The Beta's Daughter

Chapter One: Awakening

I yawned, rolling onto my side. I brushed against Jacob, and his hand began to trace lazy, abstract patterns across my hip. It was getting close to midnight.

We were waiting up together on the night of my eighteenth birthday. We'd become official members of the Silver Crescent pack at sixteen, and that had been exciting enough – a ceremony held for all of us who'd turned together, with Jacob's dad, the Alpha, stood in front of the elders on a small wooden platform. We'd pledged ourselves to our pack, vowing to care for one another and, above all, to preserve the wellbeing of the pack. In our honour, we'd sworn, and his parents, Alpha and Luna, had looked down at us with pride. Ever since, we'd been able to mindlink, and had been permitted to join in training with the pack. But at eighteen something even more special happened. At eighteen, our true mates were revealed to us.

Not immediately, of course. The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways, and we've been taught from birth to trust in our paths. At eighteen the possibility of finding our mate is finally given: both of our scents mature, and, in adulthood, we may find one another.

Jacob and I had grown up together, him the son of the Alpha and I the daughter of the Beta. We lived in the pack house, along with the Gamma and his family, a pair of twins called Ayon and Aron. More often than not, though, we referred to them as Double A, or just The Twins. They did everything in sync, and Jacob and I found it a little creepy at times. As they were so close, Jacob and I had teamed up, too. We were both only children, which is rare amongst wolves, so our bond had been formed early.

He lived on the top floor of the four-story house. It was huge, and each floor held a cluster of rooms to suit the needs of the pack and those who lived there. The very top floor belonged to the Alpha and, when he found her, his mate, the Luna. Their floor was home to a secondary library, smaller than the pack library on the ground floor, as well as bedrooms, offices, and a small kitchenette. Those living in the pack house tend to eat together, along with the Omegas who live nearby and serve the food. I'd always felt bad for the Omegas, having to work tirelessly to cook and clean up after the higher ranking wolves. My birth right as the Beta's daughter meant that I didn't have to help, but I did as often as I could. My dad used to sigh at me and roll his eyes, but then he'd smile like he was proud of me. Once he'd whispered that I'd make a good Luna, but I had no claim to that title.

Jacob nudged me, gently pressing his knee against mine. I sat up drowsily, pulling my long, wavy hair up into a messy bun. A few strands refused to cooperate, but I left them be for now. Jacob moved one softly away from my lips, tucking it behind my ear and smiling at me, his eyes sleepy. I smiled back, my brown eyes meeting his sea-blue ones.

"It's nearly time," he murmured, shifting his weight in his seat. We were both on my bed, and I'd been on the cusp of sleep, my legs stretched out across his lap until moments ago. The light from his phone screen glowed against his face, enhancing his already strong jawline and straight nose. He pushed my duvet back, and I leant heavily against his side.

He ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. I'd always thought that his hair, eyes, and lips softened his face. His hair was always stuck up at some unusual angle, looking as though he'd just awoken from a long and dreamy sleep. His eyes were kind, with the beginnings of small crows feet etching their way into the soft skin around his eyelids. He'd only turned eighteen a month ago, but his lips had similar wrinkles, soft smile lines from years of laughter and teasing. We were best friends, and – fingers crossed – soon to be mates.

Since childhood everyone had expected us to be mates. We'd clicked instantly, and had been inseparable since we'd first met. Of course, our close quarters helped – the Beta and his family lived on the floor just below that of the Alpha, and the small class sizes on the reserve meant that we'd been together at school as well as at home.