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Chapter One Snippet
Aribelle stilled as every muscle quivered, while her wolf inside howled out her anger. She couldn’t believe her mother’s words.
“What do you mean people are dying, Mother?” Aribelle leaned against the front door with a stack of bills in her hands.
“Oh, my heart, we need you to come home. You’re the only child old enough to become the next alpha, and your dad isn’t doing well.” Her mother’s pleading voice spoke to her beast inside. Her wolf wanted to be the female alpha, and her parents called it destiny. But her human side knew it would be complicated and hard. Not to mention the pressure to step down and let a male takeover would be strong.
“Stepdad.” She rolled her eyes.
“Your father was the last alpha of our werewolf pack before your stepfather, as you like to remind me,” she snapped back, and Aribelle sighed. Aribelle didn’t like arguing with her mother, but she made it very clear she wouldn’t call Calder Dad. Darren, her father, died a year after her older brother passed away before Aribelle left puphood.
“Yes, Mother. I understand this, but still, he has Olive to take over the pack until the little prince is old enough.” Aribelle moved five states away to get distance from her jerk stepfather and little brother, Browie who acted like the world owed him every single scrap.
“You know damn well why Olive wouldn’t be a good alpha. He’d probably kill your brother. Do you want this for me? The loss of another child?” The pain crossed through the phone and Aribelle closed her eyes remembering her older brother Tibarn. Time to change the subject.
“Get back to the part where our people are dying.” Her wolf growled at the thought of losing a pack mate.
“We’ve had five wolves go missing for two days and then end up on the outskirts of town with their hearts gone and no blood. It’s bad, honey. When the first guy vanished, we thought his crazy ex killed him, but the second male had no real connection.” A long pause hung in the air. “Please come home for a few weeks.”
“I have a job, Mom. Remember?” She missed her home town, but not the pressure her persistent mother gave put on her.
“Working for the alpha’s mate doesn’t really count as a job, and you know damn well you’re too alpha to make any other friends.” The scolding tone rolled through the phone making Aribelle’s wolf groan.
“Yes, I work with her, but I still need the money to pay my bills.” She shook the large stack in her hands then tossed them onto the table. Her mother never had the struggles of a ‘normal’ wolf trying to get by since she grew up as the alpha’s only child. Aribelle never met her grandparents, but the stories spoke to their strength as a pair, a force not to be fucked with.
“I’ll pay your bills for three months if you leave tonight.” Her mother had laid this trap once when she first moved out, but she didn’t take the bait. This time Aribelle had a few female doctor bills about to hit collections if she didn’t get them paid.
“Fine. I’ll come down, but for a week and a half. I make no promises to be the next alpha.” She knew coming home would give her mother free rein to badger her to be the next alpha. Get the money, then get out after catching the fucker hurting my old pack mates.
“Deal. See you tomorrow night, my heart.” She ended the call before Aribelle could change her mind. Aribelle sighed and picked up the stack of bills, eyeing each one individually, not sure she’d made the right decision. Her massive debt said she needed to go back. Most of the pack money went to the alphas to use at their discretion. Aribelle had seen the funds do good when a human was changed into a wolf against their will and had no place to go. Her father had been smart and only used it to benefit the safety or happiness of the pack. Calder, on the other hand, enjoyed the high life and lived more like a king than an alpha. Now she would take part in receiving funds without working for it.
“Shit, what did I do?” Her beast rolled her eyes and shook her head. You can fuck off, she snapped at her wolf... want more? Grab your copy now!