She-Wolf Prophecies Book 1

As I lay in the grass the sun beat down on my caramel-kissed skin. I grabbed the spray bottle next to me and spritzed my entire body. I was never a fan of tanning oils or lotions. I tanned very easily and didn't feel I needed them. This was my favorite thing to do in the summer. Lay out in my backyard, by the pond reading a book. I was so glad school was out and I had finally graduated. I had never felt as if I fit in. All the others in my class were older than I was and I felt as if I was an outcast. I had skipped a grade in middle school as well as my freshman year of high school. Of course, our high school wasn't like a regular one and just didn't challenge my mind the way I needed it. Cedar Brook Highschool was the high school our pack attended, as well as the neighboring (as humans called them) "mythical creatures". Yes by mythical creatures I mean witches, vampires, & fae. The list goes on and on. Around here we don't discriminate and we all have an agreement. We don't overstep boundaries without permission or invitation, and we respect everyone's laws and beliefs. It'd be nice if the humans were as cordial as us, which is why No humans were Allowed at our school. The elders just don't think it's the right time for them to know about us yet. The elders are the leaders of all the different communities. Our alpha is one of them. Each "species" has its representatives on the council of elders so that everyone is treated fair and just. My dad is the Beta to our Alpha. While he does attend the council meetings with our Alpha he doesn't or isn't allowed to give his input during the meetings. My mom, well is the most amazing woman I know. She is a part werewolf and part witch. That's right your girl here is a werewitch herself. At one time it was frowned upon. Mixing different species that is, but now although it rarely happens it does happen. At least around here. Out in other parts of the world, it is very much frowned upon and can even be dangerous. As for humans, they know we exist. Well their leaders do, the ones that need to know at least. But only the ones around our towns. Our elders felt that if we respect each other as much as we do it is only right to show that same respect to the humans we live amongst. Even though we keep as much distance as we can from them. "Gabby!" my mom yelled from the kitchen window. "Yes, Mother?" I asked sitting up so I could give her my full attention. "Don't forget we have the Welcome Home Dinner for Grey tonight!" she reminded me. Greyson Scott Brier! The Alphas son had returned this morning after being away at college for 6 years. Yes, you heard me right, 6 years. It was as if once Grey got away from the pack he was in no hurry to come back and I didn't blame him. The truth was I envied him. Grey and I had grown up together. We had been playmates when we were pups and were constantly together. Until that is Gray turned 16 and started drooling over anything with a v****a! After that, all I had were my sisters who were already mated and having pups, and of course my best friend Kenzie. Ugh! I groaned inwardly. I hated these things and stayed home any chance I got. I had just turned 17 and was expected to attend at my age. "Yes, I remember," I replied as I stood up to gather my things. "Of course you do." I heard mom giggle from the kitchen. Mom always knew when I was fibbing. I had not once been able to successfully lie to my mother. She and her witchy powers always seemed to know and always called me out on it. I made my way upstairs to my room. Our house was the 2nd biggest on our territory. The pack had helped my grandfather build it when he was Beta and he had given it to my dad when he and my grandmother had retired and relocated to a condo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a white 3-story farmhouse with wrap around porch and wrap around balcony. The basement or "Ground floor" just like in most Alpha & Beta Homes was the meeting area for the men. I had never even seen the ground floor of my own home. I loved it though & couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It was cozy and had history. One day I hoped to raise my family here and leave it to my children. "Gabby please make sure you look nice tonight, you never know who you could meet there" Mom's voice echoed up the stairs. I shook my head in disbelief. She knew I was NOT interested in finding my mate. At the age of 16, most wolves were drooling over each other and worried when they would feel the mate bond. Not me. That was the farthest thing from my mind. I wanted to travel and see the world. At 16 our hormones kicked in and any unmated female or male could hardly stand within sight of each other. The mating bond, however, would not work until we turned 18 years old. At midnight on the day of our 18th birthday, we went through a ritual. We bathed naked in the sacred pond underneath the moon to wake up our wolf who lived within us as parts of our souls. Once when we met our mate we would know instantly. Whether we liked it or not and to seal the deal mates had to mark each other, yes you guessed it, beneath the moon in the sacred pond while mating. How humiliating! I had never been a fan of our rituals and transitions. They were just odd. I threw my things down on my huge king-size bed that took up most of my room and made my way over to my vanity. I removed all my jewelry and clothes as I looked at myself in the mirror. My mom and Luna Grace were always fawning over me telling me how beautiful I was and that I had come into myself this past year. I just didn't see it. I mean my breast had filled out, I snickered as they burst out of the almost too-small bikini top I'd purchased only last summer. And my hips were curvier I guess but aside from replacing my glasses with contacts and getting my braces off all at the urging of my 2 older sisters Mia and Sidney, I just looked like me. I let my straight brown hair down from its clasp and it cascaded over my shoulders. The caramel lowlights and blonde highlights Mia had added made a difference. My bright green eyes were my favorite feature. I got them from my mom. Everything else was a pure wolf, but my eyes, now those were the eyes of a witch. The side of me I treasured the side of me I knew nothing about but yearned so deeply for. As I jumped in the hot shower I thought of the story my mom had told me. How she had been found by my dad and how the pack had accepted her and taken her in as a family. My dad had found her on our borders in a ditch, the mate bond leading him to her. She had a huge gash on her head and a broken leg. She was unable to turn so she healed slowly. She had no memory of who she was or where she was from. She slowly gained her powers back discovering them one by one, & was able to shift again. That was 25 years ago and she still had no answers. As I got out of the shower mom walked in holding a white mini dress. "Look what I picked up for you." she grinned. "Great." I gave her a half-hearted smile. "Kenzie is here to get ready with you." she smiled, I'm heading over to the Pack House with dad so I can help Grace if she needs it." Mom informed me. I nodded and she hastily left my room no doubt dad was already aggravated because mom was making him late once again. Kenzie came running into my room moments later. 