Black Blood

“Come on girl, get up! That wasn’t that bad.” Laughed Elijah, holding out his hand. Third in command, pack trainer. Moaning, I swatted his hand away and looked up at the twirling clouds and souring birds. “I’d rather lay here.” “Then don’t tell me you want to up your game.” He teased, his long blonde hair covering his hazel eyes. “I would have expected you to be a little more challenging than that, hell the pups put up more of a fight!” “You don’t fight fair, I would have easily had you if you did!” I snapped, pushing myself to my feet. Elijah shrugged as he tightened his lips in a thin line. “Ry, your enemies won’t play fair, they’ll fight dirty and hit you with whatever they’ve got. You’ve need to be ready for anything.” As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Wolves are known to be dirty fighters, especially rogues. “Right, right, I know just give me a few minutes to-“ With a swipe of his leg, Elijah managed to knock me back down on my ass, interrupting me. Ugh!! “Minutes? Your opponent won’t let you take a break Rylee? What are you thinking?!!” Groaning, I rubbed my ass, slowing standing up. “Point take-“ He flings his fist to me and I catch it mid-air, before twisting his arm and knocking him backwards. “Good. Didn’t catch you off guard that time!” I threw my hands up in the air in excitement, yes!! “VICTORY!” I yelled. “Bravo!!” Clapped Gemma, my best friend from birth as she walked up to me. Looking gorgeous as ever, she had beautiful black hair that hung to her shoulders, and brown eyes. Her hair was in a nice little ponytail. “You didn’t fall that time.” “No, I didn’t this time!” I smiled proudly, mentally patting myself on the back. “I should have started training with Elijah sooner.” Eli just chuckled before walking off to help someone else in training. “How much did you watch of that?” “Enough.” She watched him some more before turning all her attention to me. “So, I need to show you something and I hope you’re not mad.” “What?” I asked curiously, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Wolves fighting all around me. “Come, I’ll show you!” She giggled, a new glow to her emotions. She took off running towards the woods..Immediately transforming into her wolf, a beautiful black and brown. And I follow, hesitantly at first. Did she just forget that I had just exhausted myself training with Eli?!! Now she expects me to shift and chase? Ughhh! I bend down, and within seconds I feel my wolf. I’m on all fours and I’m catching up to my best friend. My wolf is a beautiful one of a kind golden’ish brown, with blue eyes. My name is Rylee Summers, and I’m the Beta wolfs daughter of the Black Blood pack! I’m 21 years old; and the only child of John Summers, and sadly I never met my mother. She disappeared around the time I was born, and my father never told me what happened and every time I asks he gets angry. I’ve learned to stay away from that subject, it always sends him to getting drunk at the den. I have two amazing best friends whom I’ve grown up with, one is this amazing chick running alongside me over these fallen trees, and Jonah! He’s always been a brother to me. 6’4, dark brown hair, chunky, but has an amazing heart. Likes to dress as a biker, although he isn’t one. Gemmas voice rushes through my head as she communicates. “We’re here!” Taking a deep breath, I fall onto my butt out of breath. She brought us to our child hood tree house we made when we were ten years old with Jonahs father. Why would she bring me here? All the memories rushing through my head. I begin to shift back to my original form and watched her with confusion, before realizing the red bloody mark on her neck. It became more and more clear the second her furr disappeared. “Oh my god!” My heart leaps for joy, out of my chest as I’m filled with excitement. “Gemma, your neck… You were marked, that’s a mating mark!” “Yep!” She smiled, red in the face. “Who?!!” I squealed, jumping for joy. “You must tell- Finally it dawns on me… The tree house… “Jonah? You and Jonah?!” She gives an excited nod, rushing to me and wrapping me in a tight hug. “I don’t want you to feel left out, but Rylee we found out we are mates after all this time, we were always mates!” “That’s great!” I gave a sweet smile, why would she think I would feel left out? This is amazing news. “Are you going to announce it to the pack