The sun burst into the room with his golden rays, warming me through as I opened my yellow curtains. I closed my eyes enjoying his touch on my face.

Sighing heavily to myself I turned to my vanity unit, my eyes focused on the white creamy envelope that had caused countless nightmares for the past month. This envelope had kept me up most nights washing my thoughts with anxiety. Questions swirled around me head late at night preventing me from falling into a restful asleep.

I am being summoned and My mother had been waiting for this moment ever since I was born. I reached for the heavy cream envelope, my hands shaking as I grasp the fine paper that sealed my doom. Maybe I was overacting? I did tend to blow things way out of proportion when my anxiety raised its ugly head.

I met my worried graze in the dusty reelection of my mirror. "You've got this Iris!" I gave myself a pep talk, "stop being so melodramatic" I tried to glare directly at my anxiety as it sheered the ugly truth back at me. I was a freak.

I exhaled deeply as I ran a clammy hand over my frizzy morning hair. I grabbed at my hairbrush quickly running it through my honey wheat curls trying to tame the wildness. To say I was exhausted was a total understatement my undereye screaming purple at me as I rubbed the tiredness away. Deciding it was probably best to put my hair in a messy bun rather than leaving it to look like a bird's nest I took in the rest of my appearance. I winced at what stared back at me not only had a got a new zit to join the group that had decided to form on my chin but I was a freak; I had one of those weird genetic traits that sometimes appears in families, a bit like webbed feet. The doctors called it heterochromia iridium - I called it being deformed. One of eyes was glossy hazelnut brown and the other blood red. Several doctors have performed many tests on it and even tried to operate but nothing worked. I had limited vision in this eye and would often see visual disturbances like dancing flames of an open fire. For a long time, all I could see from this eye was fire but as I got older, I got blurred movements of people and objects around me.

"Iris May! I hope you're awake, not having you late again!" my mum's voice called from downstairs. My eyes focused on a smear on my mirror as I heard distant howls. The wolves of the Ironwood, the wood that surrounded my small whitewashed house. My pack, my family.

"Yes mum," I called back to her sighing again as I decided the best way to proceed with this was to apply a small amount of concealer and line my tired eyes with black liner and mascara trying to make them less freaky. I tried to wear contacts, but there is something about this eye would dissolve them within hours of wearing them.

"Iris!" my mother's voiced echoed from below. "you're going to be late," she screamed up at me again.

I sighed deeply. "Stupid appointment," I growled under my breath before shouting back to her, "Coming mum." I grabbed the closest items of clothing I could find; a black pair of ripped skinny jeans and a fade white top. I ran down the stairs two at a time jumping the last three, the smell of coffee wafting into my airways.

"Finally," she snapped glaring at me from her cup of coffee. My mum was not a morning person like most wolves she resented being up early for anything. "Alrighty then," My mother slapped her thighs standing up. "where did I put the car keys?" she said to herself looking around the room like they were going to jump out at her.

I rolled my eyes. "Try under the pillows," I sighed the suggestion, "I meet you by the car. Where is Harper?" I asked before leaving.

Harper was my twin; we were almost identical but she somehow managed to look beautiful while I looked plain. We had the same features, but her hair was more golden and shinier, her face was soft looking and her lips fuller and more rose tinted. The biggest difference was her eyes were chocolate brown. She was the very definition of beautiful and she knew it. My mum was the same though she had the same chocolate eyes and the same coloured hair but hers was styled in a cute pixie cut.

She smiled "She's going to meet us there," pulling the keys from under a book on the coffee table with a grin of triumph, "Found them." I rolled my eyes again she would lose her head if it wasn't attached.

We made our way to the car in an uneasy silence. I could sense she wanted to bring my nightmare up. Anxiety poked at my heart causing it to go into over time as I strapped myself in the car. Please don't bring it up.

"So..." she left it hanging. She hadn't even turned the engine on yet. "So," I repeated. She began, "What kind of dress are..." I interrupted before she could finish. "I don't care I just want to get this over with!" I snapped.

"Iris," snapped my mother. "That is no way to speak to me!" she glared. "I want you to look the best for the Ball," She pouted frowning down at the steering wheel as she pulled out of our driveway.

I gazed out of my passenger window the summer sun had started to wane; winter was just around the corner. The leaves had already started to blister amber and marron as we drove down a ghost-quite dirt track towards town. The little town of Ironwood was surrounded by pine trees. The summer were long, and the heat was unbearable, but the winters were bitter. The forest was in habited by wolves. My wolves, My pack. Visits didn't stay long here because of the wolves. There was something about the woods that screamed weird, but the locals didn't talk about it and you didn't leave your house at night especially on a full moon. No one talked about it, it was just an unwritten law that everyone followed.

