The 'Cave' was in actuality a cavern that was under the house. No one was sure when it had been dug, but it had been there way before the first colonist had arrived. Of that I was sure.

Following the steps downwards, the marble would eventually become stone, and after stepping out from the last step, one would only have to take a left to find themselves in a huge stone chamber.

Symbols were carved into the stone, their meaning lost in time. There were some faces of past leaders etched there as well, their somber expressions staring down at us in silent judgment.

My father and mother were already on the raised stage. My mother was wearing a similar design as me, but it was purple, which befitted the Beta. The gold lining her gown denoted her as wife to the alpha, the head of our tribe.

My father wore bright red, the color of fresh blood. He wore a cloak of fur, denoting his Alpha class. He had already taken a seat in his chair, his eyes focused on those congregating below.

My brother walked in passed me. I quickly dropped my eyes and hunched my shoulders. He barely gave me a glance. His Roman like robe and skirt were a darker red, burgundy. It denoted him as the next alpha. I watched him as he arrogantly took his stance behind Father.

Chelsey wasn't too far behind, as she came waltzing in in a light purple gown. She stopped, seeing me, her eyes narrowing. "So, the pest got dressed up too." She scoffed at the color. "Dung, it's perfect for you."

With her snide remark ringing in my ears, she continued inside and took a place beside Mom.

I stood indecisively. Could I leave and they not notice? But my mother, seeing me and pointedly staring, destroyed my hopes of disappearing.

Reluctantly, I walked into the room, walking up the steps quickly. I knelt on a pillow that sat closer to the stairs. It was so I could take items from those who had offerings and such.

My head bowed, I just decided to daydream my way through this meeting and then when it was over, get back to doing my homework.

The ceremony began with the opening of the large doors that were opposite our slightly raised dais. The first to enter was the head of the Talve family pack. They all wore their traditional garb that put me in the mind of Vikings.

The leader of the family was named Warrick. His heavy beard was a matchup of grey and blonde hair. His head was freshly shaven and his face was disgruntled as usual. Warrick made it no secret that he thought he could be a better tribe leader than my father.

He was gruffly followed by his entourage. They all shared his blue eyes, pale skin, and an icy composure.

After they had taken their seats, they were followed by the Ryans, a family that was known for their more modern beliefs. They were added in 2000 because they managed to anger the tribe in Atlanta by encroaching on the business territory of the other group.

Father had eagerly added their head, Trevor Ryan, to our tribe. Trevor sauntered in as usual, overly confident with a slight smirk on his face. Since his pack was newly formed, they wore semi-formal clothes.

Trevor shot a wink at Chelsey, who scoffed. Of course, Rorik growled at this, showing his protective streak. Trevor raised two hands in innocence. Still chuckling, he took his seat, with the rest of his family falling in behind him.

Finally, came the Argint family. They were as old as Father, their heavy Italian roots tying them to past kings.

Argint, himself, was a thin but tall man clothed in severe black. His eyes were hard as they swept the chamber. He strode over to the seating area. Those behind him wore black as well. A flash of gold here and there denoted them as "special" members, but since I rarely stayed too long, I didn't know any of his people.

My father cleared his throat, "Hrm, I welcome you, Warrick, Argint, and Trevor to this special occasion at our yearly meeting of the packs."

"And what is this special reason, I wonder?" Warrick's voice caused immediate tension to rise. His eyes were closed and his arms crossed in front of him. "There have only been three times that our tribes have been ordered to be formal. One, birth, two, death, and three, marriage."

My father chuckled, ignoring the slight taint of annoyance in Warrick's voice.

"Well, friend, it is to welcome a new member into our tribe." Father's eyes narrowed. "I wished for our pack to meet the addition to our circle."

The three all shared a knowing look, though Trevor's look of amusement didn't diminish when he spoke. "So, does that mean you will actually heed the counsel we give you today?"

My father smirked, "Has there been a time when I have not?"

Trevor silently stared at my father before he sent his amused gaze my way. "Well...it depends on the matter."

"Enough," my father snapped. I wondered what I had to do with their exchange and why it made my father angry. "We will speak no more on that subject." He motioned towards the guards at the door. "Let them in."

I couldn't help but lift my head to see who would be the new addition to the tribe. In truth, it was more to assess who I would need to avoid in the future.

At first, the hallway darkness seemed to hide the five men that stood on the other side, but as each one of them started to walk into the room, I felt my breath shorten.

They were large, which wasn't much of a surprise since they were of werewolf blood. But these men were more than that. There was a certain wildness in them that had been bred out of most changelings.

They all wore kilts with fur cloaks that were obviously of animals they'd killed with their own hands. I could hear Rorik silently whistle, impressed by their appearance.

