Killian pressed a piece of ice against my lip and I hissed a little but the pain soon went ahead. I could feel my lip throbbing and I had a horrible headache.

“I know Marco isn’t reasonable but—“

“He would let his sister beat me up any day of the week.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“No, he wouldn’t. But that is his sister, he’s protective of her. They’re twins and she was born first but since he’s the male he’s the strongest wolf and he’s heir of becoming Alpha.” Killian said. “Marco wouldn’t let Melinda beat you up again, but he he’ll always take her side even when she does wrong.”

“Because she’s his sister or because she’s Alpha princess?” I coldly asked. He sighed heavily, his arm falling, and he ran his finger through his dark hair. He opened his mouth, but I knew what he was going to say. I scoffed, “I know, it’s complicated.”

“It is, Mat.” he said. “You surely know how to take care of yourself it seems. You’re a real fighter.”

“Years of defending myself.” I said, taking the ice from him and placed it on my throbbing bottom lip. “Melinda had her friends do her dirty work though, which wasn’t fair. I didn’t even make her nose bleed and she got to walk away from it.”

“Well technically, she ran.” he said sarcastically and I grimaced at him for a moment. He sighed heavily and rubbed my arms, “Mat, I know it doesn’t seem fair but it’s just how it works. At least you’re not a male Wolf, you would really know what it’s like to be an Omega. Stories of the old days, they use to beat the Omega’s until they died.”

“Why?” I asked.

He shrugged, “Instincts. Omegas are still wolves and all wolves wanna be the best. Some were probably cocky and do many competitions with others to go ahead further into the pack. No one really wants to be known as the Omega. When we came out of hiding from the humans and our kind was dying out we stopped killing our kind. Where the Rogue come along. Many of them didn’t like the new rules, so they were kicked out.”

“So what you’re saying is Wolves have become very domestic over the years.” I said and he nodded. “Dying Wolves, not everyone got their Mates.”

Again, he nodded, “Yup, which is why it’s rare.”

I threw the melting piece of ice away and sighed, “So what happens now? I ‘tried’ to attack the Alpha daughter everyone will make it seem and I won’t be able to join the pack.”

“Marco may be pissed that you tried to defend yourself by fighting his sister, but as future Alpha he needs allot of packs members. Alpha Lincoln won’t be bothered by teenage problems. Even we both know the truth and Melinda just a punk who rather have people do her battles than herself.” he said. He put both hands on my neck and leaned over, pecking me on the mouth, “Hey, you’re not the only one embarrassed. I had three girls holding me back. That hurt my ego allot.”

I chuckled, feeling a little better.

*

When I woke up the next morning, my alarm hadn’t gone off and I remembered it was a Saturday. I join the pack tonight. I turn eighteen I two days. I stared up at the ceiling just thinking about everything. I turned and looked around my ‘new’ room. I don’t have much, since Devin likes to say I have to now fill the room with things I like. I had a TV in my room, which was nice since we couldn’t have one back in the home and could only go in the lounge to watch TV.

I turned to the other side and looked out the window. My curtains were open and I could see out in the yard Zoe was outside with Shiloh playing in the leaves. The woman I was looking at was a wolf. The little boy she was swinging in the air was one day to become a wolf. I was to become a wolf.

This was my world.

After a while, I finally got my butt up from the bed. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I had a little bruise around my left eye, but nothing looked too bad with me. I looked at my spiral curling brown hair. I rank my fingers through it before I decided to grab a pair of scissors. I pulled my hair into a low ponytail and pulled the band down to help me lead where I wanna cut. I chopped off a good chunk of hair. I haven’t had a hair cut in four years and my hair is pretty long.

When I was done, my hair was passed my shoulders by an inch. I actually looked younger a little and my hair had springy curls each time I pulled one. I’ve been thinking about doing this for a while and at the moment, I don’t regret it. I had a hard time brushing the knots out last night after my rumble with Miranda friends and this pushed me further to do it.

Everyone always so a nice thing about me was my thick hair. It was always shinny and the curls were never frizzy, but tight even in bad weather.

New haircut, new me.

When I got a shower and went downstairs, Devin looked surprised at what I have done but Zoe quickly complemented me. There was a knock on the door and I went over to it.

When I opened it, Killian and Will were leaning on both sides of the door frame with their arms crossed over their chest. Once they saw me, both their eyes widen with surprised but it wasn’t a bad surprise.