We turned left onto Maine street where the local grocery store sat next to the bookshop and thrift store. This town sucked, no decent shops you had to travel at least two towns over to get to a mall and a decent coffee shop was nowhere to be seen. Mum was driving us to next big town over where we were meeting Harper. It was at least a forty-minute drive and I instantly regretted not bring my book or my headphones, instead I had to suffer with my mum's small talk about pack gossip. She meant well and at least she seemed to be steering clear of the subject that had been keeping me up at night.

The dread settled in again as my thoughts were washed with anxiety about that letter. It has arrived a month ago and my mum couldn't be more delighted. As soon as I took in the dreaded enveloped that had sat on the door mat by our front door I knew. The dreaded words floated into my head. The Unmated Ball. These words filled my dreams with humiliation and embarrassment as I dreamt of the stares and laughter that followed. The very though sent shivers down my spine.

I gulped, "Mum I don't want to go." I looked at her as she hummed to a song on the radio. She knew about my fear of public places.

She exhaled heavily, "sweetheart I know you don't," she glanced over wearily. "But unfortunately, you have been summoned by the royal family. It's a werewolf's duty," she gave me a small smile. She never named what we were which sent dread through me. She never of my condition but still wasn't understanding. "You are the daughter of the Alpha," she reminded me. "You have an obligation and you must see it through." I closed my eyes hoping for calm.

I understood how important my position was in the pack, but I wasn't an only child. "But you have Harper," I sighed regretting bring this subject up.

"Darling you are the oldest," I knew this was her answer. As much as everyone preferred my beautiful twin sister unfortunately for me and for them, I was born first. This meant technically I had a stronger position within the pack and as the only children of the Alpha meant I was to be the future of our pack. "The Unmated Ball is the perfect opportunity to make alliance with other packs. We can find you a mate that can lead our pack and uphold our traditions," she explained.

"I'm not sure anyone will want to be my mate," I whispered to myself watching the trees blurring past as we drove.

With her super hearing my mum replied "Sweetheart," grabbing my hand. "You are beautiful, kind and clever. Any wolf would be lucky to have you as a mate," she said with such earnest that I almost believed her.

The trees soon began to thin before turning into symmetrical buildings of Stonewater Bay, a seaside town slightly north from Ironwood. I took in the grey forms of the port town with its building tarnished by the harsh sea breeze. My mum soon parked up and we were soon walking up the main Highstreet, the wind engulfing me in salty air.

We didn't pass many people as we made out way towards are meeting place; they were hiding from the harsh winds and cold weather in their warm homes as I hugged my body tighter. The sea showered us in salt as I hoped Harper wouldn't be late. My teeth clattered together as another gust of wind took my breath away as we turned left towards a clumsy looking shop that was sat between two well kept grey buildings. The little shop was olive in colour, with bulbus glass windows and a sign that read Francesca's in beautiful swirly writing.

"Shall we go straight in?" My mum asked looking around for Harper with no vail. I nodded grumpily following her into the cute little dress shop. A little bell rang as we entered over the threshold filling my sense with several different floral scents. I took in my surrounding eyeing them wearily the shop was nothing like the outside would suggest. The side was painted white and baby pink, the countertop was decorated with silver glitter adding a slightly tacky vibe to the shop. Long the walls were a number of different rails bursting with gowns and dressing of all shapes and colours. One section was purely white with the words wedding dress in the same swirly writing. I gulped as anxiety poked fun at me again, like I was every going to find a dress.

"Mary," a lady appeared from a curtain of beads, greeting my mother with her arms spread out wide. The lady with crinkles forming at the edge of her eyes, which she had tried to cover with a layer of foundation. Her lips were thinned with age and was painted a strawberry red which had began to leak into the fine lines around her taut mouth. Her eyes were crystal blue and twinkled with forgotten youth. Her box dyed chestnut hair was scrapped into an elegant updo and she wore a tailored pant suit and heels. "How are you?" she beamed.

"Frankie," my mum hugged the lady tightly as I stood awkwardly watching this reunion of old friends. Aunty Frankie had been one of my mum's closest friends. She was at least 5 years older than my mother and had decided to start her aging process early. As a werewolf your aging process is delayed. Werewolves that have been born into the condition as I like to call it, go through four changes. One is when you first turn into your wolf, normally on the full moon of your 16th birthday when this happens your start to age slower and heal quicker from illnesses and injuries. The next changes happen when you find your mate which is like your marriage partner. After that you can then choose when to go into the next phrase of the werewolf condition and this where you can decide if you want to get old. The last change is perinatally staying as a wolf before passing away. This change I dread as I couldn't think of anything worse that being stuck as a beast.