I shifted my footing. The one in the front seemed to be the leader. His long black hair was braided, and on his bare forearm was a blue tattoo that reminded me of some art I'd seen while watching Braveheart. His eyes were blue, but when I looked at them, it wasn't the color that came to mind, but a feeling of ice. Unlike the others, whose kilts were of red and greens, his was of gold and black.

Once they arrived at the bottom of the dais, my father spoke. "These are the McKillans. They have come far to our land to request joining with our tribe."

Warrick's face slowly started to turn red before he suddenly stood. "This is insanity!" He pointed at the man in the front. "He's no ties with us, and worst yet, he's one of those purists!" he spat out.

Trevor chuckled, his eyes narrowing on Father. "Ha! I knew you were up to something, but..." He shook his head. "Even I know that purist have been the enemies of our people for decades. Why would you bring them here?"

"Indeed," Argint added, shifting his black robes. "Our families still get a sudden itch to kill a purist when the moon is full."

"Nay," an amused voice spoke up. A man with red hair and a golden furred cloak stepped forward to face Argint. "It's us who still feel the itch to kill rebel vermin."

Argint's lip raised in a snarl. "Your tongue is free rouge. Too free. My family is always eager to clip a long tongue." His eyes showed bloodlust.

"Stop, Roland," a soft voice said. Suddenly, the tension rose another decimal. I truly wished then I could return to my room to do my homework. Anything was preferable to this moment, even geometry.

The male with cold eyes turned around and faced all three of the heads. "My name is Ewan McKillan. I am the leader of my pack and the Laird to my people. Any threat you make against my men, you make against me." His voice was still soft, but there was a certain menace that caused the hackles to rise on all the Alphas in the room. He was steadfast in his intent to challenge all of them head on.

"Enough! All of you!" my father decreed from his seat. "Warrick, Ryan and Argint, this man has proven his loyalty to me, and he has already agreed to the stipulations set forth to join the tribe. Your aggression is not needed."

"Oh...," Trevor said, having relaxed back in his chair. "And what is that insurance?"

My father smiled and motioned towards me. "He will be taking my eldest daughter as his wife."

There was absolute silence at his announcement. Everyone turned their gaze towards me, and surprisingly, it was Trevor who said something first.

"Well, that's..." he paused, his brows furrowing in confusion.

Everyone else seemed confused as to who I was. I would have been insulted if it weren't for the word 'marriage' ringing in my head.

I was going to do what?! I looked at my father and he smiled back at me as if saying... finally, there is a use for this mutt. My hands tightened in the folds of my brown dress, the dress they'd given me to show me off to this...this...!

I looked at him. His expression hadn't changed nor did he look happy. Actually, I could clearly sense his distaste as he slowly looked over my form. How dare he show such distaste when he was the one about to ruin my life and my plans.

Suddenly, I couldn't hold it back and I growled. My hackles were fully raised, my nails cut into the palms of my hands. Everyone tensed, but I didn't care that my parents were both slowly standing and that my sister was snarling at me, trying to force me to return to being docile.

"How dare you?" I said quietly. I turned my eyes towards my father. They were burning from unshed tears. "How could you? Is my life not miserable enough that you have to sell me off now?" I refused to let my voice warble at the deep sadness I felt. Despite my hopes that my parents cared for me, even just a little, the one word, "marriage", had dashed my hopes to pieces.

He glared at me and faced me fully. "Are you challenging me, Omega?" His shoulders were tensed.

I scoffed, "Challenge you?" I looked at the men who watched us quietly, not moving. "No... I'm not going to challenge anyone." I looked back at my father, and reaching up to the fancy necklace that now felt like a collar, I pulled on it till it snapped. I held it out towards him. "I'm leaving this farce of a family." Tossing it to the floor, I walked away, ignoring my mother, who called me back.

My father stood there, still shocked, I guess, at my bold declaration of leaving.

I ran up the stairs. I couldn't stop the tears that choked my throat. I could hear the guards chasing after me. I wasn't going to let them take me back there. The scene of my father smiling and everyone looking so sure that I'd go along with his declaration heightened my anger.

My heels clicked against the marble as I raced past the two statues of past tribe leaders. I stopped at the gate; it was wide open. To the right was a road that led to the house. To the left, the road led to the free lands where we wolves ran almost every night.

My skin felt tight as I tried to pick which way I should run. Before I knew it, I was pulling at the pins in my hair and slipping off the heels. The grass met the soles of my feet and sent a shiver of freedom up my spine. My hair whipped in the wind as it chased the sky, my heart pounding in my ears.

I lifted the edge of my gown, the darkness of the trees covered me and I couldn't help but think that I was going to run and run till there was no more land to run.