Your Mistake -- Prologue

Prologue

Fairytales, a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands. Other words similair or related are fables, myths, legend, fantasy. Sometimes these are exactly the stories we need to read to help us escape from reality. The morale of the story The Ugly Duckling is that even though the duck constantly got picked on he grew up to be a beautiful swan. Cinderella grew up with some nasty step sisters and mother. In the end she married a prince. Different stories have different morales. When we’re young we like to think maybe there’s a chance for us in life to have a romance story of this sort.

Some of grow up to be the ugly duckling that sprouts into a beautiful swan. Sometimes people cling on to those morals as hope that someday everything will get better and life will go on. Those I lost a long time ago. Three years ago when I began to see the reality of everything and how the worlds an ugly place; filled with horrible monsters and villains we never want to face.

Monsters are meant to be something we’re scared of but eventually as we get older we realize that they’re not so scary anymore. I remember being eight when that monster entered my families life... a devil in disguise, maybe even Satan himself. He manage to squeeze into our lives, become like one of our own in the family. Instead he told nothing more then a sob story of the tortures he’d endeared.

Forgetting the past the only two survivors were my brother and myself. Sometimes when I close back and have that memory I wish more then anything that would ago. The feeling of digust, humiliation, and degrading, indescribible things no person in the world should have to experience. The fact my brother only was three years older then me, neither of us grasping on to what really is happening. It taking five years before we could do anything about the situation.

By that point humanity has been lost in my eyes. We moved to a different part of town, my brother got a job supporting us two, and the struggles of school life. After the five year experience after my parents died I didn’t handle well around other people or anyone. My parents were killed by a sick sadistic hunter that enjoyed torturing and mutilating us.

It isn’t even the worse thing that happen to the two of us. As much as my brother tried taking the fall for things I ended up coming out with the most damage. Loud noises, a touch from a person, and it getting to the point where I rarely talked to anyone besides my brother.

Hunters are another problem, they dispise us for existing, scared we’ll soon dominate the human population or harm them. We’re wolves not typical ones that tear people apart and turn on a full moon. No we live a regular human life our wolf apart of us. We shift when we want too and look much like wolves, just bigger. We aren’t a threat among humans but live peacefully in their regular society. The ones hunters should be after are rogues. Viscious wolves that belong to no pack and can be rumored dangerous as well as aggressive.  Some hunters try to take down packs or even just harmless wolves to prove the dominanace they have over us. Humans usually didn’t know of our existence... just things they read in books or see on TV.

When we moved things weren’t easy. My brother couldn’t afford the best clothes, if anything they usually came from the thriftshop down the street. I never complained or said a word. There’s the fact that once I got in my new school people scared me so much I thought I’d have an heart attack near them. Often since I did or said nothing I would be the easiest target for people to pick on.

I should’ve said something. I couldn’t though. I could simply use my voice as a wolf and growl at anyone who dared came near me. Members of the pack rarely spoke to my brother and I. We were both considered outcasts. Me more then him. I simply didn’t tell him the tortures of my school life, fearing that he already has enough to handle with.

My brother’s twenty and works about two to three jobs depending on the season. He’s been so focused on taking care of me and worrying for me that the thought of a mate barely crosses his mind anymore as we barely get buy with what money we do have. I always hate having to ask him for some if I needed anything. He always told me to come to him if I needed anything.

A mate is our mates other half, someone who we’re destined to be with for the rest of our lives. Someone that the moon goddess has chosen for us. Someone who will love unconditionally and the thought of anyone else would repulse them. A bond that’s strong that if the other one dies it causes the other wolf to go crazy with grief, usually ending in suicide. 

A simple snap of my brothers fingers in front of my face gets my attention focused on my brother, Reed, as I stare at him realizing we’re in the grocery store. I stop the cart before I almost run into an older gentlemen, he gives me a glare before countinuing on his way with his can of tomato soup.

