: I want to thank  Whiskeyqueenn for sharing her creativity with me and inspiring this side story.: 

I miss summer vacation. School has us so busy, we can't spend anytime together. Except at lunch and they we are too busy stuffing our faces with whatever sweets Rya's mom is teaching us to cook. I notice Alpha Clayton is keeping an eye on us. Rya says it's his job, but he always seems to be in the same hallway as we are. It's kinda freaking me out. He's a senior so he only has a three-quarter load but he has been hanging around till the end of the day, and because of it, the bullying is a lot less. Maybe that is what he is trying to do. I really hope so because his mate is one of the biggest she-bullies in the school. 

My brother Charlie hangs out with his group a lot. It's the pack seniors, the Alpha, and Luna, who happens to also be our current Beta's only child, and the juniors, the Delta twins, Brian and Bianca, and of course, my brother who is a junior but sometimes, he when acts as shitty as the rest of them, I think he needs a diaper change. 

Do you hear snickering? Honestly, since I hit my head I hear the weirdest things.

 Anyway, they make up their own little elitist pack. I hate the word 'elitist' but it fits the whole Adams pack. My mom wants me to invite Bryan to my 16th but I hate him, almost as much as I hate his sister Bianca. She is still mad at me because I refuse to drop Tina and Rya as friends, even though they are 'beneath me'. 

Groan, did you hear that? Don't even have my wolf yet and I can hear her groaning about it too. Bet she even rolled her eyes.

"Cora, honeysuckle, come to my office," My mother calls from her office. Mom is real estate agent and works from home sometimes. If she is being this polite, we have a guest. When she calls me honeysuckle or any endearment, it means trouble. But when am I not in trouble? Ummm, neeee-vvvver.

Charlie smirks at me, "Bet your in trouble again, radical."

"Better than being a brown nose," I hiss back, dumping my backpack on the chair, evading his attempt to punch my shoulder. He stronger than I am but I'm faster. He's taught me a few tricks about how to defend myself but our pack doesn't really teach she-wolves how to fight.

Adams' Rules for girls: look pretty, have babies, keep your voice down. Insert eye roll here!

"Yes moth..." I stop and stare, before quickly bowing my head in respect, "Luna Catherine."

"Hello Cora dear, your mother was just telling me how well you are doing in school and athletics." Her voice drips like molasses, velvety and smooth.

"Yes Luna," I keep my head down and voice low. I can feel her watching me.

"You are also a Sophomore student council representative, and volunteer at the pack house," She states more than asks.

"Yes Luna," I murmur, I have never felt so intimidated in my life.

"You have excellent potential, Cora. Your coming of age is an excellent opportunity to do things for this pack. That is why I personally am going to see to your 16th birthday celebration. As our only Gamma female, this is a chance to increase your status and help create an alliance with another pack. Your mother has all the details. I will see you that Friday at noon." Luna Catherine rises gracefully from the wingback chair, nods to my mother and turns to leave.

I realize in a moment that my friends may not be invited. "Luna Catherine?" Her dark eyes regard me.

"I want..." Her perfect eyebrow raises.

I clear my throat, looking back down, "I mean, may... May I invite a few of my friends from school?"

I don't have to look to know my mother is shooting daggers at me through her eyes, if looks would kill, I would be dead already.

"And who from that school, would you invite Cora? Your future Alpha and Luna will be there. The Delta's twins, Bryan and Bianca Hawker as well. I have invited the unmated Alphas, Betas, Gammas and Deltas from many packs. This is an opportunity to find your mate among suitable canidates, not a carnival." Her voice has this very cold edge to it, the way I imagine a silver blade would feel against my skin.

"Uh, only two, please Luna. My best friends Rya and Tina... I... we..." Her eyes say everything and I am forced to look down again. I hate being so weak, so submissive, but I can't help it.

"Pack before self, Cora. This is an opportunity to help our pack. It won't be a place for giggling girls, perhaps you could have a slumber party with them afterward," She says so coolly I almost shiver.

"Yes Luna," I barely whisper.

"Manners," my mother hisses.

"Thank you Luna Catherine," I say as I bow deeply.

"She has excellent manners, Becca. Perhaps poor taste in friends, but we were all young once. She has much to learn. Cora from now on, I would like you to spend some time each week with me, learning about female leadership responsibilities, you are a gamma but you could be more." She pat my head like I am a good dog and leaves, my mother rushes to show her out.

"Stay," she hisses at me as she passed.

This so sucks! I wanted to spend my birthday with my friends, and now I won't even get to go to school because the Luna herself is throwing me a birthday lunch with all the high ranking eligible bachelor wolves in the area. I feel like I am the next Bachelorette. It's Tina's fav program, but I hate that show and now I get to live it. Oh Joy!

Again I think I hear my wolf groan in my head. You said it sister! I think.

"You're so screwed," Charlie laughs behind me.

I turn to glare at him but mom walks back in and slaps me before I can speak.

"How dare you insult the Luna like that, embarrass me, this family. Don't you know what an honor she is giving us!" she screeches.

I stare at her speechless before I explode, "You didn't even ask me what I wanted. It's my birthday!"

She grabs my face, "You are to stop being friends with those two wolves, they are beneath us."

"You are beneath us..." I growl, well that's a first!

Charlie gasps behind my mother, who releases my jaw with a shocked look. "What did you just say?" she hisses.

"I said, you... are... beneath... us... BECKY!" I hesitate slightly between each word before I continue, using my mother's real name. Two can play the prejudice game. "We are gammas and you are not." For a moment a look of pain flashes across her face before being replaced by rage.

She starts to slap me again but I catch her hand. My wolf won't be here for a month, but I can feel her strength coursing through me. My mother yanks unsuccessfully against my grasp. Charlie pulls mother free, both stare at me like I've grown two heads.

"Sis, go upstairs." He growls at me.

I push past them, grabbing my backpack, "Don't forget the LUNA said I could have a slumber party afterwards." Upstairs, I slam my bedroom door so hard, I hear picture fall off the walls downstairs.

Not have my friends at my birthday! Who does she think she is? Oh right, she's my mother.

~

I lay in bed looking out my window at Rya's house in the darkness, it always looked so warm and inviting. You could just look at it and know it was full of love and laughter. Her parents would never make her abandon her friends or ignore her wishes on her birthday. They loved and supported her and her sisters. I wanted that. I wanted love and support. I wanted parents who cared enough to ask how my day was and what I wanted for my birthday. AND I wanted my best friends at my party, not a bunch of single ranked male wolves from packs I had probably never heard of. I am probably going to have to wear heels and some uncomfortable dress all because my mother wanted to improve our status in the pack. It made me so angry I wanted to scream. My life sucked so much!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 9.2018 - CLAYTON is published!!!

Clayton (The Wildflower Series) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/164034487X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_S8sbDbB084P46 via @amazon

2.2019- DALLAS is published!!!

Dallas (The Wildflower Series Book 2) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRVB7M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o9sbDbPFY61NH via @amazon
Find them on Amazon

::Thank you to Rachelle for allowing this CLAYTON Fanfiction to be published.::