Gazing at the many unknowing faces, I began to feel as though I was living in the shadows once again. I was left baring a secret that caused me to feel as though I was living a lie.

Human innocence watched as our college professor continued to lecture to use about accounting and Finance. I looked to the left of me. Beside me was a girl. Her blond hair was draped over her brown eyes as she continued to scribble insignificant pictures on her notebook. What amazed me the most was how unaware she was of the inhuman creature that sat only inches away from her.

She sighed out. My useful heightened senses allowed me to listen to her heart and breathe that would accelerate every time the professor searched for a student to answer a simple question. Her heart rate would regulate once the professor called on anyone besides her. She slouched in her chair, her eyes occasionally wondering off from her work to a boy that was sitting in the far corner of the room.

"Amira? Are you paying attention?" I looked to the right of me, finding the eyes of my friend, Eric.

Eric and I have been friends since we were thirteen. Six years later, we were still going strong. We had a lot of classes together over the years so our friendship continued to grow. However, despite us being friends, I could never find myself to tell him who I really was. Or should I say what I was.

"Yeah....No." I admitted before we both shared a low snicker.

"Eric, you know I got all of this stuff already." I reassured him, slouching down in my chair.

I was known to be very intellectual when it involved school. Unlike most, it was very easy to remember and comprehend given task and work. This skill has been very helpful for me.

"Well then if it's so damn easy for you, you can teach it all to me because I'm lost as hell." Eric sighed. His eyes narrowed in on the textbook in front of him as I laughed quietly at him.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, class dismissed." The teacher announced as she wrapped up her lecture. I stood from my desk. Students began gathering their things before everyone scrambled out of the door.

"So lunch on me today?" Eric offered.

"No, sorry, I have to help my mom prepare for this dinner we are having tomorrow. Just a few out of town guest." I sighed heavily.

"Okay cool, well I'll text you tonight?"

"Sure."

**********

The appetizing smell of food danced its way around me, clouding my nasal passages with a knee weakening aroma of my mother's home cook meal.

I walked in to the kitchen to see my mother running back and forth in the kitchen. She was cutting vegetables, stirring food in the pots, and temping whatever she had roasting in the oven.

"Mom, is it this serious?" She was acting as if the president was stopping by for dinner.

"Yes sweetie, this is when you see your new Alpha for the first time." My mother was more cheerful then the rest of us were.

It was amusing how my mother cared more about the Alpha's arrival more than the actual werewolves that lived here. Her being human, I expected her to feel uncaring about his presence. As if he was just another regular visitor.

I guess being married to and the mother of a werewolf really had her interested in the other world. Unlike her, I could care less about the other world. I found the human life to be much better. Accepting. I enjoyed not living under the command and authority of some male who is determined to show his dominance over everyone because of a title.

That is why I loved living in the city. A majority of our pack, including the Alpha and Beta, lived far out in the country somewhere.

Honestly, that's how I liked it. I loved being away from the group who allowed their title to get to their overgrown skull.

I preferred the distance. However my father seemed to not feel the same as I. Recently he had invited the previous Alpha and Luna and the new Alpha, his son, over for dinner. Only my father could ruin such a beautiful thing.

"But mom, they aren't coming until tomorrow." I reminded her again.

"I know, I know, but I prefer to get things done now."

I sighed. Looking over everything, I could see how she had a handle on things.

"You seem to have everything done." The oven was roasting the chicken, the pots were boiling the vegetables and she seemed to be starting dessert. "Call me if you need anything then."

I snatched up my bag from the kitchen counter. Reaching into the cupboard, I pulled a granola bar from the box before I exited the kitchen.

I mentally cursed my mother and father again. I don't even know why I even have to be here. If I could, I would disappear before they even made it to town. Sadly, my father requested that I be present for the attendees.

Why do I seem so against the presence of the Alpha? I would say our past was just a tiny piece of the reason that I wanted to disappear. Even though my mother said it's the first time meeting the Alpha, it's not. We had met before he had taken on the title of Alpha.

When I was about eight years old, my father and I would visit the main pack house for some business. Since my father was one of the strongest warriors of our pack, the Alpha would need him by his side during decisions.

That's when I had first met eleven year old Xavier, the soon to be Alpha.

My father said to keep us busy and out of their hair while he helped the Alpha, Xavier and I should go play, and we did. Honestly, I thought Xavier was cute. I was actually very fond of him. Stupidly, I asked him did he feel the same. I got my answer and it was not the answer I hoped for.

To impress his friends, who were the children of other higher ranked members, he knocked me off of the swing. I remember crying under the swing as him and the other kids laughed before they left me to soak in my own tears.

That fucking bitch.

Yes, I'm aware that it was many years ago but for some reason; I just could not forget and forgive. I guess I just did not take rejection or embarrassment too well. I still don't.

Luckily after that, I never saw him again and I was perfectly accepting of that.

I quickly shook the thoughts off before I disappeared into the bathroom.

