"Aspen, as my Alpha son, you have to—" My mother spoke gruffly.
"Make friends with the other wolves and bond with my pack," I cut her off, my voice flat and rolled my eyes. (I was probably the only one who could get away with that.)
She shot me a quick glance from the driver's seat, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Exactly. It's all about confidence, pup."
I sighed, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. "It's not that easy, Mom. You really think I can just make friends with anyone?"
"It's not that hard." Her tone sharpened just slightly. "You're sixteen now. You can't keep acting like this. What happens when I'm gone, and you have to lead the pack?"
I scoffed, gesturing wildly with my hands. "You mean the same pack that teases me constantly? That pushes me around?"
Before I could say more, she smacked my hand. "Stop that."
I scowled, rubbing the sting away as she continued. "That's how wolves are. It's just teasing, pup. You need to stop being so damn sensitive. They love you."
"No, they love me because I'm your son."
Her hands tightened on the wheel. "Then give them their own reasons to love you. You can't expect them to just roll over for you. You have to earn it—with strength, cunning... and, most importantly, will."
I turned my head to the window, pouting and annoyed. She never understood. How the hell can I move past their nonsense?!
She side-eyed me as she drove. "I refuse to coddle you, Aspi. You are the heir of the SilverClaws. You need to start acting like it."
"Thanks for the damn pep talk, Alpha." My voice dripped with sarcasm just as she slammed the brakes. I lurched forward, barely catching myself before her fist crashed against the dashboard with a sickening thud. The metal groaned under the force, leaving a dent. I flinched, my pulse hammering.
Her eyes gleamed a feral yellow, sharp and unrelenting. Her lips curled back, revealing the glint of her canines as a low, guttural growl rumbled from her throat.
"You will not call me Alpha." Her voice was razor-edged, seething with barely contained fury. "I am your mother, and you will refer to me as such. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"
"Yes... Mother." Under her monstrous gaze, I understood why she was the alpha. She was scary at the least and outright terrifying at the most.
"I'd rather be teased than deal with Alphas constantly fighting." Her movements were haphazard as she started to drive again. "Your generation of wolves don't understand how good you have it." She sighed, uttering a low growl.
We pulled up in front of the school, and before I even stepped out, the air was thick with the unmistakable scent of wolves. The sharp tang of dominance, the musk of aggression—it coiled around me, suffocating. My face hardened as it always did, as if bracing for the insults I hadn't yet heard but already felt slicing through me.
Before I could sink too deep into my thoughts, strong arms wrapped around me. My mother's metallic scent enveloped me, grounding me, forcing me to stop.
"Listen to me." Her voice was firm, yet there was something soft beneath it, something only I could hear. "You're going to a school that can truly teach you the ways of the wolf." Her grip tightened, as if she could pour her strength into me through sheer will alone. "You can't afford to be sensitive anymore... not here. You're not a child."
"I know, Mom." My voice barely rose above a whisper. I let out a slow breath, pressing my forehead against her shoulder. "I tried. I never stopped trying."
She exhaled, her fingers threading gently through my black hair. "You've always been sensitive." She paused, her face grim. "Just like your omega father." Her touch was careful, almost reverent. "You took his looks, his heart. But your eyes... your alpha nature." She pulled back slightly, her gaze locking onto mine. "No matter what happens, we are bound together. So don't worry."
She pressed a kiss to my forehead, lingering for just a moment before pulling away.
"I love you, my little Alpha. I always will. And that's why I have to be hard on you. Not because I don't care—but because I do. There isn't a single day I haven't cared." She cupped my face, her expression unreadable. "You're a SilverClaw. Never forget that."
A SilverClaw…
My eyes drooped as she led me through the school halls, my body still heavy with exhaustion. My gaze drifted to the students lingering by their lockers, chatting, laughing, completely unaware of the world I was drowning in.
Those humans have it so much easier. They didn't have to deal with pack dynamics, with constant power struggles, with the weight of expectations pressing down like a vice.
Before I could dwell on it, we reached our destination—straight to the principal's office.
Behind the sleek mahogany desk sat a man in a deep red suit, his movements precise as he dusted off an invisible speck of lint before rising to his feet. My gaze flicked to the nameplate: Justin BloodMoon. BloodMoon Pack.
