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𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭, 𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩. The winds of Washington during the winter ran through my lungs, filling me with confidence. My paws shook with happiness as my wolf started to take over. My best friend, my companion in life who's been with me throughout my life. Arcadia's essence glistened in the midst of my mind, wrapping around the small fragments of being that remained through the transformation.

Nearly golden fur trapped underneath a thin layer of frigid snow came into view. With one fluid motion Anala shifted her stance, those neon green eyes illuminated in the starlight. With my human self chained, I revealed myself to Devi and Onno. My soul brothers howled at the sky and moon, calling forth our pack.

The sweet scent of family bonds and lavender called out to my heightened nose. My yellow eyes darted to the edge of the woods where the cry was heard. Almost shrill, but calming as the night took over our wolfish minds.

Gleaming white brushed against my side, with a single muzzle against my neck. Arcadia whistled in protest as Oliver's wolf pressed his paw in our face, pulling us down into the snow below.

Full Moons were spent in bliss, simply ourselves. No harassment, no laws. We had our own families to play with and wolves to bond over. Mated pairs slept together under starlight and pups stuck to their mothers and fathers. A single being held us together by an ebbing river bond, beautiful and vast. His heart connected the strings of our wolves, blinding loyalty being our ultimate goal and downfall. Alpha. Father. Grandfather. Luna. Mother. Grandmother. Our changing bond shifted at their will, but we were never taken advantage of, for just as they tied us together, we tied them down into their role as pack leaders.

Arcadia played by no rules and only fun. She whipped her tail against Veter as he trotted past, ready to dominate. Large in stature, my wolf's mind wound around my own, dragging me into a mess of emotion during this time of the month. The moon unsettled us, our wolves wanting more than we could give. Never fully tamed, never fully separate. This was our way.

Quiet lingered in the forest after the howl. With little noise emitted, wolves made their way into the centre. A single stump of wood created by our ancestors over three thousand years ago. A wandering demon slain by the great Itiri Kea. It's body would never break, never settle into the ancient grounds. We used it as a reminder of our kind, our culture.

Gathered around the stump, the Alpha stepped into our midst. Many wolves bowed their head in submission, his scent beckoning the weaker beings to do so. Arcadia stood tall, for we were of his great bloodline. No disrespect, just quiet submission from the rest. My father sent me a knowing look before bringing himself onto the dead tree stump.

"We are gathered here today to remember who we are. While we have enemies, we shall always stand tall, just as Itiri Kea," his voice pinged into my mind. Simple, wolves were. Telepathic connections with great power had kept us safe and calm throughout years of persecution. The Alpha continued, "As you know, there have been attacks at our borders. Locals will become suspicious if they see wolves wandering around during the full moon. Their ways shall not snuff us out, for humanity is simply one form of being. However, I have a proposed plan for our secrecy."

Our pack remained silent, waiting for him to continue. Arcadia whipped her head around to see Devi happily snuggling into Onno. The latter still groveled. Even through mating bonds he would not be on the same level as Devi. Family, but by soul. Chosen by our great ancestors to continue the bloodline and grant my brother happiness.

Much younger females looked to Mother, the pack Luna. Her carefree and nurturing attitude comforted us during war times. With steel grey fur, her wolf is the second largest for the females and bigger than many full grown males. Mother's eyes glinted yellow just as mine had upon my first shift. A beauty in her own right, she stood next to Father, who took his precious time before speaking again.

Breaking the hallowed silence, Father continued, "We have experienced great losses before, but with loss brings opportunity. Character's develop, bonds are tested, and one's true nature will be revealed. Many of you do not know the battles of Paula like I do as I was a mere youngling when such events took place, but our truth developed faster than it had in three millenia. Our beginnings have always said that a great war will be disguised as a simple scuffle between two sides of the same coin. I fear that this time may be upon us. While I wish not to instill fear, I must speak my mind."

