Hidden Strength

Chapter one

Senior year has finally started! Now all I have to do is finish this year without messing up my perfect attendance and I can get the car! Hell yes I can do this! Car of my own here I come! The best part it's free!
Getting out of bed I get ready for school. Looking at my mirror I see that my hair is an impossible mess. Great, rolling my eyes I grab my brush to attempt to tame it. As expected it ends up a static filled mess, luckily I have a trick for that I get a bounce sheet and put it on my brush. Brushing out my hair again this time it's much better. Pulling it up in a high ponytail, I turn my attention to brushing my teeth. After I finished my bathroom routine I go put on my school uniform and my black converse. Grabbing my backpack I head out.
Getting to the kitchen I see my mom left a note

Jessie

Had a to go on a business trip teaching new healing techniques to our allied packs and Dads coming to help with warrior training techniques. I know we said we would celebrate your birthday today since we couldn't last week, but you know how important our jobs are to the pack. We're sorry this keeps happening Jessie. We love you and left you money TO LAST TILL WE GET BACK HOME!!! We will be gone for two weeks at the earliest and a month at the longest. If you need anything we are just a phone call away sweetie. Have a great time at school!

Love,

Mom & Dad

Seriously again? Ok yeah I get they have important jobs but this has happened every stinking year! Every one! Sighing I resigned myself to just giving up on them, clearly I really don't matter that much. I know that they love me, they just love their jobs and each other more is all.
Hopefully I will finally have someone care for me like that too, I just turned eighteen last week and that means I can find my mate. Right now my wolf is sleeping she isn't an early riser unless she has to be. Her name is Stella, I've been able to talk to her since I was four but we haven't shifted yet. She says its because we would be in danger if we did, personally I think she just doesn't want to.
Sighing again I crumple the note and toss it. I used to keep them sorta as a sign that they really did care, but as the years went by and the notes piled up higher I no longer wanted them, they just reminded me of how I really am not important to my parents.
Grabbing the money I go put it somewhere safe then get a granola bar and leave.
I walk to my friend Tony's house and knock on the door. "Hey Jess what's up you're later than normal don't you usually get here ten minutes early?" He asks cocking his head with a smile on his face.
Tony has been my best friend since we were pups, every time my parents had to leave for work I was sent to his house. If I didn't see him as a brother I might have said he's cute, but I don't, he's too much of a brother to me.
He's five seven to my five three. I'm pale while he's darker skinned, like coffee with cream in it. I wish I could tan, every time I try I just get sunburned.
His eyes are an amazing shade of turquoise while mine are a whiskey color. We both have dark hair but that's like the only thing looks wise that we share.
"So you ready to rock our last year?!" He smiles pumping his fist. Laughing I just nod, "what about finding your mate? You're eighteen now Jessie, are you excited for that?" Tony looks more serious now, he found his mate last year but she had a boyfriend already so she rejected him, if he didn't stop me I would have beat the shit out of her.
I may not look like it but I'm strong both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had to be to survive alone, since I was most of the time, unless I was with Tony. In truth he's my only friend, I tend to read a lot and it has labeled me as nerd, not that I give two shits about that. Infact I would probably have a different label if people knew how good I am at fighting bare handed and with weapons. Only Tony truly knows how good I am.
"I don't know Tony, I hope I find someone who will love me but right now I'm more focused on the car," I answer truthfully.
Laughing he grabs his keys from the key hook behind the door and we walk to his jeep. I have to hop in carefully because of my stupid skirt, don't get me wrong skirts are nice but having to wear it all the time is just a pain.
Tony starts his jeep and immediately Rob Zombie's SUPER BEAST starts playing, most people probably think I listen to softer things and I do, but this is a good way to get pumped in the morning.
Our short ride to school is uneventful, pulling into the parking lot Tony picks a spot not too close but not too far from the front, mostly because one year my skirt got caught and flashed my underwear at him. Lucky for me he was the only one who saw.
His wolf has gotten very protective of me over the years, he sees us as his sister and he would have kicked anyone's ass if they had saw, Tony just laughed but Winston or Win for short, was less happy about it, he complains about me wearing skirts around unsuitable males all the time. Stella just reminded him that he doesn't care if other females wear them, but he counters with they're not my sister.
I just say agree to disagree before they give me a headache, that's another thing if I listen carefully I can sometimes hear other people's wolves too. I mean when they haven't taken over their human to speak for themselves, but so far it's been mostly just Win I hear though.
We make our way inside and I go to my locker to get my things, sadly Tony and I only have lunch together this year it seems, so as soon as I'm done I head one direction and he another calling out "see you at lunch!"
My first two classes go by without incident and I'm starting to think maybe my mate is in a different pack, when in third period it hits me like a ton of bricks it smells like cookies and fresh rain. A weird combination but mouthwatering, but before I can look up Stella yells at me to keep my head down and eyes shut.
"Why? What's the matter?" I ask her, and she tells me to just trust her. So I do as I was told till she tells me it's ok but to keep my eyes forward and to not look back.
I don't understand why she would be freaking out at our mates scent but I trust her instincts and if she thinks that we should avoid him then I will, for now.
Do you have any idea how hard it is not to do something once someone tells you not to do it? Good thing my teacher makes class interesting. Soon class is over and I grab my things and leave. I'm so glad I have lunch now I think as I head for my locker. Opening it I switch out what I don't need with what I do, once done with my task I close my locker only to jump because I was so lost in thought I didn't realize I wasn't alone. Standing next to me is Derek Summers the soon to be Alpha and wouldn't you know it he's my mate as well.
"Umm hi," I say, I know so inspirational. He doesnt say anything though and just looks me up and down in a critical way that is starting to irk me. Finally he opens his handsome mouth but what he says is the last thing I was expecting to hear from him.
"You're so disappointing, I was expecting a beautiful strong mate not some small ugly wimpy nerd. Ok let's get this over with, I, Derek Summers reject you, wait.. what's your name?" He has the audacity to ask, fuck this.
"You're a moron, I, Jessica Mills REJECT you Derek Summers soon to be Alpha of Calm Waters pack as my mate," I say and go to walk past him.
Grabbing my arm he stops me, I ignore the sparks while Stella is currently pacing in my head, she's sad but at the moment more pissed at what he told me, she loves me and I her, we are one after all.
"DONT DISRESPECT ME GIRL. Or you will reget it," his wolf has taken over.
Turning to look in his eyes I ask, "is it just your human or are you both rejecting your mate?"
"You're not strong enough for me or good looking enough for him," his wolf says.
"Then you're both stupid and we deserve better than you," I say as Stella cries because she thought it was just his human but knowing it's his wolf also hurts us but we push through it. Pulling away from him I tell him he can fuck himself and walk to lunch.
I know so cliche right? soon to be Alpha rejecting his mate "because he's too cool for her" FUCK THAT GUY! He probably thinks I'm going to run away or whatever but I'm not losing my chance at the car. So I go to lunch and force my food down, while Tony knows something is wrong, but knows now is not the time to bring it up.
One more class to go then I can go home to my empty house and be pissed.