| KALEB

I sat watching my pack mates from a distance. They were roughhousing in the yard, below where I was perched in my favorite tree. As the runt, I preferred to stay away from the bigger wolves. At nineteen I was only 5 ft even, with hardly any meat on my tiny frame.

The males were in wolf form, snarling and playfully lunging at each other in mock aggression. Sometimes I wished I could join them, it looked like fun. Since I was so small I wasn't allowed. It didn't help that on top of that I was an omega, meaning that out of everyone in the pack I was the most sensitive. Sensitive in that one look from a higher ranking member was liable to have me rolling over in submission.

It's embarrassing really.

If I were to try and join in the ruckus in front of me, one snarl- hell- one slightly threatening look in my direction would have me baring my neck with my tail tucked between my legs.

My pack mates tried their best not to be too domineering around me. Which I was grateful for but it usually ended with them just babying me all the time. As a result many members simply see me as another pup. At least their wolves do which causes their human counterparts to treat me as such. I am nineteen for goddess's sake, I am not a pup anymore. With a pitiful sigh, I diverted my eyes from the wrestling boys and turned them to the sky.

Everyone, gather in the meeting area. Even though the mind think the alpha's voice caused shivers of submission to wreck through my body. I was naturally over submissive.

I waited till the boys were gone before leaving the security of the tree and began to descend carefully. Last time I fell down the tree, my twisted ankle and bruises took forever to heal. I was certainly not looking forward to a repeat.

Once safely on the ground, I followed my pack mates to the meeting grounds at a safe distance. I didn't really care what the gathering was about if anything I'd probably wouldn't listen anyway. The only reason I was going was that the Alpha commanded it.

The Alpha stood on a large boulder in the middle of the gathering area. His mate, the Luna, stood next to it greeting us with a warm smile. Her dark skin appeared to be dripping honey as the late afternoon sun glinted off of it. The Alpha was a tank with bulging muscles and a badass dominant aura. He scanned the gathering wolves causing me to shudder when his brown eyes passed over me.

I hated how one look from a higher ranking wolf damn near caused my heart to stop. It was almost debilitating in its potency. My eyes immediately shifted to the ground as to not look the alpha in the eye. Anyone looking him in the eye was a sign of disrespect, a challenge, one that an alpha wolf would be all too eager to answer.

"Alright everyone," Alpha Drake began as the rest of the wolves packed in. "An unfamiliar scent has been lingering around our borders recently." His voice boomed across the clearing full of confidence and assurance. The crowd remained quiet and attentive as the large male continued to speak. "My beta and I suspect that it belongs to a tiger shifter. Your orders are to avoid traveling on the outskirts of our lands but if you must, don't go alone."

Tiger? I had never seen a tiger shifter before, only heard about them from rumors. They're supposedly very powerful. Not mention huge, from the stories my mom used to tell me, fully grown adult male tigers were taller than alphas in their shifted forms dwarfing them easily from sheer mass alone. I've always wanted to meet one but that is unlikely considering I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation without crumbling into a submissive heap.

"That is an order, do not engage and stay away. Understood?" After collective 'yes's' and 'yes alpha,' the meeting was adjourned.

As I made my way back to the compound I realized that there was nothing to do. So I made a detour. There was a clearing not too far away with an abundance of wildflowers. It was where I went to get away from my pack mates.

I shifted allowing my bones to mold into those of my wolf. My fur was black as the night with no moon and stars to light it and it contrasted with the violet coloring of my wolf's eyes. I'd been told that my wolf was beautiful, but that didn't change the fact that I was still pitifully small. While other werewolves could stand at a staggering 8 feet (more commonly alphas) I was only a foot taller than average wolves. Due my smaller size, I was faster and more agile than others. The only positive in my opinion.

I bounded off in the direction of the clearing. I liked running, I didn't have to think about anything other than the sound of my paws hitting the mossy ground and my intakes of breath. It was freeing in a way.

After running for almost half an hour the clearing was in sight, so I slowed to a trot. I froze when I broke the tree line of the clearing, every muscle in my body locking as the most tantalizing smell filled my nose.

Spices and chocolate.

Mate.