The bacon popped and sizzled in the skillet, wafting its aroma through the kitchen. Colette flipped each piece as she kept an eye on the pancakes. It was her first time making breakfast by herself, and she hoped the noise would not wake up her father before she could surprise him with it. She was only nine but had shown such skill in the kitchen that Vincent started trusting her with cooking more meals.
Once everything was done, she set up his plate and poured him some orange juice. She carefully picked up the tray and slowly walked to his room. She took a deep breath and held it, his hearing was so good she did not dare make a peep. Slowly she placed the tray on the nightstand next to him and began to tip-toe out of the room.
"What? No happy birthday song?" her father asked before she could touch the doorknob. He kept his eyes shut but a slight chuckle escaped him.
She let out her breath and slowly turned around, "How long have you been awake?"
"Hmmm..." he thought playfully, "I think I heard you stomping down the stairs about half an hour ago?"
"I was not stomping!" She argued, throwing one of his small pillows at him. Without looking, he caught the pillow with one hand. He threw it to the side and sat up. He usually slept without a shirt, so all the scars he had collected were on display. She wished he would tell her where they all came from, but he would always change the topic whenever she brought them up.
He placed the tray on his lap and inspected the meal, "Bacon and pancakes? My favorite." He inhaled deeply and paused before taking a bite. He chewed each bite so painfully slow, knowing she was waiting for him to tell her what he thought. Finally, he swallowed and wiped his mouth.
"Well?" she prompted
"Not bad," he teased. "But a song would have made it taste a little better."
"Whatever. So what do you want to do today?"
"Hmm.. well we have a long list of lessons to go over, and I got a new geometry textbook for you. It's also leg day, so probably some laps."
"What?! No! It's your birthday! We aren't supposed to work on your birthday!" She jumped on his bed but was careful not to knock over his food. "Come on dad! Let's go have some fun!"
"What? Watching you sweat in the hot sun, while I sit comfortably in the shade, sounds like a lot of fun for me."
"You are terrible. The absolute worse. I am going to run away and tell everyone about the grumpy old hermit who tortures kids in the woods."
"Good to know my reputation will live on," he said as he took a big bite of bacon.
She groaned loudly as she lay on his bed, "We could go to the lake! You can fish while I swim!"
"You would scare away all the fish, I wouldn't catch a thing."
"Please? You said so yourself you wanted to take a trip to the lake just the other day!"
"Hmm... I'll tell you what. You do the first ten problems in your book, then if there is still time left in the day, we will go swimming. And we won't leave till you get them all correct."
She squealed and kissed his cheek, "Deal!" She jumped off the bed and ran to her room to work on the new Geometry book he got back in town.
She hated to admit but it took her longer to finish the ten problems than she thought it would. And she had to go back over what she did three times. She was not sure what was worse, training or math. Once her father was finally satisfied with her answers they both packed and got ready to spend the rest of the day at the lake. He loaded the truck with all the things they would need while Colette went and put her swimsuit on under her clothes. She quickly put in her contacts and brushed her hair into a ponytail. She was grateful her father let her dye her hair instead of wearing wigs. He made her keep it a light brown color, close to his own, but it was still better than nothing.
"Can I ride in the back?" She asked as she climbed on the bed of the truck.
"Sure," He answered as he loaded in the cooler. "Stay seated though."
"Yes sir." She said, plopping down in the corner of the trunk.
Vincent drove for almost half an hour, on the rocky road, till he finally reached the little lake that not many people knew of. Or they used to not know of, when he parked he noted there were several families that had set up spots near the water. Vincent sat in the driver's seat as he contemplated if he should leave or not. Colette jumped out from the side of the trunk and opened his door. She could read his reluctance all over his face.
"You can't seriously be thinking of leaving," She accused.
"Hmm...Fine since we are already here. But keep your shirt on," he ordered. She smiled and kissed his cheek. They both made work of unloading the truck, and Vincent searched for the most secluded spot he could find. Eventually, he settled on setting their blanket under a tree, that was near the opposite end of all the other swimmers. He went ahead and set up the grill, so it would be ready to start cooking when they were done swimming.
"Hey, Mr. Lapin! I didn't expect to see you here!" Curtis shouted as he and Oliver made their way to their private area. Colette beamed but Vince stopped her before she could run toward them.
"Where are your parents?" He asked.
