What happens in the dark

Just me

The smell of flowers and freshly mowed grass fill my nostrils as I step outside, freshly brewed coffee in my hand. It's the first day of spring, my favorite time of the year. Spring was warm, but not to warm. The time for hope and love.

I snort at my last thought, love. My wolf internally roles her eyes at me.

"Shut up Alice" I growl at her.

Alice just huffs at me, letting me know she was still mad at me. It had been just a few weeks since I decided to live at my aunt and uncle. The adorable cottage was placed just outside of pack territory, giving me space.

"Your 18, how much space do you need" Alice noted.

My uncle used to be the best warrior in the pack, untill he found his mate. She was a shy, human girl, 5 years his minor. He waited a long time to meet her. Us wolves, we find our mates at the nice, ripe age of 19. My uncle was 26 when he found his. He decided to give up his position as top warrior and move to neutral grounds with his mate.

Hence the reason I decided not to live on pack territory fulltime. I didn't want to meet my mate at the age of 19. I wanted to be free, roam for a while, have fun.

"We need our mate! He makes us stronger" Alice was not ready to back down without a fight.

I was not stupid, maybe a bit hard headed, but I knew I would have to start my search before the age of 21. Being Beta blood, the heat would hit me harder than regular she wolves. My nature telling me to continue a strong bloodline.

Beta blood, I sigh at the reminder. It meant people expected things of me. My father is the Beta of the pack, the Blue Ridge pack. We are by no means a big pack, but we are strong. Blue Ridge is known for, and takes great pride in their warriors.

"Madeline? Since when do you wake up this early?"

I turn around to see Aunt Hailey smiling at me, in her hand a damping cup op tea.

"I was hoping Peter was up, for training".

Hailey was the one who supported me fully when I decided I needed space. She was the one to suggest I would be living with them.

"You never told me why you decided to leave pack grounds" Hailey wouldn't force me if I did not want to tell her.

I could feel Alice getting angry already and tried my best not to convey her emotions. Closing my eyes I let myself go back, it's been a few months since it all started.

Brad was the son of our Alpha, next in line to lead the pack. That made him hugely popular to all the she wolves. Not that they could help it, we are naturally attracted to the strongest males. He was tall and bulky, with a gorgeous chiseled jawline, bright blue eyes and silky blonde hair. He had an aura of authority fit for an Alpha and the charming personality to go with it.

"To bad it's all fake" Alice spuwed.

I was the Beta's daughter, but nothing shy of 'not fitting in'. Of course I had the looks to match the status, my genes took care of that. The fair skin, the hourglass figure, yada yada yada. I did not want to flaunt it, or even attract attention to myself. The only thing I wanted, was to be a warrior. My days were filled with school and training, untill graduation, after that it was only training.

"You should take a rest" Brad startled me as I was training.

He threw me a signature charming smile and stepped closer.

I didn't respond, most people stayed away from me and my snarky, distant personality and my mouth spuwing out everything I thought.

"Need help with that technique?"

Cautiously I hesitated, but he seemed to be genuine. He dared to step a bit closer and began his theoretical lecture. That was the start of it, me training, him butting in more often. Alice was ecstatic of course, an Alpha male? Interested in me? Could he be our mate? She already started planning our life together.

"You know, you really are something" he laughed.

Unknowingly he had become a light in my dark days. Could Alice be right? I was not able to feel te mate bond untill I was 19, but Brad would be since he just turned 19. Is that why his interest in me suddenly peaked? I started to let my guard down around him, hanging out outside of training. Joining him and his friends to the club in the weekend. All the while, Brad was getting more possessive over me, giving me and Alice a secure feeling.

"You right?" I hadn't noticed the car stopped at the club.

John an Stacy pulled up in the car next to us and joined us inside. Brad was quick to wrap his arms around me as we danced and I giggled like a little school girl, disgusting myself in the process. Suddenly Brad stiffened against me.

"Mate!" he cried out.

For a split second, I felt so happy. Untill I noticed it was not me he was staring at. A visiting she wolf from a different pack was the lucky one. John and Stacy were quick to flank me, not knowing how I would react.

"She is gorgeous, a good fit for an Alpha" John stated.

"Good, because this one is a hand full" Stacey was talking about my charming personality of course.

I looked down at my hands, still trembling with anger. I closed my eyes, concentrate Maddy! My wolf ached to come forward, and I knew I was on the edge of losing the fight with her. Not here, not now, I need to get out! Opening my eyes, I could feel my fire burning in them, and I knew Stacy could see it to.

"Maddy?" she almost sounded sincere.

Her words just made my fire burn even brighter inside. And then it's gone and a devilish smile is painted on my face. My next move left them confused, as a loud laughter erupted from my chest. I turned around and left the people I believed to be my friends behind. Time to finally be free!