Emily's POV
"Emily, you need to find your mate. You know the pack needs an alpha when I step down. You don't have much time," my father — the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack — repeated the same damn tune he's been singing since I turned eighteen… which, by the way, was only two months ago.
I rolled my eyes, sharpening my dagger with extra flair. "Dad, I just turned eighteen. What's the rush? And, hello, I am an alpha. What do you mean the pack needs one?"
His voice softened slightly. "Princess, I know you're the best fighter in this pack, and you'd make a great alpha, but... you know the pack won't accept that."
I stood up, jaw tight. "I am sick and tired of their sexist bullshit. I'm your firstborn — I am the alpha. If anyone has a problem with that, they can kiss my ass. I don't need a mate to take what's mine. I was born to lead, not to play house and smile pretty as someone's Luna." I paused, eyes blazing. "So, when the elders ask you again about your successor, tell them I'm right here."
Dad sighed, looking helpless and proud all at once. "Fine… but you'll tell them yourself."
I grinned and threw my arms around him. "Thanks, Dad. You're the best."
He kissed my forehead. "Go change. They'll be here in an hour."
Leaving his office, I felt… good. Confident. Hyped. But still annoyed by the fact that packs don't believe in female alphas. Dad once told me that back in the day, she-wolves weren't even allowed to train — hell, we weren't even heard in pack meetings. We were expected to pop out babies, cook, clean, do laundry, wash dishes, and just lie there waiting to be mounted.
Disgusting. Imagine wasting this much power on folding socks.
"Someone's in a good mood."
I jumped, heart skipping. "Jesus, Josh!" I slapped his arm. "You trying to give me a heart attack?"
Josh — my best friend and soon-to-be Beta — just smirked. "Couldn't resist."
I swear, most alphas and betas are besties. Maybe it's because we literally grow up together in the pack house. Same walls, same blood, same loyalty.
"So," he asked, grinning, "what's got you glowing like the moon?"
I gave him a sly smile. "Maybe the fact that I'm going to be an alpha. Oh, and did I mention — the first alpha female?"
His jaw dropped. "No shit. Your dad finally agreed? Emily, this is huge!" He pulled me into a tight hug. "I was lowkey panicking about ending up with some random asshole as alpha."
"I know, right?" I laughed. "But don't think I'll go easy on you just 'cause you're my best friend."
Josh pulled back with a grin, then slipped something into my hand — a gold necklace with a purple gem at the center.
I blinked at it. "Okay, wow. You're gonna tell me what this is later. Right now, I've got a date with the elders."
"Yes, Alpha," he said with an exaggerated salute.
In the meeting room, the elders looked at me like I'd just declared war. Which, in a way… I had.
The council was made up of former gammas, generals, and the crankiest old wolves you can imagine. No former alpha or beta — they'd passed. Once my dad steps down, he'll join their fossilized ranks.
Dad cleared his throat, expression unreadable. "I called this meeting to announce the next Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack."
Murmurs erupted. I could feel their eyes trailing down my neck — searching for a mate mark.
Sorry, boys. No brand here. I'm nobody's bitch.
My dad's voice rang out again, sharp and commanding. "I've decided to follow protocol."
One elder narrowed his eyes. "Following protocol means passing your Alpha title to your firstborn," he said, not-so-subtly glancing at me.
I gave him a sweet smile. "Is there a problem with that, Elder?"
Another elder huffed. "We can't have a female alpha."
Wrong move.
My wolf surged forward, not even releasing half of our power, and they still bowed their necks in submission.
I cocked my head. "I'm sorry, what was that about female and alpha? Must've misheard you."
Their shocked faces were almost funny. Dad's expression danced somewhere between stunned and proud. It's not common — or even possible, really — for a soon-to-be alpha to channel power before the current alpha steps down. But here I am.
I don't know why or how I'm so strong. All I know is, I heal faster than most alphas and my senses are way sharper. And yeah — it's not normal to have an alpha female. But I've never been normal.
"So now you've had a little taste of what I can do." I stood up. "And that was just a sip. Anyone who doesn't like it can kiss my ass."
"What about your mate?" one of them asked, desperate.
I paused at the door. "He can be the Luna, for all I care."
Gasps echoed behind me like I'd just spat on sacred ground. Good. Let it sting.
I looked each one of them in the eye, daring them to say something. None did. So I walked out.
'Well, that went well,' Mia, my wolf, said dryly.
'Yeah, actually… it did. How did you do that?' I asked.
'Do what — the power flex?' she replied.
'Yeah.'
'Dear Emily, we're stronger than you think. And trust me… I'm still figuring some things out.'
After the meeting, I hung out with Josh in his room for a while, just talking about random stuff, before heading to mine. I showered, slipped into shorts and a tank top, and flopped on my bed.
I picked up the necklace Josh gave me earlier. He said it's supposed to shield me from my mate — I can sense him, but he can't find me.
Perfect. I decide if I want him, not the other way around.
I put it on and drifted off.
A soft breeze tickled my face.
Wait... breeze?
I closed my window last night.
'Something's not right,' Mia whispered.
She was right. My room didn't smell like home anymore. No vanilla, no clean sheets. Just dirt… and grass.
I cracked my eyes open, blinking into the light.
"What the fuck?"
I was lying on the ground, under a tree. Nothing around me looked even remotely familiar. I inhaled deeply.
No scent of home. No pack.
'Mia, where the hell are we?' I asked, heart pounding.
'I don't know… but I know we're not on pack lands.'