Her New Beginning

As we stood out front of our home at the centre of my packs land I couldn't help but feel uneasy about what was coming to me. I was 2 weeks from my 18th birthday, a time that should have been the happiest for any young wolf. Once you turned 18 you were able to find your mate and live as the Moon Goddess intended. That was not to be my future however. My pack, the Fair Moon Pack, believed in preserving bloodlines and power over fated mates. For 10 generations my family had ruled this pack and now it was up to me.  I... am Scarlett Fairchild; last surviving child of Alpha Nicholas Fairchild and heir of the Fair Moon Pack. While I was always going to be bartered off to some other pack for power, or land, or money, I was never meant to be the heir. I had 2 brothers, twins Alex and Aaron, that were killed 2 years ago in an accident that no one believed to be anything but fowl play. My brothers had been asked to come to a allied pack to help with training some warriors. When they didn't return 14 days later we knew something was wrong. 5 days after we began the search we found Aaron. He was barely alive but said they had been attacked by a group of wolves. They had specifically targeted Alex, he was set to be the next Alpha, and once he was dead they turned to Aaron. He passed not long after we found him. Alex was never found.  That day my father sat me down and explained what it meant for me, why Alex was always meant to be the heir and my duty to the pack above all else. As he explained he handed me a book that held the images of the past Alphas in the Fairchild line and their children. As I looked through the pictures I learned how to recognize the next heirs before I looked to the next photo. It also showed me how often daughters were given no second thought. In fact, in 10 generations I would be the first daughter kept in the Fair Moon Pack. All others, including my fathers sisters, had been sent to other packs. In the earlier years daughters just disappeared from the records.  "Every generation we mate our best heir to another Alpha born child to keep Alpha bloodlines pure and strong. Picking an heir in Fair Moon has always been focused on two criteria." My father explained sitting across from me. As he pointed to the image of my family he showed me what I had assumed to be the case. "All heirs possess the Fair Moon eyes. Alex had them, with your mothers hair, and with much of her characteristics. He would have been the heir, though I was not eager to see him as Alpha, he did seem weaker than Aaron. Weaker than you." My father never hid that he did not have faith in my brother. He always saw him as weak and not up to the task of being Alpha to a pack that he felt would only succeed with a strong and ruthless leader.  "You, my Letty, have those same eyes. Unlike your brother you understand duty. You understand what it means to live up to the expectations of your family and the traditions that have made us strong. You took to your training and have grown strong. With your brothers now gone you will be the first female Fairchild heir." I looked at him attempting to keep my face devoid of emotion. I knew I had no choice but inside my heart was breaking. I had always hoped that by training as a warrior I would be able to escape this fate and one day leave to find my mate. Find the happiness my mother never had.  "On your 18th Birthday you will become Luna of this pack and be mated to the new Alpha. Second son to the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack. This bond will give us a significant hold in pack lands we have yet been able to conquer and has given us significant leverage being able to give a son with Alpha blood a position he otherwise wouldn't have had. I am told he is strong as well and will be able to grow our pack." That was it. That was the end of the conversation that decided my fate and made my purpose in life clear.  It's been almost 2 years since that conversation. Nearing my birthday I have grown taller, leaner, stronger, but always trapped in my future. Dressed modestly in a pencil skirt and a lilac coloured blouse, with my favourite black heels I knew I looked great. My black hair was flowing behind me and my pale green eyes were the centre of attention with a bit of make up but nothing too bright. I knew my purpose today was to seem strong, but able to be submissive to my new mate. The idea of it made my stomach turn. Me, submissive. The idea was ridiculous. I had never submitted to anyone. No one in the pack could beat me in a fight, and no one dared challenge me in my abilities to lead. Today I would learn to give up my dreams for the sake of my pack.  Lost in thought my father got my attention by putting his hands on my shoulders. He was standing behind me, forcing me to stand up straighter so I looked even taller than my 5'9" self.  "Scarlett, the future of our pack is in your hands. You have always been my strongest child and now you will give our pack its new future. Be a strong Luna, but remember, you are Luna. He will always be the Alpha."  My father knew I wanted more, I'm sure over the years he saw my desire to leave and grow on my own. And though that was true, he knew I would never leave and do what I wanted. I would do as I was expected and be what my pack needed. Even if that was not what my father was going to be expecting.