Chapter One

The ballroom is a magnificent sight to behold. Tall, arching walls draped in fine garland and dripping candles, glittering chandeliers and rich velvet tapestries. White marble columns stand tall with the crest of different packs, the polished floors packed with long tables flooded with red velvet and decatent foods. Carter can feel the press of warm bodies all around, dancing and whispering as they move in time with the music, almost like a soft breeze throughout the warm ballroom.

        She knows without question each guest is dressed to perfection, hair and clothes immaculate for such an important occasion. Every pack member of age will be present tonight. Everyone excited for their destinies, ready to find that one missing piece. But every face Carter passes by all seem blurred and out of focus, easily passing out of her notice as she moves through the crowds.

        Though she doesn't know for what, she knows deep within herself that she, too, is searching for something. Some dormant instinct keeps pulling her forward through the masses but every time she feels herself drawing closer and closer to whatever it is she is searching for, it dances farther from her reach.

        Finally, when she grows so frustrated she almost turns around, she pauses. One face out of all the others is coming into focus, the fog parting to reveal a kind, crooked smile and two startlingly blue eyes-

        "Ms. Dawson!" A shrill voice squawks.

        Carter bolts awake with a gasp. What- 

        Gone is the beautiful ballroom and the glittering lights, now replaced with stone white walls and plastic desks, filled with the dozen staring eyes of her fellow classmates. Carter is half sprawled across the face of her own plastic desk, drool on the edge of her lip and dark hair down in her eyes. Before her stands a severe-looking teacher dressed in a tight grey pantsuit, her graying hair pulled into a tight bun, a sharp scowl carved into the heavy wrinkles upon her face.

        For an instant of a second, Carter feels herself go red, a growl in the back of her throat before she swallows it back. Why did she wake me up?

        "Ms. Dawson," Mrs. Shot crows. She stands before her ancient desk, back hunched and reeking of mothballs. Her maroon spectacles flash. "Did you plan on waking up for today's lecture? Or would you like to keep sleeping and mumbling to imaginary men in your fantasies?"

        The rest of the class chortles, whispering to each other and giggling. Carter feels herself flush white at the attention.

        "No response?" Mrs. Shot simpers, arching a slim eyebrow. She has always seemed to feed on the humiliation of her pupils, especially Carter.

        Carter feels a mix of embarrassment and anger burn hot in her chest, hackles raising. Don't rise to the bait, don't rise to the bait. But the mantra Joey had long tried to drill into her does little to help. It has never really done much to help. She feels her muscles tense, prepared to bite back-

        Then feels a pair of eyes on her across the room. She glances back to see Joey watching her. He gives her a slight shake of the head and even though he doesn't speak, Carter know what he would tell her if he could:

        It's not worth it, Sunshine. Let it go.

His emerald green eyes are concerned. His body, too, is tense but angled out towards Carter. Always so protective. As if she could ever do as much damage to their teacher as he or any other pack member in their class could. 

        Her classmates, the majority being those who are pack members, seem to have the same thought, glancing at each other and smirking. The few students and Mrs. Shot who are human, who know nothing of their double lives, do not sense the inside joke that is Carter's life. But they are human. And it is in human nature to fear what others fear, to hate what others hate.

        Suddenly the anger at their oblivious human teacher is too much effort and Carter sighs, sinking back in defeat as the anger leaves her, taking all of her energy in its wake.

        "That's what I thought" Mrs. Shot preened, no doubt feeling accomplished at having made someone younger than her feel inferior.

        Overhead the bell gives off a shrill tone, signaling the end of class. Students stand and begin rushing out, eager for lunch and a brief respite from the purgatory of school. Carter feels herself sigh again and rises, picking up her bag. She doesn't have to look up to see the person at her side.

        "Don't worry about it, Sunshine" He says softly. "It wasn't your fault."

        Carter gives a small shrug and walks out into the hall, Joey at her side. Already the halls are filled with bodies, rushing to and from classrooms and lockers, the loud chatter filling her ears. The warm press of bodies and movement immediately makes her think of her dream. She flushes again.

        Joey seems to be following her line of thought. "You fell asleep again. You didn't sleep last night." It isn't a question. Despite her wolfic disability, he always knows her thoughts, always knows her expressions and body language better than anyone else. A common circumstance, considering how long he has faithfully been by her side.

        She shrugs again. It does no good to argue. Even if he didn't know her as well as he does, it would be hard to miss the bags beneath her eyes, the paleness of her translucent skin. Joey assumes, however, that she does not sleep because of her frequent nightmares, often leaving her short-tempered and tired. He does not know of the dreams that she tries to avoid by staying awake at all hours of the night, the dreams that find her when she is finally too weak and vulnerable to fight sleep.

Dreams. Not nightmares. Yet they leave her so shaken afterwards that it is sometimes difficult to tell.

They've been coming every night for the past month without cease.                                                                          

     "Do you want to talk about it?" Joey asks quietly. He keeps moving as he asks but Carter can't help but notice his eyes, always focused, are moving about the halls, his steps just slightly ahead of her's in case he needs to jump in front of her. Even in public, where the eyes of humans are always watching, he is still prepared for one pack member who ventures too close, who gets too aggressive.