A long pause followed the revelation of our Alpha's ideas. The Great War had been predicted, prophesied over two thousand years ago. We've fought since then with plenty of packs, coming out on top each time. To have such conflict could tear apart entire societies, deplete culture from the wolf world. A simple argument between two sides turns into deceit and horror. Only one could win, and the other side would be eradicated from the very history of society. Ancient magic would take away the memories of all but the pack who won and their allies. Humanity, even vampires would forget. The scales of time and space would be tested by our ancestors.

Such a prophecy could be the end of us all. The dangers outweighed any power we could gain. We already own almost all of the area, have a stable place for our pack to grow and shift. What more could we get? Allies? No, we have enough allies to work with us if someone were to attack our domain.

"Concentration of magic has been extracted from the Quileute tribe dating back only a year. They warn that creatures of blood and bone have raged in their territory, now making it their home. Kill after kill of the animal population destroys everything they're tried to build. While they do not feed on local populus, they are a danger and could be the starters of the Great War." Many wolves growled at the idea of vampires in our allies' territory. While the Quileute tribe did not know of our true nature, they had disclosed theirs to us. Working together with close friends would be necessary during times like these. Vampires in wolf territory. What a horrid thing.

Arcadia's mind wrapped around my being once more, giving me some insight. Cold fear and painfully hot anger coursed through the bond. Sweet bloodlust and lingering desperation coated the insides of her thoughts. While I could not hear, I could experience the dominant emotions that plagued her and by association me.

Shifting my gaze as Arcadia processed what we just heard, I noticed the pups dragging their heels into the ground. Small tufts of fur were being cleaned by their worrisome mothers, who would do anything to protect their younglings. My baby sisters shuffled under our mother, nuzzled under her body. Their steel and gold fur shimmered under the moonlight. Many other younglings and pups followed suit, staying close to their immediate family and soulbonds. Devi whisked his way over with Onno, letting him stay close. Arcadia was too flustered to do anything about their presence. Usually she would greet them or accept the close contact. As the daughter of an Alpha, she had the ability to reject any contact with lower ranking wolves.

The scent of bonds was interrupted by animal blood being spilt somewhere near. Our pack simultaneously growled in frustration. Hard to concentrate on work when deer blood plagued your senses, attempting to send you into a thirsty rage. Arcadia wanted to tear things, to rip and kill. Spill as much blood as possible, that was her main focus. The only thing that kept her was the loyalty to listening to our Alpha, our father. Our undivided attention had to be on him. If he called a hunt in the middle of our meeting, so be it, but until he did we would remain calm and collected.

Ferocious canines bared at the sickeningly sweet scent. I felt the shift in our bonds as the pack was almost sent into a flurry as the smell gained potency. So horrifically predatory but it made us who we are. Time for hunting, or at least some well meaning fun with each other. Our playful natures shone through during the hunt. A precious time to get a meal and release our inner beasts. We had no time to care for the animals we slaughtered, we simply thirsted for a release of energy and food in our bellies. Being out so late, using so much strength during the shift didn't help the growing frustrations we faced together.

Drip. Drip. Drip. The deer's blood sank into the snow, giving a chance to release ourselves from the blood's hold over our wolf selves.

Our Alpha's clicking tongue sent our eyes onto him, mesmerized by his Alpha trance. The moon was at its peak when he dismissed us, "Go play. We shall meet tomorrow when the moon does not control our abilities."

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝐀 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐛 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞. Felix and Demetri Volturi smelled the scent of wolves from a mile away and were determined to extinguish their flame. Their job would require such actions, lest Aro and Caius find out about the abominations of nature. Their fury expressed in different ways but both could be outright cruel in their punishments towards faulty or disobedient guards. Few members could escape such torturous acts by the two men, with only Jane and Alec being free from their furious persecutions.

Stilled to the bone, the vampires waited for the scent of a recently killed deer to draw the creatures into their grasp. A perfect trap for a seemingly perfect plan. Already working on borrowed time, as they weren't even supposed to be in Washington. Their duties were up at the Candadian border where multiple newborns were causing trouble with local officials. Exposure on the table and yet they chose to investigate a furry problem of their own.

