Heiress by law, mate by fate

Banished

Luc closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her day couldn't get worse. This morning she had risen early in anticipation of her birthday. Now, four hours later her giddy anticipation felt foolish. What did she even expect? For things to change now that she was eighteen. In the kitchen none of the Omegas acknowledged her - as always. There was no surprise cake, no special breakfast. Not even her mother or father waited for her. Luc knew they were awake and about. She had heard them talking about pack business when she passed the Alpha's office. She had decided to wait for them but her time ran out, she had to leave for school if she didn't want the secretary calling her parents for being late. Her mom would celebrate with her in the evening. She always did in secrecy. Although Luc knew that her mother had not forgotten her eighteenth birthday, she felt sad that it wasn't celebrated openly. 

When she pulled up on the parking lot, she felt restless. She couldn't spot any of her friends. Usually, Maya and Stacie would wait for her but not today. Odd. A quick glance at the clock showed that she had five minutes left to get to class. More than enough time with her wolf speed. So she went to check her looks in the mirror again. Her messy bun held back her long sleek black curls. Noone would spot the tears, she had made sure to cover her emerald yet red rimmed eyes with enough eyeliner. One last breath and she felt settled enough to get to class - human politics class, how fitting she thought, if her life wasn't the epitome of a political mess. 

Although the pack territory had everything the pack needed, all young wolves were sent to a human high school in a neutral territory. All young weres had to get basic education so that they could live alongside humans without them noticing. Hiding in plain sight, weres took on jobs in the human world as long as they were not needed in the pack community. Her father, Alpha Jared, ran a successful IT company. Given that he had minions for almost any task next to his Alpha duties, she sometimes wondered if he was CEO in name only.  Being Alpha Jared's daughter though was not as great a fortune as it might seem but wherever she went that piece of information outran Luc's every move. She was daughter to an alpha, yet she was nothing in the eyes of her pack. Not that it mattered at school, none of the kids were alphas. There were some kids of betas but none that Luc had met yet. There were more than 1000 kids going to this school. As Jared's first and only child she should have been precious, taught as any alpha's child would, but that is if she were born to another pack. Shadow-Wood was governed by the old laws. Laws that dated back to almost medival times in Europe. And although it was these laws that lead Jared to power, he could have changed them in favor of his daughter. Yet he hadn't, leaving Luc as a pack member of no consequence and of no station and rank. 

Luc moved to the classroom quickly, ever careful not to startle any of the humans. Although she was of no consequence for the pack she couldn't disregard the laws of the supernatural world and one of these laws was clear: Never draw the attention of humans to your kind!  She moved through the hallway and turned right when she ran into a broad chest. Strong hands held her steady and prevented her from falling over. 

"Whoa there, careful cutie," said a deep male voice. Luc stopped dead in her tracks. 

"If it isn't Lucinda Taylor," the voice purred and Luc felt sick to the stomach. 

"Get your hands off me, Chad," she growled deeply but Chad did not budge an inch. "And why should I?" he replied and pushed Luc to the wall. "Don't be so prudish! All girls die for me to touch them," Chad drooled seductively. Admittedly, he was muscular and had an amazing body but he was the ultimate asshole. He felt entitled to every girl in school and given that he was a werewolf like Luc, he felt even more entitled to the female wolves. He was the schools linebacker and many girls swooned over him, but all Luc felt was disgust. He had slept with any willing girl and had moved on after each and everyone of them, no longer recognizing their existence. "Oh come on Lucinda, can't you imagine it - you and me. I could pleasure you all night...", he crooned and Luc lost control. 

Cele, Luc's wolf, took over. "Oh," Cele purred "you big bad wolf really think you could pleasure me?" In the back of her head, Luc screamed for Cele to stop but Cele was in full control now. She drew Chads body closer to herself and gave him a seductive grin. When he finally leaned in with a smug smirk on his face Cele shifted her weight slightly t her right foot, then her knee connected with Chad's balls and he convulsed in pain. "Dare to ever touch me again, dimwit," Cele hissed "and this was just a taste of what you have coming your way!" That's when Luc finally got back her control but too late. Several kids in school had stopped to watch the scene. The news of her kneeing Chad would spread like wildfire. Luc sighed and fled to class only to find that her friends, Stacie and Maya had called in sick.