"They had work to do, so I have babysitting duty," Curtis informed. In the three years that they had met, he had already started growing into his own. He was taller and his shoulders were broader. He was starting to look more like an adult than a kid, in Colette's opinion. "Gotta say, I'm a little surprised to see you two here."
"Fewer people used to come here. Guess I'll have to look for another spot in the future."
"Psst..." Colette hissed to Curtis. He leaned in close to her and she cupped her hands over her mouth. "It's his birthday!"
Curtis' eyes widened and he tried to fight back a laugh as he stood back up. "Happy birthday! Oliver no, we aren't setting up here!" Curtis shouted before Oliver could set down his stuff. Curtis didn't say it, but he could tell Vincent was hoping no one would intrude on his father-daughter time.
"Aww come on! I want to show Letty how fast I can swim!" Oliver whined.
Vincent glared but then relented. He was getting softer as more time passed by, "It's fine."
Colette clapped and pulled Oliver to the water, "Let's race!"
"Thanks... I didn't really plan to intrude on you two. It's just you know..."
"I know," Vincent said as he pulled out water from his cooler. At least he could relax under the tree, instead of having to swim. He was aware of why Curtis or his father always spoke to him when they were around. He was a rogue, and even if they were on good terms he would always pose a threat. So the pack leaders would always make sure he remembered they were always watching him, whenever he left his property and intruded on their home.
Colette paddled further into the water, once she got to the point where her feet could barely touch she stopped. "So where do we want to race too?" she asked.
"Hmmm... hmm let's swim from here back out of the water, we touch the tree then swim back here again." he challenged.
"Ok. On your mark. get, set go!" Colette shouted, and the two were off. They raced several times, and Colette was pleased to find that all her training was paying off. She was so much faster than Oliver. Once Oliver got tired of losing he demanded another challenge.
"It's not fair, you weigh less so you are going to be faster," he panted.
She glared, "You are just a sore loser. Ok, let's do something else. I bet I can hold my breath longer!"
"You're on!" Oliver wasted no time dipping his head under the water and Colette followed suit. Unfortunately, her speed was all she had over Oliver, and he stayed underwater far longer than her.
She sighed when she got tired of waiting on him to come back up, "You can come back up now, show off!" Suddenly his head broke the surface and he laughed, "I think I broke a world record."
"I doubt that," she said with a roll of her eyes. The two continued to entertain each other with little competitions and games of make-believe. Colette pretended to be a mermaid and Oliver was a shark. Eventually, Curtis joined the two and would let them jump off his shoulders into the water, all while Vincent watched to make sure everyone stayed safe. After a couple of hours went by he had begun making hotdogs and hamburgers. He and Curtis decided to combine what they brought since they were sharing the spot after all.
"Hey, Curtis!" A young girl with long brown hair came running to the water, waving her hands. She wore a very skimpy bikini that showed off all her best assets. This did not go unnoticed by Curtis. "Why don't you and Olive come and eat with us?!" She asked ignoring Vincent and Colette completely. A small blush appeared on Curtis' cheeks but he took one look at Oliver and Colette. "Sorry, not this time," He said as he walked out of the water. "Oliver doesn't have a lot of kids he can play with. Sorry, Carrie."
Carrie crossed her arms and glared back at Curtis. Colette knew she should not eavesdrop but she could not help herself. "Carrie likes my brother a lot," Oliver whispered, his eyes rolled in annoyance. "She's not even his mate but she always demands his attention all the time."
"Whats a mate?" Colette asked. This seemed to surprise Oliver and he stared at her in disbelief. "You mean you don't know? Wow, you are a baby!" She glared and splashed water in his face, but then continued to listen in on Curtis' conversation, as Carrie's pitch began to rise.
"Come on! You can't seriously be choosing rogues over your pack! Your brother shouldn't be playing with her anyways! She's just an Omega, when they get older people are going to talk!"
Colette felt her cheeks heat up, she had never heard this term before, but the girl said it with such disgust she wondered if there was something wrong with her.
"Hey!" she heard her father shout. "If you have a problem with my daughter you can leave!" His tone was so harsh and direct that it made the girl step back in fear, as she held onto Curtis' arm.
"Are you going to let him yell at me like that? I am part of your pack Curty!" Her eyes began to well up with crocodile tears, but they weren't working their usual magic with Curtis, it appeared.
"My father has approved of both Vincent and Colette. If you have a problem with that, then you should take it up with the Alpha and explain to him why you disagree with his decision," His voice was low but heavy with the unheard threat. If she did not leave now, he would make her.