Will nodded as he walked in, ruffling my hair, “Nice haircut, Omega.” he said. I gave him a cold look, removing his arm as he walked away into the dining room.

“Did you have some kind of Brittney Spears moment?” Killian asked, amused as he walked into the house. He put his arms around my waist and kissed me.

I chuckled, “No but it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I like it, feels like a lot of weight off my head now.”

He looked at my hair, “I like it to. It seems more like you.” he said as he took a curl in his fingers and pulled at it. He leaned down and kissed me on the mouth. I smiled as he kissed me, his arms tighten around my waist and made me closer to him. Something strange about his arms were better than not being in them.

*

I tapped the pen against the piece of paper in front of me. I was half way done finishing my letter to Sofia and Clyde, a little I’m not even sure if I’m going to send or not. I don’t know why I was even writing this when I know writing them is a very bad idea which is why I’m not so sure if I’m gonna send it or not. It’s not really their address, but someone else’s address. A friend of theirs I think but I’m not sure.

I had work down my fears of tonight and my birthday. I don’t know why it seemed so easy to write it down than it was to say it out loud but it was a pretty long letter. I don’t know why I was telling my fears of not belonging in here and if I was gonna fit in. I wasn’t raised like them and I still have allot to learn. I felt like they were only taking me in out of Alpha Lincoln pity for my brother and me.

I continued writing down the rest of my thoughts.

‘I still don’t get why this all had to happen to us. I know—as Alpha Lincoln likes to say—enough to know our family history, but why do we have to be so different? I feel so lost, I don’t know who I really am on the inside. People tell me, but I don’t feel like Matilda Vaughn. I’m hoping one day soon I will feel like who I’m supposed to be, but right now I don’t. I hate that I feel so insecure about all this, but I am. I’m so scared under my brave face that I wear for everyone.”

I continued to write a little more and I wasn’t sure if they would really care or not, but I wrote. I wrote everything that I could about my feelings until I had three pages. I told them allot more about me than I did when I had met them a week ago.

I grabbed an envelope and wrote the address down. I walked down the street where a large mailbox was. I don’t have a return address on the envelope just in case. I stared down at the letter, wondering if this was a smart idea or not but I so badly wanted to be in contact with them. I know Devin and Killian doesn’t want me to be, but I can’t help it.

I placed the letter in the large blue mailbox and went back to the house to get ready for tonight.

*

I heard someone come up behind me and I turned around expecting it to be Killian, but it was Will. I raised my eyebrow and he cleared his throat as he walked over, “Alpha Lincoln sent me. Everything ready, most of the pack is here for you.”

For me, I thought a little frighten which was weird since I’m usually never nervous. It felt more like stage fright since allot of people will be looking at me.

I looked down at the porch floor of Alpha Lincoln home before looking up at into the woods where I saw some light.

“No turning back?” I asked.

“I don’t see why you would want to.” he said and I scoffed, closing my eyes. He sighed heavily and I felt him come closer to me so I opened my eyes, “Mat, this is the best thing for you. Look, I’ll admit you surprise me allot.” My eyebrows furrowed together confused since I don’t know what he meant by that. “I mean, before I didn’t even know who you were. Fucked up to say, but I hadn’t noticed you before. Now that I do though, you’re a very strong Wolf. I didn’t think you could survive in this world, but you’re fitting perfectly in each day.”

The left side of my mouth twitched up in a half smile kind of way, “Fitting in, that sounds real nice to hear.” I threw my arm up and hit his arm playfully, “Well, I can say the more I got to know you, you’re not that much of an asshole like I thought.”

He playfully hit my back and I hit him back. He grinned, playfully shoving me back. I went to shove him back, but he turned. I would have fell flat on my face if he hadn’t caught me, saving me from getting a bloody noise. I then realized both his arms were around my waist and I awkwardly looked up at him. His deep green eyes look down at me, the gold outline around his eyes were very bright.

“Sorry.” he said smoothly as he lifted me up. We were so close, so close our chest were touching each other. The way he was looking at me was strange since it was his usual cold I’m-A-Jerk kind of look, but as if he—no, no Mat that was crazy. He’s Killian cousin and we couldn’t stand each other at one point. He wasn’t looking at me as if he was attracted to me.

I wasn’t attracted to him, that’s what I know though. Just to make this not awkward not anymore, I softly chuckled as I put my hands on his chest and stepped back, “You meant to do that, jerk. You just reconsidered catching me so you won’t have Alpha Lincoln pissed when I got there with a bloody noise.”