'Omg Becka called me she saw Grey and she said he was mouth-watering." she squealed. "What?" I laughed. "Grey Brier? No way. He is a little nerdy string bean." I giggled. "Well apparently he is nothing but muscle and 100% grade A Wolf." she whistled like Wiley Coyote and I burst out in a fit of laughter. Kenzie was my one and only friend. She was the only person I had felt comfortable around in school. She never made me feel too young or as if I weren't pretty like the rest of our senior class had done. Especially "the mean girls" as I liked to call them, from our pack. Kenzie had found her mate our senior year and I was so happy for her. Luke was an amazing guy and was in line to be the next Beta as my dad had not had any sons, only daughters. Which was stupid to me. Why couldn't females be Beta or Alpha, or anything else in the Pack thought to be for men only? Kenzie and I got busy getting ready for dinner. It wasn't formal but we were still expected to look our best. Kenzie looked stunning with her white milky skin and long wavy blonde hair. She added a red lip to match her red stilettos. She was wearing a black mini dress like mine and I was thankful for that. I definitely wouldn't stand out next to her beauty. I applied some mascara to the ends of my lashes and walked out of the bathroom ready to go. Kenzie gasped. This was the first time since my mini makeover by my sisters that I had dressed up. "OMG Gabby you are f*****g fire girl." she blew on her fingers as if they were burning and shook them. I laughed at her "Are you sure?" I groaned pulling my dress down. " I feel naked in this dress." Kenzie grabbed my shoulders and walked me to my floor-length mirror. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't even recognize myself. My eyes were brighter than they had ever been with the light pink shadow glimmering on my lids. My dress hugged all the right places on my body & my cream-colored stilettos made my legs look like they went on forever. "Wow," I gasped. Kenzie and I made our way up to the Packhouse which wasn't far from mine. It was huge. It's where the Alpha, Luna, and their children lived along with others who felt more comfortable living closer to their alpha than in their place. They accomplished this by adding apartments in different wings of the pack house mansion. Kenzie and I entered the dining hall and went our separate ways. Kenzie went to look for Luke and I went in search of my parents who were sitting at the alphas table. On my way, I spied a crowd of females from the pack giggling and fawning over someone or something they found very interesting. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. They acted as if they were literal wolves in heat. I spied the Alphas table along with my mom and dad. I smiled as I watched them laugh and smile at each other. I admired my parent's love. I had never witnessed one so strong. Alpha Gage and Luna Grace were seated beside them with my siblings and their other children and extended families. My mom spotted me and fanatically waved me over. I held up my finger. One minute I mouthed to her. Bathroom. I turned to my left and gratefully quickly found the restroom. I almost ran through the door. I hated huge crowds of people. I felt so out of place. I went to the sink and bowed my head. I needed to ground myself but I couldn't very well go outside at the moment so I slowly began to meditate to calm myself. The next thing I know someone grabs my waist and spins me around. Standing in front of me is the most attractive mouth-watering man I'd ever laid eyes on. It was as if I had gone deaf and all I could hear was electric static. I could feel this heat pooling low in my stomach as I stared into his icy blue eyes, full lips, and chiseled jawline covered in stubble from his 5 o'clock shadow. "Jesus." I gasped as he took my chin into his hands and crashed his lips into mine. I parted my lips to allow him inside. He tasted delicious. Like cool mint mouthwash and champagne. His hands began to roam over my body making their way down to my hips when I moaned into his mouth he picked me up by my ass and set me on the sink. That's when something clicked in my head and I knew I had to stop this. I may not have wanted to but I had to. I pulled my head back and pushed his chest with everything I had. He went crashing back against the stalls that held the toilets. We both sat there out of breath. "Mine" he groaned and started to come back to grab me again. "No! Stop!" I shouted. He stopped immediately but looked puzzled. "Gabriella!" his eyes grew wide. There was only one person who called me by my full name. "Greyson." I gasped. "Greyson Brier is my fated mate." I was stunned. And why was I feeling the mate pull I wasn't 18 yet this was impossible. "Gabriella!" he slowly walked over to me as I stood up from the sink and fixed my dress. I looked up at Greyson and all I could say was "I'm Only Seventeen! This isn't possible." I'm Only seventeen!" I repeated shock coursing through my body along with other things. The next thing I know the door to the bathroom flew open and in walked the Alpha and my Dad. I could have died from embarrassment right then and there. "What's going on!" my dad looked directly at Grey his eyes glowing his wolf rising to the surface. Grey stammered, " I uh I don't know. I think she is my mate" Gray pointed in my direction. "That's impossible." I spat at him. "It may be Gabriella but what just happened was what everyone describes when they find their mate and if I'm being completely honest It's taking all I have to contain myself right now," he explained panting his eyes glowing red. I looked to the ground embarrassed because I knew how he felt. "You feel the same way don't you Gabriella?" he asked. "Stop saying my name like that!" I demanded. Every time he said my name my stomach tightened and my wolf purred like a kitten Wait a minute! My wolf! I can hear my wolf! I can feel her strength and her emotions. I looked at my father begging with my eyes for help. "Gabby is this true?" he asked. All I could do was shake my head yes. The Alpha turned on his heel and headed out of the bathroom, "call the packed council Zander we have to have a meeting." he ordered my dad.