My Challenging Mate

Prologue

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Moving through the forest was all I could do at that time. It felt like my whole world was crashing down upon my shoulders. Everything that I had was being ripped away from me. All because of one girl.

My brother, Wes, was throwing everything away for a stupid, stupid girl. No, this girl was not his mate; this girl was not even his lover. She was an evil, conniving, rogue she-wolf. And she used to be my best friend.

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"Wes, you've got to be kidding me! You're going to go start your own pack with her?! C'mon, you're not even the Alpha! Sorry kid, but I got the gene and I say you can't go." I didn't use my Alpha voice because one, I didn't have it yet, and two, I didn't want to force my brother into anything he didn't want to do. Even though I was fairly positive he did not want to do this. She was twising his thoughts and making him think this is what he wanted to do.

She being my ex-best friend. The one I confided in. The one I shared my deepest, darkest secrets with. Then one day, she just forgot our friendship and the pack and became rogue, but she came back... for my brother.

We first met when we were little - I'd say six or so - and it was the very first meeting that all the new baby lycans could attend. I saw her standing by her father, the Beta. Much like my father, he was a tall man, ruggedly built with long legs and a short torso; and she took after him in the height department, much like I did my own father. She was waddling behind her father's legs and kept glancing around nervously. This was her first time here at a meeting, much like the rest of the six and seven year old's, but I had been to more meetings than I could count so I had no fear. I was the Alpha's first-born, the one to take the gene, the only living Alpha she-wolf.

I walked up to the girl and saw her father look down on me. I could tell me had a smile on his face and he gently eased his way out from in front of her so that I could see her clearly.

"Call me Rave." I told her. I didn't even bother holding out my hand. If you're going to act scared then you don't deserve my upmost respect. Yeah, even as a kid I was a badass. "You shouldn't act like you're scared, you'll prove as a weakness to our enemies." I said, walking away.

"I'm not acting scared so don't tell me something you don't know for sure, ma'am." She demanded. I was still turned away from her, but I raised my eyebrows. I turned my head slightly to see if I was hearing correctly.

I spun around and walked right up in her face. I was only about an inch or two taller than she, but it was enough.

"You do know who I am, don't you?" I inquired. By this time, some of the baby lycans started whispering and looking at us. A couple of the adults were looking as well, with smiles on their faces as if they'd seen this a million times before.

"You're Alpha Henry's daughter, ma'am." She said a-matter-of-factly.

"Then why on Earth would you talk to me in that tone? I am going to be your Alpha, you don't want to get on my bad side this early on." I sneered at her, but now what I thought was a scared little girl was replaced by courage and stupidity.

"You're not my Alpha yet, ma'am." She sneered back at me.

A small smile appeared on my face as the audience held their breath at what I would do next.

"What's your name?" I asked, still smiling.

"Laura Smalley, ma'am." Laura said, seeming to ease up a little bit.

"Well, Laura Smalley, please stop calling me ma'am. My name is Ravyn." Everybody who had been watching had let out their breath and I held out my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ravyn, er, Rave." She took it and shook.

"I think we're going to get along just fine." And with that, the meeting began and we became best friends.

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"Rave, I'm going to do whatever the hell I want to do. Wanna know why? Because you're not Alpha yet and nobody else can stop me. Dad and Beta are out at council and mom's not here anymore so just give it up! I love her, Ra -" I cut him off.

"That's where you're wrong, Wes! You don't love her! She's just telling you what you want to hear because she needs you to get back at me. Listen, Wes, you're my brother, you're the only reason that I keep living! The most important person in my life is you, Wes."

"Yeah, until you find your mate."

"Can't you see? It's been almost five years since I was supposed to meet him and guess what? It's never going to happen! That means that you're it. You're the most important man in my life. And up until Laura came back, I was the most important girl! Why do you have to let her change that?"

"She's not changing anything. Rave, there's nothing for me here! You're going to be Alpha next month and what will I be? Beta? I can't be second to you my whole life. I love you with all my heart... you're still my favorite girl -"

"Then why is she taking you away from me?! She's going to make you a rogue, Wes. Do you really want that? Dad and Beta could either search for you and drag you back here or they could kill you, Wes! They could kill you!" Tears began to fall down my cheeks at that point and I was wrapped in my brother's embrace. Even though he was a year younger than I, he was bigger than I was and sometimes, he used that to his advantage.

"Sh, Ravyn, sh. Don't worry, I'll be back." With that, he detached from me, grabbed his last bag, and started walking for the door.

"Wes! No! Please, Wes, don't do this!" I screamed, tears blurring my vision. I tried desperately to hold onto my brother. To catch his arm, his leg and make him stay here. I wish he would listen. I even wish that I was 18 at that moment so I could order him to stay here. I'd do anything to have him stay. Selfish, I know, but it would only be helping him.

"Wes!" I screamed again. He kept walking. I staggered out of the door and down the porch steps onto the gravel driveway where he was getting into his car.

"Wes! Don't leave me! Please don't go!" He started the car and through my tear-stained eyes, I could see he mouthed: I love you.

"I love you, too! Wes! Get out! I love you! Don't go!" I screamed as loud as I could as he backed his car out of the driveway and drove it away. I started running towards it, trying to do anything I could to make him stop.

With my lycan hearing, I heard him whisper: I'll never forget you.

"Wes!" My tortured voice forced out as I fell to my knees on the road and saw my brother drive away and never come back.

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