Colette parked the truck at the end of a long line of cars, and she took a deep breath as she stared at the house that was supposed to be Oliver's. There were crowds of people that had shown up to see the Alpha's son's first shift, more people than she had ever seen in the small town. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she tried to justify what she was about to do. She had never gone against her father's wishes before and it took all her strength not to turn the truck around and go back home.
'I'm already here, I'll be in trouble no matter what at this point, so I might as well enjoy the night,' she reasoned inwardly.
She waited nervously as everyone made their way into the house or to the backyard. When it was just her, she slowly stepped out of the truck and headed to the door. Her hand stopped only inches from touching the doorknob. No one had seen her yet, if she wanted to turn and run away, now was the time.
"What am I doing?!" She yelled at herself and turned her back on the house and headed back to the truck. "This is stupid I can't..." but when she was about to climb back into the truck, she remembered how easily Valarie invaded her home, and how her father just folded beneath her. This made her cheeks turn red and she turned once again and headed to the door. She inhaled once again and hovered her hand above the knob just as before.
'But then again, is being angry at dad really worth getting in trouble?' she thought to herself, making her once again begin to turn back to the truck, only to stop midway as another argument came to mind.
'Think how happy Ollie will be though... after so many years of having to turn down all his invitations ... when will I get another chance like this? And it's such an important day...' She nodded her head and headed back to the door, hopefully for the last time. Just as she was about to reach her hand out, the door swung wide open, preventing her from talking herself out of it again.
"Are you coming in or not?" Oliver asked, trying to fight his growing smile, but he could not hide how excited he was to have his best friend with him. Oliver had been hit pretty hard by puberty, his face had broken out and he had grown a whole foot overnight it appeared. He claimed the same thing happened to Curtis before his shift. But, all Colette saw was her friend's usual jovial face, beaming brightly at her. She smiled back at him and pulled him in a hug. He pulled her close and lifted her high enough to where her feet dangled above the ground.
"I can't believe your dad actually let you come!" He exclaimed as he put her down.
"Yeah... about that..." She said rubbing the back of her neck. "I can't be here long... he kind of ... doesn't know I'm here."
"That would explain the pacing. Being a rebel is defiantly out of character for you," he pulled her into another hug and then backed up. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. If at any point you have to book it, I understand, ok?"
"Thanks," She said with a light blush.
As if fearing she would turn around and run away again, Oliver pulled her behind him and lead her into the house. There were groups of wolves everywhere, talking and eating, waiting on the event to begin. "Glad I'm not you, I would hate to have to shift in front of all these people," Colette commented.
"Oh, I won't have to shift here. Curtis and my parents are going to take me to the woods to do it in private. Though I'm not going to lie, I am a bit nervous."
"Me too, once you can shift you are going to be insufferable," She teased.
"Oh, you are just upset that you won't be able to beat me in a race anymore."
He took her to the back door and they both exited into the backyard, where even more wolves mingled about. "Ollie, I don't remember there being so many wolve's in town. Are all these people really part of your pack?"
"Mostly, though there are some from up north," he pointed ahead where tables had been set on a raised floor. That was obviously the spot for the Alpha's family and honored guests. Sitting there were Curtis and Oliver's parents, Alpha Jonus and Luna Ezra. Oliver and Curtis took after their father, with their curly blond hair and tall stature. But their mother was also very beautiful with her light brown hair and the freckles that decorated her face.
Next to the Curtis was a proud-looking female with hair so light it almost appeared white, like Colette's true hair color. She also had fierce look in her dark eyes, as if she were prepared for a fight at any moment. She was also very tall, and she had a muscular frame, Colette did not want to get on this girl's bad side.
"That is Gianna Kane, she's a Beta's daughter," Oliver informed. Colette's mouth fell ajar as she gaped at the girl in envy. She was so strong and had a powerful aura about her. She could not help but think that if she had actually been Vincent's child, this is what she would look like. Gianna locked eyes with Colette, then she sniffed the air and tilted her head, as if she were trying to figure Colette out as well.
"Next to her is the Alpha Heir of the Silver Crest pack, Cailean Crest."
