega. You know, they’re always last in the pack to eat right? Last to do anything. Even sometimes bullied by the other until they show their worth.”

Killian put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me towards him, “Hey, come on man.”

Marco breathed heavily from his nose, still grinning, “It’s the truth, but luckily we don’t live in the old days anymore.”

I unwrapped Killian arm and leaned towards him, “I may be the ‘Omega’ but I won’t be told what to do like I’m some bitch.”

He tilt his head, “I wouldn’t expect less from a Redblood.”

“I thought my last name was Vaughn.” I sarcastically said.

“Yes.” He said, leaning over to grab a beer from the cooler. “But your mother in a Redblood. Her side family has a long generation of being Alpha’s.” He opened the can of beer and took a long sip, “That Alpha part that runs in your veins is what makes you so hard head. Why do you think you all are called Redblood? Because your mother side blood is fiery.”

“So what you’re telling me is I’m much cooler than you.” I said.

He laughed, “I have Alpha blood in me to, so don’t start a fights Omega.”

I smacked my tongue against my mouth, grinning as I stood up, “I’ve been known to get in some pretty hard fight, Marco.”

He grinned, walking closer towards me. He craned his neck and I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a challenging look. He looked me straight into the eyes and his emerald green eyes turned gold. I don’t know why I got this icy feel in my spine, feeling this threaten heavy feeling weighing on my shoulders. “Sit.” he said.

I felt Killian hand go into mine and he pulled me down onto the blanket on the ground. I breathed heavily in frustration as I looked away, my nose scrunching.

Marco chuckled, his eyes turning back to emerald green, “I’ll give you point, Omega, for standing up to me. I rarely get to show that dominance part because I usually just get respect. You were heisting to sit down, but it’ll take allot more to impress me.”

“Impress you?” I scoffed, giving him a hard look. “Why would I try to impress—“ Killian put his hand around my mouth tightly, breathing in frustration. I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to scream in anger because I hate being told what to do. I had to show respect though, no back sass if I want to get into the pack and stay there.

Marco turned and taking his shirt off as he tilt his head back, looking up at the sky, “Who’s gonna go on a little run with me?”

Will and Blue stood up, shifting along with Marco. They turned and looked at Killian. Killian lowered his head, looking away from the group. Knowing they wanted him to come along since they usually like to run in packs, I felt bad for keeping him here. I knew he wanted to, because he would have said though and even though I did want him here I wasn’t going to deny him what he wanted.

“It’s alright.” I said and his head quickly came up, looking at me. I gave him a stiff smile, nodding, “Go ahead, I’ll be here when you get back.

“You sure?” he asked.

I nodded, “Yeah, I’m a big girl.” I sarcastically said.

He breathed heavily out his nose and grinned, “I don’t wanna leave you out here alone. You don’t know the woods that well.”

“And you do?” I questioned.

“I’m a full wolf, I don’t need to. I just gotta remember scents and smell to help me locate where to go.” he said.

“Go, I don’t mind.” I said. “I know you really want to. It’s the moon light, it’s like urge when it shines and goes into your soul.”

He chuckled, “You do listen when you tell you about us.”

I grinned, “I just like to act like I don’t care.” I pushed him by his arm, “Go, before I kick your ass and make you go.”

He chuckled as he got up and shifted into his wolf. He rubbed his nose against my head and I scrunched my nose, pulling his head away as he tried to lick my face, “Ew, gross.” I said, pushing him away but I didn’t want to admit it was secretly affectionate and I kind of liked it. Not because he sniffed my hair and try to lick me, but what it felt like. I felt…well, cared for. I don’t know how those two little weird things could make my stomach flutter.

They ran off into the woods and I watched the direction they went off towards. I felt like someone was looking at me and in the corner of my eyes, I turned to see Nate staring at me. His look was kind of hard, but I didn’t know why since I barley talk to him. He’s a quiet guy, barley talks. He usually in the back of the group, just there but like he’s actually not with us since he always looks like he’s in his own head thinking.

“What?” I questioned coldly.

His cold look disappeared and he grinned, “Nothing. Just you know,” he said, bring his hand up to his head and stuck his finger out towards his head, “thinking.”

“Maybe you should stop thinking.” I said.

“Maybe you should think a little more.” he said, confusing me but he stood up and walked away.