"Darling," Aunty Frankie engulfing me in a bone crushing hug brought be back from my daydreams. "Any news on the turning?" Frankie looked over at my mum who quickly shook her head, clearly embarrassed. "Still time though sweetheart. You're just a late bloomer" she smiled sadly at me. She was referring to the fact that I am a werewolf that has never gone through the turning. I have never turned into a wolf and have never heard her inside me. The idea of this would normally bring shame on the individual and the family, however since my father was the Alpha no one dared challenged his authority. My father was scary when he wanted to be and was known across the country as someone not to mess with.

The awkwardness was broken by the ding of the bell as my sister floated into the shop, gracing us with her dazzling white smile. "Aunty Frankie" she hugged the old lady tightly beaming down at her. Another difference between my twin and me was her height. I was slight of stature Harper was tall with curves in all the right places.

Frankie smiled up at her in awe, "Sweetheart, how are you?" Harper had all the graces of an Alpha female. I felt sick just looking at her. I crossed my arms pouting down at the floor wishing it would swallow me up.

Harper beamed, "so excited, she almost jumps up at down. "As soon as I got my invitation, I knew I need to get a dress from you! I want to look just like my Mamma at her ball." She grinned at our mum who I swear nearly sighed in awe of her own daughter. How did she do that?

"Well I think I have the perfect dress for you darling," Frankie smiled disappearing into the back room. She came back a few minutes later slightly redder in the face holding a powder blue dress draped over her arms. "Here I think this will be perfect for you," Frankie said thrusting the dress into Harper's out reached arms.

Harper gazed down at the dress touching the silky fabric lightly, "its beautiful." She sighed smiling up at us like she had won the lottery. My mother beamed at her nodding her to go try it on as she disappears under the pink velvet curtains of the dressing room.

I sighed how was it so easy for her to find the perfect dress without even looking? The green monster stirred inside me as I waited for her to emerge in her full glory. When she did the whole room held its breath. She looked beautiful. The dress was a perfect fit, the bodice hugged at her curves perfectly, the skirt flaring just above her hips out into an A-line shape. The skirt had beautiful white lace flowered embellished over the silk fabric. The colour was a perfect match for her slightly sun kissed skin tone making her look like Cinderella with her golden curls.

"Harper you look stunning," Our mum smiled. "that dress is perfect for you. Frankie you've out shone yourself."

Frankie bowed her head in pride of the compliment. "Now Iris I wasn't sure how to style you," Frankie paused. I knew it! I would never have a dress as beautiful as Harper's, but I was hoping. I pushed down the hope before I got carried away. I didn't even want to go this stupid ball in the first place.

The Unmated Ball is a ball that only happens once in a generation. The next heir to the throne needs a mate, so the Royals summon every unmated female to their palace so they can choose out of all the people there. It is just like a beauty pageant where every girl there wants to be picked as the winner. This is how sick werewolf culture is.

"Since you are the next Alpha and all," Frankie carried on. "I wanted to make you look beautiful and powerful but also not to draw too much attention to..." she trailed off looking nervous as I knew what she was referring to. "So, I've been working through the night to find the perfect dress." She smiled disappearing like a magician behind the beaded curtain again.

Werewolves have been around for centuries, each divided into packs. Each Pack has an Alpha, a leader that ensures that the wolves in their pack are living by the rules of werewolf society. The Alpha's are ruled by the Royals, and they ensure that the Alpha's are doing their job. Some packs are more powerful than others and therefore are more important just so happened I belonged to the second most power pack in America the Iron chain pack. I just so happened to be the next Alpha of this pack. The weight of my duty lay heavy on my chest as I waited for Frankie to emerge from the beads again.

Frankie came back with engulfed in black fabric. I frowned, black was not a colour that was often considered for such occasions as the Unmated Ball. I glanced over at my mother who also had a mask of confusion written over her delicate face.

"Now here me out," Frankie said as she took in our expressions. "Black is the perfect colour to stand out but in an in your face kind of way," she began. "I understand that black is not considered the colour to wear but its unstated but classic." She wasn't making much sense to me, but my mum's face started to soften as she took in the explanation Aunty Frankie was giving.

"Its perfect," my mum muttered as she smiled taking the dress from Frankie to look at the fabric in more detail. Somehow even if I didn't feel comfortable in that dress or hated it, I was going to forced into it. It sucked being the Alpha's daughter.

I sighed how bad can this ball be?