James
I slowly walked along the side of my house, careful not to make a sound. The night air was cool against my skin, and the crickets' soft chirping filled the silence. I knew everyone was asleep by now, but I had to be sure. My heart pounded as I reached the window I had left cracked open earlier, just enough to slide my fingers in and pull it up. I hated being locked inside.
Slipping through, I landed lightly on the wooden floor, the boards creaking faintly beneath my weight. I paused, listening. Nothing. With a quiet exhale, I padded down the hallway, passing the familiar sight of old paintings lining the walls—portraits of ancestors and past alphas. Then, my gaze caught on one particular frame.
It was her.
I stopped in my tracks, my breath hitching. The painting was of my mother in her true form. Her fur, a soft light brown with a reddish hue, shimmered in the moonlight streaming through the window. Her golden-green eyes seemed almost alive as if watching me. I didn’t remember much about her. My memories of her were fleeting—just scattered moments that felt more like dreams than reality. But everyone always reminded me how much she was loved.
"You know you shouldn’t be out at this time."
The deep voice behind me sent a chill down my spine. I turned slowly, my body tensing. My father stood there in the shadows, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
He stepped forward, the dim light catching the sharp angles of his face. “You know it’s against the rules to go out at night,” he said, his voice low but carrying an unmistakable growl beneath it.
“I know,” I admitted, glancing away. “I just needed to stretch my legs.”
His jaw tightened. “What if someone saw you?” His voice rose slightly, his hands planted firmly on his hips. “What if they caught you and had you killed?”
“No one saw me,” I insisted, trying to sound confident. “I was only gone for a few moments.”
He let out a slow, heavy sigh, shaking his head. “James, you put us all in danger. You’re going to be alpha one day, and I expect you to protect everyone. You can’t do things like this. What if one of the cubs had followed you outside?”I lowered my gaze to the floor. He was right. I should have known better. His voice softened. “I’m telling you this to protect you. We can’t lose you like we lost her.”
I glanced up at him and followed his gaze back to the painting. His face, usually so firm and composed, looked tired. Worn. Even after ten years, he still missed her. We all did.“I’m sorry,” I finally said.
“I know.” He exhaled, straightening his posture. “But tomorrow, you’re on tour duty. There’s a new student I want you to show around school.”
“What?” I snapped my head up. “Why can’t you ask the twins to do it?”
“Well, because the twins didn’t sneak out at night,” he said simply, turning away.
I groaned as he walked off, disappearing into his room. I lingered for a moment, taking one last look at my mother’s painting before heading upstairs. I wished she was here. Maybe she would have understood.
On my way up to my room on the fourth floor, I passed Finn standing in his doorway.“You know, you should be more careful,” he said, smirking. I rolled my eyes. “Why? Because you care about me?”
“Of course I do. You’re my favorite cousin.” His grin widened, teasing. Finn was my father’s brother’s son—two years older than me and carried himself like he owned the place. His popularity within the pack only fed into his cockiness.“Well, I’m fine. Not dead.” I shot back sarcastically.
“That’s good,” he said, his smirk twisting into something unreadable. “Goodnight. See you tomorrow.” He shut the door behind him before I could say anything else.
I sighed and made my way to my room, kicking off my shoes the moment I stepped inside. I flopped onto my bed, exhausted from the run. I hated that we had to stay hidden. Maybe one day, things will be different. As my thoughts swirled, sleep finally pulled me under.
In the morning, I stretch and roll out of bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My body protests—I really shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night. With a sigh, I shuffle into the bathroom to get ready for school. As I brush my teeth, I hear the twins stirring in their room, their bickering already filling the quiet of the morning. They’re always loud, but today they seem particularly restless, their voices carrying through the walls.
I glance at my reflection in the mirror, my jet-black hair slightly tousled from sleep. Splashing cold water on my face, I try to shake off the lingering exhaustion. Once I’m somewhat awake, I throw on my dark navy blue uniform—blazer, pants, the whole thing. Before heading out, I make sure to clasp my necklace around my neck.
It’s nothing fancy, just a simple black chain with a dog tag. My mother gave it to me when I was born, and I’ve never taken it off. One side is engraved with a quote: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." The other side is smooth, worn down from years of holding it between my fingers. Following the sound of the twins, I make my way downstairs. Their arguing is louder than usual this morning.
“Owen, can you just clean your side of the room already? You keep saying you will, but you never do!” Ava huffs, arms crossed.“Oh, I would—if you’d stop covering our walls with your ridiculous boy band posters,” Owen fires back, turning to face her.I step into the dining hall just in time to see them waving their arms at each other in frustration. They always argue, but it’s never serious. Just the usual sibling rivalry.
The twins are my distant cousins, born just two minutes apart, though Ava never lets Owen forget that she’s older. She insists that those two minutes make her wiser. Ava has long, wavy dark brown hair that reaches her lower back, and her blue glasses highlight the freckles that both of them share. Owen, on the other hand, has blonde hair and baby-blue eyes. Sometimes, I wonder how they’re even related.
Knowing they’ll never sit next to each other willingly, I squeeze into the seat between them, cutting their argument short. “What is it this time?” I ask, already piling food onto my plate. “Finally! Someone with common sense.” Owen gestures to me like I’m his last hope. “You have to tell her to take those posters down! I can’t have my man cave covered in boy bands!”
I glance at Ava, who’s smirking knowingly, then put a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “Dude, you need to chill. It’s not that bad.” I go back to eating as Ava grins in victory. After a while, their argument fizzles out, and for once, there’s a moment of peace. That is until my father walks into the room.
Like always, the moment he enters, the room falls into a hush. He carries a presence that commands respect, even without trying. Dressed in a dark gray suit—his principal attire—he looks more put together than usual, having finally trimmed his beard this morning.
“Good morning, everyone. I hope you all slept well,” he says, offering a rare smile. A chorus of “Good morning” follows before conversations resume, though slightly quieter than before. My father carefully steps around a few pack members in their wolf forms, making his way toward me. Leaning down, he whispers, “Follow me.” I nod and get up, following him down the hallway to his office.
Inside, the room smells of aged paper and polished wood. A large shelf filled with old books lines the wall, and an ancient rug—at least a hundred years old—covers the wooden floor. Our pack has been around for generations, one of the oldest still standing.
My father turns to face me, his expression serious. “James, I just received word from another pack. There’s been an attack. They lost some of their elders.”I stiffen. “What do we do?”He exhales, his face unreadable. “Nothing. We stay hidden.” I frown. “Is this why you don’t let us go out anymore?”
He looks down at his shoes for a moment before nodding. “Yes. It’s not safe.” Then, he meets my gaze again. “I need you to stay alert. I’ve already warned Finn and a few others to be careful as well.”
I nod, understanding. He’s doing what he must to keep us safe. But still, the news unsettles me. What if the attacks come closer? What would we do? I push those thoughts aside as I leave his office, trying not to dwell on worst-case scenarios.
Back in the dining hall, I find the twins finishing their breakfast. “You two ready to go?” I ask. They nod, and together, we leave the den, heading out into the world beyond.
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