“Fate is not an eagle; it creeps like a rat.” Elizabeth Bowen

If you were to ask my parents to describe my older brother, they’d tell you he was a natural leader. Fearless and courageous, he was the kind of man born to lead armies.

And if you asked them to describe my sister, they’d gush about her sweet disposition and her selfless heart. But me?There’s only one word my parents would use to describe me: human.

You might not think that “human” could be used as an insult, but somehow, I’ve spent my entire life wearing this word like a badge of shame.

When I showed up on my Alpha father’s doorstep at twelve, he told the rest of the pack that I was there because of my human mother’s failure. I was thrust into the wolf pack—literally— but my status as the only human there made me an instant outcast.

I couldn’t run, wrestle, or shift into wolves like the rest of the neighborhood kids. I’d never meet my mate or experience the instantaneous true love that mated pairs had.

I was still the Alpha’s kid, and while that might’ve saved me from the bullies, it didn’t mean I fit in. The werewolf world was drastically different from the human one, and to them, my humanity was a weakness.

My father never told me he was ashamed of me, but I could still feel his disappointment—it hung in the air every time he called me his human daughter or explained that I was the product of a short affair with a human woman eighteen- years ago.

My stepmom, my father’s true mate, did try to make me feel included. She was the epitome of the perfect Luna gentle and good-natured, but I could still tell she was ashamed of me. If there was ever evidence that her family wasn’t perfect, I was living proof of it. Every time she looked at me, she was reminded that her mate had cheated on her.

Try as they might, none of this made a good recipe for the perfect family. I’d spent six years living under my father’s roof, in his pack, and in the werewolf world, but I’d already accepted that I’d never fit in there.*Or so I thought. *

Despite making plans to go to college far, far away from the pack that had no room for me, my life was about to change completely. Something technically, someone was about to ensure that there was plenty of space in the werewolf world for this ordinary little human.

*Dear Clark Bellevue,

After carefully reviewing your application, it is with regret that we inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to the University of Florida at this time. We appreciate the time and effort put into your application, but unfortunately, this year’s large pool of applicants has made our decision difficult and we have limited space for each admitted class. We are confident you will go on to achieve great things in your studies, and we wish you the best in your academic journey!

Best Regards, Dean of Admissions

University of Florida

I read the rejection email at least five different times, my eyes darting across the screen for something I might’ve missed. Unfortunately, there was no hidden. message to be found it was just another generic rejection email from another college that didn’t want me.

My senior year of high school was ending, and although I had applied to an endless list of colleges, I’d only received three rejections and one waitlist. Most of the schools I applied for were state schools with decent academic records but really, all I cared about was finding a college that was far away.

Somewhere far enough where I’d have an excuse not to make it home on the weekends or for most holidays. Given that I lived in cold, rainy Washington, Florida’s sunny (and distant) climate would’ve been perfect – but it didn’t look like that was going to happen.

“Clark!”

My pity party was cut short by the sound of my sister, Lily, yelling my name. I barely had time to exit out of my Gmail screen before Lily burst into my room without even a knock.“Clark, I’ve been calling you for the past five minutes,” she sighed, leaning against my door frame, “Were you watching another trashy reality show or just tuning out my voice?”

Although we were half-sisters, Lily and I hardly looked alike. She was tall, fair-skinned, with long, blonde locks that never seemed frizzy or out of control. She and my brother both shared my father’s bright, blue eyes. Her eyes were her best feature, and they constantly seemed like they were trying to poke beneath the surface.

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to tune you out, Lil,” I said,

“What’s up?”Her piercing blue eyes narrowed, but she seemed to accept my apology. “Dad wants to see us, there’s a big meeting tonight at the pack house. A bunch of people are going to be there.”

My eyebrows furrowed. Pack meetings weren’t unusual for our pack, but I wasn’t usually required to attend. As Blacktooth Pack’s only resident human, I wasn’t a huge part of the pack business. I couldn’t shift, which meant I couldn’t participate in patrols or defend the pack.

“Why is Dad asking for me?” I asked.

“Not sure,” Lily shrugged, “He just told me to come get you. I’m sure it’s for a good reason, Dad wouldn’t bring you around if it wasn’t. Come on.” Lily didn’t waste any more time waiting for me, and I watched her strut out of the room.

Not even the golden child knows why I’m being summoned, I thought, this must be important then. I followed Lily out of my room, and we descended the stairs in silence. With high ceilings and hardwood floors, our family house was one of the largest in the pack a perk that came with being part of the Alpha’s family.

