Avenge

I cannot believe it. It is my eighteenth birthday; I am so excited. I get to shift into my wolf form, I can also now begin my search to find my mate. My father says because I am an Alphas daughter it more than likely will be an Alpha, or high-ranking pack member.

I do not care if they are Alpha or if they are Omega. The Goddess destined us to be together and she knows what she is doing. To me, my mother and father have their own fairytale that I have grown up wishing I could find.

My parents adore one another. They are always smiling and laughing together. My father looks at my mother as if she is the only woman in the world. My mother looks at my father as if he is on top of the world, at least her world. The love that shines in their eyes towards the other is the thing most only dream about.

The only time I have ever heard them argue is when I was fourteen. They were arguing about me going on my first date. Let me just say my mother won that argument but Dad was right. It was the worst thing ever and I never wanted to go on another one again. I decided to listen to him and wait for my mate.

“Ciana, are you awake sweetheart?” I heard my mother’s lovely voice.

“Yes, Mama. I will be down in just a second.” I shouted back down to her.

I quickly gave myself a once-over in the mirror. The lavender summer dress came down to my knees. Cute, and simple, yet classy. I took the large rollers out of my hair. Run a large, toothed comb to separate the curls to leave them wavy and bouncy. My long pale blond hair reached down to my hips, with the top twisted to give some design.

I put mascara on my bright blue eyes, I went with a nude matte lipstick. I wanted to keep the look cute and simple. I went with black flats because I am not much of a high-heeled girl. Only for major occasions. I begin to head downstairs to have breakfast with my parents.

“Happy Birthday beautiful.” My father says as I give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Daddy.” I replied.

“How’s my princess?” He asks.

“Dad, I am eighteen now.” I groan.

“But you will always be my princess.” He tells me as Mom walks into the dining room with breakfast.

“Good morning, and happy birthday baby.” She says as she sets the trays down.

She made a breakfast feast. Her homemade waffles, biscuits, and gravy, scrambled eggs with cheese, and bacon.

“Momma, what is with the feast?” I ask as I begin to load my plate down with the mouthwatering food.

“I want you both to eat up now. Your father and I have a meeting with the Alpha and Luna of the Black Rose Pack in a couple hours and I don’t want my two loves going hungry.” I smiled as she gave my father a small kiss. I hope my mate and I are like that.

“What are you doing today dear?” Mother asks.

“Jackson should be here in a few and we are going to go to the mall, then come home and have my birthday movie marathon,” I say with excitement.

“What about Charlotte?” Mother asks.

“She has training with her father today and I think she said out-of-town family visiting,” I respond.

“You know today you are able to finally meet your mate,” Father states.

“Daddy, I know.” I groan, knowing he is about to lecture.

“Being werewolves we have a primal instinct to claim our mates.” He began.

“I know Daddy. I promise I will not do any of that. I want us to get to know each other. Take things slowly.” I say repeating the same words told to me multiple times over the years.

“I only want the best for you Ciana.” He says as he smiles at me.

“I love you, Daddy,” I say as we finish our breakfast in silence.

A loud knock was heard at the front door.

“I will get it.” Dad calls to us as I help Mother clean the table.

I take off walking the dishes to the kitchen when I feel my wolf stirring within me. I have not been able to communicate with my wolf-like others yet. We can’t communicate like the others. My parents said it happens rarely but it does happen. Goddess always has a way for everything and a reason. That’s what my parents always tell me.

I can hear low voices mumbling in the living room when I catch an amazing scent. Chocolate and coffee. I drop the glass in my hand.

“Ciana, are you alright?” Mother asks me.

“That smell,” I say as I begin sniffing profoundly.

“Oh boy.” That is all my mother says to me.

My feet take off with a mind of their own. Taking me closer to the scent that has me in a daze. The voices are getting louder as I approach closer to the scent.

I turn the corner of the dining room, entering the living room and that is where the smell is coming from. My father turns seeing my reaction and moves out of the way. When he does I can now see our guests.