What the group didn't know was that the wolves had grown accustomed to the scent of animal blood, able to resist their feral instincts for long enough to evade any vampiric encounters. Humans could hunt all they wanted and Children of the Moon would remain in control of their inner wolves. Although tested to the brink of insanity with bloodlust, they would do whatever it took. A respectable Alpha with control of his own would reign in his members further, settling down growls and bearing teeth.

Carmine blood dripped from Felix's teeth, falling down his jaw and neck. The taste disgusted the black-haired vampire, head cocked back and mouth ajar with distaste of the metallic animal's lifeforce. It consumed Felix's nose and tongue, beckoning him to spit it out and go for something tasteful. Volturi guards took no pleasure from the slaughter of animals or drinking their blood, but he guessed a job was a job and that he would survive such a repulsive taste in his throat.

"We have orders," Jane's voice chipped through the trees, about fifteen meters away from the pair of soul brothers. Her red eyes grazed over the dying doe. Never sorry, her cold nature shone through during these harsh winter months. Jane's black hair contrasted the beautiful white layer of snow she stood on. Long and layered to perfection, she glanced back at her twin for a moment before bringing her gaze back to Felix and Demetri. "We have to get there within the hour or Caius will begin plotting his punishments. The lower guards will have already shown up. You forget we are the only ones with the authority to kill the newborns. Or have the strength to do so."

"You're pissy today," Demetri quipped, hand latching onto a bare tree. "Master Caius will be thankful for us taking down wolves such as these. I fear that they have become far stronger than we ever imagined. If you could get a taste of their pack bonds now, you'd be impressed with their coordination. Perhaps they are no longer such mindless beasts exposing themselves to entire villages during the full moon. I do not hear such savage thoughts nor evil intent out of any of them."

Alec hissed at the mention of their ways. He was old enough to remember some of the worst wolf attacks in the past two thousand years. Savagery, maliciousness, and a thirst for blood that reminded him of a poorly controlled newborn vampire fresh from transformation. Such selfishness and insolence could not be allowed to live, so his masters illegalized them and ordered their extermination. How many had they lost during those years to the fatal bite of Children of the Moon? Too many. Friends and soul siblings torn apart by creatures who would rather pillage than become a civilized people.

"These ones resist the scent of fresh doe," Felix noted quietly, shifting his stance in the trees. He himself did not remember such days of fear and torment, only being turned approximately five-hundred years prior to this expedition. Hunting wolves was not second nature nor was he trained in such actions. While the strongest vampire alive, he didn't know the true dangers of a united pack of Children of the Moon. "Does that not worry you three?"

"Does it worry you?" Jane questioned, exasperated. The tiny girl almost gasped as she laid eyes on the group of collected wolves. Around thirty wolves congregated in one place during this full moon. Around a stump, no less. The ancient preteen was never frightened of anything, even terrifying wolves, but now she wished for nothing more than a chance to run, to flee. She'd never abandoned a fight, fled for the sake of her comfort. This was different, she could not fight a pack of this size. A job for the Volturi, perhaps, but not only four members. Elite guard or not, they stood no chance against the power of Children of the Moon.

Jane's question had an obvious answer, but no elite guard member spoke. Felix silently scorned himself for taking on such a task, one that could leave him crippled or dead. His eyes darted to the gathered wolves, whose eyes glinted various different neon colors. Yellow, green, blue, orange, even pink.

Yellow. He saw yellow in one of them. A type he'd never paid attention to before. Felix's red eyes lingered too long for his comfort on those gorgeous yellow eyes. He felt his heart pull, beckoning him forward. Touch. His senses tugged his vampire mind towards her. It was like his mission didn't matter anymore, like everything he'd worked for washed away in the presence of her perfection. For a second he forgot she was a wolf.

All three of his fellow members glared at the distracted black-haired vampire. Jane scowled furiously at his inattention. Did he want to get them all killed? The spitfire of a vampire wanted to tug out all of Felix's hair and shove him into a volcano. But before her anger could take over, the yellow-eyed vampire Felix had been gawking at... turned around.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. Who had the gall to walk in on a wolf congregation on the full moon? What being would dare harass my family during our special time. Our time of the month, if you will. Arcadia took over my senses, forcing me to look into the eyes of the man who'd been caught red-handed. Or red-eyed.

I stared into the eyes of a red-eyed being with the most gorgeous features I'd ever had the pleasure to gaze upon. His perfectly proportioned hair and dark curls sent my inner wolf into a flurry. The inner workings of my soul contracted, making the rest of my pack scramble, pushing themselves away from the vampire who'd done this to my wolf. Just as quickly as Arcadia went into attack mode she calmed, almost bending down in solidarity with this horrific creature. I screamed at her to stop, to do something, but she whimpered at the suggestion that I tear this idiotically handsome vampire to pieces, killing him with our fast acting venom that coated our canines. My human self wanted to take back my body, even in wolf form, and show Arcadia who's in charge, but on the full moon she held the reins, my inner animal instincts taking control of my humanity.

Vampires weren't supposed to have gifts that could control a creature like myself. Children of the Moon as they so fondly call us are immune to every single mental gift that a vampire could have, so unless this gift is physical it's implausible. To have a being like him... I have to focus. A vampire right in front of me and yet I can't seem to find it within me to move, to fight back. After all of my training I should be better than this, able to fight back in any circumstance. Playing ragdoll in front of a handsome vampire and my entire coven should be seen as traitorous, cowardly. Why would I deem him handsome? He is no wolf, I am to be mated to a high ranking wolf as is my birthright. I am the heir to the pack, the second strongest wolf in the greater Washington area!

The pack shuffled back, with Mother and my younger brothers trying to lead the youngest among us, mostly the young pups (some of which are only about a year old), away from the danger. Our Alpha stood tall in the face of danger, growling as his eyes lit up with his wolf's color. Some of the younger or newly turned wolves stood their ground, just as confused as the rest of us as to why vampires would dare cross into our territory. To put themselves in such danger is either idiotic or cocky because every vampire is warned by their wretched leaders of the potential of a wolf pack. To mess with one wolf means to mess with the pack, and to mess with a pack on a full moon is certainly suicide.

Grounding myself into the pack bond, I hear a few wolves gasp as the handsome vampire walks in front of me. Many would expect me to bite, to kill this stupid man and end his short-term immortality, but I remained still, completely paralyzed. My wolf shoved me to the side, allowing his hand to graze against my silver and steel fur for the first time. As he touched me and our eyes met, I understood.

A loud snap occurred in my mind, filling up till my ears. My wolf howled in happiness, rubbing against this vampire like he was the calmest thing in the world. I cried out in anger and unrest as Arcadia rejected my control, caught up in the finding of our mate. Against all of my instincts and control against the terrible nature of vampires I was forced into some sort of submission with this man I didn't know. I'd never felt such shame, such hate. In front of my pack I would seem weak, mated to the enemy who would want to destroy us. I couldn't be mated to a vampire! It would go against the life I've made for myself, force me to consort with people I swore to destroy to keep the ones I love safe.

"You're a wolf," the vampire acknowledged. His voice was like pure honey to my wolf ears, but that didn't make me think any higher of him. I hated his red eyes, no matter how pretty they looked. He was a stupid, stupid vampire that I had to hate due to him hating my whole species. "How are you, little wolf?"

"Are you a fucking madman?" A voice hissed out. "Tear it apart already Felix or it's going to bite!"

"Shhh," my mate shushed the vampire in the corner, patting my head in the process. I whined, attempting to take control long enough to bite this idiot. This Felix turned his head back to me, looking down at me lovingly. I growled, feeling the full moon start to set. Once I could gain control of myself, I could tear these fuckers apart with no mercy. Mate or not, he was clearly here to attack my family. No bond would take me away from my precious pack. Fuck the ancestors for putting me in this situation. I wouldn't settle for an immortal. A wolf like myself could understand the ways of a pack, even a human could understand more than a vampire. We're two different cultures not meant to intermingle or intermarry. Especially not intermate. "You should be turning back into your human self soon. I hope to meet your human as well as your full wolf soon, cara."