He chuckled, putting his hands in his front jean pockets, “Right. Come on, lets go.”

I didn’t look at Will as we walked out into the woods. It took a good ten minutes to get to where the pack was. Ten minutes of awkward silence that I knew we both must have felt. We didn’t talk to each other at all. I pulled at my t-shirt hem a little as we got closer to the pack. I could hear them—allot of them.

Allot of people were here. Maybe over forty of them but I’m sure there was allot more in the pack. When we got closer, allot of them turned and looked at me as they got quiet. As the people around them noticed they did, they also got quiet before all of them looked at me.

Will took my hand and I quickly looked down at our hands. I looked up at him a little surprised and he looked at me for a second before looking back out into the crowd.

“Friends, family, I have announcement.” Will said.

I leaned closer towards him, “What are you doing?”

He ignored me, “Tonight, I was supposed to announce the mine and Matilda Vaughn pairing. We’ve been paired with each other for a long time now, but we thought we make the announcement tonight. But—“ he said, clearing his throat. “I’ve talked to Alpha Lincoln about our pairing and his daughter pairing with the Beta of Massachusetts son and my cousin, Killian Arkwright. Matilda will now be with Killian and I will be,” he paused for a moment before forcing a smile on his face, “with his daughter, Melinda Hanigan.”

I looked up at him for a moment with my eyes wide a little. I didn’t know this. I didn’t know we would have to ‘switch’. I didn’t know for me to be with Killian, Will had to be with Melinda. I knew will didn’t like Melinda very much because he thought she was a spoiled brat as well and they both grew up together. They’re like cousins more than just being family friends. And he doesn’t seem very happy through that smile he was making.

I saw Killian in the corner of my eyes and I turned to see him walking over. I also saw Melinda walking over. She smiled, looking very beautiful in her lace white dress but I could see the anger also written in her eyes.

Will held my hand up as Killian came over first and Killian took my hand. Killian smiled down at me as he pulled me away and I turned my head around to see Melinda taking my place and she wrapped her arm around his, staying close to Will.

Killian went on the other side of me, his arm going around my waist. Alpha Lincoln and his wife, Alana, walked over towards us. Alpha Lincoln smiled brightly down at us and raised his hand over us, speaking in a language I didn’t know as he waved his hand.

Killian nodded and turned to me, “It’s done.” He said, leaning down and pecked me hard on the mouth. Confused since I don’t know what was really done, I just went along with it.

Alpha Lincoln went over to Will and Melinda. He did the same thing to them before Will and Melinda kissed. It was an awkward kiss, as if two cousins were kissing. I think everyone noticed how awkward it was since they had both looked at each other with a little dread before pecking real quickly but after they forced the crowd with big smiles.

Alpha Lincoln faced the people, “Everyone, tonight is a very special night for our pack. Another Vaughn is joining our pack, but it’s more like she is returning.” As he spoke about how I was being reunited back into the pack, I looked for Devin until I found him. He gave me a small smile and nodded. “Matilda Vaughn is a very special girl and as an Alpha, I feel very pride to have her in my pack. She has lived like a human, but she is very much like one of us. As a pack, we must help teach her. She isn’t different, so don’t treat her as if she is.” He walked over towards me and held his arm four me to take.

I looked up at Killian and he nodded. I looked back at Alpha Lincoln before wrapping my arm around his. He led me over towards here a camp fire was and a bunch of little candles were lit. He turned me to face the others and I felt his hands go on my back.

Nervous, I swallowed a little before I heard him rip at my t-shirt. I licked my dry lips, standing there nervously in my jeans and black bra. It wasn’t very uncommon to them since allot of the girls are always walking around in their bras since it made it easier to shift. They don’t see the body sexually like humans do. We see human bodies as our clothes, being in Wolf form is where we’re most naked.

I just wasn’t raised like them and I wasn’t too keen in letting people see my bra.

Alpha Lincoln turned me around and I lowered down on my knees, pressing my hands onto the ground as Alpha Lincoln spoke and I stared into the fire, “Do you swear to follow the rules of the pack and know you role you play in the pack?”

“I do.” I said.