        Carter shakes her head. It isn't just the crooked smile, the warmth that floods her when it finds it's way to her in her dreams, haunting her at her turn when she is awake. Somewhere deep inside, it feels like she knows that smile, those blue eyes, though no where in her memory can she find any such person. Not only that but some part of her in the dream, the her that wandered ballrooms filled with blurred faces, felt such a deep need for something that Carter still feels it like an ache in her stomach when she wakes.

        It doesn't feel normal. It doesn't feel right. Something about the dream make her feel vulnerable and anxious...two emotions Carter refuses to feel.

        The loud rumblings of Joey's stomach momentarily pulls her from her thoughts. She gives him an annoyed look aimed at his stomach. You're always hungry.

        Joey laughs, interpreting her thoughts. He is the only one who knows exactly what she was thinking without ever saying a word. "I know, I know, I didn't have breakfast this morning. Come on, lets go get some lunch." 

        Carter fights a smile despite her foul mood. Ever since they were young, Joey has always been a ball of energy and light, determined to make those around him as happy as he is. He is the complete opposite of her, always ready to be the certain of attention, glad to take hold of the spotlight and run with it. He probably would be popular among the ranks within the high school's social hierarchy had he not been friends with Carter, who is a social pariah both to those in her pack and the few in the school who are human. 

        Still, he is handsome enough, with his startling green eyes and flamboyant dark hair. He has the tall, lean body of a swimmer, legs easily long enough to leave Carter in the dust when he walks. He attracts attention from girls all over the school, even pack members. That in itself is quite a feat considering that when two mates meet, they know instantly. Pack member girls know they are not destined for him and yet still their eyes find him in every room, wistful and hopeful. 

        Still, their admiration doesn't keep their sharp eyes from following Carter throughout the school, their whispers practiced and quiet even to trained ears. Humans do not know but every pack member still finds Carter the best and most cruel gossip.

        Joey glares at the onlookers as they walk. "I hate the way they look at you. Don't they have anything better to do than talk about people?" His tone, though usually so cheerful and sarcastic, becomes clipped and annoyed. 

        People is a kind way of putting it, considering she is more often than not the subject of gossip around the pack, even if her disability has been old news for a long length of time. For as long as she can properly remember, she has been mute. Unable to speak with her vocal cords refusing to give in to orders, leaving her silent and, in the eyes of most in the pack, weak. It is an even greater insult that she is the only member of age also unable to shift.

        From at least the age of five, most children learn to shape-change or shift into their wolfic forms naturally, learning to grow into the creature and soul they are bound to, learning to speak through a telekinetic bond every pack member shares to communicate. 

        Only Carter didn't. 

        To make matters even worse, there is the matter of Carter's deceased mother, the long dead but not forgotten Luna who's reputation is known throughout the entire country. Had it not been for her father and his position of power...Carter shudders to think of where she would be instead as they work their way to the dining hall, touching the long scar that runs from her throat to her left arm.

    Like most high schools, the dining hall is a large rectangular room, filled to the brim with long white tables and chattering teenagers, eager to make the most of their social lives in between the torture of Romeo and Juliet and Calculus. Along the front, sit humans and lesser ranked pack members comfortable in their mediocrity, the more powerful and popular choosing to sit in the bank away from the prying eyes of teachers and lunch monitors.                                                                                                                                                                        

        "No, guys, I'm serious!" Shrieks Haley Whitmore from across the room. Dressed in expensive pastels, brown curls primped to perfection and handbag on her arm, she radiates a snotty and self-righteousness attitude, often making her the center of attention among popular clicks both in the pack and in school. "They're like- together. Like together, together. They say they don't care if they haven't felt the bond yet- they say they know they're mates and they're going to stay together no matter what!"                                                                                                              

         There are well-deserved gasps among the table residents. More often than not, there is always some new gossip to mull over, something other than Carter's humiliation to focus on for the day. Most of the time it is which pack members are rumored to be dating, a scandal in itself as neither pair would have found their mate yet, making the "dating" more of a fancy word for hooking up behind closed doors. But for two pack members to outright declare a relationship, defying the mating process- it is unheard of.                                                                       

         "Wow" Joey murmurs as they take their seats in the corner. He, of course, has loaded his tray with four or five slices of pizza and several rolls and is already tearing into his first slice. He tilts his head over towards Haley. "That's surprising. I would've thought they'd at least keep it hush hush until they found their mate."                                                                                                                                                                         

         He pushes a slice of pizza over to Carter, who gives her custom shrug. Who cares? They'll sleep together for six months then one of them will wander past their mate in the woods somewhere and it'll be done.                                                                                                            

         Though it does happen, it is considered extremely disrespectful to date before finding one's mate, let alone have sex with someone who could not be meant for you. The couple could hook up for months, perhaps even start to feel strong feelings for the other pack member, then wake up one day and find their soul mate, only to potentially be rejected by that soul mate for being unfaithful. It is a risk only the naïve or desperate take and it is frowned upon in every pack.                                                                                                                         

