We ran through the woods, chasing each other and just playing as wolves. I had missed this. There were no vampires in training harassing me out here. It was just my family.

Our fun ended when we heard our father howl from the house. He was calling us back. We ran to obey him. I shifted back behind my usual shifting tree and put my uniform back on after shaking the leaves out of it. I gathered the rest of my abandoned clothes on my way back up to the house.

Mom stopped me when I came inside. "We couldn't tell you when you got home, everyone was too excited to see you, but we're having dinner with some of the other shifter families tonight. I set out a dress for you to wear," she told me firmly. I looked at her questioningly. She always wanted me to wear skirts and dresses, but it was extremely rare for her to force me to, at least not since I was a little kid.

"Why do I have to wear a dress?" I demanded, scowling at her. I had to wear skirts all week, why did I have to wear a stupid dress that I couldn't move in or properly fight in?

"This is important, Samantha. This is a meeting of the shifters to discuss our future. It will help your father if you can pretend to be a normal shifter daughter for the evening. I know it's not your fault, but he is facing a lot of flack from the other alphas for you being Chosen. The more we can do to reassure them, the better." She told me. Before I had been Chosen, I don't think she would have bothered to explain herself. I felt more grownup now that she was enlightening me on their choices, involving me in the future of the pack.

I nodded submissively. I'd do anything to help dad. "Yes, mom." I just hoped the dress she picked out wasn't too awful. I went up to my room and dumped my armful of clothes into the hamper. I saw the dress laid out on my bed. It actually wasn't bad. It was still a dress, but it was a pretty shade of blue and knee length. I'd still be able to fight in it if necessary. I made sure to wear cute underwear just in case. The dark blue dress complimented my hair, which I managed to twist into a knot at the back of my head and make look presentable.

I noticed that the dress did show off the vampire pendant around my neck. It couldn't be helped. I wasn't allowed to take the pendant off. When I was dressed and ready, I headed back downstairs to find that my brothers were all wearing suits. At least they couldn't laugh at my dress this way. Seth looked like he was going to anyway, but I glared at him and he gave up.

Father grabbed his keys and we all filed out to the car. The car was really an SUV, one of those models that seated seven people comfortably. We were heading to the meeting hall. I knew this was a big meeting when we were going there. Meetings called at the meeting hall were rare, except for formal occasions and celebrations.

I became more and more nervous, wondering what this meeting was really about. It wasn't long before we pulled up to the rustic meeting house. It had been my other home for years, where we spent Christmases and celebrations with all of the packs who lived nearby. I dreaded going in there now with a vampire pendant around my neck.

It took all of my courage to leave the car and even more to stand on my own and not hold on to one of my brothers' hands, like a scared little kid. I was the future of the pack. I had to start acting like it. I followed my parents into the meeting hall, with my brothers following me. It was my proper place. I'd never taken it before, still a child until after the Choosing. Eric looked at me surprised when I took the place he usually did, but he allowed me my rightful spot as our procession entered the meeting hall.