He extended a hand toward my mother, his grip firm, his expression unreadable. She took it without hesitation, her posture unwavering. Two Alphas, one room. The air thickened, charged with an invisible battle of dominance. My mother's sharp, metallic scent clashed against his, neither willing to yield. And yet... they remained polite. Friendly, even.
"It is very nice to meet you, Aspen SilverClaw." He shook my hand, his grip crushing as much as his gaze tried to make me feel small.
"Life here at Stanton High won't be too hard for you. Only if you're an omega" He laughed before my mother cut him off. "Mr. Bloodmoon..." Her voice tinged with warning.
"Right.... we all agreed to stop the nonsense against omegas." He fixed his wrist buttons and his face drooped at little before his permanent scowl came back.
"It's good to see the BloodMoons taking initiative. I'd have never imagined you being principle." My mother said smoothly.
"We BloodMoons are most in tune with our Wolf nature, so it's only natural." The man said with a slight in his tone.
My mother's eyes slightly narrowed and she almost looked feral, ready to pounce on him for that insult. Her scent grew a little more potent but she breathed in. "Well, we thank you for your help." She pat my back.
His gaze hardened, clearly shocked by her composure. "Yes. We need not bring more strife into our lives." They were silent for a tense moment.
"Well, I will leave him in the care of this school" She turned to look at me as she gripped my arm. "Stay safe and learn. Your packmates will have already been in class. If things get too tough, just stick with them."
My mother stalked out before closing the door. The man whose scars looked deeper than his voice took one look at me and snarled. "The runt of the SilverClaw pack.."
"You mean to say the heir..." I glared at him.
"No." He was shocked I'd speak with such audacity. "I meant, to say the runt, from what i've heard, You're weak, easy to provoke and unfit to lead. Clearly." He circled me. His gaze penetrating but my eyes never left him. "But it seems you clearly do take after your mother..... Stupidly fierce and reckless" He looked at my body and then my eyes "with a hint.... of misplaced pride." He sighed. His shoes clacked as he walked to the desk and took out two slips.
"Your routine - Human school is from 10am to 3pm and Wolf School is from 10pm to 1am. Don't be late and don't cause problems with the humans. They may not know we exist and we'd like to keep it that way. Am I clear?"
"Yes…. Sir."
"Then you are dismissed. Go". I walked out of there, my face hardened ready to face the challenge that is...School. If i couldn't handle this stupid place, then i could ever forget being a proper alpha.
"Alpha Aspen."
I froze mid-step. The scent of iron lingered in the air, and his voice carried the faintest stutter. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
"What do you want, Callum?"
His muscles flexed beneath his shirt as he stalked closer, towering over me. The same piercing yellow eyes gleamed with amusement; his lips curled into a snarl.
"Finally stepped down from your throne, huh? Your alpha-ness, mingling with the common folk?" He took a mocking bow before tilting his head, his smirk widening. "Not that you'd need to step down, being short and all."
His beta, Stiles, let out a chuckle. "Nice one, Alpha."
I exhaled sharply, unimpressed. "That was embarrassing for an insult."
Callum's grin sharpened as he crossed his arms. "Not as embarrassing as knowing you're next in line after Alpha Rust. I still don't see what she saw in you, considering your... features. Or lack thereof. I believe you're a stray. No SilverClaw can be as weak as you."
My hands clenched. "Want me to show you?"
I shoved him into the lockers, but he barely moved. Damn it.
"Show what? Give me another worthless spectacle of you being.... you?"
He grabbed my collar and slammed me into the wall. My pulse pounded in my ears as his fingers dug into the underside of my jaw, nails pressing into my skin.
"Alpha, don't," Stiles whispered urgently. "If he tells Alpha Rust, we're screwed!"
Callum hesitated for a moment before shoving me to the floor.
"Of course he would. You always cry to mommy dearest anyway. That's why you have no beta yet, because you're a failure of an alpha."
He turned and walked off, the murmurs around us growing louder. Eyes burned into me—not with fear, not with respect, but with pity.
Fucking assholes.
