(This book is not mine, This book is belongs to writer Tessa Lilly )

I woke up early in the morning and got up right away. I was excited. Really, really excited. Tomorrow is my birthday. Tomorrow I will be eighteen and I will meet my wolf. I couldn't wait to shift for the first time. They say it is painful, but I didn't care about that part. It is just for a little while, and it gets easier later. I can survive

a little bit of pain.

I just wished that my parents were here to see me shift for the first time. It had been eight years since they died, and it hadn't gotten any easier.

They were killed in a rogue attack.

Rogues are wolves that don't belong to a pack. They become rogues by being exiled from their packs for committing various crimes. Some of them choose to leave their packs and live like rogues. That is rare, though.

We wolves are pack animals. We don't like being alone. When a wolf chooses to become a rogue, it is mostly

because something bad has happened to them in their pack or they have lost their mate, gone crazy, and left the pack.

The rogues live alone. They don't work with other wolves. But when they attacked our pack, they were working together. It was very odd. Since that night, our Alpha learned that there is a rogue wolf who has gathered other rogues to attack various packs. They call him the Rogue King. The attacks haven't stopped since. They attacked our and other packs multiple times.

On the night of the attack, rogues tried to kill our Alpha's son. We were celebrating his 18th birthday and his

first shift. He was supposed to start his training to become a new Alpha and take over the pack.

However, that night, rogues killed his father, our former Alpha Luke. He was forced to become an Alpha right

away. And he did an amazing job. He finished his training early and he made our pack one of the strongest ones

My father was Alpha Luke's Beta. He and my mom died protecting Alpha, Luna, and their son. That was their

job.

After their deaths, my brother Andrew became Beta. He and our Alpha had been best friends since childhood,and now they run our pack together.

My brother is an amazing Beta, and an even better brother. He was 17 when our parents died, and after that,

he had to take care of our pack and me. He never complained. He took those responsibilities and did the best hecould. And he did great. He always made sure I was safe and taken care of. He still does.

I finished high school a few months ago, and all I have to do now is train. After the attacks, my brother and our

Alpha decided that all pack members must train to be able to defend themselves.The rule in our pack is that we all must go through high school. It is something similar to a human high school, but we learn about werewolf and pack history, pack laws, and everything needed to help the pack function properly.

For example, if a wolf is interested in working for Alpha, he or she will learn a bit more about running

the pack. If a wolf is interested in agriculture, he or she will learn about plants and our crops to help sustain our food supplies. If a wolf is interested in defending the pack, he or she will learn about defense techniques, and attack formations, and they will have to spend more time training than the rest of us.

I chose to help the Alpha run our pack. It was natural to me. My brother is the Beta and I wanted to help him as much as I could. So, I learned all about pack laws and everything else needed to successfully run our pack.

The Alpha, Beta, and pack healer are the only ones who leave the pack to go train for their positions. They go to different packs where they learn everything needed for their positions in a pack. The training lasts for about a year.

Considering our pack was attacked and our former Alpha was killed, our new Alpha and Beta finished their

training in only a couple of months. The pack needed them, and it had to be done quicker than usual. I missed my brother when he left, but I knew it was something he had to do.

We have to train every day, but tomorrow I get a day off because it is my birthday and my first shift. It is a

special occasion. The first shift is important because you get to meet your wolf and your mate.

Mates are important in wolf culture. A mate is your special someone, picked by our Moon Goddess. It is the

connection of two souls. Your mate becomes the most important thing to you. You love them instantly. You

want and need to be with them and protect them.

My brother still hasn't found his mate. And neither did our Alpha. So, until he does, his mother, Gloria, still has the Luna title and does the Luna duties.

She had a hard time after her mate, our former Alpha, passed away. She almost didn't make it. She didn't eat,

sleep or do anything. That is what happens when you lose your mate. Your will to live goes away. However, she recovered, and she is an amazing Luna. I love her a lot. She helped me and my brother after our parents died, and she and I have a special relationship. She is like a mother to me.

I asked her to be present for my first shift. She accepted and gave me a big hug. It is a big deal to be present for a wolf's first shift. At least in our pack. Each pack has its tradition, but in ours, only the wolves you choose get to witness your first shift. And it was an honor to be chosen.

I chose my brother, Luna Gloria, and my friends Amy and Jacob. They were all honored and excited for me.

I couldn't wait to shift. It will be amazing. And maybe I will be luckier than my brother and meet my mate soon.

I had to go to training soon, so I brushed my teeth, took a quick shower, and got dressed. I put on my black

tights, training bra, grey hoodie, and black Nike sneakers. I tied my long brown hair into a ponytail and went

downstairs.

Originally by Tessa Lilly 

I was unpleasantly surprised when I came downstairs. Sienna was standing in my kitchen, looking at me like she wanted to kill me.

She was my brother's and Alpha's best friend. She was 25, just like my brother and Alpha, and she has been hanging out with them since childhood. Now, she was clinging to them like they were a lifeboat.

