Chapter 1 -Coming of Age

"It's just so unfair!" Rudy complained as she entered the little cottage.

Her twin brother, Raul, ignored her whining, and continued past her to curl up on the couch.

Irisa knew what she would be complaining about. The twins just came back from the elders to complete their coming of age ceremony. There they would have been told their roles within the clan. Raul, a sturdy young boy would have easily been picked as a hunter, ready to go off into the wilderness in the coming days. Rudy, however, as the only young female of the clan, besides Irisa, that is, would be expected to stay here and learn all the things she was forced to do. Learning to become a good baby sitter, doctor, teacher, cook, and mother. It was a shame because Irisa had never seen a tougher fighter than her, and even she could best her brother in a brawl. Irisa sighed as she looked at her twelve-year-old adopted siblings, and as Rudy became annoyed at her brother's aloof attitude, pounced on her brother and knocked them both to the floor. Irisa loved them more than anything, but she did not want to be there. As this was the time of year that Rudy and Raul turned twelve, she would be turning seventeen. Twelve was the year you came of age, and began training for your place in the clan.

Seventeen was of marrying age.

It really was unfair. Unfair that she had to quit school after graduating, even though I had so many promising opportunities. Unfair that she had to stay in this place against her will instead of going to college like others her age would be doing-in the real world. And it was definitely unfair that she was going to have to marry Rollo, the son of the head of the clan. But the most absolute unfair part of her whole life was this; she was a human girl, living with a pack of werewolves as their captive.

She was their possession, their slave, and their treasure. A human girl that smelled wonderful, and able to do all their dirty work. She remembered she used to live in a small town nearby, just beyond the forest. She lived with an older lady and a dozen other children, who told them all their parents died from some sickness several years ago. In truth, it could have been bad drugs for all she could remember.

Anyway, one night they all heard howling and their guardian happened to be away. One of the littlest kids ran scared outside, and as the bravest child there, Irisa went outside to bring them back. As luck would have it, the kid ran faster than her, and by the time she caught up to him, he had found the wolf. They both tried to run away, but the little kid ran faster than her, leaving Irisa alone in the forest with a wolf staring at her and more arriving, surrounding her in the moonlit night. It had been Rollo, a young teenage boy at the time, who transformed into a human giving a certain nine-year-old Irisa permission to scream and faint.

Once she woke up, she was surrounded by about 30 werewolves, in wolf and human form, telling her to be a good little girl and do as she was told from now on.

Almost immediately, she was given the twins to take care of, who were just babies at the time. Irisa loved the twins, she hated the Elders, she hated Rollo, she tolerated the beta wolves, and she somewhat liked the clan leader, the twin's and Rollo's father, Rodolfo. He had been the closest thing to a guardian she had in this place. He actually asked if Irisa had everything she needed, and sent others off to human stores to acquire things. He probably treated her so well because the twins adored her, and Irisa became a mix between a fun older sister and their surrogate mother.

"What's wrong Irisa?" Raul asked, from his place on the floor beneath his sister. She smiled at him, jarred from her memories, "Nothing, love. How did the meeting go?"

"Terrible! How can they expect me to be a pup-sitter! I'm obviously destined to be a great hunter!" Rudy whined.

Raul shrugged. He would do as he was told, but she knew his passion was more artistic than a hunter. But the clan didn't need artists, it needed fighters.

"Have they told you who you are going to marry?" Raul asked.

Yes! Your idiotic older half-brother wants me! She thought.

"No, and I doubt they will," she said aloud.

"Why? You'd make a great mom," Rudy complemented.

"Thank you Rudy, but you have to remember I'm not like you two, I'm human."

Rudy wrinkled her nose.

"You don't smell like one."

Irisa laughed.

"Probably from being around you two all the time. Bedtime!"

They both still whined but she gave them each a piece of bacon as a snack. The sun was rising, and like wolves, the werewolves she lived with were just as nocturnal. They hopped into the bed she shared with them. Both transforming into adolescent wolves with mixed brown, black and white coats. Irisa crawled in after them underneath the covers and Rudy crawled under one of her arms to sleep, while Raul curled up at the end on the bed. Any night now would be the last time they all slept together. Irisa gently hummed a little lullaby that she always did when the twins were upset. She spent the rest of the restless autumn morning staring at the trees, deciding what to do.

Now, there wasn't exactly anything directly wrong with Rollo, except that she hated his guts. He rarely talked to her, never gave her compliment or anything whatsoever. Yet when it came time to pick his mate, he picked her with no second thought, and no say from Irisa. While she sat across the small dining table from him as he watched her not eat her breakfast, Irisa made her decision. The one she had been thinking about all night long.

She was going to leave.

She was going to leave on the next windy day, one that would carry her scent far away from this place. She would run as far as she could, and get into a car as soon as possible. They lived within a huge forest preserve that tourists frequently passed through. She would get a ride with them saying "I lost my group. My college group," she thought with a smile in her head.

---The next evening---

"You look tired Irisa, have you been sleeping well?" this was the longest sentence Rollo ever spoke to her.

Duh, I've yawned seven times since you got here. Of course I didn't sleep. She had slipped out of bed when the twins were sound asleep and began putting things together in a small travel bag.

"I'm fine."

Jerk.

He was good looking by anyone else's opinion. The few other older women always squealed about how he was "such a good-looking young man." It just made her hate him more. She disliked him from his long black hair to his topaz eyes to his stupid, slightly French accent.

They sat at the small dining table in awkward silence. Rollo sat across from her as Rudy separated us. We awaited Raul to finish getting ready and gathering his things. Rollo was here to take Raul, his little brother, away.

Irisa stood as Raul turned around and nodded to Rollo. Raul was so young. He had dark brown hair like Rudy's, and it was only slightly shorter since Rudy preferred her hair short. Rudy just watched from the table, since not only were her dreams crushed, but her best friend was being taken from her as well. Irisa embraced Raul, and kissed him on the cheek telling him to be safe and learn well. As soon as she let go, Rudy tackled him into a hug and basically yelled at him to not have too much fun, not to get hurt, and remember who really was the better fighter between them.

Rollo stared at her as Rudy made her goodbyes. Irisa ignored it and refused to even look at him, figuring it would not get her in trouble. Apparently it touched a nerve for Rollo though, because he moved to stand directly in front of her, making it impossible for her to ignore him.

She supposed the beloved son of the clan did not appreciate being ignored by his fiancé. Her breath caught and she waited for him to either hit her or make a threat. He did neither, but snatched her hand, yanked back her long sleeve and gently kissed her knuckles.

"I will return, my fiancé," he said.