Colette's eyes slowly traveled to the boy Oliver had pointed to, though he looked more like a man. He had to be nineteen or twenty at least. He was handsome she had to admit, with his midnight black hair, and grey tinted eyes. He had a strong jaw and perfectly symmetrical facial features. Although, it looked like he was not getting a lot of rest. What also stood out was how tall he was, he appeared as tall as her father at first glance. He had strong broad shoulders that complemented his muscular frame. Even from this distance, he radiated authority that made her stomach do a little flip. She quickly looked away, the last thing she wanted was to be caught staring at a future Alpha of another pack.
"They make a handsome couple," she commented, assuming Gianna and Cailean were together.
"I don't think they are officially a couple yet, although there are rumors."
"What do you mean by that? If they are mates wouldn't everyone know by now?"
Oliver smirked lightly at his friend's ignorance, "Your old man doesn't tell you anything, does he? Cailean is the first Alpha in a century to not have a chosen mate."
"Lucky him," She said more to herself but knew Oliver would pick up on it.
"What do you mean by that? I thought you wanted a mate."
"After what I just witnessed before coming here, I am fine dying a virgin at this point."
Colette noticed Gianna turn her head and fight back laughter, this confused her because she didn't see her in conversation with anyone. The boy, Cailean, also arched an eyebrow in surprise, she could swear he was looking their way. Then she felt goosebumps climb the back of her neck as she wondered something. "Oliver, they can't hear us can they?"
"If they are listening, then yeah probably," he said as if it weren't a big deal.
Just the thought of the beautiful couple overhearing her, made her blush a deep red and she quickly turned around. She missed who the other two next to Caelian were but she assumed they were his parents. "I'm going to go find some food..." She said grasping for any excuse to escape. Oliver laughed and followed, "Don't worry, they are only here out of courtesy for my father. Once this is all over you will probably never see them again. It's not like they really care about what people in a small town think anyways."
"What about you? You are sixteen, when do you find your mate?"
"Not sure, they said I won't feel the pull till after my shift," he answered taking a finger sandwich.
"Huh, I guess that's why Omega's don't get mates. We don't shift..." She thought to herself. "Not that it's important anymore."
"You know, just because you don't have a chosen mate, doesn't mean you can't find someone. If you were claimed you wouldn't have to worry about taking orders from some random asshole."
"Nah, I'll just keep being a hermit, it's a family tradition," she joked, but Oliver's eyes lingered on her for a moment before he caught himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but Curtis appeared at his side.
"We need to start going, it's almost time," he whispered to Oliver. He then took notice of Colette and his eyes expanded with surprise, "I didn't expect to see you here Letty."
"I won't be long, I just came to wish Ollie luck," She could tell Curtis seemed uneasy with her being there or rather he was nervous her father might show up. But he did his best to hide his anxiousness and pulled his brother behind him and headed to the woods. "Good luck!" She shouted as they disappeared from view.
Once they were gone she took one more look around and decided it would be a good time to head back. Perhaps if she left soon enough and took a shower, her father would never find out about her nightly escapade.
"Awww... look, Baily, little Letty decided to come to her first big kid party." Colette froze as the nasally voice of Carrie assaulted her ears.
"Where is your daddy little girl, are you lost?" Bailey laughed, spitting some of his food at her. Baily and Carrie never spoke to her before, now that her father wasn't around they were not afraid to taunt her openly. Bailey was one of Curtis' peers, Oliver had told her he was next in line to be his Gamma. With this one meeting, she could not understand how he qualified to even be in a pack let alone have a rank.
Colette opted to not pay them any more attention than she had to, and she turned around and headed for the exit. But Bailey roughly took her by the arm and forcibly pulled her back. He placed his arm around her uncomfortably, locking her at his side.
"Aww, don't be shy. Besides Oliver might need his best friend when he is over his shift. You know once a male wolf shifts, his hormones start to go crazy, especially those with Alpha blood. Could be a fun night for both of you."
Colette's face turned a bright red as she tried to escape Bailey's strong grasp, but he would not relent.
"Aww, don't scare the poor thing, she still has virgin written all over her," Carrie added.
"Hey, she has to learn what Omegas are for at some point. If Oliver isn't interested I could probably be persuaded."
"Get your hands off of me!" She shouted. "If Alpha Jonus heard how you were talking about his son, he would be furious!"
"Oh please, you aren't even part of this pack or any pack, because no one wants you but your old dad," Carrie's eyes had so much hatred behind them, Colette didn't know what she did to anger the girl but she knew she needed to get out of there.
"Hey leave her alone!" Xander shouted, breaking Bailey and Colette apart. Colette sighed in relief, Xander was her hero.
