The Secret Mate

Chapter 1 (Rewritten)

The dark gray walls seem to suffocate me like a prisoner in a prison cell during most moments of my day. They form a barrier around me and make no room for escape, but then when I think again I feel as I'm a bird flying free, but also having somewhere to settle and rest, not being judged on what I'm doing. "Katharine," my trainer Eric suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him from my spot on the bench,"Your father has requested to see you. Now." I nodded a quick 'thank you' grabbing my bag as I made my way out of the gym. The cold November air hit me, sending chills up my body causing goosebumps on my arms and the hair to rise. The smell of fall going into winter was a mix of pumpkin and peppermint to me, but also mixing with the smell of dead leaves that laid on the ground. Refreshing. I walked from the gym to the pack house passing the pack gardeners who were raking the leaves from the front lawn and the kids who ran around playing tag. I smiled to myself at the sight remembering the days that I was able to do that. I didn't have a worry in the world as I was the perfect kid to many wolves, I never got into trouble and always respected my elders. Walking into the house is like walking into a mall on Black Friday; however, it isn't the traditional pack house. No one lives here except the pack elders and leaders along with each of their families, but it is always filled with the men and women of the pack at odd hours.

As I walked up to the dark wooden door that read 'Alpha' on it I began to wonder why my father had called me during training, he never does that. I knocked slightly on the door and heard a quick 'come in'. I slightly peaked my head into the office. "Ah, Kathy, come in and take a seat." My father said gesturing to the seats in front of his desk. He gave me that nickname when I was five after my grandfather told him Kat sounded immature. I absolutely hate it. I took a seat in one of the chairs as he looked up at me from his paperwork that was laid out on his desk. "I called you in to talk about the annual ball. This is the first year you are able to attend and I wanted to tell you that Alpha Sean called from the Dark Blood Pack. His mate turned out to be a weak pack member and thought that having her as his luna would cause more harm than good. He has recently taken interest in you and will be attending the ball so you two can formally meet and become mates. Isn't that great? One of the most powerful packs in Ireland has chosen you to become his luna."

I stared at my father like he had just lost his mind. What was he thinking? Just handing me off to a random alpha who resides in a different part of the world sure sounds like a great idea. "What? Why would you even agree on me meeting him? I want to be with my real mate, the man who was made for me and only for me." I said raising my voice at my father, "Katharine Marie Belles you will not raise your voice at me, you will meet this man whether you like it or not. This could be good for you as well as this pack. You are destined to become a luna, so start thinking like one," he said standing up and pointing at me. "Now prepare to fly to West Virginia in two days." I sat in my seat glaring up at my father wondering why he is so hard on me. I stood up walking out of his office slamming the door behind me making sure that I rattled the picture frames on his office wall. My father frustrated me to the point of breakage, he always nagged at me and has become more and more demanding of me as I have gotten older. I have always been a good child and almost perfect, but to him almost isn't good enough. I ran back out of the pack house and into the woods, shifting into my reddish-blondish wolf in need of release.

"As a child my mother used to tell me about the Lawrence family, and how they have been the leaders of the most feared pack in the world since her ancestors were around. She has always said that the Miller family was a family of hunters who loved to kill any wolf, but their favorite wolves were those in the Lawrence family. Almost thirty years ago the mistress of William Miller was the mate to Alpha Gregory Lawrence and left William the second she met Gregory. He set out for revenge and for years he planned on how he would kill the alpha and his luna, but legend has it that she had already barred a son who survived the attack. No one knows why he built so much hatred, but no one dared to ask. The child was rumored to be named Nolan Lawrence, but no one knows if he even exists. Many believe that after Alpha Gregory and his beta died his Gamma took over and the Lawrence family is history while some believe Nolan is still alive." I loved telling the story of the Lawrence family to some of the kids in the pack. It was a great way to give them a break during their training sessions and it wasn't something that was taught to them during their studies. Today they found me sitting by the lake that was in the middle of the pack land and the youngest member, Emily, had never heard the story so I found it appropriate.