My pack falls silently, looking at me with worried eyes. Something stirs within my stomach.

"What do you mean 'planning our wedding?'" I ask in a low tone. Shelby grins crazed.

"Your parents were over at my house last night discussing it with my parents."

"Impossible!" I growl a little too loudly.

"Impossible? How would you know? You weren't home last night according to your parents." I jump to my feet, leaning real close to her face, my blue eyes flashing.

"My parents would never agree for me to marry a slut like you," I said in a dangerous tone. I was well aware of the several pairs of eyes watching both of us closely and so was Shelby.

"I'm only relying the facts. When you turn 19, which is only a few months from now, you will marry me." She motions towards the on lookers. "Come on Jackieboo!! You don't want to start a scene in front of all of everyone, including your pack." I was seething with rage.

"You know what," I said, gritting my teeth. "Fuck you. I will never marry someone like you! I will never have a mate that's as shitty of a person as you."

"You bastard!" She screams as I turn on my heels and storm out of the cafeteria.

"Jack!" Alika shouts. I sped up even faster to a pace a know she cannot catch up to. I was pissed. My hands were shaking as the wolf inside of me growls, trying to escape. Trying to set itself free. I need to get to the woods before it was too late. I started running, not even caring if I got caught exiting the school's grounds.

=========

I run on all fours, my heart pounding in my chest as I raced along the open strip of the path. My fur clings to my body as it steadily down pours. I was close to my house, I could see it from here as I run down the hill.

I felt as if my lungs were going explode when I burst through the front door. Ma, who was in the kitchen making lunch for my father probably, whirls around, nearly flinging the pan at me.

"What the hell Jack!" She growls, her own blue eyes flashing as I switched forms. I stare her dead in her eyes.

"Don't 'what the hell Jack' me!" I screech. My dad hurries around the corner.

"Don't use that tone of voice with your mother!" He growls. "More importantly, why are you not in school right now?"

"So you're worried about me not being in school, eh?" I throw my head back laughing dryly. "Shouldn't you be worried about a certain 'marriage' you want to tell me about?" They both went dead silent.

"How did you know about the marriage arrangement?" Ma ask in a low tone.

"Does it matter how I know?" I growl. "I know one thing's for sure, I am not marrying her."

"Yes you are!" My father growls. I glare at him and he glares back.

"I am not going to marry her." I raise my chin in defiance, anger flashing in my eyes.

"But honey," ma tries to reason with me. "She is the alpha of the richest pack in the area! Her parents actually agreed for you two to become mates!"

"I don't care mother. Her family's money but that means nothing to me. I want a mate who will be by my side and actually love me not become a sex toy for other packs. I am not marrying Shelby!" I scream. "My pack's survival is important and she will be the death of it!"

"Well she obviously knows how to take care of her pack members since none of them went missing!" It grew silent again as my mother gasps.

"Jeremy!"

"That's right," my father growls. "I said it."

"Jeremy stop!" My mother pleads as the blood drains completely from my face. He was talking about Cal.

"What?" He asked my mother. "He deserved it, thinking he can be slick with us like that." Tears burn in my eyes but I blink them away fast.

"Fuck you," I whisper, taking a step back. "Just fuck you both." And I turn around and ran back out into the rain.

I was upset. I am nothing but a stupid alpha who can't even take care of his own pack. Tears run down my face but they only blended in with the rain that was streaming down my face. I needed someone to talk to. And though I hate to admit, Mark was the only person I could "trust" and talk to. He was the only one who could probably understand the pains of being an alpha. I changed the path that I was following and made my way to the SilverAsh pack's house.