"How..how dare you!" She said with thick tears running down her cheeks. "Fine!" The girl stomped away, not daring to look back at the group.
Once she was gone Curtis rubbed the back of his neck as he awkwardly walked back to Vincent. "I'm sorry about that... Some families are still..uncomfortable about Rogues living so close by."
"I don't care if people have a problem with me," the old man stated as he started making plates. "Letty!" He shouted, "Come and eat."
Colette ran to Vince and started making her plate with a hot dog and chips. She sat down on her towel under the tree, her mood appeared to have gone down since hearing Carrie and Curtis' conversation. She had no idea there were people in town that did not like her. Vincent silently sat next to her and picked at his food.
"Whats an Omega?" She finally asked after a long moment of awkward silence.
Her father took a deep breath of air and slowly exhaled. It was clear he did not want to have this conversation, but it was something that needed to be done.
"It's what you are. It's a rare, almost died out rank of the wolf," he answered as he put his food down.
"I thought there were only Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and then Rankless."
"That is how it is now."
"What is wrong with an Omega?"
"Nothing," he answered.
"Then why would there be rumors of me and Oliver when we are older? Why is being my friend bad?"
"It's not a bad thing. It's just... Omegas were ... back when things were more primitive Omegas were the ... servents of the packs. They weren't fighters, they did other stuff."
"Like what?"
"Cooking and cleaning and whatever jobs the pack needed to be done."
"But, you said you were a Beta in your old pack... how can you be a Beta, and I'm not?"
The silence that followed that question was almost deafening. "Dad?" There was a waver in her voice as she waited for her father to answer her.
"Letty... do you remember that story I used to tell you? About the Rabbit and the Wolf?"
"...Yeah..."
"Well... that is us. We were never part of the same pack, but you are my daughter no matter what."
She stared out into the water as she processed her feelings. This news was not as shocking as it should have been. But she knew there were too many differences between her and her dad that she had been ignoring. "That's why my hair and eyes are weird?" She whispered, making sure the others could not hear her.
"It's not weird. It's just rare, like you. I keep it hidden because there were some bad people that attacked your pack and I want to keep you safe."
"Is my pack gone?"
"Yes. You are their last survivor."
"I guess that isn't bad for a stupid omega," she said scornfully as she picked at her chips.
"Colette look at me," Vincent ordered. She looked up at her father, as she tried to fight back the sting of tears. Her pride was hurt, her world had been turned upside down, and she felt so ... she was not sure what words could explain how she felt. The only one that would come to mind was lost, but even that didn't feel right.
"There is nothing wrong with you, nor are you stupid. People are just small-minded sometimes. I won't sugar coat it, the world is cruel. But that is why you have me, and why we always train. I have never been able to have kids, and for a very long time, I told myself I didn't want any. Until the Goddess blessed me with you."
A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked down at her feet. "I guess, if I was going to be put with someone, you aren't so bad. Even if you are a grumpy old hermit who likes to torture kids."
Vincent laughed and pulled her in close, and tickled her mercilessly. She laughed as she tried to kick him away, but he was relentless. "Sto-hahaha!"
After a moment he finally let her free, "Go on and eat, before those gluttons eat everything."
She laughed and began eating again. After a while she remembered something else, "I have one more question. What is a mate?"
Vincent choked on the water he had just begun sipping. He coughed loudly, as he tried to calm himself down. "That...is something we will go over when you are older."
"Oh come on! I'm nine! How much older do I have to be?"
"Once you are thirty."
She threw a chip at him but then continued to eat. They sat in silence till the sun began to set after a while everyone began to leave the lake, including Oliver and Curtis.
"Bye Letty! Next time we race I'm kicking your butt!" Oliver shouted as Curtis dragged him off.
"Whatever!" She yelled back. Vincent laughed as he loaded up their stuff. "Come on, you are going straight to bed, you are going to have a very busy day tomorrow making up for all the study time you missed. And you may have beat Oliver in your little race, but you were still too slow, so I think some laps are in order."
"Aww... come on!" She wined as they got into the truck and drove back home.
Cailean sighed in irritation as his mother fretted over his hair. Today was an important one for the future Alpha of the Silver Crest pack. Their family had just conquered the last remaining pack in the north, and his father was riding on the high. He had acquired one of the last seer's to come and reveal who Cai's future mate would be. Cailean could not care less, so far he was not impressed with any of the girls he met. Sure he was only twelve, so no one expected him to be interested in anyone just yet. His mother swore that would change after his first shift, but he still didn't understand why he had to worry about that now.