I felt Alpha Lincoln hand go onto of my head and pull my head back a little. I looked up at the half filled moon, “Thousands of years of our traditions, our ancestors are known to help leads in trouble times. We learn from their mistakes and keep each other safe. History of Wolves must forever be kept a secret from the world. We are a dying race, do you Matilda Vaughn promise to help keep us safe?”

“I do.”

“The Oregon Pack is to become your family. Everyone you knew before, their now just a past that isn’t one of us. Do you Oath to the Goddess and your ancestors to carry on with their blood in your veins by giving the packs more children?”

Forgetting everyone would mean forgetting everyone that isn’t a pack member. That means Emily and that made my heart break, but I knew I had to. I couldn’t be around her with Wolves watching me. They would think I’m doing something I’m not supposed to. A part of keeping the secret is to stay away from humans. Don’t become friends with them.

And giving children to the pack? The more children I have, the more there will be in the pack. That’s what this is all mostly about. Keeping the kind from going into extinction.

“I do.” I said.

I don’t know how much longer it went on for. Maybe another ten minute of me Oathing in front of the pack that I remain loyal to them. I stared up at the moon and I could see the light of the moon shining around it. Something about looking up at it was giving me strength to holding my back up straighter and not feeling so nervous.

I don’t know how I’m going to do after tonight but I know for now I’m a pack member once that brand symbol hits my skin. It was common for lone wolves like me who haven’t chosen the pack side or the rogue side yet. To them, I was lost before and now I’m not anymore.

Alpha Lincoln reached down and took my right wrist in his hand. I stopped breathing as I watched the burning white iron come down. I held my chin up before the oval shaped with a crescent moon inside with four triangular shape in the middle the crescent moon like nail prints of a wolf paw was brand on my wrist. The burn was painfully cold like when you turn on the hot water and after a couple of moments when you touch it, it’s strangely cold for a second before it turns boiling hot. Well, it was the same with iron. I could hear my skin sizzling as I cried out in pain. The iron was only on my skin were about three seconds, but it felt like minutes.

Once he moved the hot iron, I pulled away and fell on my back. All around me, I heard everyone cheering in excitement about a new pack member but I ignored them as I lifted myself up. I felt someone come up behind me and I knew who it was before I turned my head to see Killian bend down behind me. He took my burned wrist and brought it up to his mouth, softly pecking it.

“How do you feel?” he asked, putting his hands under my arms and lifted me up.

“I just been branded, how do you think I feel?” I asked, breathing through pain.

He pushed my hair out of my face and kissed the top of my forehead, “I know, it sucks. The ritual was different for me. Lets go get you all band aid up.”

After going over to Devin and Zoe, Zoe put some weird homemade ointment on the burn and wrapped my arm up in a gauze. I saw someone in the corner of my eyes and I turned to see Will and Melinda next to him after Zoe finished. They were holding hands with each other, talking to people.

Killian noticed me looking and sighed, “It was the only way we could be together.”

I scoffed, “We switched.” I said as I turned to look at him. “As if we were trading toys, Killian. How was it the only way? Will talked about some other girl before. And Melinda? I’m sure Alpha Lincoln could have just found someone else.”

“Not this late in age. It looks better on the family to and—“ I cut him off by scoffing and rolling my eyes. “A scandal like this isn’t right. The only way we could be public to the pack and other packs was to make a switch. Why do you think Melinda so angry? Melinda and Will grew up together, they’re like family and they hate each other but to avoid any kind of scandal they agreed to it. Mat,” he gently took my arm and looked me straight in the eyes with his beautiful blue one. “It’s how it is and they know it.”

“But Killian, now I feel bad. Now I know why Melinda hates me so much. I ruined her future and I know I shouldn’t feel so bad, but I can understand why she hates me. I would hate a person if they did that to me.” I said. “With you, she could have grown to love you but with Will? It’s just seems wrong.”

“So what would you have wanted?” he asked. “Be with Will instead?”

“No, of course not.” I said. “But this should have went differently. Let them be with who they want and—“

“That isn’t how it goes.” he said. “They are children of important members of the packs, they know their role in the pack.”

“Alright, so screw Melinda but what about Will? This is also clearly not what he wanted.” I said.

“Will made a big sacrifice for me and I don’t think I could ever thank him enough for it.” he said. He reached up and cupped my face in his hand, “But Mat, we all have to make sacrifices.”

I stared at him for a moment, “I’m afraid for one day what ours will be.”

He stared at me for a moment before licking his lip and nodded. He pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the side of my head and I pressed the side of my head against his chest