Chapter 1

Rue POV

My alarm clock rang and the smell of breakfast filled my nose. I slowly got up since I really wanted to stay in bed. I am not lazy, I am not a morning person. I just want to sleep in then go to work. I loathe how morning people like my best friend and sister-in-law, Leslie, can be so chipper and happy in the morning. We both live with my twin brother, JJ, and my parents, Jon and Niobe, and my grandparents, Matthew and Raina. JJ, Leslie, and I would like to move out, but finding a place in Stormyard, Washington is hard. I have some money saved up, but homes are expensive. I am looking for a nice or decent home, not a rathole. Living with three couples, especially when they are related to you, can be awkward at times. I want to walk around with no pants and bra on. I love my family, but I want my own space.

Our home looks like an old cabin, but has a charming traditional home look on the inside. We all clean the house regularly, but the house is older than my brother and I. My mom is a black mystic human who can do magic. She is a hippy midwife who has some fairy blood in her. That fairy blood is why she is physiologically 30, but is 500. My mom is a beautiful woman with pecan brown skin. We are all she has, and she hates talking about her past. It doesn't help that my mom is a child of rape.

Dad is a half-black, half-American Indian werewolf with one blue eye and one dark brown eye. I look like my paternal grandma, with pecan brown skin and my father's eyes. JJ looks like me as a guy without mismatched eyes. Dad is mocha-skinned and is his father's twin with their 6'3, lean and athletic bodies. He is physiologically 35, but is 77. Dad is the chief of police who is an introverted loner. He has an identical twin brother, Uncle Samuel, but we don't hang out with him because he is a troublemaker. JJ and I have a handful of relatives on Grandma's side of the family. They come to visit on the holidays, but we have our own lives.

Granddad is a pro bono lawyer who reminds you of Atticus Finch. Like Dad, he is introverted and hates crowds. Granddad is a newborn werewolf who is physiologically 40, but is 221. Grandma is a bar owner with a firecracker personality. She is physiologically 32, but is 221. JJ is a firefighter and Leslie is a police dispatcher.

I am an auto mechanic and freelance photographer. I am 5'11 with long curly black hair, with a curvy pear-shaped body, pecan brown skin, downward-turned lips, a straight nose, and I look more American Indian than Black. I shudder at the memories of people thinking I am not related to my parents. If it wasn't for our scent, we would have been in a huge pickle. I took off my sleep shirt, and changed my panties. I only wear underwear, a tank top, and a short-sleeved t-shirt on my coveralls. I put on my coveralls, and yes I bathed and washed my clothes last night. I put on my socks and work shoes, then I put my hair in a ponytail. I quickly went to the bathroom to do my business, and grabbed my purse. Leslie was looking for her keys with the key finder I got her as a present. How the hell did her keys end up in the refrigerator?

Mom and Grandma made our breakfast and put them in to-go boxes with our lunches. They are afraid that we won't eat properly if it weren't for them. The to-go boxes have waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit in them. Shifters eat a lot, and Mom had to do some extreme couponing to get enough food for everyone. We always help out around the house and shower the two women with gifts as appreciation.

I heard that a new wolf pack was coming to Stormyard, Washington. Stormyard is a rainy town that is in constant twilight and dusk. Not to mention, it is a bit chilly if you are not a shifter. It would freak Mom out if we left the house without jackets or coats. This small town doesn't have a lot of high-paying jobs. I also heard that the new pack is moving into the old Sabletail pack land. The land was formerly run by Grandma's emotional black hole of an uncle, who was the werewolf lord. A werewolf lord is what humans call an Alpha. His pack members left, not wanting to deal with him. The uncle vanished without a trace, he and Grandma were never close. JJ, Dad, Granddad, Mom, and I have never met him nor do we want to.

Why are we not in a pack? Like the lone werewolves here, we like our autonomy, zen, and peace. I heard that being in a pack is like being in a female sorority, and a bunch of females in the same house together with different personalities. Besides, we are not tied to any werewolf lord or lady. JJ, Leslie, and I have never encountered a pack before, but we have heard unpleasant stories from Grandma.

Why didn't Grandma take over her uncle's pack? She is a lesser werewolf, and it is your essence that makes you the HBIC of your pack and or coven. Of course, being a werewolf lord or lady doesn't mean you will be a good leader.

Why would anyone want to move to Stormyard, when people usually leave Stormyard for a better life? This town is a tourist attraction due to the beautiful woodland forest and mountains. Whoever is the new werewolf lord, better have deep pockets. Running a pack can be very expensive and stressful. Your job is to be a decent leader, provider, teacher, and mentor.