Chapter 1 The bite

Confronting my arch-nemesis, Drew Maxwell, the future alpha of our pack, I couldn't believe my ears when he declared, "You are my mate." Seriously? "Well then, mate, I reject you."

"Give it back! He refuses to return it!" (bite) "Ouch!" (smack) I made sure to leave a lasting impression on his neck. "Alright, kids, that's enough! Look at what you've done to Drew, Felicity," Miss Brighton, our teacher, interjected. Drew clutched his neck, panting. "I could have done worse; the idiot slapped me first," I retorted, turning to Miss Brighton and pointing at my right cheek. "Yeah, I saw it, but you bit him first," Drew smirked, knowing everyone would always side with him because he's the alpha's son. I couldn't stand him, and the feeling was mutual.

I shrugged. "Then tell him to return my textbook." Miss Brighton sighed, "Drew, give her back her textbook." He tossed it to the floor, sneering, "Pick it up, Tuart. I'll never forget you biting me," before strutting away.

I had known Drew forever; we weren't always at odds. Once, we were close friends, but everything shifted one summer when we were seven. He abruptly stopped talking to me. When I asked why, he coldly replied that I wasn't his type. That was two years ago, and now he acted like a spoiled brat, doing whatever he pleased.

As I made my way home, I heard someone call out, "Felicity!" It was Frederick. I waved him over, and he sprinted to catch up. "Hey, what happened to your cheek?" he asked, noticing the redness. I rubbed it unconsciously; it stung. "Drew slapped me," I replied. Frederick's face turned furious. "Why does he keep doing that?" Just then, a rock flew through the air, hitting Frederick. We turned to see Drew standing there, smirking. "Why don't you both keep walking? You're just polluting the air," he taunted.

I grabbed Frederick's hand. "Forget him, let's go." He nodded, "Yeah," but just as we started walking, another stone was hurled at us. That was it. I released Frederick's hand and charged at Drew, who quickly backed away and ran off.Does he really think this is a game? I strolled over to Frederick, and together we made our way home since we lived close by. "Alright, see you later! I need to freshen up," I called out as we waved goodbye. Stepping inside, I found my mother settled on the couch, engrossed in her show. "I'm back!" I announced. "Oh, welcome back, City!" she replied, and I leaned down to give her a kiss.

My father had been the former beta of our pack, but he passed away two years ago, leaving us reeling like a ship caught in a storm. Our pack was thrown into chaos, and now it was just my mom and me. The alpha has been kind enough to sponsor my schooling until I reach adulthood.

After a quick freshen-up in my room, I slipped into a comfortable gown and dashed outside to join Frederick. He's been a great friend, almost like a stand-in for Drew, who can be quite the troublemaker.

We played until we were completely worn out, finally calling it a day as the sun began to set today is Friday so no school till Monday I was so happy. I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend ahead.

When Monday rolled around, we were back at school, and there was Drew, looming over me with his arms crossed. "What did you put in that bite last week?" he demanded, a hint of annoyance in his voice. I raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What are you talking about?" He pulled down his collar to reveal the mark my teeth had left. "This should have healed by now, but it's still there. It won't go away!" he grumbled, clearly irritated. "So what? Just give it some time, and stop whining like an old man!" And just like that, our daily bickering began, a familiar dance we often engaged in.