"Oh whatever," Carrie said sounding board with the conversation all of a sudden. "Come on Bailey, it looks like little Letty found her babysitter."
"You know, you won't have someone protecting you all the time," Bailey threatened as he left with Carrie.
Colette did her best to fight back her tears, she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"Don't mind them, they are nothing but talk," Xander said trying to comfort Colette. "Hey, I got something I want to show you." Before Colette could refuse he led her away from the crowd of people and stopped by a grand piano. "I was hired to play for a little while, I had just finished before you arrived. But I'm glad you are here, I think you are one of the few people that will appreciate this." He revealed a beautiful leather violin case and pulled out a gorgeous white violin.
It looked so much nicer than the one she had at home, her hand almost moved to touch it out of curiosity. She quickly caught herself and put her hands to her side. "It's beautiful! Can I hear you play it?"
Xander smiled and handed the Violin to her, "Why don't you give it a shot."
She took a step back and shook her head fervently, "Oh no. No-no-no. I couldn't. It looks far too precious and..." She looked about her nervously, indicating she was afraid of anyone who may eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Oh, they aren't paying attention. Come on, I want to hear how far you have come in your studies." He placed the violin in front of her once again, "We could go somewhere more private if you wish."
She took another glance at her surroundings and then back at Xander's expecting smile. She hated to disappoint people. She bit her lip and reluctantly agreed, "I guess if we go far enough no one will hear us..."
He smiled wide and lead her to a secluded spot further in the woods after grabbing a folder on their way out. He leaned against a tree and waited patiently for her to start. She plucked each of the strings to make sure they were tuned, once she was happy she propped the violin under her chin. "What should I play?" she asked.
"How about Corelli? I think..." he flipped through his blue folder and pulled out some sheet music. "Here we go, have you played this one before?"
She inspected the music there was just enough light to make out the notes, "Oh yes, I know this one" She did a little warm-up and then proceeded to play the piece. It was one of her favorites. Xander closed his eyes as he listened to her play, he smile pridefully remembering he had a hand in helping her get started in playing the Violin when she was a little girl. Once she was done he clapped his hands fervently. "Bravo!"
She blushed and bowed her head. She felt so bashful she could not form the words to thank him. So she just handed back his instrument. "You know, you have a lot of talent. You could go to the city and make a living for yourself."
"Oh..no..thanks though. I don't think that would be a good idea. My dad needs me..."
"He won't be around forever," hearing someone else say it out loud made her feel guilty for her harsh words the other day.
"Well, as a rouge there aren't many places I can go. I don't think the pack life is really for me."
"There are neutral territories out there. You don't have to join a pack. I would love to host you some time."
Colette was not sure if it was leftover anxiousness from her encounter with Baily and Carrie, or if her father had done a good job making her paranoid, but something about the way Xander was staring at her made her feel uneasy. She took a few steps back and laughed nervously, "I'm only sixteen, so I'm not really worried about it right now."
"Stop," he ordered, and she had no choice but to obey. He slowly approached her and smelt a lock of her hair. "They said Omegas grow up to be beautiful, but I had no clue how stunning you would be. You should really be more careful Letty. You are exuding pheromones, that will drive any wolf crazy."
Colette could hear her father's words echoing in her mind, instructing her what to do in this situation. 'If you ever feel uncomfortable, no matter how slight it may be, don't be afraid to kick a man here. Then if you can get a good punch in do it. There is no shame in a sucker punch if it's in self-defense.' So before Xander could utter another order she kicked him hard in his most sensitive area. He gasped in pain and bent over, but before he could recover she punched him hard in his nose, she could smell the blood oozing out. She then jumped over him and ran back to the party, her heart was beating madly in her ears as her adrenalin pushed her further.
She looked behind her to make sure she was not being followed and felt her hit against something very hard, sending her falling to the ground. She heard gasps from all around her as she looked up to see she had run into the Alpha Heir, Cailean Crest. She quickly stood to her feet and dusted herself off, "I am so sorry!" She sputtered. He did not seem affected by the encounter as he studied her silently.
"What is a rogue doing here?" he asked more to himself, but loud enough for her to hear.
"I am friends with Oliver, I just came to wish him luck, but I really need...to...go.." her words began to slow as the wolf circled around her. "Is there something wrong?" she asked nervously. Something about the way he watched her made her feel tense, it felt as if he could learn all her secrets without her having to reveal any of them. She felt her skin begin to heat up as he closed in on her, she wondered if he felt the same thing.
