Chapter1
From the viewpoint of Nora:
I bid farewell to my father in a hushed whisper, confident that my words reached him. I took a final glance at his face before resigning myself to a sigh and stepping into the vast Arizona International Airport. I was in the process of relocating to live with my mother, Vera Smith, in Texas, after she emerged victorious in our custody battle. There was an ironic bitter taste in my mouth. I was the product of a drunken mistake nearly 17 years ago.
My parents were no extraordinary creatures, just standard werewolves. Fin Swan, my father, was the lowly omega of the Silver Moon pack, an average wolf pack in Arizona, nothing spectacular to boast about. My parents, though not destined mates, were smitten with each other from their early childhood days, content with their love until the appearance of Riley Smith in my mother's life. Riley was an Alpha, head of the Dark Sapphire pack, and he was my mother's true mate.
With Riley's entrance, my mother's love for my dad waned. She was so consumed by her love for Riley that my dad had no choice but to set her free. Post her departure to Texas, my dad found his mate, Melanie, and they hastily tied the knot. Melanie was the primary caregiver for me, alongside my father. Our relationship was a bit strained, perhaps not the usual bond you'd expect between a mother and daughter, but Melanie was far from being an evil stepmother. We kept our distance, an unspoken agreement of non-interference.
What more could one expect from a stepmother than personal space?
As years passed, my birth mother repeatedly attempted to secure my custody, even going as far as holding numerous pack meetings, but the elders invariably sided with my father. She was left with no choice but to escalate matters to a legal setting.
Dark Sapphire pack was ludicrously wealthy and Alpha Riley did not hesitate to wield his influence during the court trials. The judge was ultimately convinced that my mother, now a billionaire, could provide a life of better quality than my father could. Consequently, she won my custody.
Contrary to what it may seem, I do harbor love for my mother. I have memories of spending quality time with her during her occasional visits to our pack house during my childhood. However, the fact that she abandoned me at a tender age of two to chase after a man, and now abruptly wishes to have me back, is difficult to digest. I carry a heavy heart, apprehensive about leaving my father alone. He had always cherished me, even more than his own life. My mother has assured him that he would always be welcome to visit me in the Dark Sapphire pack.
The move to the Dark Sapphire pack was originally scheduled for three months prior, but I managed to delay it. But now, time was up, and my mother insisted I be there before my upcoming birthday.
My eighteenth birthday was just a month away. It was a significant occasion as I would then be able to recognize my mate. Initially, I was thrilled, but the impending move had dampened my spirits. What if my destined mate was still back in Arizona while I was in Texas?
I had never been to my mother's new home. The only knowledge I had of it was that my mother served as Luna, that Alpha Riley always treated me kindly, that the Dark Sapphire pack was disgustingly wealthy, and that they had four children - the triplets, Quentin, Damien, and Lionel Smith, and a younger boy named Peter.
Alpha Riley wasn't exactly a paragon of purity before his marriage to my mother. He had fathered the triplets with a college girlfriend, who, weakened by childbirth, passed away. This plunged him into a four-year depression, which only lifted upon meeting my mother. They got married, and my mother bore him a child, Peter, who is two years my junior and six years younger than the triplets.
My interaction with the triplets wasn't the most pleasant one. I had met them on my thirteenth birthday, and they turned it into an absolute disaster, exhibiting the worst kind of teenage bullying behavior. Despite the incident happening four years ago, I have little faith in them. Peter, however, was a shy and endearing boy back then. But now, I don't trust him either. After all, he grew up in the company of the triplets, and the influence of one's surroundings is potent.
That summarizes everything I knew about my mother's pack.
I chastised myself for not being more proactive in gathering information about my new family, especially given the fact that I would have to live with them for an indefinite period. I had assumed that I would have more time to prepare, but that was before my mother resorted to blackmailing my father.
At some point during my thoughts, I drifted off to sleep on the flight, dreaming about finding my mate post my transformation. In the dream, I frolicked around the scenic landscapes near my pack house, filled with joy and love for him.
The dream was disrupted by a slight nudge. A handsome flight attendant smiled warmly at me, informing that the plane had landed. I thanked him, managed to collect my belongings, disembarked the plane, and navigated through the airport formalities. I reached the arrivals area, where I saw a board boldly displaying "WELCOME HOME, STEPSISTER."
One of the triplets held the board aloft with a smirk, while the others leaned casually against the railings. Suppressing a sigh, I forced a smile on my face and approached them. One of them greeted me with a smile that contrasted with his deep, husky voice, capable of making any girl swoon.
The introductions were made. Lionel was the youngest triplet, Quentin the oldest, and Damien the silent, indifferent one. They towered over me, standing at 1.9 meters with striking blue eyes and blonde hair. They were astonishingly handsome, with chiseled jaws and bodies that could easily pass off as Greek gods'.
We got into the car, with Quentin driving, Damien by his side, and Lionel accompanying me in the back. The journey to the pack house was eerily silent. As we approached our destination, I was taken aback by the mansion before me, which was nothing short of a luxurious town, fortified by enormous stone walls. At the hilltop stood an imposing castle-like building, the Dark Sapphire Extramundane, a university dedicated to supernaturals, where I would soon be studying.
On entering their house, I found my mother and Alpha Riley waiting for me, an excited glint in their eyes. She was ecstatic to see me, suffocating me in a tight hug. Alpha Riley followed suit, though the hug was a bit awkward. Peter, the youngest, hugged me gently and welcomed me with politeness. In terms of appearance, Peter bore a closer resemblance to me than the triplets did.
We bore striking similarities. Like me, he also sported a mane of mi
As I met his gaze, I uttered a polite, "Pleased to meet you." How could I possibly be brusque to a creature of such adorable allure? It was apparent that he hadn't been overly tainted by the arrogance of the Triplets, his more mature brothers.
The commanding baritone of Alpha Riley interrupted my musings. His voice, firm and daunting, echoed through the room, leaving little to the imagination of where the Triplets got their seductive vocals from.
"Nora," he began, extending his gratitude for my arrival. "Thank you for honoring us with your presence. Your mother's joy knows no bounds. Please consider this your home. We've left no stone unturned in ensuring your stay is as comfortable as possible. I don't want to state that you're akin to a daughter to me, rather you ARE my daughter. You are entitled to all the privileges my other children enjoy."
I was on the brink of reciprocating his warm sentiments with a polite 'Thank You' when he continued.
"Furthermore, as our daughter, you are equally respected as Quentin, Damien, Lionel, and Peter. In fact, if they assume the role of Alpha, you would be in the position of Luna. You are free to compete with them. We welcome such healthy competition," he declared, a chuckle escaping his lips. The sentiment was echoed by my mother and Peter, who joined in the light-hearted laughter.
However, the Triplets, quite predictably, were far from being amused. Their disgruntled expressions made it clear that they did not welcome the idea.
Deciding to defuse the brewing tension, I responded playfully, "No, thank you. I believe I'll pass. Such a hefty responsibility seems too grand for innocent little me."
As I engaged in cordial banter with Alpha Riley, the Triplets moved into our space.
"We will be the ones to give her the grand tour of the house," they declared in perfect harmony.
A whiff of suspicion crept into my thoughts. 'Why this sudden, altruistic desire to give me a tour?'