I feel nothing. I enjoy taking baths especially when I can just relax. One of the reasons I take this time away from my pack is to clear my mind from the stress and commotion that is always circulating. I'm the daughter of my pack's alphas which makes me responsible for the pack's younger members. I push my head under the water and open my eyes staring at the white swirls on the ceiling. Tomorrow morning I get to leave and go to my friend's house, Marnie is the daughter of the Alpha's in charge of a pack only a couple hours away.
I have a plan to get a vacation from my pack for a couple months. I already explained to Marnie that I'm not actually coming over and when I leave I will drive as far as I can to an airport about two hours in the opposite direction and then I will buy a plane ticket and go somewhere else. I've always wanted to go to Arizona or California.
There's a knock on the bathroom door so I quickly sit up and catch my breath. "Analise, Alpha Mathew, and Alpha Saph want to see you." Bret stands outside my door making me roll my eyes. He is one of the most annoying people I have ever met. Just the fact that he boasts about being the best fighter with the skill to back it up is painful. He's one of the people that my parents hope will be my mate. He was born the day after me so neither of us will know for sure until I turn eighteen in a month. However, I have strong doubt that he's my mate. "Analise?" When his hand touches the doorknob I speak up so he doesn't try to come in.
"I'm getting out." I can't wait to get away from him. Once I get on the road I will be free, and if I'm lucky, I will find my mate before they can push me onto Bret. I will not reject him, and it doesn't matter how much they'll want me to. I know he'll be strong, he'll have to be to put up with me.
"Did I mention they're waiting?" He sounds slightly panicked as if I was about to hurt his relationship with my parents by taking my good, old time.
"Makeup is more important," I say as I push in the door's lock. I sit on the furry rug going back to staring at the ceiling. I wonder how angry he'll be when he realizes I'm not doing my makeup.
"Analise." He growls which pisses me off. He thinks that my power as eventual Alpha was worthless until I actually become Alpha. I growl back, sharp and dominant. His angry footsteps stomp away.
I get my clothes and go downstairs almost ready to bite someone's head off. I storm into my parent's office. "You sent Bret to get me, really?" I throw myself into a chair.
"I'm still in the room, Analise."
"Oh, believe me, I know." I could smell his pungent odor half a mile away. I glare at him and do my best to calm my wolf. Ever since my parents told me they wanted me to marry someone who probably isn't my mate my wolf has been overprotective of me. "Get out, it's family time." He glares and waits for my parent's signal for him to leave.
Once we are alone my Mother folds her arms over her chest looking down at me. "Analise." She stresses my name meaning I am in lots of trouble for more than disrespecting Bret. "You do not treat your future partner in such a way."
"Anyway..." My father sits in front of me leaning his body forward. Now I know I've really done something.
"Why am I in trouble?" My eyes dart between them both trying to see if their expressions give anything away.
"You missed two of your Alpha training courses." I think for a moment back when I was sick for two days and was bedridden, barely able to move let alone train. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I was sick." I look at my mother trying to keep my expression neutral. "I spent extra hours the next few days so that I wouldn't fall behind." I feel tears prick at my eyes and look away to my dad. Please don't stop me from leaving.
"That doesn't mean you made the lessons up. You fell behind." My mother is definitely very upset with me.
"How about me and Bret go over a lesson today and then when I get back we can do a weeks review to make sure that I'm prepared." I look between both of them hoping they don't take away my trip. I need this chance.
"That's actually a very good idea." My mother looks surprised that I'm capable of coming up with a good plan. I smile surprised to get a compliment from her. "However, you will not have time to complete a week's worth of review when you come back so you will not be visiting Marnie." Tears become more difficult to fight along with my emotions that make it difficult to keep my words level.
I'm frantic when I respond, "No... you promised... Mother, Father... please. You said that I could go to Marnie's and you know that once I turn eighteen I will almost never see her. I need to go on this trip-"
"Analise." I choke on the tears, drown in them, unable to control myself. "If you cannot calm yourself." I stand up and rush out of the room before I can be dismissed or scolded any further. I go straight to my room where Bret awaits.
"Get out. This is my room, Bret." He turns the office chair to look at me.
"In a month we'll be sharing it anyway." I glare at him and grab a tissue for my face which is covered in tears and snot. Anger replaces any sadness I may have had.
"Don't count on it."
"Well, it's not like you have a different plan now."
Wait. I look at him and feel my eyes widen. "You knew." His smug look says it all. "What did you tell them?"
He folds his arms over his chest looking content with himself. "I only informed them that you can't possibly leave if you lack training. I wouldn't want you to have to catch up on that later when such an important birthday is coming up." He puts on a facade of innocents, but I simply glare and stand above him contemplating how long it would take for me to dislocate his arm.