Photos of Lily and my brother, Sebastian’s, accomplishments hung on the walls like the trophies they were: Lily as a baby, Seb at his first pack football game, Lily at prom with her friends. As I expected, Dad, Seb, and Grace were all waiting in the living room. Dad lounged in the recliner like it was his throne with Grace perched on his lap while Sebastian stood awkwardly by the mantel.

“Ah, girls, there you are,” Dad said, and his booming voice echoed around the room, “We’ve got a pack meeting tonight and we’ll need both of you there.” Even in his forties, my dad didn’t look a day over thirty. He shared the same fair hair and blue eyes as Lily, and his strong jawline and intimidating frame made him look every bit like the Alpha wolf he was.

My older half-brother, Sebastian, was just as tall as my dad, but he got his chestnut brown hair from his mother, Grace. Grace or Luna Grace if you weren’t her step- daughter was my dad’s true mate and Seb and Lily’s biological mom. She was the final piece to this picture-perfect family my dad had created.

“Why is Clark coming to the meeting tonight?” Sebastian asked, glancing over at me. He didn’t mean it as an insult – like me, he knew I was rarely needed (or wanted) at pack meetings.

“We’ll talk about it at the meeting,” Dad said, standing up with Grace, “Is everyone ready? It’ll be starting soon, we should head over.” We all nodded.

“Oh, Clark, honey,” Grace piped up from my dad’s side, “Are you sure you don’t want to change? That outfit might be a little casual for a pack meeting.” I glanced down at my jeans and a plain black t-shirt, it wasn’t exactly glamorous, but nobody else was dressed up either. Seb had on a t-shirt and shorts, and Lily rocked a jean skirt and some sort of ruffle top.

“If it’s okay, I’ll just wear this,” I said. Grace nodded, but I could see her eyes do another sweep over my outfit. It’s not as if I’m going to be the center of attention here, I thought, the elders will be too busy with Dad, the pack warriors are going to have their eyes glued to Lily’s ass, and any unmated girls will be flirting with my brother. If I was lucky, I’d blend into the background and frankly, that was exactly where I wanted to be at these sorts of events.

“Enough hanging around, let’s go,” My dad grumbled, taking Grace’s hand. He led the way out of the house, Seb, Lily, and I trailing behind him like puppies no pun intended. We walked in silence, and I took a moment to appreciate the scenery.Our pack lived in its forested community, which meant that most places, like the pack house, were still within walking distance.

Family houses lined one side of the street, but you’d eventually run into a pack-run grocery store and itinerary if you kept walking. Pack members were allowed to leave whenever they wanted, but the setup of our community meant that you rarely needed to. And, if you did need to, you’d still have to answer to the guards that protected our borders. They wouldn’t keep you in, but they did make it much harder to sneak out.

The little residential part of the community was just a small part of the pack, though – most of our territory was just wooded areas where wolves could run, play, and shift anytime they wanted to. For werewolves, this was the ideal setup. As a human who wouldn’t label themselves as “outdoorsy,” living an hour from the nearest town wasn’t exactly a high point.

I wasn’t a prisoner by any means, but there were times when living in Blacktooth territory did make me feel trapped.With guards running every inch of the property, it was hard to just come and go as I pleased.

And since I wasn’t a werewolf, I couldn’t just shift and run through the woods on four legs like my siblings could whenever I wanted some fresh air.Whether I wanted to be or not, I was a human living in the wolf’s den.

“Outcasts always mourn.” Oscar Wilde

The walk to the pack house was short, and within ten minutes, we were walking through its massive foyer. The pack house was the biggest home in our territory, and since it was used for meetings, parties, or other pack events, it was made to house close to a thousand people if needed.

It was designed like one massive log cabin with chairs, couches, bean bags, and other furniture scattered throughout the living room.

From the moment we walked in the door, there were people Everywhere.The elders of our pack were seated on the couches, sipping their coffee and engaging in small talk.

A couple of mated couples cuddled up on love seats and chairs, completely tuned out to everything but each other.

Some of the pack warriors stood around laughing and joking in groups, most of them unmated or keeping their mates at home. As soon as my father stepped through the door, a gradual silence swept over the room and all eyes fell on us. The conversation ceased and many people inclined their heads in respect for my father.

I could feel curious gazes on me too most of them were probably wondering why the human girl was at the meeting, just like I was. While Grace disappeared to one of the couches to sit with some of the female elders, my dad and Seb took front and center in the room. Lily and I both snagged an empty couch, although she was already waving some of her friends over.