“I asked you if you need anything well we’re here at the store to eat? Maybe get some steak? It’s going to be your birthday tomorrow and I want to make it special. You’re turning seventeen!” he says happily, reaching for a hug before he sees that I flinch when he goes to wrap his arms around me. He stops clearing his throat, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes, he awkwardly avoids eye contact, “Sorry... I didn’t mean too I should know by now..”

“I�" I’m sorry Reed I uhm�" here,” I tell him giving him a half hug not completley engulfing my arms around him completley. He smiles at my effort. “We don’t need to do anything for my birthday either. Too much money to get that anyways.”

“I can get it Lacey. I have a few of my friend’s that are pitching in some money so I can take you somewhere or get you something nice for your birthday. Of course it comes to me owing them a favor but it’s worth it. Please let me doing something nice for you for your birthday,” he begs me, his eyes pleading for him to do something for me. I sigh knowing I’ve been defeated.

“Fine we can get some steak for my birthday. Nothing else though. We can save that money and put it towards the bills or something,” I tell him in a stern voice which just get an enthusistic nod as he darts off to get some meat from the butcher. A small smile comes to my face. My brother always loved trying to make up for the past even though it’s unnecessary.

“Hey look its the stupid mute girl from school!”  a kid from my school shout out directing it towards me. The kids harmless though, just a regular human boy that’s a bully. “Look at her  clothes. They look like someones puked all over them!”

The group of boys laugh as I look down at the clothes I wore. I wore a regular pea green oversized sweat shirt with a pair of navy blue sweat pants since we haven’t had time to go to the dry cleaners to get our laundry cleaned up yet. The boys countinue to say some nasty things until my brother arrives over and sees me staring down at my sneakers that once were the color white but now the color of the outside ground. He looks up too see a few boys snickering my way. My brother glares at them having no problem raising his voice.

“Is there a problem at all?” he asks the boys that were a few inches shorter then my brother.

Reed could be intimidating when he wants to be, inside he’s nothing but a teddy bear. He often could scare others with being a few inches over six feet and his well built structure that has been inherited to the men in our family. He easily could take care of any of them if it came down to it. Right now he’s jut standing up for me. Something that I would pay dearly for Monday when I went to school.

“No�" we were just complimenting her hair,” he says before him and his friends scurry out of the store like scared mice being chased by a bird. My brother just let’s out a small laugh before turning to me to make sure I’m okay. “Did they do anything to hurt you Lace? If they did tell me and I will hunt them down and beat them up.”

“No they were just talking about my clothes Reed it’s fine. Let’s just check out and go home,” I tell him in a quieter voice then earlier. His eyes narrowing to see if I’m lying, which I am but not completley, he sighs knowing I won’t go into any further detail.

“Let’s get out of here and watch a movie at home. Just you and I, no one else. How does that sound?” he asks me smiling and I smile back.

“Didn’t you have some plans with your friend tonight though? I don’t want to take you away from them if it’s going to end up being a problem,” my smile falters some as I don’t want my brother to always be around me. I want him to go enjoy his life, he’s still young and maybe he’d even meet his mate if he went with them for once. He just shakes his head as we get up to the do-it-yourself check out.

“I really don’t want to hang out with them. I want it to be you and I spending some time together. Don’t even say we spend time together all the time. I mostly have work all the time and you’re home alone usually when schools over for a bit. This will be nice. Maybe you should have a sleep over or join a club!” my brother says in a positive voice, not knowing the reputation I have in my school.

“Yeah maybe. Then again if I bring some girls over how do I know you’re not going to hit on them and try to get them into your bed,” I say in a teasingly voice and he looks over at me with a goofy smile.

“Touché.”

It’s the middle of the night and I lay by myself in my room, my big girl bed, and a raging storm going outside. Rain pounded against the roof heavily, lightening flashing across the sky, surprisingly it still felt nice outside. Appearences could be deceitful.  A loud sound of thunder erupts in a big boom, scaring me making me jump out of bed. The noise kept going and soon enough I realize that it’s not from the storm, someones knocking on our door persistently. Tree branches from outside scratch against my window. Getting up from my bed hesitantly  I run down the hall to mom and dads room making sure to stay in the light. The room barely cracked open, just enough to hear if my brother and I were ever up.

