The Prodigal Daughter

Prologue

"Where?"
"California, first." I was nervous. Mom looked concerned, the lines on her forehead creased with worry. Dad just looked stone faced, but what else is new.
I rubbed my jeans at my knees. I had to be very careful if I wanted their permission. Sure I'm eighteen and according to humans, I'm an adult. According to my kind, I am unmated, and too young to stray this far from the pack.
Mom gulped. "What about NYU? I feel like you could get a good education there and then you could come home whenever we need you too." Mom's thick Southern accent crept its way to the forefront. Her dark brown curls sat on her shoulders as she held her face in her hands. Dad moved his right arm over and rubbed her back, his presence calming her down a little bit.
"Is it because of Hai—"
"Yeah, Dad." I felt my eyes sting with tears. "It's about Hailey, about constantly being afraid to go out in public, it's about feeling like a prisoner in my own pack." Dad looked angry. He had every right to be, but so did I damn it. "It's about me wanting to grow up and feeling like I can't because another war could break out at any moment."
Dad clenched his jaw. "That won't happen. All of the rogues have been taken care of."
"Murdered, Dad." My eyes met his. We have the same blue-gray eyes. Mom said it's also what made punishing me as a child so hard.
"What did you expect me to do?! It's war—"
"Yes! I know." I groaned and stood up, I rubbed my temples already getting a slight headache. Dad looked furious, Mom was quiet. "I know, and you protected all of us. I just want to save lives instead of being around lives being constantly taken."
Mom looked at Dad, her husband, her best friend and gave him a pleading look.
"What if she's right?" Mom asked.
I looked at her with the best "WTF" face I could come up with. She almost always agreed with Dad. They thought the same and it was annoying as hell.
Dad looked at me. "What about the Pack? What about them?"
I tried to hide my grin, I already had it figured out. "The Lopez family runs the Rose Pack, we met them at the Gala last spring." Dad nodded, but he may have forgotten, he met a lot of Alphas then. Most congratulating him on being the leader to stop the Rogue Usurper. "They said I could even run with them, and that they would allow me to be in their territory on an educational basis."
It wasn't easy to get their permission before my parents' but their daughter is also going to UCLA and offered to be of assistance, so I played that card.
Mom sniffled. "I just don't want you to leave, sweetheart." I walked over and sat on her lap and hugged her neck.
"I know. But just think, I'm already ahead, so it'll only be 3 years." I looked at dad, his eyes moved to meet mine. "This will always be my home. You know that."

And 2 months later, I left my entire life behind, and moved across the country.