Ruthless like my mates

1

Valentina POV

You know how they say everything in the animal kingdom has an order? Survival of the fittest and all that? As I was born in a pack of werewolf shifters and never got a wolf, I can assure you this is 1000% true. But I will get to that later.

Our pack, silver eclipse, is one of many packs across the globe, and one of the larger ones too. Although many of them share alliances and are on relatively friendly terms, not all of them are. And not to mention the so-called rogue wolves who do not belong to any pack, and become feral at some point in time. It has something to do with a wolf’s nature of needing to belong in a pack, causing them to go completely feral when they are out there all alone. Nobody knows exactly when they turn feral, how long of living alone it takes. They are highly volatile and dangerous, and they are known to randomly attack wolf packs here and there. They live in so called unclaimed lands, which is land that does not belong to the humans or any other wolf pack.

Speaking of humans – please don’t get me wrong, we look exactly like them. The only difference is that werewolves are able to shift into huge furry wolves, with big claws and teeth. Werewolves are incredibly fast, strong, and they heal almost instantly. Except when they are hurt by silver, which is basically their kryptonite. Wolves share an existence with their human counterpart, they can converse together in their minds and can feel the same feelings. Both of them can be in control, although it will usually be the human who is in control.

Werewolves differ from humans in 1 more essential part, they have so-called “fated mates”. Another thing I will never get to experience. Although I don’t mind missing out on this one. A fated mate is a soulmate, bound to you by the moon goddess as a perfect match, the goddess all werewolves believe in. The so-called mate bond binds the wolves’ souls together, as well as the human souls, so they are bound in every way possible. You feel extremely attracted to them, and they can affect you like no other.

My mom and dad explained to me back in the days that they can feel each other’s emotions, and can even influence them. It is also said that when you touch each other, electrical tingles can be felt. And supposedly, when either of the parties cheat on the other, the counterpart is in excruciating pain. It is extremely hard to resist the bond, apparently. However, there have been plenty of cases where one of either wolves formally rejected the other. Fated mates can either accept the mate bond by marking (basically biting the other) and mating (s*x) each other, or they can formally reject each other, which is the only way besides death to break the bond.

And that brings me to the only advantage I have as a human – I will never be forced to love someone I wouldn’t have chosen myself, just because some goddess supposedly picked them for me as my perfect match. I get to choose who I love. And I can tell you now, whoever it might be, it won’t be a werewolf.

Enough with the werewolf information, it doesn’t really matter to me since I don’t have one anyway. My name is Valentina, and I am the first (and only) born daughter in my family. Everyone had the highest expectations of me, as my mom and dad are the Alpha and Luna of our pack, which are the highest and strongest ranks in any wolf pack. Since I am their only child, although female, I would have naturally became the luna (or as I would have called myself: Alpha) when I came of age and got my wolf. But, fate had other plans for me unfortunately.

Most werewolves get their wolf on their 18th birthday. Most Alphas get them at 16, some even earlier. My mom and dad, who are incredibly strong, got their wolves when they were only 14. I have only ever seen my dad’s wolf. As my mom is the luna she has a completely different role than my dad. Expectations for me were high, and this was further ignited when my eyes turned out to be golden yellow. Everyone presumed I was blessed by the moon goddess. But boy, were they wrong.

I am currently 24, and I never got a wolf. Up until about 3 years ago we were still holding out hope that I would, but we have completely given up on that by now. Let me tell you, living in a wolf pack without a wolf, is like being a sheep in a lion’s den. The only reason I am alive and the only thing keeping me here, are my parents. Luckily for me, they are the strongest of our pack and nobody would dare touch me. Ironic, isn’t it? Since their only daughter is the weakest of them all. A wolf pack is divided in ranks, ruled by the strongest. From top to bottom you have the Alpha and luna, beta, gamma, warriors and omegas. And then there is me, a mere human.

Out of necessity, my father is now training the current beta’s son Derek to take his place when he retires. The little sh*thead with his mid length cappuccino brown hair and pearly whites thinks he is the goddess’ gift to mankind. Or women kind to be precise. I am about the only woman in this pack he hasn’t befouled, a title I am adamant on keeping. The guy most likely has more STD’s than I have books in my closet.

Whenever mom and dad are close he acts all nice to me, but as soon as they leave the devil incarnate drops his act and continues to ridicule me every way he possibly can. I told my parents once, but I could tell they didn’t believe me. They probably thought I was being petty or jealous, as he will take my place as the next ruler of this pack. But I honestly am not. The guy is just a genuine *sshole. And a sneaky one at that.

Although everyone has to treat me decently now, I know in my heart I will have to leave the day he takes over from my dad. You know that feeling when someone is smiling at you, but you just know in your gut that as soon as you’ll turn your back they will plunge a knife in it? That is the exact relationship between me and the pack. Or a big chunk of them at least. The only real friends I have are Tommy, the gamma’s son, and Bethany. Bethany, or Beth as I call her, is the beta’s daughter. Yes - Derek’s sister. Although they are siblings, they are nothing alike. Bethany is, and has always been, kind. Whereas Derek has always been a complete conceited *sshole.

Tommy is 1 year younger than me at 23, and Bethany is 20. Both of them have not found their fated mates yet, so they are still free to live their lives unchained.

Besides Beth and Tommy, only some of the older omegas treat me with any form of decency. The rest of them are just hanging on until Derek takes over, I can sense it in my bones. They act very different towards me when my parents aren’t around.

During the week I am busy working with my dad on the financial side of the pack and his investments. On the weekends, I sometimes go clubbing in a human town nearby with the human friends I have met in college, or I just stay at home and read or hang out with Tommy or Beth. In the evenings during the week, my father and I train together. You would think he’d go easy on his little girl without a wolf, but nothing could be further from the truth. His training is BRUTAL. It almost seems like he forgets that I do not have a wolf and have no accelerated healing like they do. But since we live in the same house and he can see my battered and bruised body day in day out, I am inclined to believe that he does it on purpose.

Don’t get me wrong, my father is the absolute best anyone could ever wish for. But his training however, is something else. Purple and black almost seem to have become the permanent color of my skin now, and I am almost always limping on one foot or the other. I do surprisingly alright when we are both in human form, despite his supernatural wolf speed and strength that all wolves also have in their human forms. But when he shifts.. It is over for me. His wolf pins me down within seconds every g*dd*mn time, no matter how hard I fight or how fast I try to dodge. There is simply no way for a human to win in a fight with a werewolf.