Courage of the Wolf

Chapter 2

I guess I should have introduced myself better earlier. I don't talk about myself much, so forgive me if I start rambling. As you know, my name is Hope Hunt. A little strange when put together right? I'm not sure what my parents were on when they named me, because my full name is Hope Honeypot Heaven Hunt. This is part of the reason I have decided to change my name once I leave home. I haven't decided what I'm changing it to yet. I am keeping Hope though, because that was my grandmother's name.

Anyways, I am 18, turning 19 in 2 months. I am 5'5, which is a huge disadvantage when the rest of the family is so tall. I am chubby, not that I mind. I'm still extremely active. My hair is frizzy. My curls are only defined when my hair is wet and not brushed. As soon as I brush it the frizz comes out. My biggest defining characteristic is my skin. It's just as flawless as my siblings, caramel-chocolate in color, the difference being I have vitiligo. In case you don't know what that is, it means I have lighter spots on my skin. I also have one white eye and two white streaks in my hair. This is why my family has basically disowned me. Wolf shifters should never look like me.

It started when I was around 7, with the streak starting in my hair. Between the ages of 7 and 14 I started developing spots all over my body as well as a white eye. My parents had taken me to the pack doctor trying to figure out what was happening to me. They were panicking. When the doctor couldn't find anything that could reverse the new colors my family decided I had to be a curse sent to them for some misdeed done in the past. Mama and Daddy became cruel, blaming me for the pack members looking down on them now. My siblings, who once hated to be apart from me, now couldn't stand me. They all took pleasure in mentally and emotionally torturing me. If it wasn't for Hanna, my wolf, I probably would have given up by now. Thankfully she came to me early, when I was 10, and gave me the strength I needed to handle my home life and school. Oh s**t! I did it again!

Brushing out my frizzy hair, I slipped on some sneakers. I bolt out the door while pulling my hair into an untidy bun. I am going to be late for school.

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I raced into class just before the bell rang.

"Cutting it close Miss Hunt" Mrs. Stevens, my homeroom teacher, said. I smiled quickly at her while I rushed to my seat in the back row. My only two friends in the world, McKenzie and Raymond, grin at me from either side of my desk.

"Why so late Hopeful? Did you find your mate?" Mac whispers to me while wiggling her eyebrows.

"Hush Mac," Ray says with a wink at me. "You know she already found me" he says as he runs his fingers through his golden, wavy hair and puffs out his chest.

Let me explain my friends briefly. Ray has no interest in me at all. We've known each other since we were little, and he was my first kiss. We both thought it would be safe to practice on each other so we didn't look like fools when we go for the real first kiss. He's around 6 ft tall, lean but muscled like a runner. He has shoulder length hair that literally looks pale golden in color, with waves in it that make the girls jealous.

Mac is Native, with gorgeous straight black hair and deep brown eyes. She is ethereally beautiful. Unfortunately, people don't seem to see her beauty because they don't look past her size. She is a thicker girl as well, which means she's not a 'conventional' beauty.

These two wolves have my back no matter what. They both plan on leaving this pack with me after we graduate. We all know our mates aren't here, since we're all over 18. Oh, shifters can find their mates as soon as they turn 18.

Class ends with the three of us learning nothing, as usual. It's a good thing we are all pretty book smart, or we would flunk that class for sure.

"What are you guys doing after school?" I'm hoping I can convince them to come with me to the thrift shop.

"I am doing whatever you have planned," Mac laughingly says. We both look at Ray. He is busy making s*x eyes at one of the football players, who seems to be slightly blushing. Mac slaps his arm.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" Ray still refuses to break eye contact with the football hottie.

"What are you doing after school today?" I repeat my question.

"Hopefully that hottie over there," he says loud enough for said hottie to hear and grin. It looks like he may have a really good chance of success.

"I think I'm jealous" I stage whisper to Mac. She grins at me then says "Uh oh. Don't look now but hottie's girlfriend has just shown up."

We all watch as he whispers in her ear and nods his head to Ray. She grins and starts walking over to us. Mac and I put our books in my locker and stand straight, in case we need to defend our friend.

"Hey handsome," she says as she walks up to Ray and presses against him. "Cory wants to know if you want to come hang with us at his house after school. I personally want to know if you can handle both of us?" she says quietly in his ear before nipping him.

"As long as we're not inviting the whole team then I'm definitely with it" Ray says with a slow grin.

Mac and I look at each other then at Ray with our mouths open as Cory's girlfriend walks away. Ray finally looks at us with a grin.

"Close your mouths ladies, you never know what might slip in." He winks as we both close our mouths quickly.