One, in particular, catches my eye. He stands close to six feet tall. His dark t-shirt and jeans hug against his frame. His hair is blonde like mine and his eyes are a dark forest green. Once our eyes met we both spoke the only words wolves dream about.

“Mate.” We say in unison.

He gave me a toothy smile as I blushed in response.

“Allow me to introduce my daughter, Ciana Anderson. Ciana, this is Alpha and Luna Black of the Black Rose Pack. These are their sons. The eldest, Andrew Black, and their youngest, your mate, Ethan Black.” My father says and I cannot take my eyes off Ethan.

“Hello Ciana, I am Ethan. Nice to meet you.” He says as he grabs my hand kissing the top.

“Nice to meet you too,” I reply blushing like a bright rose blossom.

“We have a meeting to attend son.” I heard his father call.

“I know Dad.” He groaned.

“Ciana, I have business to attend to. Maybe later this evening we will have time to get to know one another properly.” He says to me smiling.

“Okay. See you later.” I say to him as he turns and walks away with his family.

The door closed to my father’s office and I was in my own little world. I didn’t even hear the front door open or close.

“Earth to CIANA!” I hear someone yell.

“What the?” I say and see one of my best friends, Jackson.

“You were in a dream world there. I thought we had mall plans but I would like to know what you were drooling over.” He says with a brow raised.

“I found my mate,” I say calmly.

“WHAT!” Jackson shouts.

“Yeah, he's the visiting Alpha’s son. He is in there conducting business with his family.” I say.

“Suspicious, usually wolves can’t be apart from their mate in the beginning. Especially, an Alpha.” Jackson says and I brush it off.

“Come on Jackson let us go shopping!” I say excitedly.

“MALL TIME!” he shrieks out.

Four hours later and about twenty store bags full, we decide it is time to eat some food.

“What are you wanting Jackson?” I ask him.

“Its mall time. We have to get the pizza honey. If I wanted something fancier we would of went to restaurant.” He lectures off.

“Pizza it is.” I say not minding I loved me some good pizza.

Jackson goes up to get our pizza while I find us a table. Doesn’t take long though. He comes back with two slices of supreme for him and two slices of pepperoni, cheese, mushroom, and onion for me. I take a huge bite of the pizza and it hits all the right spots.

“Oh my gosh. I freaking love pizza.” I say in moans.

“Girl, I think your mate my be jealous of that pizza right there.” Jackson says laughing.

“Hey, no one comes in between me and my food. No one.” I say with a mouthful of food and in a serious tone.

‘CIANA, GET HOME NOW!’ My father mind links me.

“Oh shit, dad sounds so mad.” I say to Jackson.

“You’re daddy’s little princess and it is your birthday. I do not think it is as bad as you think.

“Either way we are hiding these bags in our old tree house on the edge of the border.” I tell him nervously.

We head out of the mall and I have a bad feeling that I cannot shake. I can feel my wolf within me stirring, I know I will not shift until the moon has risen on the eve of my birthday and it is only four in the evening.

The hour walk back is awkwardly quiet. I think Jackson is feeling just as uneasy as I am. We arrived at the edge of the territory on the far side where our old small treehouse is. Jackson climbs to the top to hide our mall bags incase that is why my father sounded so angry.

Seeing how much I spent would make anyone angry. But in my defense in one of the bags I did withdraw like five hundred dollars. We are rich, I don’t understand what the issue is. We all help out around here and I know it is a parenting thing but hopefully he isn’t to mad.

“Come on Ci-Ci. You might get a lecture but you are daddy’s girl. He will forgive what ever he is mad about.” Jackson says reassuringly.

I kept silent and follow beside him back home. The awful feeling in my stomach got worse the closer we got to the pack.

“Jackson, go back to the tree house. I have a feeling.” I say to him.

“What?” He questioned me.

“Please, just trust me. When I know everything is fine I will link you.” I beg him.

“Okay Ci.” He says understanding the urgency in my voice. He then turned and ran back to the tree house.