“Mommy!” I call out as I jump on to the end of the bed another strike of lightening there and gone less then a second. Crawling up to the bed I shake my mom awake scared to be the only one up in the dark. Lightening providing the only source of light for a few seconds at a time. My mom still half asleep  turns on to her side to look up at me from where I am.

“What’s the matter baby?” she asks shaking my dad up as well from his deep sleep, his snoring abruptly stopping. He rubs his eyes before looking up tiredly. The pounding on the door still going on from downstairs.

“There’s someone at the door,” I whisper to them quietly. My mom looks at my dad he hesitantly gets out of bed walking down the stairs. I crawl into the bed with my mom, she wraps her arms around me. “Mommy, why would someone be knocking at our door so late?”

“I don’t know why baby, don’t worry about it. Just close your eyes and try to get some sleep if you can. The storm will pass over soon and there will be a rainbow there for us in the morning. It’ll be your birthday too so it’s even more exciting!” she says with a small smile pulling me closer.

“Can I get my gift now? I want to know what it is! Is it the bike I wanted?” I ask excitedly and she shushes down my voice, telling me to lower it some.

“Not now honey. Now let’s close our eyes and sleep,” she says as another loud thud came from outside with the thunder.

Whispering calming words into my ear, stroking her hands gently in my hair, I close my eyes almost asleep when my mom screams out in pain. My eyes snap open and I jump starting too see my mom screaming as loud as she could. The piercing voice ec�"

“Lacey wake up! It’s okay Lace, it’s okay,” my brother says holding me tightly against his chest as I have some tears falling down my face rapidly. I bury my face into his chest, sniffeling my currently runny nose.

“I’m sorry... I didn’t to wake you up,” I mutter lowly, but still enough that my brothers wolf hearing could hear anyways.

“It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep anyways. I had to much on my mind,” he tells me and I nod my head hugging him tightly, not minding the contact as much, it felt comforting, protective, and I felt safe.

“I love you.”

“I know Lace, I know. I love you too. How about we have some late night waffles? You use to love them as a kid. I’ll even slice up the banana and put a smiley face on them like dad did,” he tells me and I nod my head getting up from the sofa.

“That sounds good. I don’t think I’m going to be going back to sleep anytime soon. I’m not tired anymore,” I tell my brother as I take the soft green blanket that is on the couch wrapping it around my own body. Not that I’m cold, being part wolf I’m naturally warm, still cold chills were running through my body. “Do you think I’ll end up finding my mate. I mean I’ll be of age and everything. I don’t want to find my mate.”

My brother takes a few minutes, probably trying to come up with some sort of answer. He always tried to shield me from the bad things out in the world. We’ve been through a lot of things that shouldn’t ever happen to kids. I’ve seen the horrors of things that can go on in the world. He made sure of that.

My brothers eyebrows scrunch up, having no idea whatsoever to say. I didn’t know if I expected a response from him, all I know is I don’t want to find my mate. My brother and I have minimal contact besides when I have nightmares. Other then that I barely let him touch me unless I lean in first. Loosing my parents at a young age I clung on to my brother to hold on to. I didn’t want to imagine life if my brother weren’t there to help me through everything. I would’ve probably killed myself all those years ago if it hadn’t happen.

I look at my arm trailing down my vein where three cigarette burn marks were branding me. The marks a faded but still can be seen on my natural peach colored skin. I trace my thumb over them self conciously before pulling down my long black sleeve down to cover them. On my oppisite arm exactly in the same spot were another three that matched.

The smell of the waffles wavered through the air, almost as if it’s begging me to float over to it like a cartoon charcter in a show. Two clear plates were set down on the counter as he takes the warm waffles out of the toaster. Maybe they were hot since he hurried with the motions waving his hands like a crazy person, a short curse comes out of his lips. Using one banana in thin pieces he cut it placing small pieces onto the waffles after drizzling it with maple syrup and a little sprinkle of powdered sugar. After he’s done making himself a plate he walks over handing mine and sitting next to me on the couch.