Throughout the day whispers followed her every step. There was noone in school that didn't know of her assault on Chad this morning. When the story came back to her, gossip had twisted it completely. Seemingly she had had tried to seduce Chad but he had supposedly snubbed her so she got all mad and kneed him. That's how s**t had hit the fan. 

Back in the parking lot, Luc wanted nothing more than to go back home and hide in her room. But there was a girl with dirty blonde hair waiting at her car. "Are you Lucinda Taylor," she asked subtly pissed. Wondering what that girl wanted from her, Luc replied "depends on who is asking!" Snappishly, the girl spit: "It has to be you, no other girl would dare to address me that way in this school. I am Ashley Fields, daughter to Silver Moon's Beta, and you b***h attacked my mate today." Luc stared at her dumb folded. "Wait, are you saying Chad is your mate?" When Ashley's eyes changed to a darker shade, Cele took over again. Her words were dripping with acid: "I am sorry to hear that, it must be an awful burden to have a mate that is man whore."  That undid that Ashley girl. She attacked Luc full force. Although Luc having alpha blood didn't mean a thing in her pack, she would not idly sit back when attacked. That was against her nature. "Stop, Lucinda, stop!" I heard someone shout, but I couldn't place the voice. When Ashley tried to hit Luc again, Cele almost shifted. Several wolves ushered the humans into the school building. A teacher came running, Mr Rogers, one of the wolves from the pack that was working at school. Luc registered that several werewolves were trying to stop her and Ashley, but it was too late. Lost in the fight Luc and Ashley shifted at the same second clawing and biting at each other. Ashley caught her hind leg and she crashed into the hard floor of the parking lot. Luc rolled to her side and deflected another hit. She crouched down and sprang with full force on Ashley. She bit hard and growled "Submit". Ashley stopped shocked and whimpered. Her inner wolf reacted to the power Cele emitted. 

Ashley almost submitted when a dangerous growl shook the air. Cele turned around and stopped in her tracks. In the middle of the parking lot stood Alpha Jared and his Luna, Marysol. Marysol looked sad. "Shift back, Lucinda!" her father ordered and Luc followed suit. "Care to explain what is going on here?", he shouted. Lucinda bowed her head, but before she could answer the question, Ashley answered, "Alpha Taylor, I am sorry. This girl attacked my mate earlier in the day and when I wanted to confront her, she attacked me." "You did what?" he hissed. "I...." Luc started but Jared backhanded her. "How dare you speak back to me", he growled. Marysol stepped forward and put her hand on Jared's shoulder. Her eyes full of sadness. "Dear, you have no choice. It pains me, but the girls have broken the law. The humans could have seen." Jared took a curious look at his Luna. "The blonde one is not under our jurisdiction, you'll have to call Paul on her case but our laws are clear, Jar." 

Jared turned around and took Luc in for the longest time. The he said "Lucinda Estella Taylor, you are hereby banished from Shadow-Wood. We cut all ties with you. We are lenient though since this is your first misconduct. You may keep your car and everything in it. You are never to set foot on our pack land since you are now considered a rogue wolf." Shocked Luc stared at her parents and whined "Mom, father....", suddenly she felt the bond between her and the pack break. Frozen in place she stared at her former alpha. "Get out of my sight," Jared hissed coldly. Marysol's eyes were red rimmed, but she turned away as well. "Now!", Jared shouted and Luc stumbled towards her car. She put the car in reverse and drove off the parking lot leaving school behind her. After several miles she pulled over, stopped the car and cradled her legs to her chest. The shock had left her and all the pain of losing the pack came to her at once. "What have we done, Cele?", she cried.