"I...um...if you are not hurt...I should probably..."
"What is your name?" He demanded. Before she could answer, shocked voices rose around them, stealing Caelian's attention as a bloody Xander stumbled back to the party. His furious eyes bore into her, as he panted angry breaths. Colette took this moment to make her escape and she ran back into the house before Caelian could turn his attention back to her. On her way to the front door, she passed a woman who looked like Valarie from the corner of her eye. But she was too worked up to care, she continued down her path till she reached the truck.
Her hands shook wildly as she struggled to put the key into the ignition. After a few failed attempts she drove off and headed back to the safety of her home. She did not slow down or dare look in the rearview mirror till she parked in the driveway. Once she was safe, her body began to shake involuntarily, as she bent over and cried loudly over the steering wheel.
After what felt like a lifetime she finally wiped her tears and inspected the driveway. She noticed the nice care that Valarie had driven here was gone, and the lights were off. She was not sure if this was a good thing or not, but either way, she would have to face whatever was waiting for her in the house. She left the truck and headed into her home, when she turned on the living room light, her father was sitting in his chair, waiting for her. He did not say a word for a long time, but he did not need to for her to see how enraged he was.
She was not going to be the first one to speak, she couldn't. She had spent all her strength escaping Xander. So she gulped down her fear and waited.
"I smell blood," Vincent finally spoke.
"It's not mine," She answered weakly.
After looking her over and seeing she was not harmed, he sighed in relief. "You have no idea how worried I was when I found you were gone. Valarie had to talk me out of dragging you back."
Colette's ears burned with anger as she remembered what he was doing before she left, "I am surprised you noticed."
He gave a deep low growl in warning, "I would tread lightly if I were you."
Tears threatened her eyes once again as she tried to stare down her father. She was humiliated, hurt, and angry all at once. "You were right. Are you happy?" She asked scornfully. "I made a mess of everything!" She could not hold back anymore and the tears waterfalled down her face.
He closed his eyes, as he tried to bury his anger, "It was not something I wanted to be right about."
"Well, you were! Other than Oliver and Curtis everyone kept reminding me what Omegas were for! It's not fair!" She screamed.
Vincent stood to his feet and silently pulled his daughter into a hug as he tried to comfort her the best he could, "I know."
Something in Colette broke and she buried her head into his chest and sobbed harder, "All I wanted to do was support Oliver... but now everyone hates me!"
"No...they don't baby. Alpha Jonus is a good man, he will understand."
"It doesn't matter! I never want to see any of them ever again!"
"You don't mean that. After a while, you will miss Oliver again and then we will have the same fight as before. You know why?"
She wiped her nose on his shirt and pulled back, "Why?"
"Because you have a big heart that really cares for others," he said as he wiped away her remaining tears. "There are a lot of people that want to take advantage of that, but not everyone is like that."
"Xander said I give off Pharamones that make people go crazy...is there any way to control that?"
"Hmm...there might be. Let me do some research and then we can see what we can work out. Let's get you to bed for now."
She nodded and slowly made her way up the stairs, "Dad?" She called. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry about it."
Colette took a shower and then got ready for bed, she felt better after speaking with her father but she felt her world had been turned off its axis. She always thought her father was being overprotective all these years, only to find he was right about everything. Something about her being an Omega made her a target, she would have to take her training more seriously from here on out.
As she curled up into bed she tried to block out the events of the night. But as she closed her eyes, of all the things that she had been through that day, one thing haunted her thoughts. It was the intense stare of Caelian's grey eyes. Of all the things, he should be the last person she thought of, but there was something about the future Alpha that she couldn't shake. She shivered under the covers and she hoped she never had to face him again.
Cailean watched as the strange little wolf made her escape, avoiding his question. It didn't matter, he could get her name from anyone, but he could not push back his curiosity. She had stolen his attention the moment he caught her alluring scent. A rogue was just allowed to attend a party for an Alpha's son's first shift. Not only that but Oliver would not part from her till he was forced to by his brother.
He then turned his attention back on the bleeding wolf who was refusing help from anyone. Cailean believed his name was Xander, he had played a set just a moment ago. Cailean knew when someone's pride was hurt, and Xander was looking rather pathetic as he nursed his bloodied nose. He recalled seeing the rogue leave with him into the woods, it was why he was heading that way in the first place.
