You Never Knew Me

LYRIC

Today’s the day. This will be the day that everyone sees me.

I shower and put on a surprisingly nice dress my mother showed up with a little while ago. Even though there’ll be no celebration for me afterward, and I’ll be wearing a gown over it with the school colors, she insists I wear it. After all, her parents, she says, whom I’ve never met, are traveling to see their only granddaughter graduate.

It’s fine. They’ll be witness to what I have planned.

I slip on the shoes my mom brought to go with the dress and tuck my hair up in a high pony. Looking in the mirror, my crystal blue eyes, the color of azure and bluer than even my mother’s, stare back at me. I’ve put on mascara, which I never wear, to highlight them.

When I confront my father, he’ll look into my eyes and see me. He’ll know I’m serious.

I step out of my tiny room and present myself to my mother. She squeals and claps her hands excitedly. “Oh, Lyric! You have truly turned into a beauty!”

My eyebrows raise. It’s the first compliment my mother has ever given me, and I’m having trouble processing it.

The scoff from behind her, though, quickly reins me back in. I peer over my mother’s shoulder to find the luna standing there with a scowl.

“Thank you, Mother.” A small smile plays on my lips, a thank you for her compliment. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. There’s a lot to do to prepare for the ceremony.” I give her a brief hug—hugging one another is not something either of us are used to—nod at the luna, and then make my escape to the school gym.

I’m helping the student body decorate and set up chairs. By the time I arrive, they’ve already completed setting up the podium, and they’ve placed balloons in the school’s colors into a huge net that is suspended overhead. After the ceremony, the net will drop, and balloons will rain down on the graduates while caps are thrown in the air.

“Lyric.” Mr. Marshall approaches me with a smile on his face. He hands me a small, wrapped box. “Happy birthday, Lyric.” He pats my shoulder.

I’m tickled he remembered. I pull the bow off and peel back the shiny paper. Inside the box is a delicate watch. I pull it out, and he helps me put it on. “I took it to a witch and had her spell it for you. It will disappear and reappear when you shift,” he says softly.

This startles me. He knows about Sadie?

He winks. “I’ve known about her for a long time, my dear,” he whispers. “She’s a fine wolf. A true alpha. She is strong and kind. When you start your own pack, please invite me. I’ll join in a heartbeat!” His words are hushed to not attract attention. He squeezes my hand, then moves away.

I’m touched and look down at the watch once more before continuing to help hang streamers and helium balloons.

At three in the afternoon, it’s time to go backstage and get our caps and gowns on. Alpha Marco steps in with the luna to congratulate everyone on a job well done, just as I’m finishing the last snap.

He doesn’t offer a happy birthday. He doesn’t even look my way. I shrug to myself and say to Sadie, “Business as usual for the alpha.”

Sadie snickers. “Yes, until we show him what he has missed out on and lost.”

The diplomas are called alphabetically. Of course, Damien, carrying the DeLong name, is called before me. He accepts his diploma with a smug smirk, then sits with the alpha and luna on stage.

And now it’s my turn. I walk proudly across the stage, accompanied by the sound of silence. Unlike everyone else, there is no sound of clapping or cheering. It’s par for the course. My mother doesn’t even acknowledge me or smile my way. Instead, she lowers her head as if in shame. I’ll admit, although I’m used to it, it hurts.

As I take my diploma and carry it off, waiting for the rest of the graduates to be announced before my speech, an enticing scent wafts through the air. Wild berries and chocolate. It’s coming from the stage.

From Damien.

“Mate,” Sadie whispers in my head.

“What! Ew! No, Sadie! He’s my half brother!” My lip wrinkles in disgust.

“Well, apparently not! Perhaps another rooster was sneaking into the henhouse while your mom occupied the alpha,” Sadie answers.

I chuckle. “Go figure!”

The superintendent steps up to the podium and announces me. My heart is beating triple time, but I plaster my fake smile on my face and move to the podium, where I look out at all the faces of my classmates and teachers. Mr. Marshall gives me a thumbs-up, and I grin at him.

“Hello, fellow graduates of the Half Moon High School. I’ve lived alongside you my entire life as Lyric Johannes, but that’s not true.” I wait for the side chatter, which started when I stepped up to the podium, to die down as my words penetrate.

“Yes, my name is Lyric, and I am the daughter of Christine Johannes. But my father”—I pause for dramatic effect—“is Alpha Marco DeLong.”

There is an uproar as everyone breaks out in disbelief and anger. My father rises from his chair to stop me, and I whirl around on him and growl loudly. “Sit down, Father!” I bark in my alpha voice.

He stops in shock, and I turn back to the crowd. “I am only going to say this once. I am not a nobody. I am an alpha’s daughter. That alpha!” I point to my father. “The same man that has had both his luna and fated mate side by side for years!”

I turn to glare at him, making sure he’s hearing my every word. “He has been cheating on his luna and his pack, and he’s ignored and tried to hide me away with the help of my mother.”

I turn back to the crowd, now silent. “No more,” I say, my voice strong and my head held high. “I reject both my parents, Alpha DeLong and Christine Johannes. And I reject this pack.”

I stare into the sea of faces, all whose eyes are on me, seeing me and my worth for the first time. “Yes, while you’ve been busy ignoring my existence, I’ve been watching all your interactions, listening to all your secrets. I am well aware of the injustices this pack is capable of. Are you?”

I strip off the gown and yank the cap from my head, tossing it to the ground. Then I take a few steps to stand before my father, who stares into my eyes, his face mottled in anger. “I’m done with you, Father,” I say, my voice loud and clear.

Damien stands and walks toward me, and I wonder what he’s going to say in defense of his father. But my pondering only lasts a moment. There is lust in his eyes, and I know he recognizes me as his mate.

I stick my hand up, a gesture for him to stop. The alpha looks from Damien to me in confusion, and that’s when Damien growls. “Mate.”

I huff in derision. “Yeah, no! Not going to happen.” I look directly at Damien. “I, Lyric Johannes, reject you, Damien DeLong, as my mate. I will not be stuck in this pack.”

Damien grabs at his chest and howls, and the luna rushes forward to support him.

“Makes you wonder how he can be my mate, doesn’t it, Father? It looks like while you were off being all lovey-dovey with Christine, the luna had her own midnight caller.”

He growls low in his throat before his eyes dart to the luna, who dips her head in shame.

I whirl to face the pack. “Your leaders, ladies and gentlemen!”

I allow Sadie to take over, and together, we hear the startled exclamations and whispers of awe as her huge white self emerges. Sailing over the heads of those standing in front of the stage, we practically fly out of the gym and dart toward the forest.

Sadie’s enormous paws seem to eat up the ground as we make a path through the trees and up into the forested mountains. We quickly locate the hollowed-out tree where I hid a duffle bag and a large backpack. Shifting long enough to slip the backpack on, I shift back, and Sadie grabs the duffle bag with her teeth. Then we take off for the border.

I’ve chosen the path of least resistance. Fewer patrols come out this way because of the rocky incline. I don’t really believe anyone will try to stop me, but my father just saw my wolf. He now knows her to be a strong white alpha.

I refuse to allow him to drag me back into his pack. But I can’t wait to see him try.

I cross the rock-strewn slope and turn to look back. It will be the only time I do so.

“I, Lyric Johannes, reject the Half Moon Pack,” I say once more. I’m a little surprised I feel nothing—no anger, resentment, or even sorrow. But then again, why should I? They never really claimed me.

Sadie sniffs the air before altering course and heading us north. Toward a new life.