Chapter 2 Home

The smell of coffee woke me up. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was only 4 a.m. I knew my mom, Lily, was an early riser, but even for her, this was earlier than usual. She never had to start her omega duties before 7 a.m.

I sighed, realizing something must be wrong.

Slowly, I got up and made my way toward the door, my eyes still heavy with sleep. I opened it, but the creak was much louder than I had planned. I stumbled and nearly fell down the stairs, which caused my mom to jump abruptly from the kitchen stool where she was sitting. She quickly wiped away her tears, but not fast enough for me to miss them.

In seconds, I remembered what could be causing those tears. This was the date when my father, Vince, and my brother, Nate, were murdered, right inside our home, without any chance to defend themselves. My mom and I had been lucky not to be there, but when we returned, we found limbs torn apart and blood splattered all over the place.

The pain it still caused my mom broke me inside. She never got over it. She said, "Nothing will ever compare to the love and bond I shared with your father. It hurts even to think about loving someone else again."

I hugged her tightly. We stayed like that for a while until I had no choice but to get ready for school.

She mentioned that Meghan, the Luna, had called her and needed her a bit earlier today. My mom was her personal omega, or assistant. She got paid no matter what she was called for, which was nice-especially since we only had one income.

When my dad died, we moved to the SilverPack. My mom got this job with the Luna of the SilverPack thanks to their childhood friendship. She said we needed a fresh start and never talked much about the past. It's a sensitive topic for both of us, and I know that if I learn more about it, the pain will be even greater than it already is. She doesn't even mention where we came from, and I stopped asking a long time ago.

"Why does the Luna need you so early?" I asked, still seeing the tears in her eyes.

"The Luna wanted an early start to plan the welcome party for Nick and the Annual Ball, which will be celebrated together this year. It's going to be a big event, with many other packs attending."

She looked at me as if she'd said something she wasn't supposed to.

"Yes, it's fine. I'm okay."

My wolf, Any Light, began pacing back and forth, breathing heavily in my head. She rarely spoke much.

I got my wolf just before I turned 17, which was really unusual. Most people receive their wolf at 18, and some alphas as early as 14. But I'm not an Alpha, and I'll never be a Luna. Our original pack is dead and forgotten with my father's death. From the little I know, my mom fled with me because whoever killed him wanted to take both of us too. I never questioned why. Some packs are constantly at war over territory and power-I wouldn't want to live like that.

When I received Any Light and shifted for the first time, it was a full moon, and it happened in front of my mom. She told me I should never shift in front of anyone but her. She looked so scared. It was from her that I learned to hide my scent and always stay away from trouble.

My wolf is pure white, which is extremely rare. She told me I would be hunted if anyone found out. I haven't shifted since. Well, at least not that she knows.

The worry on my mom's face made me wonder if that was why my father had been killed.

My wolf never complained-she was usually silent, except for a few growls and sighs. Sometimes she used words, but not often.

I couldn't help but feel she was upset with me. Maybe because I'd fallen in love with someone without knowing if he was my destined mate or not.

POV of Lily Lansky (Lyla's Mother)

My daughter thinks I don't notice the change in her mood and body language every time Nick is mentioned. I thought she knew he would be coming home at the end of this summer, and maybe she does know, but she's trying to push it into some hidden corner of her mind.

But she seemed genuinely shocked when I said that Luna Raya and I were starting to plan his welcome home party.

Luna Raya and I have suspected for a while that they might be destined mates. They were always drawn to each other. Nick is older and always teased Lyla, but on countless occasions, he protected her. Every day, he would follow her into the woods and watch her from afar. She knew he was there and always cursed at him, but he never left. They were both sweet and irritated kids at the same time. They fought constantly, but always found a way to stay close. It was like being apart from each other was almost painful.

When Nick stopped talking to and looking for Lyla, she didn't tell me at first. But one day, when I came home early and heard her crying in her room, I knew something was wrong. She'd been acting depressed and quiet for weeks. She had always been quiet and shy, but this was different-she had never been like this with me.

I slowly opened her door without knocking. I didn't want her to send me away and act like she hadn't been crying.

She'd been crying almost every night for a week, and every time I asked, she ignored me as if it were nothing. I tried to respect that. I thought she would come to me when she was ready. But I was starting to wonder if that was ever going to happen.

I didn't force her to tell me. I just lay down next to her on her bed. She told me everything on her own. It was like she couldn't hold it in any longer.

She told me, "Nick hasn't looked for me in a whole month. He hasn't even texted or called. He's ignoring all my calls and messages."

My heart broke for her. My motherly instincts wanted to go hit him at first. But then the thought crossed my mind-maybe he had found his destined mate at Alpha school.

Maybe he loved her-it sure seemed that way to everyone-and maybe he just didn't want to break Lyla's heart. I had warned her that something like this could happen, or the opposite. She could find her destined mate and break Nick's heart.

She insisted she'd be fine, but I couldn't help worrying at the time, and I guess those instincts were right.

Lyla has a good group of friends. She spends most of her time with the gamma kids, Beck and Tyler Blackwood. I knew I didn't have to worry about them. They would always protect her, and she would need all the help and protection she could get when my secret was discovered. It's only a matter of time now that she's no longer a child, and soon she'll find her destiny with someone.

I noticed that Tyler had always been attracted to her too, but Lyla always kept him as a good friend. I really hope she doesn't get involved in something that ends with her heart broken again.

Tyler is a good man-more on the goofy side, more fun-loving.

I've protected her so much that I feel like she needs friends like Amber and Myles. Maybe more of Tyler than Beck. That girl is wild. One thing is for sure-Beck will always be the life of the party.

I pushed all those thoughts aside and watched her leave to get ready for school.

I hurried off to the packhouse.

When I went to say goodbye to Lyla, she was already gone.

I