Viviana

It was a rite of passage. Every child within the pack dreamed, and lived for the day their thirteenth birthday arrived. That was the day you were to get your wolf. There was no large party or grand celebration like some stories like to portray. No, it was a painful event that could last for two or three days. Despite that, it was an event that gave each person a reason. With your wolf came the mind link to the pack, the ability to be trained and ranked. Without a wolf, you couldn't have any of that. You weren't a lycan.

Viviana woke up on her thirteenth birthday, expecting the change to happen then and there. When it didn't happen within the first five minutes of her consciousness, she headed down stairs for breakfast. She expressed her concerns to her aunt, who encouraged her to give it time. "Things don't always happen when you want them."

She waited all day for the change to happen. She had been given permission to stay home from school, so she laid on the couch watching cartoons. Her Aunt spent the day making a grand meal. Most of it was for the pack, while a small portion was for their own family. Viviana went from helping her aunt, to sitting on the couch. Anxiously waiting for the tingle to start at the back base of her skull. Or something of similar sorts. All her friends within the pack who had already gotten their wolf had explained to Viviana what she should be feeling. She had prepared herself for the pain, she felt ready.

When the grand dinner passed, and nothing had yet to happen, Viviana declined dessert. Instead she went to her room where she laid in her bed and stared at her digital clock. In a slight panic and horror, she watched the red numbers change from 11:59 to 12:00. Her birthday was over, and she hadn't shifted. She stayed up all night, watching the numbers change- hoping for something to occur.

The next morning she ran into her Aunt and Uncle's bedroom, sobbing that nothing had happened. Burying her face into her aunt's embrace, Viviana was inconsolable. Her aunt and uncle looked from the child to each other. Viviana hadn't shifted, something had to be wrong.

Concerned, they took her to the pack's doctor. Though distressed Viviana sat with her guardians as the pack doctor sat them down in their office. "I know Viviana not getting her wolf yesterday was distressing. However, I don't think we should be too concerned yet. It's possible Viviana's mother gave us the wrong date for her birthday. It is also not uncommon for a lycan's wolf to come after a 13th birthday. Let's give it some time. If Viviana reaches 18 and nothing happens, then," the doctor looked away from the child, keeping their eyes on her guardian. "She will most likely never have a wolf."

"How can that be possible?" Her aunt looked from the little girl clinging to her arm, to the doctor. "Even with one of the parents being human- I've never heard of a lycan in a pack not getting their wolf."

The doctor gave them a pitied look. "It's not common, I myself have only heard of a handful of cases. There's not any reason behind it as far as I know. I know this isn't what you hoped to hear, I'm sorry."

Viviana left the pack doctor, defeated but still hopeful. She still had five years. So, for five years, she waited.

For five years, every time she blew out the candles on her cake she wished for only one thing: her wolf.

For five years she worked to do everything in her power to gain her wolf- only creating a mess instead.

For five years, she had her heart broken and blacken by the lack of any wolf presence in her.

The day after she turned eighteen, Viviana woke with a mission. She got up, and packed her car until it couldn't hold any more. She had no wolf, thus she had no place in St. Dalton. Her Aunt and Uncle had tried to talk her out of it- "Wolf or no wolf, you are still our niece. We love you and you will always have a place here." She loved them for that, but it hurt too much for her to stay.

Even though she had no wolf tying her to the pack, Viviana had grown up and had the culture impounded into her brain. So before she said goodbye to St. Dalton for good, she had to first stop by Colton's. She had to inform her Alpha that she was leaving. His house was alive with activity. Colton had been in the Alpha role for about three years at this point and sought to have his home be a place of comfort for all in his pack. So his door was rarely locked during the day, and pack members were constantly flowing in and out. As she walked up Viviana crossed paths with the former Alpha and Luna. She greeted them with deep respect, before moving on.

Viviana found Colton with Andy, Ron, Chris and lastly Jess. She refused to make eye contact with Jess as she entered the meeting room. The five of them had been in the middle of a discussion when she barged in. "Alpha, we need to talk. Alone."

"Viviana, you can't just barge in and demand a meeting with me. You know that's not how it works." Colton didn't move from his spot at the table.

"This can't wait, Alpha. I need to speak with you in private. Please." Colton sighed and dismissed the room. "What is it Viviana?"

"I'm leaving." Colton gave a small frown, "What do you mean you're leaving?"

"I'm leaving Al- Colton." Upon her calling him his name and not by his title, Colton stood. "I don't have a wolf. It never came. I'm not a lycan. So I'm leaving and I'm never coming back."

"You never got your- but Viviana what about your family? About Jess and-" Vivana cut him off, something she would have never done if she was planning on staying. "They'll be fine, they'll all be fine. I'm not the first person to leave this pack, and I won't be the last."

