Awoken

Chapter 1

Skylar had just begun to get ready for the party downstairs.

In half an hour, her whole family would be there. Tonight was the night she shifted and received her birthrights. A shifter's thirteenth birthday, especially the daughter of an Alpha, was a large celebration. She would also gain a spirit guide. A gift given by the Gods to shifterkind. Unlike most 'werewolves' in stories and legends, shifters can change on command and have a memory of what happens. A shifter's Lyall's Day was the most important birthday they will ever have. Even more than the Calling; when each shifter of age finds their soulmate.

Three knocks arrived at her door. A soft voice could be heard from behind the ancient wooden door. "Skylar, darling, I hope you're almost ready."

Skylar mentally kicked herself. A power nap had destroyed what time she had before the preparations. A quick lie bought her some time as she hurriedly slipped the dress over her head.

It was the traditional white dress her aunt had laid out for her the night before. Long sleeves had been added along with a rather high neckline. Nerve damage from birth had given her many of the scars that littered her body. She could handle objects and keep a steady hand with the skill of one with full feeling, but pain wasn't felt right away. It was dulled; it was more like an itch than actual pain. It was a gift she had inherited from her mother. Skylar's mother had died giving life to her and her twin brother, Tyler. Tyler had gone missing while they were playing in the woods beyond the grounds. When she looked away, he was gone. Searches had been sent out, but in vain. 2 years had passed and Skylar's heart wrenched at the thought of another birthday alone. She had spent her entire life with him. They had shared a room since birth, and would've till she was old enough to start an apprenticeship with her aunt.

That would've been this year. She thought, solemnly.

Skylar stared at the cluttered half of the room. Getting up, she cautiously made her way to his bed and sat down gently. Running her hands on the rough green sheets, she thought of sitting with him once again, and that thought alone was enough to cause tears to well in her eyes. Most of his things remained untouched since that day. Occasionally she would sit on his bed, imagining he was there beside her, talking to her. Their bond had been strengthened by talking. They'd talk about everything; They'd talk about their mother and the portrait of her in the dining hall most of all. They both had her eyes but, according to their father, Skylar had her looks; A stubborn chin and covered freckles, just like her mother, as her father described it. Tears fogged her vision, thinking about that head of shaggy raven hair and mischievous green eyes, identical to her own, peering back her her through the inky unkempt tresses. She remembered his dimpled grin growing from ear to ear whenever he was happy. He only showed it to her, though. A lopsided smirk graced his face any other time they were out. Although he was a foot taller than her and twice as fast, she could fight him and pin him to the ground easily. Her aunt had chastised her for not acting like a lady, though Skylar had no intention of being such. As the oldest boy, Tyler would've been the next Alpha. Their family had ruled over the second largest clan in the land. The Rowan Pack had been alive for generations. The names changed every now and again, but the halls of the Castle Craig Saor, and the lands surrounding it, echoed with the proud heritage of Rowan's predecessors. Without Tyler, the rights would pass to her and her future husband. If they were not meant to produce heirs, her cousin would be the next Alpha male.

So caught up in the memories, she didn't hear the gentle click of the latch on her door opening and closing. The mattress sunk beside her and her aunt Allison brought her hand up to wipe away Skylar's stray tears. Skylar's father had only one sister. A twin, like herself. Allison had similar features to Tyler's, but her eyes were identical to the piercing blue of her father's.