The Vampires Torment

I am an outcast. A she-wolf who feels the pull of my human side more than the primal call of the wolf within me. I am Seraphina Destiny Blackwood, daughter of Lucian Blackwood, Beta of the Western Pack and brother to Sabastian Blackwood, Alpha of the Northern Pack. Yes, I have connections. My father, second son of an Alpha, was born into the Northern Pack. My mother, Elara Drakov, was an omega from the Western Pack. Both packs tell tales of her beauty, her bravery, and her loyalty. They say my sister and I look just like her. I wish I could have met her. My mother gave her last breath as I took my first. The same day, May 3, 2081, the vampires took over the world. They began with the humans, decimating their world. My pack fought alongside the humans, and they lost. My father, who survived, still bears the haunted look of those dark days. The Awakening, as it is called, is a shadow over us all. On that day, my father became the Beta of the Western Pack after the former Beta fell in battle. Alpha Luke bestowed the title upon him, making my father the first wolf with Alpha blood to become a Beta in a neighboring pack. History was made, and the Blackwood name became one of respect among wolves and even Lycans. Yet, despite this, the suffering endured. The vampires changed our lives forever. My family and my packmates despise them with a hatred I cannot fully understand. I feel like an outsider among my own kind, particularly since my birth on a Luna passing day marks me as special, as a savior. But I do not believe in such legends. I do not believe I can save anyone, not even myself. My father says I take after my mother in this. She was a lover, not a fighter, yet knew how to defend herself. He has trained my siblings and me rigorously for as long as I can remember, preparing us to face any threat in a world dominated by vampires. The vampire king who rules North America is ruthless. I have never met him, and I pray to the moon goddess Luna that I never do. The packs seek his downfall, uniting to ensure it happens. "Seraphina, let's go! If you’re not down in ten minutes, you’ll be late for training!” Why can’t they let a wolf sleep? I used to love visiting the Northern Pack as a pup, playing with my cousins, watching movies with my aunt, and spying on the pack with my siblings. Now it’s all work hard, train hard, be hard. Couldn’t it at least be work hard, play hard? “Five more minutes,” I mumble, rolling over. “Come on, lazy lady! You need to eat before training.” My cousin Celine pulls the covers from over my head. Food. The only thing that can get me out of bed. “I knew that would get you up! Lazy lady, it’s my mom’s orders,” says Celine, amusement clear in her voice. Celine is my favorite cousin. We’re like peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, love and hope. We belong together. “Farrah is already downstairs, talking about how she kicked your ass yesterday in camp.” “So let her shine,” I say, heading to the bathroom. Celine giggles. We both know I’ll kick my oldest sister’s butt. But I hate fighting. I wouldn’t harm a fly. If it were a survival of the fittest, the fly would win by default. Celine looks like the badass she-wolf she is, dressed in black yoga pants, a black V-neck, and a black leather jacket. Her auburn and dark brown ombre waves are pulled back in a high ponytail. “You look better with your hair down,” I tease. “Oh, please!” She rolls her eyes. “I’d look good even if I shaved my head bald.” I snicker. Celine is Queen Conceited, always and forever. “Hurry up, sexy. I want to make it in time to see your Alpha’s fine ass leave. He’s preparing for battle, you know. Maybe you can give him a goodbye kiss,” Celine says, puckering her lips. I start brushing my teeth. It’s no secret I’m crazy over the Western Alpha. Everyone is! That man is a Greek god granted to us wolves by Luna herself. I want him so bad I can taste him. The only problem is he’s not my mate, and I’m not brave enough to pursue another’s promised mate. We flirt here and there, maybe shared a kiss or two, but that’s as far as it gets. No one but my mate can have my heart. I’ll wait an eternity if I have to. Luna gives only one promised and one-second chance mate. I’m determined to hold onto my promise forever. I quickly get ready for training, throwing on yoga pants and a black V-neck. My waist-length, dark brown hair is tangled as usual, but a little water and a brush do the trick. I braid it into a thick braid and wash my face with a warm rag. I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror. My thick eyebrows need to be arched, and my hazel eyes look duller than usual. “Are you ready?” asks Celine. “Yes,” I