Alpha Queen: First of Her Name

Chapter One

Something wet licks my hand, teeth softly biting on the stiff digits. I slap the offending thing away with a moan of protest. Mumbling, I turn over onto my back, blinking open big doe brown eyes. Amber orbs gaze down at me, light pants filling the dead silence in the room.

"Jackson...what are you doing in my room?" I wipe the sleep from my bleary eyes with a yawn. The wolf continues to pant in my face, its morning breath puffing into my sensitive nostrils.

Jackson, the wolf, yips and licks a stripe up my cheek. He paws at the mountain of covers that protect me from the chill of the room. "Jack! Get off!" I shove him away, in the process helping him rip away my precious shelter.

My eyes harden when all Jackson does is chuff softly, I roll my eyes knowing that he's laughing at me. "Will you get out already?" I point toward the open door. "I'm awake now." All Jackson does is roll his large amber eyes, before swiftly leaving my room. Head now throbbing with a headache from being woken up so early, I twist out of bed, teeth chattering from the cold.

Quickly I enter the bathroom connected to my bedroom suite and turn the shower on its highest heat setting. My silk pajamas pool on the floor in a pile as I shed them to hop under the warm spray of water. With my headache slowly receding, I rinse the conditioner from my hair, wiping soap suds from my flushed body.

Back in my room, I open my closet to pick out my outfit for today. While I'm choosing I hear the creak of a door. A knock sounds behind me and my mom stands in the doorway with a smile.

"Good morning, Hope." She glances around the multitude of fabrics decorating the entire expanse of my walk-in closet. "You remember what today is right?"

Timidly, I nod my head. Today is 'Visiting Day.' Once a year the surrounding packs all come together to see if anyone is matched together as mates. Hence why my older brother, Jackson, was so excited this morning.

My mom grins, "I brought you something special." She disappears from the doorway only to reappear again with a wrapped box. "Open it, sweetie!"

A wide smile lifts my red lips and I wrap my towel tighter around myself before taking the wrapped package. I tear open the pink paper with a matching white ribbon, a flurry of pink tissue paper flies into the air when I drop the box. An excited squeal leaves my throat as I dance in place. "Mom it's beautiful!" I twirl around, eyes shining happily as I gaze at the white sundress.

"Well put it on, I hope I got the right one." She leaves my closet with a smile.

Still beaming wide, I drop my towel and hurriedly throw on a pair of matching white underwear. The dress slides smoothly against my soft skin when I put it on, the skirt flaring out and draping down toward the ground in a gentle swish.

I step out of the closet and twirl in a circle for my mom. "Mom it's so pretty!" My hand's fist in the soft fabric of the dress. I watch as the skirt swishes from side to side, the hi-low hem complimenting my tan legs.

"It's a bit short, but for today I suppose it's fine." She frowns in thought while staring at my knees.

My face flushes in embarrassment. "I can wear a different dress." My hands immediately move the skirt of the dress to hide my naked knees.

Shaking her head my mom stands up from her spot on the bed. "It's Visiting Day, Hope, you need to look your best."

From the look in her eyes, I can tell that she wants me to wear something else. I take in my mom's appearance of a long skirt that barely brushes the ground and a flowy dress shirt. The moonstone necklace that marks her as Luna shines in the morning light streaming from the window.