She was devastated when she learned that neither my brother nor Alpha was her mate. That didn't stop her from trying to become Luna.

She was always around Alpha, proving herself and trying to convince him to take her as his chosen mate.

Werewolves could do that. If their mate died or they didn't find their true mate, they could take a chosen one. It was frowned upon, especially in our pack, because we took mates very seriously. Most packs did, but some had a milder attitude toward chosen mates.

Sienna was tall, blonde, and perfect. Her make-up was always on point. Her hair was always combed and styled to perfection. But she destroyed all that with the way she behaved. She was bitchy, mean, and disrespectful. She hated me and treated me like I was trash.

But only when we were alone. When we were around my brother or Alpha, she was a totally different person. She was nice to me, and she once told my brother that I was like a little sister to her. Yuck. I tried telling my brother about her, but he didn't believe me. He told me I was jealous of her and how much time they spent together.

"Sienna," 1I said coldly and grabbed a mug from a cupboard.

"Good morning, ugly," she said and smirked. "It must be good to sleep as long as you do."

"Maybe you should try it too," I said as I poured coffee into my mug.

"You need as much beauty sleep as you can get."

I turned toward her with a smirk on my face. She was pissed.

"You little bitch," she said through her teeth. "I will become Luna

soon, and I will exile you so soon you will not be able to blink."

She always did this. She threatened to exile me when she became luna. I knew she would actually do it, and I could only hope shedidn't become Luna.

I wanted to say something, but I heard the front door open. My brother and our Alpha walked into our kitchen. Sienna quickly put on the biggest fake smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes. How didn't anybody see how fake she was? "Good morning, little one," my brother said and kissed my forehead. That was his favorite nickname for me. I was small, smaller than any wolf my age, and he liked to point that out. Mainly because he was huge. 6'4, and had muscles all over his body, just like Alpha.

We looked a lot alike. We both had brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was more tanned than me, though. I inherited my mom's pale complexion. Even though I was out in the sun all the time, I couldn't seem to get tanned.

"Good morning, Andrew. Good morning, Logan," I said and smiled. I get to call Alpha by his first name only in the privacy of our homes. On other occasions, I must refer to him as Alpha. Or Alpha Logan. Sienna didn't like that. She gave me an 'I will kill you' look over their shoulders

"Good morning, Emma," Logan said as he sat at our kitchen table. "What are your plans today, Em?" Andrew asked as he poured coffee for himself and Logan.

"Nothing much," I responded. "I have a training session in an hour, and then I will just hang out with Amy and Jacob."

"Tomorrow is your first shift. Are you excited?" Logan asked me and took his coffee mug from my brother.

"Yes." I said and smiled brightly. "I can't wait to meet my wolf."

"Maybe you will find your mate, Emma," Sienna said coldly. "And maybe we will lose you to him tomorrow."

She gave a fake sad look to my brother. Goddess, they were so blind if they didn't see through her act.

"Don't worry, Sienna," my brother said. "She will always be our little sister. No mate will take that away from us."

I wanted to scream and throw up. She was not my sister! She was a fake bitch who couldn't wait to get rid of me! But I couldn't say anything, so I gave him a fake smile.

"After your shift, you can start working at the packhouse," Logan said. "You went to high school to work at the pack office, right?" "I did," I said and smiled. "I can't wait to start working." "Good," Logan said, smiling back at me.

He was handsome, even more when he smiled. And that was rare. He was usually very serious and focused only on his job as an Alpha. He always did what was best for his pack. That was why he was so successful.

He was as tall and muscular as my brother. Maybe even more.

The Alpha and beta of the pack were always the most vital wolves. And it always showed. You could always see who Alpha and beta were. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. His jaw and his nose were chiseled perfectly, and his lips looked soft. He was hot. No wonder Sienna was all over him.

She drooled after my brother as well, but being Beta's mate wasn't good enough for her. Although, if my brother took her as his chosen mate, she would accept that as well. She was only after the title and power. Too bad they couldn't see that.

A doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Jacob was here.

"Is that Jacob?" my brother asked.

I nodded and put the mug in the dishwasher.

"I will see you tonight. Goodbye, Logan. Sienna." I said and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek.

Logan smiled at me, and Sienna gave me a cold stare.

"Is that Jacob?" my brother asked.

I nodded and put the mug in the dishwasher.

"I will see you tonight. Goodbye, Logan. Sienna." I said and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek.

Logan smiled at me, and Sienna gave me a cold stare.

I walked out of the kitchen and opened the front door. My friend Jacob was standing there, smiling at me.

I always had a crush on him. He was handsome, tall, muscular, and had black hair. His dark brown eyes looked like a pool of chocolate. And I loved chocolate. Sometimes I wished that he would be my mate. We would have been great together, and I knew he liked me. He told me himself.

