JAREK

‘I demand your presence here. NOW!’ Commanding through a mind link to Xillon, and Zane.

Our families have been the rulers of the Blood Moon Howler pack for several centuries. Our pack is the largest and most powerful worldwide, beyond the werewolf dominion overseas.

I’m destined to assume control over the pack once I turn nineteen. On the following night proceeding my nineteenth birthday, we will hold a coronation ball. Where I am to be crowned alpha, and meet my mate. Unlike other shifters who find their mates at eighteen, alphas have to wait until they’re crowned and have assumed control over the pack.

This has been the norm for centuries. The coronation ball started a couple of centuries ago when the current alpha at the time could not find his mate. An alpha is weak and cannot run his pack without a mate. He traveled far and wide for several years before stumbling upon her. Our pack elders have forced all werewolf shifters from America to attend from that juncture on. It’s insane. Any other member of the pack could discover their mates at eighteen. Xillon and Zane will find their mates before me. Can’t say I like that.

I don’t plan on fucking anything but my mate. Trex has different ideas, though, so staying faithful to my mate will be tough. I have porn, and hands; that’s all a man needs until his mate materializes. I will not lie; it’s been difficult to stay away from other females in the pack because they are constantly throwing themselves at me. My father stayed pure for my mother; so if he can do it, I can.

Xillon and Zane will be supportive of me and back me up once I tell them about my dream. I can’t keep this to myself. We need to do something about Silver now, before it’s too late. I had never had that experience with mind-altering substances. The dream I had was a foreboding of things to come.

Remember, nothing from last night passed, dad kicking my ass. Chasing her down on my dirt bike was messed up. Beyond messed up, actually. We’ve bullied her, with words mostly. Maybe some slight assault bickering, as siblings would normally do. Man, I could have seriously injured her. What the hell was I thinking?

Eavesdropped on Dante, asking her out on a date, saw red and lost control. Why was I angry when I heard him asking her out on a date? Perhaps Trex was at the surface and I didn’t realize it. One would think I was jealous. That isn’t the case at all. Certainly not jealous of him. He’s an outsider that doesn’t belong in this pack. He and his parents are visitors. Happiness isn’t something Silver deserves, though. Particularly after that dream I woke up from. Selene, the Moon goddess, was granting me insight into the future. I know it.

***

Once they arrived, I accounted every minute detail of my dream. Including the sparring between Xillon, Silver, and Zane. Went as far as telling them about how Trex had sensed something going on and had ended their brawl.

“Dude, you know I usually have your back. But you need to let this go. It was just an insane, wild dream. Annalise has done nothing but try to protect herself from us since we were all small children. I have sided with you long enough, Jarek. Won’t do it any longer. She’s your sister, not the enemy. Stop acting like a jealous asshole and protect her as a big brother should. As an alpha should do,” Xillon said, rolling his eyes.

“There’s something going on here. Don’t think I like it. Suddenly you’re calling her by her given name. You have feelings for Silver, don’t you?!” I yelled, snarling in Xillon’s face.

“Back off, killer. I have five siblings, most of whom are girls. One of which is my twin. I safeguard the girls in my family with my life. I’m kinder to Annalise because she lacks anyone besides your parents and the elders of this pack looking after her. You are her older brother. That’s supposed to be your responsibility, Jarek.”

“Goddess! You are attracted to her! You have a thing for my sister! Admit it!”

Growling, I ball my fist and readying myself to punch him.

“Have you taken a step back and taken in Silver’s appearance here lately, Jarek? Since she’s grown to her height, I mean. The woman is fucking fine as hell, man. Damn those curves. Mmmm… and I love her eyes, you bitch about all the time,” Zane cuts in. Snarling, I strike him so hard he flies across the room.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! Jarek, contain yourself!” Xillon yelled before scrambling to check on Zane.

“What the fuck?!” Zane shouts as Xillon inspects him.

Dumb fuck, shouldn’t have been talking about her in that manner.

“Just acknowledge that there is some portion in your heart that cares about Annalise as well, Jarek. We need to move past this shit already,” Xillon said while picking Zane up and carrying him out the door without a goodbye.

***

I don’t know how long I sat there, my mind going haywire, before I heard the garage entrance opening and the rustling of bags being lifted. Retreating from the floor, I scurried down the stairs to greet them at the threshold.

“Can I be of any help?” I asked mom as she walked in with a herd of packages in her arms.

She narrows her eyes, then shoves past me without a word. Fuck! I am in for it now. My mother terrifies me more than dad. I can fix this. I can make things up to Silver. Silver, no matter the circumstances, regularly attempts to make things easier for me. She, like Xillon and Zane, is always on my side.