When I was finished in the shower, I stepped in to my room and stood in front of the mirror. I ran my hands down my hips as I stared at my reflection. I adored my frame. I didn't consider myself fit or slim like the other werewolf females had I encountered. Other she-wolves had a fit and athletic physique. The type of body that would look exceptional in anything. I, on the other hand, did not have that. I was a curvaceous woman. Full breast, thick hips and thighs without such a slimming waist. I always assured myself a diet would come. At Least after I finish off the pizza I was enjoying.

I began to smile. My full pink lips looked well with my milky smooth skin and brown eyes.

I pulled out my blow dryer and started blow drying my shoulder length black hair. After it was dry, I pinned it up and leaped in to my full sized bed. I turned on my flat screen television. Searching through the many channels, I finally landed on a show I could finish out my night with.

**************

Wrapped up in my comforter, I felt at ease. No classes. No early morning wake up calls. Just the perfect time to sleep in.

"Amira, wake up, let's go the mall." A recognizable voice pushed through my bedroom door.

"No thank you." I rolled away from the voice of my mother. "It's too early anyway."

"Too early? Its 12:30 in the afternoon. Now get your butt up."

I turned to my mother. An annoyed snarl escaped me. She looked at me. Her eyes narrowed in on me. She shot me a warning glare before she turned. It was a warning that assured me that her wraith was much more powerful than my teeth.

"Make it an hour or I'm coming back."

"Fine." I sighed.

I stayed in bed there for another fifteen minutes. I just did not want to get up. Mustering up the energy, I sat up from the bed. I swung my legs from the bed and stood to my feet. Tired and drained, I dragged myself to my awaiting bathroom.

Finishing my morning routine, I tossed on my clothing and picked up my bag. Closing my bedroom door, I searched through my phone as I made my way down the stairs.

"Hey dad?" I greeted my father as I walked into the kitchen. He glanced up from his morning paper to meet my gaze.

"Hey, where you two getting into?" He questioned.

"She's dragging me to the mall with her." I slipped into a chair beside him. Reaching for his paper, I pulled the comic section from the crumbled pile.

"Oh good luck." I could sense the humor in his comment.

He knew how things went when it involved attending my mother to the mall. He found his way to get out of it. During their mall trips, he would make her shopping experience hell. He complained, he dragged his feet, he gave opinions my mother found useless. Occasionally he would become 'ill' during their mall runs.

I could only admire his tactics for escaping.

"Okay sweetie, I'm ready."

"Okay." It came out in a sigh. I slipped out of my chair.

I followed her out to her car and got in. I slumped down into the chair as I listened to the vehicle's engine liven from under the hood. I slipped my ear buds into my ear and prepared.

*************

We roamed the mall for hours. There was never a specific item we were looking for. With my mother, we were just looking. With the help from the complaints from me, my mother wrapped up her shopping journey and we exited the mall.

"Sweetie, can you tell your father to come help with the bags." I scowled at her. What am I? A personal beeper?

Reaching into my father and I's mind link, I urged for his assistance. Only a few seconds later, my father emerged from the front entrance way. He reached for my mother's bag. He refused to have her carry her own.

He should have joined us in our mall run then. With his petty whining, I would have been home already.

Making my way into the kitchen, I walked over to the refrigerator. Pulling a bottle of water from the shelf, I turned to leave.

"We all have rooms for that people." Turning away, I avoided the intimate kiss my mother and father had engaged in.

"Sorry honey." My mother's cheeks flushed red as she pulled away from my father.

"You will understand when you finally find your mate." My father explained.

A mate. To a werewolf, our mate would be someone the moon goddess has blessed us with. A mate would be someone we plan to spend the rest of eternity with. A love. A destined bond that was almost unavoidable and hard to break. My mother and father were mates. He shared with her his secret and she accepted his life and him as well.

However some are not that blessed. Some are more cursed then fortunate. Some are given a mate who could be careless, coldblooded, and downright disgraceful.

There could be ones who do not want a mate. Some who would rather remain unrestricted then fall into the spell of the mate bond. Rejection. Some would rather reject their mate. Their way of freeing themselves from the world they consider being a prison.

However it's not always accepted by the other. The rejected mate may not fully accept it, leaving them with a broken heart and the feeling of abandonment, and desertion. Some begin to feel as though it is their own actions that cause the rejection. Then begin to feel self-loath and hatred for their wolves. This is when other dangerous aspect comes in. Pain. Hate. Even suicidal feelings brew in them.

Honestly, I did not care about finding my mate. I did not want to find some wolf who probably believed that I was only used to bare his children and sleep with him. A man who probably only use me as his chew toy. I could not allow someone to have so much control over me. So much power. So much heartache.

"No thank you on the mate thing dad." A waved my hands frantically. I did not want that curse.

"Honey, go get dressed, our guest should be arriving in about an hour." My mom pressed.

Shifting my eyes toward my father, I shot him a venomous glare once again.

"Oh honey, you will love them. They are nice people so relax."

Disagreeing with him, I picked up the small bags I had got from the mall and ran up to my room to prepare for a un wanted arrival.