"That's not the point Viviana- you have a responsibility here." Viviana shook her head, not believing what she was hearing from him. " Colton, I don't have a wolf. I owe nothing to this pack."

"Viviana, I would beg to differ. You're honestly not thinking rationally."

"Don't speak for me Colton, I am very clear of mind- thank you very much. In fact, leaving this town will be the best decision I'll ever make."

"Think about what you're doing Viviana. What you're giving up."

"I've survived 18 years thus far without a wolf, I think I'll be fine out in the world without the pack." Viviana turned to leave, but Colton's raised voice stopped her.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You're going to regret this!"

"No. I Won't. God forbid I leave this town just to come back and waste away my life in some dink-shit back-woods stiff-neck hell of a place. I am done with the Pine Pack!" Storming from the room, Viviana left Colton's house in a flurry. As she drove away from the town, crossing over the pack's border, whatever connection she had to them was broken. It wasn't like anything she was told it would feel like. She didn't feel like she was dying but she did feel just a bit more empty on the inside.

Viviana had left St. Dalton that day with the intention of never returning. She loved her Aunt and Uncle, they had raised her and loved her. Viviana refused to allow her life to be dictated by a man- or a pack- who had no real control over her. It just remained a constant reminder of what she didn't have.

With a packed car, Viviana headed out West to Southern California. Enrolling in university, she worked her butt off to graduate with her degrees in Veterinary Medicine. At the same time she did what so many others did, and got a job working at Disneyland. It was at that time she met Sage. Both women were auditioning at the same time, and started up conversation in the waiting room. The two instantly clicked, and their sisterhood was born.

Viviana had known Sage before the accident. She met Sage's family and spent the holidays with them. They welcomed her as if she was their own. She knew Sage after the plane accident. Viviana visited her in the hospital daily. Viviana mourned with Sage as her family's caskets were lowered into the ground. Viviana did not know Lucas. Sage had been careful about bringing him around, or informing Viviana about her secret underground life. Viviana saw only what Sage wanted her to see.

Something else Viviana didn't know was the feeling of losing someone you love. How could she be expected to love a person who didn't love her? Who she didn't know? Who left her? She had been abandoned, and left alone. Her mother had not loved her.

Sage's family had loved her, they loved Viviana and both of the girls had loved them.

Viviana watched Sage's downfall from afar. She was there when her best friend hit rock bottom. She had nursed every wound Lucas gave to Sage, physical or mental.

Something Viviana did not tell Sage was that she was the one who dialed the number for the FBI. She was the anonymous tip that led Detective James to their door that morning. When Sage laid healing in the hospital, Lucas was dead and the threat of Emilio looming over her, Viviana remained there keeping watch. She was the one who suggested St. Dalton to Detective James. In a town run over, ruled and most importantly protected by a lycan pack; there was no safer place for someone in the witness protection program.

Or she had thought. Viviana worked so hard to protect her friend; only to led her to the wolves. Literally.

~~~

"What do I do Auntie?" Viviana's Aunt Roxanne came over to the couch, handing her a mug of warm coffee. "There's not much you can do Vivi. If Harlow is Colton's mate, then the universe will work to put them together. It's just how it works, you know that."

Viviana put her mug down on the coffee table and frowned like a toddler, fresh tears forming in her eyes. "This sucks." Anne sat her cup down next to Viviana's and scooted closer to her niece. "I know baby girl, I know." Wrapping her arms around Viviana, Anne rested her chin on her head. Viviana dug herself into the nook of Anne's neck just like she did as a child.

"She's my best friend and I just feel like I'm losing her! She was the one piece to the human world that I connected with." Anne stroked Viviana's strawberry-blonde hair, soothing her. "I know it feels that way, but you're not. Harlow loves you just as much as you love her. Being the Alpha's mate as a human, she needs you just as much as you need her." Viviana sniffled, lifting her head. "I know, but it doesn't mean it sucks any more- even a stupid human has found her life-mate! It's not fair." There it was, the truth behind all the tears. With that wail, Viviana fell back into her Aunt's chest.

Roxanne had raised Viviana. She raised her before her sister dumped her only child at three, and she raised her after. Viviana was the daughter Roxanne never got the chance to have; her wolf had claimed Viviana as her own. Every tear Viviana shed was a nail to Roxanne's heart. She wished she could understand what her niece felt; what she was going through. But she couldn't. She had her wolf, her husband and son both had their wolves. Roxanne had her mate.

Roxanne blamed Zoe. God only knew what her sister had been doing before she was pregnant, and more likely during her pregnancy. Zoe was never one to put someone else over herself- even her own child. All Roxanne knew was that it took a lot to screw a lycan up, and Zoe was often strung far out. As with so much of her life, Zoe left nothing but a mess behind. Now her niece was left paying the price. Sighing, she squeezed Viviana a little bit tighter.