‘Yeah. You are a fucking loser, Jarek.’ Trex retorts.

‘You don’t have to listen in on my thoughts.’

‘It’s been a year. I assumed you would have realized how to keep your thoughts distant from me. You never considered connecting with me about your dream. Alpha Max gave you pain medication and pills to help you rest. Which sent me off to dreamland. I have been aware of your every waking moment since you woke up, despite not being included in your dream. You, Jarek, are…’

‘Shut the fuck up! She’s about to….’

My mind goes blank when she materializes from behind the trunk of the car, weighted down with packages. Running over, I collected some from her so she could see her way through the house.

“I owe you one, Jarek. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She laughs and moves in front of me with the remaining bags she has. “We’ll need to make one more trip, because there’s more. Don’t tell dad. Mom and I went a bit overboard with shopping,” she said as we trudged up the stairs.

“Mom got some outfits and paraphernalia as well?” I asked as we ascended the flight of stairs.

“Mom does nothing for herself. She’s the Luna of the pack. You know how it is, Jarek. Pack before self. That goes for both mom and dad. Mom has so much more on her plate, though. We should have gone shopping and done other things together before now.”

“Right…”

I huffed a breath as I carried the massive load up two flights of stairs.

“I’ve got issues and a great deal to figure out.”

I gasp when Silver falters, and I collide with her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I uh…” she hesitates before moving on. “Yes. You have a lot to learn, Jarek. You aren’t a terrible person. Solely with me. I guess I understand. Wish you could get over….”

“Your dissimilarities.” I interrupt her while trudging down the hall, then taking the second flight of stairs that lead to our rooms.

“I didn’t ask to be born defective. Or to be rejected by my birth parents. I was a day old when mom found me. I plan to leave once I turn eighteen. When I can make it on my own in the human world,” she said, while discarding some of her bags so she could open her door.

I’ve said over and over how I have wanted her gone. Things wouldn’t be the same around here if she were to leave. She can’t leave. I won’t let her.

“No. You must stay. If you go, that would destroy mom and Dad’s hearts,” I said, flinging all the packages I was lugging onto her bed.

“If you don’t alter your approach towards me, I will leave. I’m set on visiting, but I can’t carry on with you all harassing me. Because of the three of you, I’m without friends and without purpose. I have done nothing to justify the conduct I’ve encountered, besides being born,” she said, exhaling a breath and placing her hands on her hips. Perturbed by our conversation.

“I am sorry about what happened this morning. Dad roughed me up enough to give me pain meds and sleeping pills. That’s what Trex tells me, anyway. I remember nothing, though. I had a vivid dream or whatever it was and woke up terrified.”

“A dream, huh? Where I turned into an alien enchantress?”

She rolls her eyes and starts taking clothes from hangers. Then making separate piles on the floor. It was then I noticed the difference in her appearance. Her beautiful, thick, long, curly brown locks spilled over her shoulders down mid-back. She always has her hair up in a ponytail. Grabbing her arms, I spun her around to view the rest of her. She’s still wearing the black t-shirt and jeans from this morning, but makeup plasters her face.

Trex grunts and starts striding back and forth in my head. ‘I hate that shit. You can hardly recognize her. She doesn’t need that crap hiding her true beauty.’ He snarls and claws at me to take over.

‘What the fuck’s going on with her eyes?’ He growls, and it’s then that I notice her orbs are a brilliant shade of sapphire blue and aren’t changing hues, as they would normally do.

Even though it annoys me when her eyes shift colors, I miss them. Damn, Trex is right. She doesn’t need makeup. She looks different. You can’t recognize her. I wince, and my hands fell from her shoulders to my sides. She did all of this because of me.

“Are you wearing contacts?”

“All I want is to be the same as the other girls in the pack. I would like for guys to notice me. To have a boyfriend, maybe. I don’t expect you to understand, Jarek. You are a guy and the future alpha. Girls flock to your side. Guys see me and cringe when I walk past them. Of course, that’s most likely due to you being my brother and the complete ass you are. Not to mention that our dad is alpha. Everyone apart from Dante, who is going to accompany me on a date tonight, so you know.”

Trex forces his way through and pushes me back. “I forbid you from doing such a thing. Take those contractions out of your eyes, and remove that crap from your face,” he growls. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

“Leave me alone, Trex. This is between my brother and I,” she states, and resumes sorting her new clothes into piles. “Please leave now and stop barking orders at me.”

‘Trex. Back off. Though different, this is something that happened in my dream. The contacts, and her wearing makeup.’

She pulls the dress she had worn in my dream out of a bag. Holds it up and grins.

‘Oh, hell no.’