Chapter 1

My lungs are burning with fire, but I have to keep running, I felt my energy draining, but I was almost there.

"Stella!"

I turn my head to see my father running a few feet away in the trees.

"Father."

I give him a slight nod before sprinting forward. I get to the border of the clan boundary before changing back into human form.

"Stella let's talk about this, I know your mad-" I look to find my father a little away, he changes back too.

"There is nothing to talk about father. You know I do not want to be queen." I give him no time to respond and start heading towards the valley.

"You know you are the only one able to take the throne!"

~

My name is Stella Rain, I am the daughter of the king and queen of Blood Stone pack, one of the highest, most feared pack in North America. My parents, Kai, and Luna Rain have ruled this pack for 25 years.

While my father is a wolf, my mother is only half, my mother is the daughter of a witch.

Their marriage has caused a lot of controversy amongst the packs, multi species mating was forbidden. But my father fell in love with my mother, and since he was king, he changed the centuries old rule and allowed it. Many of the wolves not just in our pack, but also the other ones we rule over disagreed with this.

But before a war could arise, father declared that any wolf could mate with a different species, and still stay with the pack. While this was not the solution many had wanted, they stubbornly agree to the terms.

So, the new generation was made of many hybrids. The type of hybrid offspring was more of a game of roulette. You can have two parents of different species and the child could be one or the other, or in some cases both.

While yes, the children of multi species can be only one, they still have the other bloodline running through their veins. This makes the new generation extremely different from all the true bloodlines.

As for me, I am entire wolf, which tends to be rare of wolf, witch mating. My older brother, Asher, is half and half. He is the first born, which means he was supposed to be automatically given the throne once he turned 21.

The thing is the packs are not letting him rule because he is not a full wolf. This is a rule the packs insisted on maintaining to "keep tradition". Which does make sense except that it means the next child will rule.

I have made myself perfectly clear that I do not want to lead, but since I am the only full wolf my parents had, I have no choice in the matter. At first, there was a possibility that I wouldn't have to if my little sister, Mya, was full wolf, until we found out she is actually full witch.

As much as I pleaded, my parents refused to have another child, "It would be a 1 in 3 chance, and if we did, we would have to wait yet another 21 years. Three kids are enough." Father refused the subject the second I brought it up, while my mother was a bit more thoughtful of the idea, "While another kid would be nice," but she sticks to Father's every decision, "your father is right, I am sure you will want to rule when you're a bit older." They left it at that.

The problem I have with ruling is that I just can't be the leader of one of the most powerful pack in North America. I don't possess the qualities to a great ruler, and I don't know if I ever will. I can't do all of the work and responsibility it comes with. I don't want to spend my life fixing disagreements and visiting other packs to discuss issues. I want to be free, I want to explore the world, not stay ruling the packs.

The problem is that rulers need a mate by their side within a year of being crowned. I thought if I didn't find one, I could just be kicked off the throne and be done then and there. Oh no, if I do not find one, I will be assigned one.

I don't have what it takes to rule without a mate, let alone with some wolf I don't really love. I need someone I can share responsibilities with, but also leave it behind at times and be able to bond with them.

I am only 6 months away from turning 21, which means I only have that time to be ready for the throne, and a year and a half to find my mate, and I don't think I can do either before it's time.

we have no say on who our mate is and when we meet them. Some rulers in the past were unlucky and didn't meet their mate within the first year of ruling, and it was chosen for them.

I deem this as unfair; our lover is our soulmate. The other half of you, how do you live without them? How do you live trying to love another person you know isn't your mate and has one too?

I could never live with the fact that your perfect person is somewhere waiting for you, and you can't find them. You will never find out who your other half was.

~