soon?” “Yes! During the mating ceremony tomorrow.” She pulls away from me and looks up at the tree house. “Nothing will ever change Rylee, we will still be the three musketeers!” ****** The smile hasn’t left Gemmas lips the entire time we’ve been gone, and now that we’re returning back it still hasn’t! We walked past the training clearing and straight towards our den. It’s a cave in the side of a giant hill, with one big mansion sitting in front. The den is where everyone sleeps at night, unless your an elder of the pack, or of high ranking. Then you get a room in the mansion. The mansion is called “The Hall”. That is where we have our kitchen, dinning area. And our meeting room, and court room. There’s also a lounge area if you just want to sit and relax and have a chat with someone. Jonah, bursts through the door with a giant grin on his face and a hot bowl of stew in his hand. “Baby!” He sprays stew everything. It’s even in his facial hair. He’s gotta be the sloppiest eater anyone has ever seen. “Hey Sweetheart!” Gemma grabbed him and rose up onto her toes to give him a little kiss. Which I couldn’t look at, the man was covered in stew. “Hey Jonah.” I smiled. “Is the stew good?” Mockingly. “Y- Yes, delicious. Nancy has outdone herself yet again.” He turns to Gemma. “I’m assuming you told her?”Stew dripping from his lips as he slurps. “Yes.” Gemma paused and looks back to me. “We just talked and had a great conversation!” “Excellent!” Jonah snorts, wiping his mouth on his jacket. “Now RyRy, you’re still my little sis, nothing is going to cha-“ “I don’t know what you guys keep going on about, I’m happy for you. I know nothing is going to change, I’m not worried!” I interrupted, truth be told; it was getting a little annoying now that they both said that. I’m not a lost little puppy without them, I will be fine. I smiled at them both, and took my leave into The Hall to get some of that delicious looking stew. The scent of it filled my nostrils the second I walked in, and my eyes rolled in pleasure. Pack mates were all around me at the tables already eating, and some were lining up to get some. Nancy, was the chief of the pack. Her and her husband Larry always made the food the hunters provide them with. They’re an older couple, about in their sixties. If anyone deserves a room in The Hall, it would be them but unfortunately the elders don’t think so. “Hi Nancy!” I smiled, and grabbed a bowl from her. “It smells lovely!” “Oh thank you, sweet Rylee, thank you!” Her face turns red at my compliment. She was one of the cutest older wolves around. I turned and made my way back through the tables finding my way over to where my father sat. He looked worried, as he seemed to have an important conversation with Aiden, the Alphas younger brother. My childhood crush, still my crush. Ugh. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Literally. Out of he and his brother, he was the more mature one. He would have been a better alpha and everyone knew it, they were just afraid to say so. All the girls wanted him, and all the guys wanted to be him or feared him. “Rylee. Where did you go earlier? I saw you leaving the training area with Gemma.” Dad asked, finally realizing that I had sat down. “We went to the old treehouse, she had to talk to me about something.” I replied, trying my hardest not to look at Aiden beside of him. Whenever he’s around my brain gets f****d up. “I see. I am assuming everything is alright?” He asked, stuffing the rest of the stew in his mouth. “Yes. All is goo-“ “Hello Rylee, enjoying your meal?” Aiden interrupting, a smirk on his lips. My eyes widened, and I dropped my spoon on the floor. He noticed me. I gulped hard. “Y-yes, Nancy outdid herself tonight.” I responded, as I bent over to pick up my spoon. Aiden emotionless, got up from the table, walked up to the front and came back with a clean spoon, and sat down beside me. “Here you go.” Now he was even closer. Oh my god, I’m so f*****g stupid. I grabbed the spoon with a sweet smile. “Thanks.” Accidentally touching his skin. A wave of electricity rushed through me, lasting several seconds. I’ve never felt anything like this. Never. Energy moved through me to him, and I knew he felt it too. “Sir Aiden, is everything alright?” My father asked. “Did you just find your mate?” Apparently everyone else had as well. Everyone stared at us. “Mate? Me?” I went still.