 He sets his plate on the table and goes off to his room in the apartment well I sit there questionly. I set down my plate wanting to wait for him. After a few minutes I try to peek from the couch without seeming oblivious. 

“Hey don’t you even try peeking in here!” he says calls out to me as if he just read my mind and I pout leaning against the couch. “Okay make sure you’re closing your eyes! I have your birthday present!”

“Didn’t I tell you not to get me anything? I really didn’t want you to waste your money on me,” I tell him closing my eyes anyways. Putting my palms over just to make sure I don’t ruin my surprise anyways.

“Okay open your eyes up now,” my brother says as he sets something on my lap. The thing kept moving. Confused I open my eyes to see�"

“A dog!” I say happily staring at the yorkshire pup petting her. She jumps up at me licking my face all over. “How could you afford her? She’s so cute! What’s her name? How old is she? How do�"“

“Woah, woah, calm down Lacey. I got her from my friend about three months ago when his dog gave birth to them. I paid for her to be neuterd and everything about two and a half months later. I kept her hidden at my friends house and figured you’ve always wanted a dog...” he tells me, “so do you like her? I didn’t name her yet. I figured you could name her.”

“Of course! I love her, she’s so adorable. This is the best gift ever thank you!” I tell him leaning over to hug him with the little pup who kept snuggling up against me. Her tail wagging excitedly as I pet her afterwards. “Peanutbutter. Peanut will work for short.”

He sits down next to me taking a bite into his food nodding his head at the childish name of the dog. Peanutbutter hops over to his lap at the site of food and as he goes to take the next bite she hops up on his taking the food off his fork. Sitting on his chest content she stares at his plate of food well stiffle a laugh.

“Guess she likes your food,” I tell him and he just glares at Peanut, not angrily but with amusement that the dog came over and took his food. I smile cutting a small piece of my food and feeding it to her with my brothers fork.

 

            “Dad let’s face it there’s no way that my mate is going to be in the pack. There’s only what, three? Four girls left in the pack that haven’t turned seventeen yet? Big whoop, if none of the others are my mate then what makes you think that one of them could be those four anyways?” I ask my father, Alpha Eric James who held a small piece of paper with only four names. I sigh looking at my dad well slumping in the chair aggravated. “Who are the four people anyways?”

            “As of today three of them are turning seventeen. There’s Erika Toffee, Madilyn Mayhew, and Lacey Moore. Then the other girl I’ll have to find out, the name is smudged here on the paper. If none of these girls are it we will have to wait another four years before anyone of the other kids are of age. That or we will have to visit other packs to see if maybe your mate is there,” he says and my eyes narrow at the piece of paper in his hand.

            “Did you just say the name Lacey Moore? I know her, she goes to my school. She’s the school’s loser. Erika is a quiet girl and doesn’t talk much, she’s not fit to be Luna. Then Madilyn, well she’s just the schools go to girl. So far my choices don’t sound so great,” I tell my dad in a mutual voice sounding displeased.

            “Well tuff puffers it doesn’t matter. We’re going to the flower shop. You will get a boquet of flowers then we are going to visit each girl to see if there’s a connection,” my father says in a adamant tone which tells me there’s no way I’m getting out of this.  I look at the clock and see that it says one in the morning.

            “Dad there’s no way any of them will be awake. Do you not see the time right now? Can’t it at least wait until morning?” I ask him sighing, and he shakes his head getting up from his black chair.

            I follow after him not having a choice, if I didn’t go with him then he would be more then glad to show me his strength by getting me to go with him. I rather not go and publically embarress myself being hung over his shoulder. My father may be getting older but it doesn’t mean any of his strength is gone. He went to the gym we have and works out everyday. Sometimes he beats me in a race in our wolf form and usually the younger ones are fast.