We never dated or even talked about it. We saved ourselves for our mates. It wasn't forbidden to have sex with others, but it was frowned upon, primarily by our pack elders. The rest of the pack agreed that we should wait for our mates but turned away when they saw someone dating outside of a mate bond. Not all of us saved ourselves for our mates, though. I knew for a fact that my brother and Logan had their share of she-wolves. I was sure Logan even slept with Sienna, adding to her belief that she would become his Luna. Jake and I never talked about it, but I knew he slept with some she-wolves as well.

Jacob was 22, but he still hadn't found his mate. So maybe he was mine, and I was his. I would not be happy to know he slept around if he was my mate, but I didn't want to hold his past against him. "Good morning, beautiful," he said and kissed me on the cheek. "Morning, Jake," I said and closed the front door.

"Are you excited?" he asked and took my hand in his.

"Yes, I am," I said with a big smile on my face. "I can't wait to shift." "It will be amazing," he said. "You will be amazing. I am really honored that you asked me to be there."

"Of course, I did," I said. "You and Amy are my best friends! I want you there."

"Maybe I will be something else to you as well," he said and winked. I laughed. "Maybe you will."

We walked over to the training grounds together.

Amy was already there, waiting for us. She was a year older than me, and we met at high school. She introduced me to Jacob. They were cousins.

She and Jacob looked a lot alike. She had the same black hair as he did. Her eyes were a little bit lighter than his, thought 

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite wolves," she said and smiled brightly. "Hello, Amy," Jake said and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

She gave me a big hug. "I can't wait to meet your wolf tomorrow, Emmy. Our wolves will be best friends. I just know it. Just like we are."

"Oh, I am sure Alora will love my wolf," I said with a huge grin.

Our wolves had their own names. Amy's wolf was named Alora, and Jake's was named Jared. I couldn't wait to learn my wolf's name. "Enough chit-chatting, girls. Time to train. I will see you later," Jake said and walked over to his training ground

Jacob worked as a patrol wolf, so he trained harder and differently than us. Patrol wolves trained separately from the rest of us. Amy worked at a greenhouse. She was terrific with plants.

Jacob and I sometimes trained together. He taught me a little bit about what they do at their training sessions. He said he wanted me to know as much as possible to be able to defend myself. He wanted me safe. After an hour and a half, we were done with our daily training session. Jake still had an hour left, so Amy and I went home to shower and change

We would meet at the diner we always went to.

When I came home, Andrew was not there. He was out dealing with pack stuff. Being a Beta wasn't like any other nine-to-five job. There was always something to do. Especially when your Alpha was Logan. I quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans, a white sweater, and my black Converse sneakers. I dried my hair and let it fall to my waist.

When I reached the diner, Amy was already sitting at our usual booth. "Hey, lady," she said. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," I smiled. "Not as amazing as you."

She was gorgeous, tall, and skinny but with curves in all the right places and totally confident. All the boys wanted her.

"So, tomorrow is the big day," she said, sipping her chocolate milkshake.

"Yes. I am so excited."

"Maybe Jake will be your mate, and we will be family," she said with a big smile on her face.

"I would love that," I said. "You know I love Jake. He would be a great mate."

"And he is totally in love with you," she laughed. "Most boys are, actually."

"What are you talking about?" I said and frowned.

The waitress brought me my strawberry milkshake, and I thanked her before sipping my drink. It was amazing.

"Come on, Emma," she said and rolled her eyes. "You are beautiful and hot. I can't believe you never noticed the looks you are getting. It makes Jake totally jealous."

"I always thought they were looking at you," I said and smirked.

Amy laughed. "Well, they do. But I am not the only one they are looking at."

I blushed and looked down at my hands. "Well, I don't care. I will wait for my mate."

"And here he comes," Amy announced and pointed at the door.

Jake walked in with a big smile and came over to our booth. He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek

"Hey, girls. What are we talking about?" he asked.

"Mates," Amy said with a massive grin on her face.

"I can't wait to revisit that topic tomorrow," Jake said and winked at me.

I laughed and blushed. "Okay, stop making me blush."

Jake laughed and pinched my cheek. "Why? There is no prettier sight."

"Okay, love birds. Enough," Amy said and laughed. "Emma, when are we meeting tomorrow?"

"Well, I will have lunch with my brother and spend the day with him, and we will meet at the shift site at 8 p.m.," I said.

My brother and I had a tradition of spending our birthdays together. No other people. Just him and me. We always had breakfast and lunch together. After that, we would watch a movie and eat as much cake as possible. I loved our tradition.

"Great. I can't wait to see if your wolf will be as small as you," Amy said and laughed.

Jake joined her as I glared at them. "You bitches."

"Oh, come on, Emmy," Jake said, laughing. "We love how small you are."

I frowned but joined their laughter.

We spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, and planning our first run together.

It was late when I came home, but Andrew was still out. I quickly showered, put on my pajamas, and got under my covers. I couldn't wait to see what was to come the next day.