The Shadows 11

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“Oh leave the girl be, honey,” Dad said laughing from behind her. 

Dad gave me a wink and I grinned. “Hey Katie we have to go,” Tyler said. 

I glanced at the stove for time and cursed mentally. “Bye Mom, bye Dad! Tyler come on.” I grabbed my bag and car keys. In our state we got our driver’s licenses at fifteen. I ran out to my one true love. My truck. She was a beauty. Dad and I bought her after she’d been all but scrapped in a wreck and rebuilt her from the tires up. 

I ran my hand loving along the hood and I walked around to my side. “Tyler if you think those pancakes are coming in my 

precious you are dead wrong.” 

Tyler huffed and ran back inside to throw them away. “Happy now,” he said grumpily as he climbed into the passenger 

seat. 

“Ecstatic,” I said tossing my bag into the backseat. “Did you ever find out if Grant could give you a lift after school?” I asked as I started driving. Grant is our future Alpha and while I’m not particularly fond of the spoiled log head he and Tyler 

were friends. 

“Yeah,” Tyler said fiddling with the radio. “He said he could. We were going to take Greg and Billy and go shoot some 

hoops before the party.” 

I groaned at the mention of the party. It was my mother’s idea. “I completely forgot about that party. Dammit.” There’d be 

no hiding that it was my birthday now. Fuck a duck. 

Tyler laughed, “Yeah, I know how much you love social gatherings with large groups of people. Remember the barbeque 

at the pack house last summer, though?” 

I chuckled. “Yeah, you and Mitchel dumped a cooler of ice all over Grant’s head. It was hilarious.” 

“It was so worth being ground for the next month,” Tyler said. “Hey, are we not picking Alex up?” Tyler asked as I turned 

towards the school and away from her street. 

“She said she was meeting me there.” 

“So we left early for nothing?” Tyler exclaimed. “I could have finished my pancakes!” 

“We left for my sanity,” I corrected. “I wasn’t not going to have Mom try to doll me up again. It was awful enough the last time. Besides I did you a favor by make you ditch the ‘cakes. That was more syrup than anything else. So not healthy for 

you.” 

“It was healthy for my soul!” he argued. 

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that.” 

He grumbled the rest of the ride and up until we split up at the courtyard. I made my way inside hoping to stop by my locker before the halls became filled with people who wanted to just stand there and talk. 

“KATIE!” 

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I winced as my name echoed throughout the hall. Alex bounded towards me much like my mother had earlier. Her red curls were all tied up in a bun and her green eyes sparked with excitement. “Hey Alex.” I’m pretty sure everyone in Hegira High just heard her. Well, Alexandra Petiole was known her vocal talents. She was a proud leading voice for every choir event. One of her cousin is the next Theta, third in command. 

“Happy birthday!” she screamed crashing into me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she half-strangled me with her 

hug. 

“Can’t… Breathe!” I gasped trying to find an escape from the bear hug. 

“Oops,” she laughed stepping back. “You’re sixteen! This is great, you should seem more excited? I mean you can find 

your mate now! I know that you don’t want to find him yet, but still it’s very exciting. You’re growing up!” 

One of has too. “It’s just another birthday, Alex. And you don’t need to get that face. I just don’t have time for a mate right 

now. 

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know all about your plan.” We started walking towards my locker. “You know life is no 

fun when you have every minute of it scheduled out. There’s no surprise.” 

I raised an eyebrow. “I have all the surprise I need with you in my life. Not to mention drama.” 

“Hey!” Her hand flew to her chest. “I’m offended. That is so not true.” 

“Paul,” I coughed. Her eyes narrowed at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “Let’s not forget the party tonight. You know the one I didn’t want. The same one I am absolutely sure you and my mother devised as a ruse to force me into a dress 

because you’re so sure I’ll find my mate today.” 

She harrumphed. “I’m sure I have no idea what on earth you’re talking about.” 

I smiled and shook my head. “So any bets on who it is?” 

“A few,” she answered. “Not that you’ll hear any of them.” 

“Of course not.” We’d reached my locker and I started putting in the combo. 

That elicited a smile from her. “Well I can’t wait to find out who my mate is.” 

I nodded and pulled out my physics book. “When you do I am sure that she and I will be great friends.” 

It took her a couple seconds to realize what I’d said. “I am not gay!” she yelled and everyone in the hall paused to stare at her. What a little freak. 

“Hey, I don’t judge. Still, sometimes the way you look at me makes me think there’s a little secret with you in the closet.” 

She smacked my arm. “I am not gay, and if I were I could do way better than you.” 

My mouth dropped open in shock. She didn’t! This of course launched an argument about whom was too good for whom. As if it weren’t obvious! Then suddenly I was assaulted by too much man perfume. 

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