The Beginning

Let me introduce myself. I am Katia Lane, and I am almost 18 years old. You would think I would be out enjoying life with my friends, attending parties, and hanging out. Nope, not me. What friends? I have none and stopped trying long ago to make any.

I was found when I was very young and brought here to the Night Shade pack.

I am different-looking compared to most shifters. Most are muscular and very good-looking. No one can tell we aren’t entirely human when not in wolf form. Then there’s me. I am tiny, which is what is referred to as the runt—the smallest and weakest. However, I don’t know how weak I truly am. I have never been allowed to train with any pack members. So anyway, besides being a runt, I am weird-looking too.

I don’t think I am that bad. I look different from most girls in the Night Shade pack. I am very small-boned and barely five feet tall. I don’t eat much, so I am thin. My hair is long and black, and I have dark purple eyes. I think my eyes are gorgeous, but no one else does. Everybody says my eyes are so dark that you can't see the irises, and I look evil.

Evil is not a good look, and people shy away from me. I am used to the reaction I get from others. Even the couple who took me in has done their part to keep evil from taking root in me. Nice of them, huh?

I mean, they are only doing their part as the beta couple of the pack to protect it. They made sure I understood my place in the pack and their lives. They ensured I was well-behaved and quiet around the alpha couple or council members. I was taught how to cook and serve anyone who visited the beta family.

So yeah, the Beta family did their best to teach me right and then sent me to live with a new pack. This is why I live in a cabin at the edge of pack territory that I don’t belong in, which makes the Alpha believe longer exist.

But I get ahead of myself.

On my sixteenth birthday, my mom woke me by saying, "Hurry, get dressed. We have a birthday surprise for you." She said there was a unique birthday dress in my closet for me to wear. I jumped from my bed, ran to my closet, and there hung the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was the prettiest thing I have ever owned. Most of my clothes were no better than rags. I had a few things I was only allowed to wear when attending a function at the pack house. Just as my room was for show. Sure, I slept there, but that was it.

The dress was so pretty. It was made of white silk with little pink and red ribbons interwoven up the back of the bodice. I stood staring at it, wondering why suddenly my mom had bought me this dress and why she was so happy. I never make her happy. She never bought me something this expensive. Was it some trick? Once I put the dress on, would she rip it off me, telling me I was too ugly to wear it?

I grabbed the dress and went into the bathroom. Since mom wanted me to wear the dress, I guessed she would allow me to bathe today, which meant she wouldn’t want me to wear such a beautiful dress overall this filth, right? I turned on the shower and adjusted it so it was barely warm if someone came to check and make sure I wasn't using hot water. If I heard them coming, I could knock the knob slightly, and the water would be freezing. If I didn't listen to them, it would seem like I had not moved the knob quite far enough to keep the hot water completely off. However, I couldn't help hoping that somehow my parents had realized I was their child too and that I wasn't that ugly or stupid. Maybe 16 was a magic number for the girls in our family. Perhaps they can't be loved until they turn 16. I have heard strange stories about other families and what they call traditions. Maybe this is a family tradition for girls. My brain had grasped this idea, and it was all I could think of. My mom, dad, brothers, and the rest of the pack would love me now. I bet that is the rest of the birthday surprise. The dress is for a ceremony to let me know they love me now.

No one interrupted my shower, and I lost track of time, so I was in there longer than allowed. I hurriedly dried myself off and tied the towel around my thin chest. I sped through, brushing my teeth and detangling my freshly washed hair. I drop the towel, grab it off the floor, and hang it up. I don't want to do anything to mess this up. I slip into my little panties and step into the dress. It feels like what I imagine a cloud must feel like against my body. Just then, my mom came in to help me zip it up. "Good, you showered and washed your hair," she said. "Today is an important day, and we need to make you look as pretty as we can," she said, smiling. She was smiling. I know you are only 16, but goddess, you are tiny. I can't believe I have such a runt, especially with the alpha blood running through my veins. My mom then brushed and braided my hair, winding it around my head. She secured it with some pins and added little pink and red roses in the center of each braid link. Mom's eyes glazed over, which meant she was linking with someone. Most likely, my dad. Mind linking is another thing you can do with the pack once you get your wolf. However, I have heard talk around the pack house that couples get a particular link once they are mated. Her eyes cleared, and she looked at me. She stated, "Well, this will have to do," and then muttered under her breath, "I told your father we should have fed you more." She looked at me with her smile back in place, "Come on, Katia! Your surprise is here." I was so excited. I never had a surprise before!

We walked down the stairs, and a man stood in our living room, watching me come down them. He was tall, and his legs, arms, and chest were covered in muscles. He had long brown hair that was hanging down to his shoulders. His goatee and mustache were the same color as his hair. He was staring at me with the prettiest golden eyes. They reminded me of the gold necklace Luna always wore. Although he was lovely to look at the way he stared at me, it made my skin crawl.

He continued staring while stating, "She'll do." I looked at my father, who stood beside the man, smiling. This was another first. I had never seen him smile. I wondered what the man wanted me to do.

Suddenly, my mother steps off the last step and says, "Katia, meet Alpha Thomas Crane of the Blood Meadow pack. He has decided to take you as his chosen mate." I am only sixteen! I can’t be his mate. They must be confused, or maybe I am dreaming.