Her Fate

LUCY

“Lucy!” A voice echoes through the house. “I’m not going to tell you again! Your breakfast is getting cold!”

I let out a loud groan and bury my head under my pillows. The silk sheets are just too inviting.

“Lu, seriously, Mom’s going to lose it.” Derrick’s voice filters through my bedroom door. “Dad’s getting annoyed, too. You know we can’t start without you.”

“I’m on my way. I’m on my way.” I sigh heavily. “Just let me get my robe.”

Derrick’s footsteps retreat down the stairs as I grudgingly get out of bed. I yawn loudly and stretch. My queen-size bed is a morning person’s worst enemy.

I pick up my robe from my desk chair and drape it over my shoulders. My bunny slippers embrace my cold feet.

Once I’m downstairs, I take my usual spot to the right of my father and rest my head on the table. The cool surface helps me wake up a bit.

“You okay, Princess?” My father checks my forehead with his hand. “You’re running a fever.”

“She’s just excited about her birthday, Dean.” My mother grins. “Her sixteenth, to be exact.”

“Is your wolf getting restless already?” my father teases. “You can’t possibly be that old yet.”

I stick my tongue out at him just as my mother places a plate of biscuits and gravy in front of me. The aroma fills my nostrils and I dig in, using nothing but my hands.

“Yep.” Derrick chuckles. “Your wolf is practically at the surface.”

“Shut up,” I growl, attempting to clean my hands and mouth with a hand towel. Derrick flinches.

“Lucy, sweetheart.” My mother lays a hand on mine, a knowing look in her eyes. I raise an eyebrow.

“I knew you’d be an Alpha.” My father beams with pride. “I’m proud, Lucy.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, confused. “I just told him to shut up and— Ohhhh…”

Without realizing it, I’d commanded my brother to shut up with the authority of an Alpha. That’s why he flinched.

“I’m sorry, Derrick,” I say, “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay, squirt.” My brother smirks. “Practice on me so no one else has to bow.”

“Nonsense, as an Alpha, she has the right to make anyone bow to her. That’s my girl. Princess, come straight home after school.”

My father starts eating. “With your wolf so close to shifting, I want you home as much as possible.”

I know my father. He’s just as anxious about my sixteenth birthday as any other dad would be. But the prospect of me finding my mate is a whole other issue. There are traditions in this pack that must be upheld.

And having a mate without power or status isn’t one of them.

***

“Be careful, you two!” my mother calls from the front door, closing it as Derrick backs out of the driveway.

I pull down the sun visor and check my hair one last time. My black hair falls just below my shoulders. I decided to wear it half up, half down today.

I’m not a fan of the brown eyes I inherited from my mother. My father was blessed with striking green eyes with flecks of blue.

I chose workout shorts and a hoodie, paired with sneakers for today’s outfit. The weather is foggy but is supposed to clear up by noon.

Derrick has his hair in a man bun today. He’s wearing a simple T-shirt, dark jeans, and biker boots. His black hair complements his unusual brown eyes.

As we turn onto the road leading to the school, Derrick cranks up “Eternally Yours” by Motionless In White. We bob our heads to the beat. I even sing a line or two.

Derrick and I are pretty close, with only two years separating us. He’s a senior while I’m a sophomore. We often joke about how he should’ve been the second-born, given his lack of responsibility compared to me.

Derrick pulls into the school parking lot and rolls up his windows. The engine goes silent and I let out a heavy sigh.

“Are you sure you want to go today?” Derrick asks. “Your wolf could emerge at any moment.”

“It’s an all-wolf school, Derrick,” I reply. “If I shift in the middle of a lesson, there will be someone there to help me.”

A knock on my window interrupts us. I look up to see a pair of blue eyes staring down at me.

“Moranna!” I open the door to greet my best friend.

“About time you two showed up.” Moranna laughs. “I was starting to think I’d have to come find you.”

She and my brother exchange glances. I roll my eyes and get out of the car.

“Bye, Derrick.” I shut the door and pull Moranna towards the school.

“Lu, I’m sorry.”

“Moranna, you think he’s your mate,” I say. “You still have a few months before you turn sixteen. Until then, you’re my friend. Not his smitten puppy.”

Unlike packs on the other side of the country, we West Coast wolves shift at sixteen rather than eighteen. Our need for a mate becomes apparent sooner rather than later.

Moranna nervously twirls her blonde hair. She’s wearing her usual pink spring dress and a pair of wedges.

“Speaking of wolves,”— Moranna nudges me— “have you figured out your wolf’s name yet?”

“My dreams are all over the place.” I sigh. “My wolf is there, but nothing concrete yet.”

Moranna and I head to our homeroom, where our seats are next to each other. As we sit down, I notice a few unmated males looking my way.

I growl. The males bow in submission and turn their attention to the front of the room.

Moranna chuckles, shaking her head. “Damn. It’s a good thing I’m set to be the next Beta Female. I’d be overwhelmed with all that Alpha energy,” she admits.

I tear my gaze away from the males and let out a groan. “I can’t stand this. I made Derrick bow to me this morning, and I didn’t even realize I was an Alpha.”

Moranna reaches for her binder, giving my back a comforting pat. “Lucy, your dad’s the Alpha,” she reminds me. “It was always going to happen. You’re the last of their heirs, and Derrick’s never shown any signs of carrying the gene.”

I manage a weak smile, pulling out my own binder. This is shaping up to be one long week.