"Is this fucker flirting with the wolf?" The man from before exclaimed before looking to two childlike vampires. If I didn't know better I would think they were Immortal Children, but their eyes were maroon with age, indicating otherwise. "Brother get away from the beast before she bites your head off!"

"She won't hurt me," he relied, rubbing my fur coat. He must have sensed my inner conflict because he took a small step back. "Dear, I'm your mate, I won't harm you. Please don't attack my covenmates, they shall do you no harm."

Mate wouldn't lie, Arcadia tells me. I shake my head, finally able to grip onto the fabric of my mind and hold her back. The change exhausted me, but I was able to throw her into the corner. I growled at every single one of them, ready to take down whoever would dare trespass. It was a crime for a vampire to be in wolf territory and we have every right to destroy them here and now. Arcadia will have to deal with the distress because laws are laws and as the heir to Alphadom I have to do my best to uphold the law under any and all circumstances. Even if he is my mate, he must be tried in the court of the pack and be judged by the Alpha.

By now half of the pack had left, leaving only our best fighters behind to fend off these attackers. My brothers and cousins along with some of my aunts and uncles. Mother had left with my baby sisters, but everyone else remained. Father, our prized Alpha, stood tall in the face of danger, glaring at my newly found mate. Whether or not he would permit him to live remained unknown. We all hate vampires and could never allow them into our pack. Spirits, I'd messed with the entire dynamic of our pack. Without me, who would guard the gates? We don't have enough wolves to do half of everything we should be doing already, but now? People would have to work longer hours if I were to be kicked out.

Imagining being a lone wolf trapped into being with a vampire due to a ridiculous mating bond that had failed me was horrific. I couldn't stand being away from the people I'd bonded to, the ones that were supposed to love me no matter what. I would be outcast for this. I could be put to death with my mate for being associated through the bond with him. We'd done the same to pack members mated to an enemy who wouldn't join our cause in the past. Wolves are ruthless when tested, loyal by sake of bond and might. Would people miss me when my bonds conflicted pack ideology?

"Is this true Aurora?" Father asked through the mind bond. "Is this creature your true mate? The one you are destined to be with and bear for if that is what you so desire? The one destined to keep you safe, the one who would bend to your will if so be it?"

"Father I do not want him!" I exclaimed in anger as the full moon finally passed, giving me the freedom to change at will. Alas, I stayed as my wolf, unwilling to shift in the cold, dark place we were in. The stars and growing sun would do little to cover my bare form. I wouldn't sully myself to exposure. Not for a vampire. "I am loyal to my pack and my pack alone. I would never accept a man who'd willingly attack my family, the ones I care about. You are my bond, my master, and my father. My Alpha. I did not mean for such a betrayal, I did not choose this man as my own."

"To reject your mate would be to die, your wolf leaving your spirit and taking your soul with it. I won't allow you to condemn yourself to such an existence, weak and powerless," Father reminded as his eyes averted to the young looking man and his covenmates. "They have not attacked yet and have not declared us as enemies. It is within your right to be with him. While they have trespassed, this bond you carry with you has saved your mate and the company he keeps. I will leave it up to you on what is to come. Whether or not you question the validity of the bond is up to you, but for now you are a mated female wolf with a vampire mate."

There was no way to reject my mate without the approval of my wolf, and my wolf was already smitten with this barbarian. Why did it have to be me? Why do my ancestors hate me so much? What could I have done wrong to justify such a cruel pairing. I would rather be paired up with an old man than this idiot. Arcadia, you can't seriously allow me to suffer through a bond with a vampire! Get yourself in line and remember that you share this body with me! We're supposed to be on the side of our people, not the vampires!

"As is tradition, your mate shall be invited into our home once we shift back into human form." Many members of our pack barked in protest. Why should we open ourselves up to the creatures who hunt us down and kill our family members, our bondmates, and our soul brothers and sisters? They're complete barbarians who care not what families they tear apart with their selfish ways! "I am the Alpha and this is my decision. Unless you wish to die with your mate as is sanctioned by the bond you hold with him we will have him in our home. Only ours, not the pack house or any other facilities. They do not sleep and shall stay in the living room for the night unless you want to keep your mate in your room, Aurora."