"Oh, this is a mess indeed," a familiar sultry voice said softly. Cailean's eyes shifted to meet Valarie, the Luna Selena's Beta.
"First a rogue, then a bloody wolf, now the Silver Blade's Beta has graced us with her presence. Oliver is one popular boy it seems," Cailean commented with an arched eyebrow.
Valarie rolled her eyes and flipped her hair out of her face, "I came here to check on the girl. Seeing as she is ok, I guess she is headed home with her tail between her legs, back to her father."
"Now why would you be interested in a Rogue?"
"Could you not smell the Pharamones coming off of her? That is not just a rogue, she's an Omega. An Omega who hopefully understands how stupid she has been."
"Ah..that explains a lot. How interesting, I didn't know Omegas were so ... cute." It was the only word he could think of, but it fit her so well. She was not a fighter from the looks of her. No, she was the opposite of what he was used to seeing, she was delicate and had an air of innocence about her, but she could pack a punch nonetheless. And she was the first to run away from him, if she knew anything about wolves she would know that was a mistake.
"Don't get too excited, she's under Silver Blade's protection for now," Valarie warned.
"How kind of Selena to look after a poor lost pup, I didn't think she had it in her."
"She has her reasons for keeping the girl safe, I know you are curious Cailean, but please let her be. Trust me it won't be the last time you see her."
He would have asked more, but the crowd began to clap and cheer as Oliver returned from his first shift. He looked terrible, as they all did after their first time, but from the looks on the Lavine's faces, it was successful. Oliver's tired eyes examined the crowd, he must be looking for his friend. When he saw she was not there his face fell. Cailean made his way to the small family to offer his congratulations, Gianna joining him on the way.
"Ugh, are we almost done?" She whined softly as she took his arm in hers. He hated when she did this, but he was not going to cause another scene. "I hate these small towns, the hotel was just horrible I can't believe that is the best they had to offer."
He ignored her complaints as he always did. He found it was easier to drown out Gianna's complaints than it was to deal with her. So he kept on his way to Oliver. Oliver's face perked up as he noticed their arrival. Then Cailean noticed how Oliver's face became pale and he fell deathly quiet. He was about to ask if he was ok when Oliver pushed past his brother and approached Gianna.
Gianna gasped and covered her small mouth as the young wolf approached her. It was then that Cailean noticed the look in Oliver's eyes. He looked like a love-struck puppy, and Gianna seemed just as captivated by him as he was with her. But then her face contorted into disgust, and she took a step back.
"Oh...no. The Goddess has a cruel sense of humor," she sneered.
Poor Oliver's face fell as he slowly understood what she was saying, "But... your-"
"Don't you dare say it!" she shouted. "You will only humiliate yourself in front of everyone! It doesn't help that I can smell that filthy rogue all over you. Is she your little whore?"
Oliver gave a low deep growl, as he took a menacing step closer to Gianna. Oliver had been pretty harmless all night but now that his friend had been attacked he was no longer playing nice, mate or no mate. "Watch your mouth," his words sounded more bestial than human. Gianna was taken aback by this. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. And it coming from her mate, whether she liked him or not, had to add an extra sting.
"How dare you talk to me like that! What am I supposed to think when you bring an Omega rogue here?!"
"I, Oliver Lavine," he began without hesitation. Gianna's eyes widened in horror. He was going to reject her, in front of everyone. But Curtis cut him off and pulled him away before he could make a lifelong mistake.
Gianna turned her big eyes to Cailean, demanding sympathy from him where there was none. "Can you believe that?! Who does he think he is? Rejecting me in front of everyone like this, all for ... an Omega?!"
"I don't think the Omega was the main problem," he said hinting heavily that Gianna's big mouth was to blame.
She glared, and her face turned a dark shade of red, "I can't believe you would take his side. Of course, I guess I shouldn't expect you to care! You will never know the pull of a mate bond."
"Then why waste your time?" he asked coldly. Honestly being around Gianna was so draining, that he was ready to go home and get some much-needed sleep. But he did find it very interesting how fast Oliver was willing to reject his mate after just meeting her. Yes, it was Gianna's fault but he wondered if his friendship with the Rogue was more than it seemed? For some reason, that thought made Cailean a little upset, which only intrigued him more. He remembered what Valarie had said about him seeing the rogue again. He smiled faintly to himself hoping that she was right.