"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be Gianna," his mother mused.
Cai rolled his grey eyes, "I hope not." Gianna was the daughter of the current Beta. She was pretty enough, but she was always complaining about something, and she always made training unbearable when he was forced to spar with her.
"Oh, you say that now, but when you are older, you will see her in a different light. I promise you that. Besides, she is a very promising fighter."
Once his mother was finally done, Cai took a look at himself in the mirror. His black hair was combed to the side, and he was wearing a stiff suit with a tie. He had to admit he didn't look bad, but he was not used to wearing formal attire.
"Whoever your mate is," his mother said looking at his reflection with pride, "She is going to be one lucky girl."
A knock at the door interrupted the two. The redheaded maid walked into the room once given permission and gave a low curtsy. "Miss...the Seer is here."
"Finally!" Kailenna stated as she stood to her feet. "Come on Cai."
Cailean stood straight and walked with his head high, he was taught at a young age to always hold himself up proudly no matter the situation. His mother led him to his father's study, where a young blond woman was waiting. Cai was surprised by this, he expected the seer to be an old woman with grey hair and dirty nails. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if she knew what he was thinking. This shamed him a little but he did not look away.
"Shall we get this started?" Alpha Aros asked. Cailean looked up at his father, he was a strong and imposing figure. He was the only person in the world that made him feel small. Aros had been on a warpath conquering or allying himself with packs. He was determined to gain enough power to snuff out the Black Moon pack, and finding Cailean his mate as soon as possible was part of his plan. Even though Cai had no interest in any of the girls his age, he dared not argue with his father, and he had silently agreed that whoever she was, he would try and make the best of it.
"Take my hand Alpha Heir," the Seer ordered, holding out her hands. Cai slowly placed his hands in her open palms. "Close your eyes and clear your mind." He did as he was ordered and slowly his breathing began to steady as the world began to fade away. He felt the Seer grip his hands tight as she pulled on her strength. It felt as if someone was peering into his soul, making him feel open and vulnerable.
Suddenly in his mind's eye, he saw the world change into a misty forest. It was as if he were in a living dream. Ahead of him was a shadowy figure of a woman, running away from him. He knew what he needed to do, and he chased after her. He pushed himself, forcing his legs to propel him faster. But no matter how fast he ran, the further she got. Till finally, he came to an abrupt halt at a body of crystal clear water. He looked around confused, but there was no one there. "Hello?!" He shouted, his voice echoing in the distance.
He heard a rustling from behind and he turned around, finding no one. He shouted in frustration, what was the point of this?! What was the seer doing to him? Had they been tricked?! He turned back to the lake and saw something moving in the water. Slowly he walked to see his reflection glaring back at him. The water began to ripple till his reflection changed to the shadowy woman once again. Slowly he reached out to the water, and a hand broke free of the water and grasped his arm.
Cailean shouted as a searing pain overcame his entire body, knocking him out of the vision. He fell to the floor and panted loudly, trying to still his beating heart. He looked at his arm and saw a small mark where he had been grabbed in the vision.
"What the hell was that?!" his father's voice boomed. The poor seer also seemed lost as she tried to catch her breath. "I have never seen anything like that before?" She confessed.
"What did you see?!" Aros demanded.
"I saw a vision, of the Alpha Heir. The Goddess has not given him a mate."
Aros's furious eyes bore into the poor frightened seer as if he could force her to change what she saw. She had to be lying, no wolf was ever without a mate. "Are you trying to say he is cursed?!"
"No! I don't think it is a curse Alpha! I think It is a blessing. I may not have seen this before but I have heard of it. There used to be legends of Alpha's so powerful that the Goddess would allow them to find their own mates. It won't be something you can force on him though, he will have to be alone till he finds someone that can excite his beast, but he will have options."
Aros stood back for a moment and scratched his chin in thought. "Perhaps we can use this to our advantage," he said slowly. "My son won't have to settle for just any girl, they will have to earn their place by his side." He smiled as he thought of the possibilities. "Yes, It seems the Goddess has smiled on the Silver Crest pack, once again."
Cai was not sure how he felt about this, but if it meant he did not have to rush and find his mate, he was OK with it. Especially if it meant he didn't have to be with Gianna. One thing was for sure, this was going to cause a stir within his pack. He could already feel the headache coming on just from the thought of it.