I scowled at the mention of the vampire possibly being in my room. I would never allow such a being to be anywhere near my nest, my safe space. Come on, Aurora, he's our mate! You should be excited about our soul being completed! We can have fun with him! Plus, he's super handsome. Please give him a chance, Arcadia tried to convince me, but I was sure that his ways would show through the second he came into our home. It was no secret that vampires hate the way Children of the Moon smell, so he would likely stick his nose up at everything.

He knows nothing of our culture, our ways! He's likely an old man in the body of a young one. We deserve better, someone who will care for the entire pack until their dying day. I am the rightful Alpha once Father steps down. Arcadia whimpered at the mention of our pack. That's right. This guy is taking us away from everything we've ever known. Unless he's willing to stay or find a way for us to still be a part of our pack, I don't want him. I don't want him in general, but we both know what happens when one side of a bond rejects the other. It would be fun revenge on the species though...

Arcadia did not respond further, simply staying at the back of my mind as I stared into the eyes of my stupid mate. I shifted forward, hitting Felix's legs with my tail. He almost fell over, but somehow kept his balance against the force of the blow. My mate seemed to get the message, but rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. That's right bitch, be scared of me but still follow me because you're all on thin ice with my pack.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞. One, he constantly tried to touch my precious fur, to which I would bare my teeth and threaten to bite him. Such intrusions wouldn't be tolerated by me or Arcadia. You have to ask a wolf before petting them, for Heaven's sake! Two, he didn't say much. Even when a few of his friends would try to say something to him, those red eyes of his remained focused on me. I hated it. Not only did he seem to ignore his so-called friends, he was trying to pet me. Three, Felix was incredibly tall. He towered over my wolf, which was a feat in and of itself. I could stand taller than him only on my hind legs. My mate had to be at least 6"10, maybe taller. In my human form that would be a challenge, being 4"11 myself.

Questioning every move these idiots made, I unlocked the door with my paw like I had so many nights before. Being locked out of the house remained a constant problem for the wolves in Washington, so we made it our mission to remain as human as possible in our wolf forms. Whether it be opening up doors or even drawing, we could do the unthinkable on all fours. Nonetheless, I unlocked the door, leading the vampires inside of our home.

Whether or not they knew themselves what was going on remained a mystery, but two of them took to sitting on the maroon couch in the middle of the living room, heated by the fire we'd left going before coming outside to shift during the full moon. I left them to their own, trotting up the stairs and making my way inside of my large room on the second floor. Light came in from the stained glass window that Father and I made during my freshman year of highschool as I shifted back into human form.

My bare breasts fell free. I made sure that the door was closed before getting myself changed. I tossed on a white wool shirt and some old jeans I wore yesterday for a few hours. Checking myself out in the mirror, I noticed the small scar I'd gained on my left side. It was tiny, likely too small for any human to see, but it still irked me that my body had been cut in such a way. Damn turning makes me get all cut up but there's nothing I can do about it. Was it when I... right, I got that right when I turned. The door, wasn't it? I thought it would bruise, not scar! Ugh!

Not bothering to put on any shoes, I made my way back down the stairs only to be met with the faces of the enemy. I growled at them before taking a mug out of the cabinet. The black-haired girl held a scowl on her face that I matched with the same amount of hate poured into it. No need to be civil when they wouldn't be. I could match their toxic, self-righteous energy.

"So, is someone going to explain what the fuck is going on?" One of them said. I rolled my eyes as I got out the milk from the fridge, pouring the white liquid into my mug. I didn't care enough to explain, they didn't need to hear my voice until I was ready to speak to such idiotic and passive aggressive beings. "I'm seriously so fucking confused."

"Well I don't fucking know," the girl seethed, stretching her legs out onto a similarly sized boy. "Maybe ask her yourself, you damn coward."

Putting down my mug of milk I grabbed a dart from on top of the counter. Before the man could react, I threw it straight forward, hitting him in the face. Large cracks appeared from the pressure of my strong throw, rendering him useless for some time. I didn't need idiots speaking in the house. They could exist without me killing them, but if they thought for one minute that they could demand information they would be sadly mistaken. I don't do interrogation. Ever. If they want someone to spoon feed them what the hell is going on they can go out and ask Father.