Unlike me, my sister was a social butterfly, and as the Alpha’s daughter, she might well have been the pack princess. Girls wanted to be her friends and boys. crossed their fingers that they’d be lucky enough to have Lily as a mate. Lily hadn’t met her mate yet, but at eighteen, it could happen anytime.

Werewolves could identify their mates at sixteen, and it wasn’t unusual for most wolves to find them within a year or two. By eighteen or nineteen, most of the unmated wolves I’d met were antsy about finding their “true loves” – they wanted to get married and start popping out babies immediately.

For a brief moment, I wondered if that would happen to Lily too. If my headstrong,good-natured sister would turn into another docile wife with a pregnant belly by the end of the year. That was the expectation for female werewolves, but for some reason, the thought unsettled me.

“Attention, everyone,” my dad clapped his hands together, although all eyes were already on him, “I’ve called you here today to discuss something important something that has already begun affecting our pack.” As my dad spoke, my brother stood strong beside him, arms crossed and ready to back up whatever he said.

“As you may have heard whispers from other packs, tensions are rising in the werewolf world,” Dad said, “Two of the largest packs in the country, the Crescent Moon pack and the Pacific Rock pack, have been on the brink of a war for the past two months. If their conflict does escalate, it won’t just be blood from their packs that get shed. Both packs have alliances across the country – we’ve even got a long-standing alliance with the Pacific Rock pack, and if they call upon us to help, I’ll have to send warriors to fight.” I could hear a few gasps across the room, and some of the elders began to whisper.

“What even started this conflict? Why is the Crescent Moon pack at odds with the Pacific Rock wolves?” One of the younger male warriors piped up from the side of the room.

My father sighed. “It started the same way that most of these conflicts start: by wolves trying to claim things that aren’t theirs. The Crescent Moon’s new Alpha is ambitious and he’s been trying to expand his pack lands since he took over. For the past few months, they’ve been steadily creeping into Pacific Rock territory.”

While I’d heard my father grumbling about this latest conflict to Sebastian or Grace at home, this was the first time I’d heard about it in such detail. It wasn’t unusual either since I’d been living in the werewolf world, I’d heard countless stories of packs trying to take over other packs or warring for territories.

Werewolves were possessive about everything, and that included their lands.However, this was the first time I’d been subject to a conflict that might affect my own pack. My father was a good Alpha, and he’d spent his entire rule trying to stay out of territory disputes and other conflicts with nearby packs.

“I know this must sound worrying,” my father continued, “But I don’t believe it will escalate to a war. The Alpha King is aware of the dispute, and he doesn’t want this to turn into an out-of-control war with both sides trying to call on alliances. He believes that both Alphas can come to an understanding as long as they meet on neutral ground with the King himself present.”

Ah, the mysterious, all-powerful Alpha King. At least this guy is finally doing his job. Ever since I’d been in the werewolf world, I’d been hearing about the Alpha King. I’d never met the guy or even seen a picture of him, but from what I understood, he was the closest thing the werewolves had to a monarch and a celebrity.

He had his territory and pack, but he ruled over everyone. He was the Alpha of Alphas wolves the one that ruled them all. His word was final, and while he didn’t usually get involved in the pack business, he might step in special cases. Like, you know, to prevent a war.Last I’d heard, the current Alpha King was around my dad’s age, but he was grooming his son to take over when he died.

I didn’t know much about the King’s son either, but then again, it’s not as if I was the hub for all things werewolf- knowledge. Besides what I heard around the house or the bare-bones explanation my dad gave me about pack hierarchy and wolf biology when I started living with him, I was still pretty clueless.

“This is good news then,” said one of the elders, a wrinkled, old man gripping onto his coffee cup for dear life, “The Alpha King will surely placate both packs. Is there something else you’re worried about, Alpha?”

My dad sighed and crossed his arms, “There is one other thing. It’s the main reason I’ve gathered so many of you here tonight.” Briefly, he made eye contact with me. Guess we’re about to get to the good stuff here then.

“The Alpha King sees this as an opportunity to strengthen alliances and understandings for every pack not just the Crescent Moon and Pacific Rock wolves. He’s asked each Alpha to send their children as diplomats.”

Beside me, Lily inhaled sharply and I watched Sebastian’s eyes widen. I’d watched my dad leave for diplomatic trips and meetings before, but never my brother or sister most packs wanted to deal with the current Alpha, not the future one.

“Why Alpha children?” The same elder asked, “Sebastian is still years from taking over your position. What benefit would it be for us to send such young wolves?”