            I drag my feet across the carpet trying to stall going down to the car. Shoving the closest things, which were sandals I go off into my dad’s black mercedes. I hesitantly get into the passengar seat, he doesn’t give me a second as he drives as soon as the door is clothed. I put my seat buckle on not wanting us to get another ticket... let’s just say my dad is a bit of a speed demon on the road and thought that the speed limit is just them ruining out fun... sometimes I think it’s his mission to kill us.

            I didn’t believe when my dad said that he’d be able to find some flowers at this time of the night. We placed a bet of a hundred dollars on it. I shouldn’t  of made the bed let’s just say that. My dad always manage to beat me and I don’t know how. Muttering under my breath and taking out five twenties from my wallet I hand over the money to him. He goes into the store leaving me in the car, if I ran he’d probably start driving into the woods like a madman. So I wait patiently in the car as he comes out with white lillies in a bunch. I raise my eyebrow and he just ignores me handing the twelve to me.

            “There’s four for each girl. It doesn’t matter if they’re not your mate you apoligize for the inconvinence and wish them good luck on finding there mate. Do you understand that?” my father says. “Now make sure you give it your all in meeting all three of them. I’ll have your balls decapitated if you don’t.”

            “DAD! Come on you can’t seriously threaten me like that, it’s just not right. I would like my balls to remain where they are as well,” I tell him debating whether or not I should just go for it. What is it they always do in the movies, duck and roll?

      “Oh you better watch me because I can and I will and there’s nothing that you could do to stop me. I’m still the Alpha and I am more then okay to make an example out of you. You’ll understand when you find your mate how amazing it is to have one. Now we’re coming up to the girl Erika Mayhew’s house.”

            He pulls up to a small red house handing me the four flowers for the girl. I get out of the car as well as he does and I just stare at him. My father just shrugs wanting to watch as I may find my potential mate tonight.

            After an hour of trying to explain the girl it just isn’t meant to be we leave the house. The girl was crazy, here I thought she is quiet whenever we’re in school but truth is she’s just bat s**t crazy. She kept telling me how she could be my mate if I let her be. I would never want to ruin my chance with my real mate.

            Madilyn Mayhew wasn’t any better to go visit. She went crazy at the thought of maybe being my mate. She attacked me as soon as the door opened not caring that my father is right next to me. He didn’t even say anything but sat there atching as I got endured in pain. Managing to pry her off of me I gave her the flowers, apoligized that she’s not my mate, and ran to my dad’s car as fast as I could.

            I groan as I realize there’s still one more house to visit, the freaks. Out of all people the moon goddess would never make me be with someone like her right? I mean I’ve been good the majority of my life but she’s just so messed up. If anyone went to touch her she would flinch or runaway from them. She rarely spoke, even if a teacher did call out on her to answer a question. I can’t even remember if there’s ever a time she talked.

            She’s always been the freak since she was younger, it is just always how it has been. She’s more conservative then most girls, wearing jeans with a long sleeve shirt or oversized sweatshirt. It’s a guys one which made me think she had a boyfriend at one point... but who could stand her besides maybe her parents. I didn’t know much about her at all she’s always quiet and keeps to herself. My father use to know his parents well and never pushed her and his brother to come to pack meetings. He cared for the kids as the parents were apparently my father’s bestfriends in highschool.

Out of my three bestfriends there’s only one who has found his mate. The other two, like me like to have fun at parties and occasionally snag a girl. My friend Thomas, the one with a mate tells me how you’re going to regret it.

He said think about your mate not having their virginity when you meet, you’ll be hurt and want to beat the s**t out of the other guy. Personally I don’t care what we did beforehand it doesn’t matter. I can’t be angry with my mate if I did the exact same thing. He told me it still won’t matter. He says when I have a mate I won’t think as clearly as I do. I still don’t know whether I believe him or not, but he’s also the one with a mate, his names Terry.

We pull up to apartment complexes in an okay area. It isn’t the best but not somewhere I’d leave my door at home unlocked either. Trash is scattered on the streets a long with the smell of cigarettes from one of the apartment complexes from above I could just see the orange from below. I look at my father who just has a huge smile on his face. Like he knew something I didn’t, maybe he did. I didn’t like the smug look on his face either as wel make our way in to the apartment, I’m surprised we didn’t get robbed.

“Are you sure this is safe for anyone to live in? Or sane?” I ask him as we make our way to the building. I hold four white lillies in my hand. “How come you picked lillies instead of roses? Don’t girls love roses.”

“Not all girls,” my father says and I look at him confused. He walks us to the front of a blue wooder door. The silver knob reflecting the poor lighting in the hallway.

I raise my hand up to the door and knock, at first there’s no movement. I didn’t blame them, it’s around three thirty and I would prefer to be laying in bed right now, asleep. A few seconds later the door opens and a guy a few inches taller then me stares down at me.

“Alpha Eric and Logan,” he says bowing to us as I hear a girls voice.

“Reed who’s at the door?” the unfamiliar voice says, she didn’t smell like a rogue though, her voice trembled some though as she looks at us from behind Reed.

“Don’t tell me you forgot who I am Lacey?” my father says in a gentle voice with a smile. “Now is it okay if we come in Reed? My son and I just want to talk to Lacey for a moment if that’s okay. We can explain everything.”

I enter inside and see the back of Lacey’s head, surprise by how angelic her voice sounds. She goes and sits on the couch petting what looks to be like an oversized mouse well looking up at Reed. I look over at him wondering if he’s her brother. The two of them look almost a like but still if he’s not why is he here so early in the morning.

“As you know we like to come by when a girl comes of age to see if they happen to be my son’s mate. I was just wondering if your sister wouldn’t mind touching him for a moment or just looking into his eyes,” my father explains to them and Lacey looks up meeting my fathers eyes. She moves towards Reed whispering into his ear.

“She says she’ll look at him but she doesn’t want to have any physical contact. She’s still a little iffy on people touching her. Sometimes even me,” he says and my father nods, a small hint of sadness and pity for Lacey.

Lacey looks over at me and I felt the instant connection every mate should feel, the want of their mate close to them. She felt it too, I could see she isn’t excited, but scared and frightened. She looks at Reed and whispers into his ear again. Reed looks up protectively at me and I wonder if he knew what I’ve done to her through out the years.

“She’s wondering if she has to leave. She doesn’t want to go,” he asks my father. The both of us answering at the same time.

“No.”

“Yes.”

My eyes glancing at my father shocked by his answer and angry from keeping me away from my mate. I loo�" glare at my father but he didn’t stand down.

“She can take however much time she needs to get accustomed to the mate situation. I do ask that she comes to the pack house though. We have two room levels to ourselves and will be more then delighted if you came with us.”

“I’m not going unless you go,” Lacey says in a low whisper to her brother which she probably didn’t mean for my father or I to here. My father stood there with an understanding look.

“We would be honored to Alpha. Do you except animals? I sort of got my sister a dog for her birthday,” he says with a smile and my father’s grin widens.

I look down realizing the flowers were still in my hand and hand them over to her suddenly nervous. She looks at them carefully before taking her hand out to take them, no physical contact whatsoever. She looks at them and smiles before looking at me for a few seconds.

“I hope you like them I don’t exactly know what your favorite kind of flowers are...” I tell her awkwardly.

“I like lillies,” she says to no one really. “Should we put are stuff together?”

“That would probably be best sweetheart. Do you want a min�"“

“No,” Reed says in a firm voice and my father shakes his head getting the gist. “I’ll get our stuff together well you all stay here.”

“So Lace�"“ I go to say but she cuts me off.

“Just cause you’re my mate Logan doesn’t mean I forgive you for anything or want you as a mate. I just simply dont want to be dragged out of here. I do like the flowers though,” she says in a quiet voice staring at anywhere but me.

“Well...” my father says, “this is awkward.”