"She's my mate, that's all I know," Felix said quietly before looking down at his covenmate. "And she seems to hate Demetri. And all of us, for that matter. How can someone with such a large wolf be so tiny━"

I cut him off with a growl, "You dare call me tiny again and I swear I will reject you and therefore kill myself faster than anyone in the history of mating bonds has. You sit your ass down in my Father's home and shut your mouth before I let someone come in here and kill you. None of us want you alive and the only reason why I don't kill you myself is because the mating bond won't allow me to fatally wound, maime, or torture you for however long I please. You are vile, disgusting beasts who don't deserve immortality. If you had one hint of respect for any life you'd throw yourself into a volcano. If I ever sank to your level I'd do the world a favor and kill myself because being a creature of the night is perhaps the most grave sin of all time."

The room went quiet as I picked my mug of milk back up to put into the microwave. I saw the simmering anger growing in one of the vampires, her black hair almost turning a dark shade of red. If she still had blood her face would have been as crimson as the stuff she drinks on a weekly basis. Disgusting beasts in my home. If I had any sense I'd throw her into the fireplace and let my mate grieve for her later. She got on my nerves with her tone, the way she looked at me as if she weren't the one about to slaughter countless innocent wolves. My family. There were children there and even more wolves still on maternal hiatus from shifting during the full moon with their offspring in their houses. What was she to say for herself? A murderous little bitch about to kill babies incapable of defending themselves, still innocent to the world.

"You're a funny one, aren't you?" I couldn't tell if he was trying to joke with me or not, but I most certainly didn't find it funny either way. The company he keeps makes me sick. He must have noticed my extreme anger towards him and the other vampires in the room because his smirk turned into a frown. "Come on, we can work something out, can't we? We're mates, we're meant to be together━"

"Last time I checked I don't give two fucks what this mating bond says," I growled at my mate, who looked down at the floor in upset. Honestly I didn't care because I didn't want him. Someone get this man because right now the only thing keeping him alive is the fact that Arcadia will push me out of my body the second I try to throw a dart his way like I did his friend. That asshole deserved it, being so damn annoying with the questions. Your ass gets saved even when you were trying to kill the person who saved you and you have the gall to ask what's going on? Idiot. "I'm not leaving my pack, so you're relocating."

"No," The girl said simply.

"Bitch do I look like I'm into negotiating? Felix is staying here if he wants any fucking chance with me, which he already doesn't have unless he proves himself." The girl stood up, looking ready for a fight. I ignored the microwave as it went off, stepping back into the living room. "Look, small idiotic whore of a vampire, get the fuck back in your lane and realizing who the hell you're talking to. I'm Felix's mate, I'm the heir to the pack's Alpha title, I'm the second strongest wolf in this damn town, and I'm a bitch who's immune to whatever freaky little vampire powers you could have. I could erase you off this planet and make it look like nothing, so sit the fuck down."

She didn't say anything else, sitting back down on the couch next to the boy who looked just about her age. Their features are so similar that I'd assume they're siblings. Two little devils, but the boy didn't seem so aggressive. He just sat there, staring at one of the paintings behind me. Real question is who the hell turns kids this young? They're like thirteen at most.

I watched as Felix stood up, making his way to stand in front of me. I growled, my fangs and yellow eyes showing through. I didn't want a vampire this close to me under any circumstance. His red eyes might be pretty like little rubies but he's still a killer capable of destroying my life if he wanted to. He's likely killed thousands already just from his Newborn year, I don't need any townsfolk falling victim to his terror.

A feral growl, almost a bark, escaped through my lips when he tried to touch my shoulder. My mate sighed at the small rejection and frowned. "What is it going to take for me to gain even a small bit of your trust, little wolf? I'd do anything to just have you trust me and not reject every advance I make to further our inevitable bond."

"Do this one thing," I started, voice very serious. He raised an eyebrow, making me smirk. "Set the fucking moon on fire."

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