"This ain't a damn show. GET LOST!"
No one moved. They just kept staring.
I exhaled sharply, shoving my hands into my pockets as I pushed past the gawking crowd. Their stares burned into my back, but I didn't look up. Didn't acknowledge them. What was the point?
I walked straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
I really am a failure.
Alphas command respect. They don't beg for it. They don't get pitied. People listen to them—people want to listen. My mom never had to try. She walked into a room, and the pack fell in line. They trusted her, needed her.
Me?
I barely existed.
I locked myself in a stall, my breathing uneven as my body crackled and shifted. Fur sprouted along my arms, my bones contorting as I melted into my wolf form. Curling into myself, I ran my claws through my own fur, seeking some kind of comfort, some kind of anything.
But it didn't help. It never did.
I sighed, my ears twitching.
How the hell do alpha assholes like Callum get everything?
A beta. Friends. Respect.
The entire pack looks at him like he belongs—like he was born for this.
And I… wasn't.
A low, guttural growl built in my throat, twisting into something raw, something desperate—until it ripped out of me in a strangled, frustrated snarl.
"Uh… you okay in there?"
The voice caught me off guard. My body crackled as I forced myself back into human form, my muscles aching from the shift. Slowly, I pushed open the stall door.
A tall, lanky boy stood there, looking down at me. Hazel eyes, messy brown hair. He wore… sweatpants and a hoodie?
I couldn't hide my disdain as I met his gaze.
"Seriously?" I muttered.
He raised a brow. "What? It's comfy."
"I know it is. But why in a school?"
"Why not?"
I pressed my lips into a thin line, unimpressed. Humans were so weird. With a sigh, I turned to leave, but before I could reach the door, his hand wrapped around my arm.
The touch was warm. Steady.
I stiffened as he pulled me closer, and suddenly, we were face to face—too close. My breath hitched.
"But seriously… are you okay?"
His voice was softer now, less casual. Concerned.
My throat went dry. I swallowed hard.
His scent—spicy, tangy—wrapped around me, curling into my senses. It was maddening. Damn, i could kiss him right her-
I jolted, shoving him back so fast he barely had time to react.
"Why the fuck are you so close?" I punched him in the shoulder which caused him to wince. "Sorry."
My stomach dropped.
Shit.
Horror crashed into me like a tidal wave.
What the fuck was I doing? Why the fuck am I so damn needy?!
Heat seared up my neck, shame twisting in my gut like a knife. I clenched my jaw, heart hammering against my ribs.
Stupid. Stupid!
I ran out of there, not daring to look back.
Out of the bathroom, down the hallway, ignoring the stares, the whispers, the way my heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to break free.
I just needed air. Space. Something.
But the moment I pushed through the doors and into the cool afternoon breeze, a wave of something crashed into me.
I stumbled, gripping the railing outside as my body burned.
Heat. Too much heat. It crawled under my skin, pooled in my gut, made my knees weak. My breath hitched, chest rising and falling too fast. Every inhale sent another jolt through my nerves, like my own scent was turning against me—thick, dizzying, wrong.
What the hell was this?
I clenched my jaw, squeezing my eyes shut as my fingers dug into the railing. My mom's voice echoed in my head, soft but firm.
"If this ever happens, just take a 'Be Okay' pill and hide. Don't make a sound. Don't breathe too hard"
This.
Was this that?
I swallowed hard, sweat beading along my forehead. My legs trembled beneath me. It felt wrong—like my body wasn't my own anymore.
I fumbled in my pocket, fingers shaking as I pulled out the bottle, nearly dropping it as another wave of heat rolled through me. My vision blurred at the edges, breath coming out in short, uneven gasps.
I had to get out of here.
I couldn't be seen like this.
Not like this.
Forcing my legs to move, I pushed away from the railing, stumbling toward the back of the school, somewhere—anywhere—I could be alone. My skin prickled, my instincts screaming for something I didn't understand.
I barely made it around the corner before my knees gave out.
Fuck.
I clutched the pill bottle, forcing it open with unsteady hands, my pulse a frantic drumbeat in my ears.
I didn't know what was happening.
Didn't want to know.
I just needed it to stop.