I stood on the edge of the tree line, my heart in my throat as I looked upon the scene before me. I could smell the death in the air, and it filled me with dread. My mind raced as I try to make sense of the carnage before me. Bloodstains led away from the packhouse, and I felt my heart lurch in my chest.

I could hardly breathe as I walk slowly towards the packhouse. The windows are shattered, and the doors hung open. Inside, it was dark and silent. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I might find.

I stepped inside, my feet crunching on broken glass. The smell of death was stronger now, and I felt my stomach turn. I force myself forward, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of life. But there was none. Everywhere I look, I see only death. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, their eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

My heart is aching, and I feel tears stream down my cheeks as I stumble out of the packhouse. I had to get away.

But before I could take another step, I hear a sound in the distance. It was the sound of growling. I felt her blood chill as I realized what it was. He had sent his most ruthless members to track me down.

I had no choice. I had to fight. I had to transform.

Gathering all the strength I could muster, I close my eyes and allow my body to begin shifting as I focused on my fear, my pain, my rage. Pain surged through my veins, and I feel my bones cracking and reforming. Fur sprouting from my skin, and my nose elongating into a snout.

When I opened my eyes I look down at the pieces of glass that cover the ground. I was now looking out at the face of a large midnight black wolf, her red eyes glowing in the darkness. In the distance, I could see them coming closer. I allowed her to take control as our rage rose up within us, and she bared her fangs in a silent challenge.

She advanced slowly, her paws pounding against the ground as she moved. The three men stopped in their tracks, their eyes widening at the sight of her. I could feel the power coursing through her veins, and she knew that she could take them.

She lunged forward, her teeth sinking into the flesh of one of the men. He screamed in pain, and the other two backed away in fear. But my wolf was relentless, tearing through their flesh until they lay still and silent on the ground.

When she was done, she stepped back, her body trembling with exhaustion. But her rage was still burning within us, and she knew that this was only the beginning.

I knew what had happened here. My mate, the one chosen by the goddess to stand beside me has betrayed me. He had killed my parents and half of my pack, and he had done it for the Alpha title. It had all been for nothing. Our mate had taken something from us, and we would make him pay.

I rush back to the tree house. I need to make sure Jackson is fine. As I approached the tree house my heart was racing. Secretly panicking.

“Ciana. Is that you?” I hear his voice.

I turn to see him approaching. Then I realize I am in wolf form.

‘Yes Jackson, it is me. They are dead Jackson. He killed them.’ I muffled through our link.

“Whose dead? Who killed who?” He questions with worry.

‘My mate, Ethan. He killed our pack. My parents. They are dead. He has claimed our land. We have to run Jackson.’ I tell him.

I could see the horror on his face as his brain processes the information I just gave him. I knew our fates were sealed for now but we would have to wait to grieve.

“What about clothes, money. what are we going to do?” He questions.

‘Go bring the bags down.’ I tell him and he listens.

He brought the bags down and set them before me. Using my nose I nudged each bag to which I was referring to.

‘This bag here is two new PINK duffle bags. Get them and put our clothes and the new blankets we bought in them.’ He did as I instructed.

‘This bag here there is an envelope. I withdrawal five hundred dollars earlier. Put it in my bag.’ He followed once again.

“Where will go Ciana?” He asked and I could hear his sadness.

‘Dark Mountain. It is the only place he will not look for me. The only place we will not be hunted.’ I tell him.

He nods in response and shifted into his dark brown wolf Hunter. His eyes were gold and he had one white ear. I then heard him through the mind link.

‘To any survivors of Primrose Pack, this is Jackson Hayes. I am with your rightful Alpha Ciana Anderson. Come to Dark Mountain for safety. That is where we are headed. Be safe. Be strong.’ He says before cutting off the link after no answers were heard.

We both grab one bag in our teeth and head for Dark Mountain. It is about a two-day journey from our pack. So that would put us far enough from my ex-mates pack that they would not look for us there.