Clan Nemesis

Chapter 1: Before the War

"Faye Anne McMiye, you had better get down here right now!" I heard my mother yell from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm coming, Mom. Calm down," I yelled back. I heard my moron of an older brother, Mitchel, laughing in his room. I narrowed my eyes and stuck my tongue out at his bedroom door as I walked past, heading for the stairs.

I threw my backpack over one shoulder as I walked down the stairs, being met by my mother at the bottom.

"Breakfast ready?" I asked her, pretending not to notice her angry stare.

"Yes, it's on the table. You're going to make me late for work, Faye." My mother stated as I slunk past her to the kitchen, dumping my plate-full of food into a plastic container and heading towards the front door, my mother following closely behind me all the way. "I swear, it's like you do this on purpose because you want me to be late and get fired. Is that what it is you do? Do you not like my job? Honey, just tell me and we can talk about it."

"Mom," I said, cutting off her rambling. "I'm not late on purpose, it's okay." I opened the front door and stepped out into the cold fall air, feeling the chill on the back of my neck. I knew it was going to be a bad day to wear an open-backed shirt. It was my animal instinct, I could pretty much tell if it was going to be a cold day. I just don't always listen to myself.

I hopped to the car and got in as my mom locked the front door and stepped out to meet me. Mitchel got one of his friends to drive him to school everyday so he didn't have to be a half-hour early like me. I didn't understand why my mom always said he would be leader before me, he's kind of mean and he doesn't seem to like anyone but himself. However, Mitchel is directly in line for the leader of our clan because my dad is the current leader and Mitchel is his oldest child. But my mom always told me that I still had a chance since our clan picks leaders based on votes, and not necessarily on who is oldest.

Technically, someone from one of the outer branches of our clan could be leader if the elders thought they would 'represent our clan in a mature and dignified manner, and be kind to everyone.'

My mother started the car and we drove in silence to the high school. I got out and started to walk towards the school when I heard it.

Or maybe I didn't hear it. Maybe I smelled it. It's hard to tell, and I don't really remember. But I know what it meant.

I heard the howl and smelled the blood at the same time.

And it meant that one of the McMiye's were in trouble.

It came from the East, and when I looked at my mother, I knew she had heard it to. I ran back to the car and flung the door open.

"Mom! Mom, take me with you. I can help, I want to help," I pleaded in a desperate tone.

"Faye, you can't help! I'm sorry, but you can't help. You haven't changed yet, and you won't for another year. Besides, it could be nothing," my mother told me in a flat tone. She was still looking towards where the howl had originated, and I could only imagine that she was going to speed off to find out what happened, even if she might lose her job for not going to work.

I hesitated before closing the door. She immediately put the car into gear and began to drive away, burning rubber as she pressed hard on the gas. I watched her for as long as I could before she disappeared behind other cars and houses, then I turned and walked back to the school.

*~*

"Faye! Did you hear that howl this morning? What do you think it meant?" My best friend Sabrina asked me as she sat down next to me in the art classroom. She had her mom drive her early every morning so I wouldn't be bored and lonely waiting for our other friends. I looked at her distractedly, still thinking over the howl and smell of blood and what they could possibly mean.

"Yeah I heard. I smelled blood too. McMiye blood," I told her, still distracted. Sabrina was the same age as me and from the O'Reilly clan. Her clan didn't shapeshift as early as mine, but most of them could still hear and smell things even before they developed.

"Really?!" She asked, shaking me so I would pay attention.

"Yeah - yes I did. Now let go of my arm," I practically growled at her.

"Fine, Miss Angry," she said, annoyed with me. I resumed my distracted staring out the window. I had opened the window just enough that I would be able to hear if there was any more howls. "Faye?" she asked me softly.

"Yeah?" I replied, still focused on the tree line outside of the school. She didn't answer, so I turned to face her. "What's wrong?"

"What if it's something bad?"

"What do you mean?

"The howl. What if something bad has happened?" I stared at her for a moment, trying to think of an answer that wouldn't send her to the bathroom crying.

"I don't know. I don't even know what would happen if it was bad. But it's none of our business," I told her honestly, then added quickly, "We haven't shifted yet, so there's nothing we can do. Besides, clan elders will handle it. It'll be okay, I promise."

She smiled at me and began drawing a dog on a piece of paper in her binder.

*~*

Author's note:

So what did you guys think? Good first chapter? I think I'm going to enjoy writing this, its kind of fun. So because its a new story and everything, I will update another chapter and then start a schedule of when I will be updating. I'll put more info in the next chapter, but until then, please comment / vote. Follow me and I'll return the favor! See you guys later!

xx, Sam