respond, following her out the door. She hands me a leather jacket as we head downstairs. The smell of buttermilk, sweet cream butter, and hot maple syrup hits me hard and strong. Aunt Elena made pancakes again. I’m more of a waffle girl, but Aunt Elena's award-winning pancakes can hit my taste buds anytime. Honeysuckle, pinewood, and jasmine scents mix together, indicating my aunt, cousin, and sister are all in the kitchen. “Good morning, ladies!” Aunt Elena greets cheerfully, placing a plate stacked with pancakes drenched in thick maple syrup on the table. “Thank you,” I say. Everyone else just dives right in. They are so rude! Her honeysuckle scent, sweet and delightful, envelops me as she places a gentle kiss on my forehead. Aunt Elena is the sweetest she-wolf in the world. She too is a lover, not a fighter, but she hates vampires like everyone else. Her mate, my father’s younger brother, was also killed during the last Luna passing day. I never met him, but he was Celine's dad. Celine's loss is my loss! Kaya is my other favorite cousin. She’s Celine's half-sister and just as sweet as her mom. Kaya's dad is Aunt Elena's second-chance mate. However, she is still considered a Blackwood wolf. “Yes! Good morning, ladies,” Kaya adds from across the table, looking wickedly delightful. Someone’s in a good mood, I think to myself as I turn to face her. Kaya is freshly mated and freshly pupped, meaning she just had a pup of her own. It sucks that she’s the youngest and already found her mate before all of us. So it’s no surprise she’s in such a good mood, but then again it is. With Kaya dealing with a crying, cute, and highly addictive newborn, “Where is Jenkins?” I ask while diving into my pancakes. Hmmmmm! They are so good! “Yes, where is auntie’s baby,” Celine adds, taking a bite of her pancakes. I swear she just moaned from the taste. “Mom put him to sleep so Ryan and I could have some alone time before he goes to battle,” Kaya responds. So that’s why she’s so happy. Someone got some last night. Celine giggles, likely thinking the same thing I am. Farrah rolls her eyes. Oh, yeah, Farrah is here too. My oldest sister, whom people sometimes mistake for my twin. We both smell like flowers, have clear skin, long dark brown hair, and hazel eyes, but we act nothing alike. Farrah is serious, and I’m silly. Farrah likes attention, and I don’t. Farrah has hooked up with every wolf with a title, and I haven’t. Major differences! She’s currently hooking up with the new Northern Beta, Gideon. I’m 1000% positive our dad or Uncle Sabastian knows nothing about it. “How’s Beta Gideon?” Celine questions Farrah, causing me to choke on my orange juice. Farrah and Celine are like night and day. They should never be in the same room. They are always at each other’s necks, literally. I’m always in the middle of their epic disputes. Just like now, Farrah is sitting to my right, her eyes flashing gold, and Celine is to my left, her eyes flickering with mischief. See? I’m always playing monkey in the middle. Please, Luna, come down to earth and save me. “No wolf poking,” Aunt Elena says, saving the day. Sometimes I believe she is the moon goddess in disguise. “Boys shouldn’t be the topic until you guys are at least 40.” “I’m 400,” Farrah responds. We all burst out laughing in unison. It’s a wolf joke! We finish our food in a calm mood. This is the life. Eating breakfast with my family, laughing, joking, and teasing one another. Yes, life couldn’t get better. I live for this type of peace. After breakfast, we make our way to training. My dad, brother Ruq, Uncle Sabastian, Beta Gideon, and Alpha Luke are already present. Farrah stands directly in front of Beta Gideon. She’s so typical. Luna, please bless the unlucky wolf who is mated to my sister. Celine pulls me all the way to the back, fur thest from everyone. Great! I can barely hear. She sucks sometimes. Uncle Sabastian makes a short speech, and then my dad gives instructions on today’s activities. Both Alpha Luke and my brother Ruq go inside the packhouse. Ruq is the future Alpha, so I’m assuming he’s attending a meeting. I feel a pang of jealousy, knowing he’ll be Alpha before me. Beta Gideon begins pairing everyone up for one-on-one combat. Yes! I’ll get to train with my father. He will be my partner. Beta Gideon turns to face me. “Seraphina, you’ll be pairing with Alpha Luke. Ruq has a new schedule for your dad and me to complete.” I look around, thinking it’s a joke. My partner is my father, always. It’s our bonding time. Aunt Elena would pair up with Kaya or Celine. Beta Gideon pairs up with Farrah, allowing us to spar with family. Alpha Luke walks up to me with a wicked smile and greets me with a wink. Am I in trouble?