         Joey seems to be having the same line of thought as his eyes find the scandalous couple in the far corner of the room. Ryan Hamilton and Jessica Reyner are nuzzled against each other at their own table, banished but seeming entirely content in each other's company. They don't seem to notice the judging looks they are receiving from the rest of the teenage pack members, only each other. But instead of lust or longing, Carter only sees happiness and warmth.                                                                                                                                                                                     "I can't believe Ryan would do that to Jessica" Joey shakes his head. "She'll be lucky if her mate will keep her when he finds out she's been with Ryan."  While it is more common for the female mate not to reject her mate if he has been unfaithful, it is more expected the male mate would reject the female mate if she had been. Jessica will indeed be lucky when her mate finds out if he keeps her.                                       

        Carter nudges Joey with her arm and gives him a glare. Don't go judging them. It's not our place.                    

        Joey sighs and nods. "I know, I know. Don't go judging people. We had enough issues like that a few years ago too." He shoots her a wicked wink and Carter snorts, nearly choking on her pizza.                                 

         It is true, though not that she and Joey had ever dated or risked the wrath of the pack by ever wanting to. People merely began assuming after middle school, when pack members began to notice just how close she and Joey were. They had faced the ultimate judgment of the pack but as the accusations hadn't been true and Carter found the idea of seeing Joey naked quite appalling, it had phased neither of them and the rumors eventually faded with time.                                                                                                                                                         

        "Hey, Dawson!" A sharp voice suddenly belts.                                                                                                  

        Carter turns to see Garrett Barnard sauntering up to their table, followed by a pack of high-ranking cronies. He is a leading participant in the challenge of seeing who could make her most miserable or pissed off. He is also apparently one of the best looking pack members and often used that to his advantage but with his mousy-colored curls and sharp nose, he reminds Carter of a muskrat.                             

        He stops right before her chair, wearing an evil smirk. "What- still no hello for me? Cat got your tongue?"                                     

         He and his followers bellow with laughter. At her side, Carter feels Joey tense, body shaking with rage. She reaches out to touch his arm, give him a warning but before she can, Garrett continues talking. "You know, Dawson, eventually you're gonna have to give up with loser-boy over here and realize you're never gonna find a mate to want you. So-" He leans in close, sour breath wafting across Carter's cheek as she shrunk away. "Why don't you just let me screw you until you're pathetic mate finds out and rejects you anyway? That way at least you'll know what it's like to be with a real man-"                                                                         

        Joey launches from his seat, suddenly nose to nose with Garrett. His fists are shaking uncontrollably, his usually joyful green eyes suddenly black with fury. Carter can see his entire body is shaking with the effort not to phase in front of everyone, especially the humans in the room who are just expecting a good old-fashioned brawl in the cafeteria.                                                                                                                                 "Take it back" He growls. His voice is three tones deeper than before, his words soft yet dangerous. Behind Garrett, Carter sees the other boys shrink back slightly, aware that while Joey may not be popular, he is one of the best fighters in the pack. And while it is against the pack laws to phase in front of a human, if pushed past his temper it is clear Joey will attack.                                                                     

        But Garrett doesn't back down. "Why? I'm just offering the little good-for-nothing the offer of a life time. After all, when her mate rejects her, I'm next in line to become Alpha. Maybe I'll go easy on her and not kick her sorry ass out when I ascend."  His smirk grows more confident at the scarlet seeping across Carter's cheeks.                                                                                                                                                                         

        Despite how much she hates it, she can't deny it isnt' true. Garrett's father is Beta in the pack but is soon to retire his rank as a result of age, meaning Garrett will soon take the position. If Carter found a mate and became Luna, she could kick his sorry ass down to Omega, or even out of the pack all together. But when Carter's father chooses to step down, if she doe not have a mate or is rejected, Garrett will assume the Alpha position. Joey often says if he tried it, he will challenge Garrett and fight to become Alpha but the chances of Joey winning are fifty-fifty and it is even less likely the pack would back his winning.

        Joey is still trembling with rage, a snarl on his lips. If he doesn't calm down soon, he will shift and attack Garrett in front of all of these people.                                                                                                         

         Joey. Carter stands and grabs his arm, pulling him back. Angry as she is herself, she would be even angrier if she allowed Joey to cause serious trouble on her behalf, perhaps even a death. No, that is something she may one day do herself.

 She wraps her fingers tight around his wrist. Stop. You're going to make this worse. Let's go. Despite not being able to hear her inner-voice, Carter knows Joey can read her emotions like a book. She knows he can sense the fear and the worry for him building inside her, terrified of the bloodshed that could ensue. He knows and he will stop. For her. The boy like her brother will not attack or be attacked in her name. He will not subject her to that.                                                                           

        A tense moment passes before she feels Joey deflate under her fingers and he gives a terse nod at her without looking from Garret. With a jerk of his head, he storms from the cafeteria, Carter on his heels as laughter rings behind them. 

"Don't forget my offer, Dawson!" She hears Garett call out as she leaves. "It's the best one you'll get!"