A couple of people nodded in agreement across the room, and I couldn’t disagree with the elder’s logic. As long as my dad didn’t die unexpectedly, Sebastian wouldn’t be the Alpha for years to come and it didn’t make much sense to send Lily either.

As a female wolf, she maybe had a small chance of becoming Alpha if Dad and Seb both died, but that would only be after she proved herself to the pack. I guess the only upside here is that if Lily and Sebastian have to leave on some diplomatic wolf mission, I’ll get the house to myself (and free reign of Lily’s closets).

“The Alpha King believes that it’s important for the future of the werewolf world to learn how to cohabitate now before they’re handed real power and given titles. He thinks teaching them to be diplomats might prevent further disputes like the one we’re in the midst of now.”

“Is that all?” The elder asked.

“Well,”my dad said, and I could see he was reluctant to say this next part, “That was the reasoning he’s given us as Alphas, and I do believe it explains why he wants the future Alphas there. However, I have a feeling there’s another ulterior motive at play. The King has asked for every Alpha child, including our daughters. His son has just turned twenty-five and he’s still mateless. I believe this is another opportunity for the prince to search for his mate.”

“All Alpha daughters?” Another elder spoke, and almost every eye in the room landed on me.No, there’s no way I’m included in this. I’m human, that’s an automatic pass out of most werewolf events, especially diplomatic pack meetings.

My dad turned to me, his eyes full of concern." Unfortunately, yes, that means that he’ll want to see my human daughter, Clark, too. She’ll be attending the meeting with her siblings.”

Oh, no.

”Werewolves are much more common animals than you might think.” Daniel

Pinkwater

Whispers spread across the room like wildfire. My human ears couldn’t make anything out any of the murmurs from other pack members, so I just tried to focus on keeping calm.

Did I want to attend some uber-important diplomatic meeting filled to the brim with short-tempered wolves?

No.

Did I have a choice in the matter?Also no. I might not have been the hub for all-things-werewolf knowledge, but even I knew that the Alpha King’s word was final. If the guy told you that he wanted you at a meeting, you were going to be there.

“Okay, everyone, let’s settle down,” Dad’s voice boomed through the room, and the chatter ceased immediately. “I’ve already contacted one of the Alpha King’s contacts about Clark’s attendance. The King aware that she’s human, but she’s also an Alpha’s daughter, so he’s not willing to make an exception.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be pissed or flattered. Part of me was touched that my dad had already gone out of his way to get me out of this whole ordeal, but part of me was pissed that he hadn’t said anything to me. He’d clearly known about this meeting for a little while if he had enough time to try and contact the Alpha King, so why was I just now learning about this? A little heads up would’ve been nice, that’s all.

But then I glanced over at Lily, who had gone pale, and remembered that I wasn’t the only one in the dark. Neither of my siblings had any idea about this meeting either.

“You okay, Lil?” I asked my sister, touching her shoulder. She was still pale, wide, blue eyes fixed on her lap.At my touch, she looked up and schooled her expression. “I’m fine, don’t worry,” she said.

I didn’t quite believe her, but I didn’t want to push especially here, in front of the rest of the pack.I looked up at Sebastian. His face was stoic, but even from across the room, I could see his furrowed eyebrows. He was worried. He was just as much as part of this as Lily and I was, although his presence at a diplomatic meeting made more sense. He was next in line to be Alpha.

"The meeting is on short notice,” Dad continued, “I’ll be sending Sebastian, Lily, and Clark off next week. I will not be able to accompany them, but I will send a few pack warriors for safety. I’ll speak with those I’ve picked for that role in private this week.

Now, moving on, Healer Ren has informed me that we’re running low on a few medical supplies…” The rest of the pack meeting passed in a blur, with dad covering routine, normal pack business.

Despite the change of subject, I still felt plenty of eyes on me.Once dad finished talking, most of the pack began socializing with each other, much like they’d been doing before we showed up.

Lily immediately disappeared into a throng of her friends, and I awkwardly kept to myself on the couch. I had always felt a little socially awkward, but after dad’s big announcement, I felt even less like socializing.

“Are you worried, Clark?”A raspy voice broke my train of thought, and I looked up to see one of the male elders had approached me. I recognized him, he was one of our oldest pack members, but I couldn’t remember his name.

“I’m, uh, just surprised,” I confessed, “I understand why the King might want future Alphas there, even future Alpha daughters that might be his son’s mate. I guess I just feel as if my presence might be unnecessary.” I tried to choose my words carefully. Although the elder had kind eyes, he was still a werewolf, and I didn’t want too trash talk the King too much.

