Chapter 1: 1
"I, Emily Gonzales, reject you Alpha Isaac as my mate." I said aloud. The words were a declaration of independence from him and his pack that was supposed to be an honor for me but it wasn't going how I wanted at all!
The moment he heard those three simple words echo in the room we had just entered, every wolf within earshot stopped what they were doing and stared at us with wide eyes. My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest because this is exactly why I didn't want anyone else hearing these words come out of my mouth! They'd think I'm crazy or worse yet...they might actually believe them? It's not fair to have everyone looking at me like that when there are so many other things happening around here right now. Not only did the alpha of another pack declare himself mine while I stood before him in nothing more than a skimpy little dress but our own packs were fighting over territory and who knows what else?! All the wolves present seemed shocked by my statement which made me feel even guiltier about saying something so ridiculous. But if anything good comes out of this situation then maybe it will help ease some tension between our two packs; although I doubt that'll happen anytime soon seeing as the leader of the Silver Creek Pack has already left the building.
As far as I knew, no one outside of my immediate family really believed in soul mates or true love. We're all too busy trying to survive day-to-day without any real-time to stop and appreciate each other's company, let alone find someone to spend forever with. That being said, I've always known deep down inside that I am destined to meet my perfect mate someday. And though I can never truly know for sure whether or not I found him until I see his face again after everything happens tomorrow night, I still hope beyond all reason that I haven't completely lost my mind. After all, it took years to get where I am today and I don't intend on losing myself along the way. So yes, I do need your support right now. You may think I'm nuts for wanting to risk my life in order to save my brother's but please trust me when I say that the rewards outweigh whatever risks are involved. Just remember: If I die tomorrow night then it won't matter anymore anyway.
***
It was hard enough having to go through all this drama with the Alpha of another pack claiming me as his mate but add in the fact that we were currently embroiled in a war between our respective families and it makes sense why I've been feeling so anxious lately. I mean, what kind of idiot would willingly walk into such an explosive situation knowing full well she could very likely lose her head in the process? Well, apparently I am that type of person because I decided to make the trek up north despite my better judgment. There must be something wrong with me since I also managed to convince my entire family to accompany me including my younger sister who should technically still be living under the care of our parents back home. Though I suppose she doesn't really belong anywhere else given the circumstances.
In hindsight, perhaps it wouldn't have hurt to bring a few more people along considering the number of wolves we encountered on the road leading to the town of Silver Creek. Of course, it probably didn't help matters much either that we weren't exactly dressed for battle nor did anyone among us possess any form of weapon besides my father's old hunting knife. In spite of the lack of firepower, however, we somehow managed to escape unscathed thanks mostly due to a certain silver fox named Rex who came running to our aid during our first encounter. He showed up out of nowhere and immediately went toe-to-toe with the pack of wolves attacking us. Thankfully he killed the leader of their group before the rest fled the scene leaving behind several dead bodies in their wake. Unfortunately, I couldn't thank him properly once the fight ended because he disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared. At least he saved my dad's life so I guess that counts for something.
Our second run-in with another pack happened shortly after that when we finally arrived at the small farming community located somewhere near Lake Erie. This time around, we got lucky and escaped with barely a scratch courtesy of another friendly stranger. His name was Lucas and he was able to fend off the pack of wolves surrounding us using nothing more than his bare hands. What was most surprising about meeting him was that he turned out to be the Alpha of the local pack. Apparently, word travels fast amongst shifters when it comes to finding new allies, and I was glad to hear that the man who helped rescue me was part of the same race. Maybe this whole thing isn't so bad after all…
Unfortunately, it seems fate had other plans for us as our third encounter proved to be the worst of the lot thus far. To make things worse, we learned later that the pack responsible for ambushing us belonged to none other than Isaac's son. While we were traveling together with Lucas' pack heading towards the city of Cleveland, Isaac's son approached us unexpectedly asking if we needed assistance. Since Lucas' pack was larger and more experienced in combat, they decided to split up and take separate routes. As luck would have it, we ran across the same group of wolves a short distance away and unfortunately, we weren't quite as fortunate this time around. Our original plan was to try and avoid direct contact with Isaac's pack altogether but that obviously changed when his son attacked us from the shadows. It's a miracle we survived that ordeal given the sheer number of enemies we faced. I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a minute or two afterward because I woke up to find myself surrounded by a dozen or so wolves staring at me with hungry eyes. Thankfully, the rest of my family was quick to act and we managed to flee the area safely. Now we're hiding out in a nearby abandoned warehouse hoping to wait out the remainder of the night without encountering any further trouble.
Despite the fact that we narrowly avoided getting eaten alive, I can't help but wonder if this trip is worth it in the end. I mean, what does my future hold? Is there really any point in continuing on with all this madness when we could simply stay hidden in this empty warehouse indefinitely instead? Then again, I'm starting to realize that staying put might not be such a great idea either. Especially considering what's about to happen tonight. It's a shame I won't ever get to share the story of how I met my perfect mate with anyone except my loved ones but hopefully I'll live long enough to tell it to my kids someday. Hopefully.
My thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging sound coming from somewhere outside the large wooden door blocking our path forward. Judging by the muffled voices speaking in hushed tones, I assumed whoever was knocking was attempting to break the barrier down. For a brief moment I considered letting them in, but I ultimately decided against it. Instead I stayed crouched low on the ground beside my mother who remained sitting next to the fire. She looked exhausted and worn thin but I refused to leave her side even though she insisted we both sleep for a while. Even now, I could clearly see the fear in her eyes whenever she caught sight of me standing overtop of her. Her body language suggested that she thought I might suddenly turn violent at any given moment and attack her without warning. Honestly, I understand where she's coming from since I'm the daughter of a notorious criminal who spent decades locked away in prison for his crimes. However, my intentions aren't nearly as sinister as she thinks they are and I swear I won't harm her in any way unless absolutely necessary.
A couple minutes passed by before the banging started again followed by the sound of footsteps approaching closer and louder as whoever it was moved around the corner of the hallway. A tall figure stepped into view carrying a large axe slung over his shoulder and wearing nothing more than loose fitting pants. Seeing him reminded me of my older brother and I wondered if this guy was related to him somehow. He certainly didn't look familiar to me but it was possible he was an outsider visiting from afar. Either way, I figured it best to remain quiet and observe him closely rather than speak up and potentially give ourselves away.
"Hello," the newcomer called out upon noticing my presence "Are you alright?"
Though I couldn't make out his voice entirely, I understood perfectly fine. It was the same tone used by my brother whenever he spoke to me back when we lived in the woods as children. I nodded slowly in response, wondering what he meant by the question.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone