I loaded up the last box in my little car and slammed the trunk closed. Grabbing the keys from my bag, I flung it in the passenger seat before turning to hug my friend Chrissy.

"I'm gonna miss you, Nat!" She says with a sad smile. I hug her tight and try to hold in my tears.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Chris. Try to stay out of trouble." I give her a warning glare and she giggles.

"I'll do my best." She promises before stepping back from me. I slip into the driver's seat and wave goodbye before starting the long drive home.

As far as humans go, Chrissy is my favorite. I was lucky to win a scholarship to a fancy human boarding school, but being away from my family and pack has been wearing on me, especially since my eighteenth birthday a few months ago. Rather than going home to celebrate, I decided to stay at school and work my ass off so I could graduate a semester early. I hadn't told anyone about it in case I couldn't pull it off, but now I'm heading home not just for Christmas, but forever. My wolf is giddy at the thought. Since my birthday she's been anxious to be around other wolves, hoping to find her mate.

I try to imagine the look on my parents faces when I tell them. My big brother Sean will probably be annoyed that I'm home again. He's been in training with my dad to take over the Beta position and has no time to squabble with me, so he says.

My mind shifts to my two best friends, Eli and Jude. They are the Alpha's twin sons and even though they are two years older than me, we were always close growing up.

One day at school I was being picked on by an older boy, I couldn't have been more than seven years old. They heard it and came to my defense. They stood on each side of me and threatened the boy that if he ever came near me again they would kick his ass. The boy was so scared he nearly peed his pants. Then they took me to the pond afterward and helped teach me how to swim. Even all these years later the memory still makes me smile.

After that we were always kind of attached at the hip. Other kids would make fun of me for being the 'smart one' or the 'nerd' and they never let anyone get away with it. Sean says they felt obligated since I was the Beta's daughter, but they didn't have to buy me birthday and Christmas presents every year or take me to carnivals and movies. They didn't have to carry me home after a long run when I was tired or tuck me gently into bed if I fell asleep on the couch. They didn't have to spend hours playing monopoly with me or teach me how to play poker. I'm special to them, just as they are to me.

The drive passed by uneventfully as it always does. The further away from the city I get, the less scenery there is. Eventually I pull on to the dirt road that leads into the thick forest that surrounds the pack. I drive through the enchantments placed by witches, if any human were to stumble here all they would see is thick forest.

Crossing over the boundary feels like a piece of me clicking into place. I stop as the border patrol wolf stops next to my car. He shifts, keeping his lower half hidden by my car.

"Natalie is that you?" The older wolf asks with a broad grin.

"Hey Jeff how's it going?" I ask him returning his smile. He's been friends with my dad since before I was born and is like an uncle to me.

"Good, good. Didn't know you were coming back." He says patting my cheek affectionately.

"It's kind of a surprise. Think you can keep it to yourself till I see my parents?" I ask with a mischievous grin. He chuckles and nods before gesturing me forward.

"Your secret's safe with me, little one." He says before shifting back. I wave goodbye as I drive further into the pack, passing the hospital, school and packhouse.

I take the small path to the somewhat hidden alpha and beta house. They are nearly right next to each other and almost identical. Eli and Jude's parents still live in the alpha house since the title hasn't been passed down yet and Sean is still in training, but he hasn't met his mate yet so he lives at the packhouse. Eli and Jude have their own house though which always confused me since neither one of them have a mate, or the same mate. It's not uncommon for twins to share.

I pull up to the house but don't see any cars anywhere. I bound up the stairs and open the door.

"Mom? Dad?" I call out and am met with silence. A quick tour of the house confirms that I am alone.

'Well that was anticlimactic.' I murmur to myself.

I unload most of the boxes from my car and no one has showed up yet, so I decide to drive over to Eli and Jude's house. It's only about ten minutes away. My stomach does a little flutter when I see their house come into view. I haven't been here since the summer and I had been so busy with school I barely had time to miss them.

I see both of their cars in the driveway so am fairly certain they're home. They could be on a run, but I know Eli prefers to run early in the morning while Jude prefers the calm of night. I decide to sneak in on them and scare them. That is one of their favorite pranks to play on me and it's about time I get to return the favor.

I sneak in through the front door and creep quietly around the main floor. I don't see or hear anything and smirk to myself. They are both famous for their afternoon naps and waking them out of a dead sleep would be incredibly satisfying. I tip toe up the stairs and stop at Eli's room first. I push the door open quietly and slip inside. Looking around, I see the bed is empty. The window is open slightly letting the cold December air in. I scoff and close the window. Eli is always running hot and loves to sleep in freezing cold temperatures.

'I wonder where they are.' I think to myself as I head down towards Jude's room at the other end of the hall.

Halfway there I catch a new scent entirely unlike anything I have ever smelt before. It's a heady combination of citrus and vanilla. Sweet yet refreshing and my mouth waters. My wolf becomes anxious, forcing me towards the scent. She's pacing and yapping in my mind as my feet carry me faster down the hall. I couldn't slow myself down if I wanted to. The smell gets stronger just outside Jude's door. I try to knock, but my body refuses to listen to me. My hand moves to the door knob on it's own accord, pushing the door ajar. The scent hits me full force and my wolf howls in my mind.

'Mate!' She cries in excitement. My heart rate speeds up as I lift my gaze and lock eyes with Jude's baby blues.

"Mate." I murmur. His eyes widen in shock and his jaw drops.

"Natalie?" He asks. His voice brings me out of my trance and I glance around the room. And my heart nearly stops in my chest.

It's only then do I realize he's being aggressively ridden by another woman.