“If I had to speculate as to why the King insisted you be there, despite your human status,” The elder said, “My guess would be that he doesn’t want to take any chances.”

“What do you mean? Take any chances about what?”

“About his son, Clark,” he said, and he almost looked amused, “Your father said it himself, this meeting is only half about diplomacy. It’s also about getting every Alpha daughter in the same room, and giving the Prince an opportunity to find hist mate.”

“Right, but I’m human. Doesn’t that automatically disqualify me from having a mate?”

The old man’s lips twisted upwards. “Not exactly. You’re an unusual case, Clark. You don’t have the wolf gene, but you’ve still got Alpha blood running through your system. While it’s unlikely you’d have a mate, let alone the future Alpha King, there’s still a chance. A miniscule one.”

It felt like my world had been rocked twice in one night.When my dad had given me my werewolf biology lesson all those years ago, he’d never mentioned the possibility of me having a mate. He’d explained that the mating process happened between two wolves that their inner beasts called out to each other.

It had been a comfort to me, the idea that I would never have to worry about being chained to some territorial, domineering wolf for the rest of my life.

“How does that even work, a wolf mating with a human?” I asked, “I’ve never heard. of that. I thought mating happened when two people’s inner beasts choose each other. But someone like me doesn’t have an inner wolf.” The elder nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, that is how it usually happens,” he said, “Two inner wolves call out to each other. Our inner wolves are intuitive, and they know who is right for us upon first glance. This is why mates recognize each other the first time they make contact. The bond is forged immediately, and there’s no going back. However, there are rare cases. I have seen human-wolf pairings in my lifetime, but only a few times. As I said, it’s rare. Having a human mate carries the risk that you’ll end up with children that have wolf blood, but lack the actual gene.”

“Like me.”

“Yes. And most humans are simply not strong enough to survive in this kind of world, they do not understand our pack mentality. Most inner wolves recognize this. It’s in our nature to seek strong mates, ones that will bear strong children. But there have been times, very rarely, when a wolf has recognized a human as worthy of mating. I’m not entirely sure why, that is beyond my wisdom. Only an inner wolf can decide who is the right mate. But from what I understand, human- wolf pairings are exceptionally difficult.”

“Why’s that?”

“A werewolf spends their entire life learning about the mate bond, and they desire With their inner wolf, there is a natural pull to their mate. They feel the bond. constantly, and they can’t bear to pull away. It’s why divorce and separation don’t exist in our world. The desire for your mate is so strong, no wolf could possibly fathom being away from them. But humans don’t have an inner wolf, they don’t feel the bond the same way. I’m not sure if they experience a pull, but if they do, it’s nothing like what a wolf feels. And from what I’ve seen, human mates don’t get handled the same way that regular mates do."

“What do you mean?” I asked.

The elder smiled ruefully. “Having grown up in this world, you already know how possessive wolves can be, especially male wolves,” he continued, “Most wolves are naturally territorial of their mates. It’s in our nature to be protective and dominant of what’s ours. The higher ranking the wolf is, the more possessive they’ll be. Alphas are the most possessive, and while I’ve never met the Alpha King or the Prince, I assume they’re even worse than normal Alphas. As you know, humans are more fragile than werewolves. Your senses aren’t as good, you break more easily, take longer to heal, and you get sick. Having such a fragile mate would put any wolf on edge – any possessiveness or protectiveness they’d feel just gets amplified ten times over. Several decades ago, one of our pack warriors had a human mate. He was beside himself with worry about her most of the time, even when she was fine. He wouldn’t let her leave the house by herself. He hardly let her cook, he was too worried that she’d cut herself with a knife or burn herself on the stove. He’d keep her on bed rest for days if he even thought she was getting a cold.”

He shook his head and sighed, “That poor girl. I’m not sure how she ever functioned like that.”

I couldn’t see my own face, but I must’ve looked pretty freaked out because the old man put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “There’s no need to worry, Clark,” he said, patting my arm, “I didn’t mean to scare you. As I told you earlier, human mates are so rare, they almost never happen. The chance that you’d be a wolf’s mate, it’s almost impossible.”

Impossible, yes. There’s no need to make a big deal out of this, Clark. You heard the man, human mates almost never happen, and if they do, it’s probably just to uber-special humans.I took a deep breath and tried to hold onto that thought. Everything is going to be okay.

There’s no way I have a mate.