His Spitfire Mate

I wake up to the sound of my alarm and I'm dreading the same monotonous day I have every day. I know exactly what time I'm expected for breakfast, then I'll have tutoring in the morning, followed by lunch and dance classes. The only people I'll interact with are my tutors and maybe my parents. The staff mostly steer clear of me. In the evening, I will be allowed out on a run to shift into my wolf and let off some steam, but I will have to follow a very specific path. My parents let me feel like I am alone for my run, but I am never alone when I am outside our quarters of the pack house. I pretend not to know about the guards and, after years of sticking to the path and never being a problem, they've given me a wider perimeter. After rolling out of bed, I take a shower and get dressed in the clothes that were laid out for me the day before by a maid. I used to have a nanny that helped me get ready in the morning but she reported everything I said and did to my parents, so when I was old enough I asked that I get dressed myself. I needed to have a moment to collect myself before facing the day without having to worry about my facial expressions or reactions. This morning my parents join me for breakfast, which is rare, so I know they must have something important to tell me. I approach my seat slowly, for once not hating the need to always move gracefully. My mother believes an Alpha's daughter must always move slowly to appear saintly and regal. I could balance an ice cream cone on my head with how slow and steady I move. I collect my emotions in the time it takes me to sit so that my reaction to their news won't show on my face. My parents continue to talk to each other as if they are unaware of my presence until I am seated. My parents haven't said anything negative which means that they are happy with my behaviour and appearance so far. My parents continue their conversation and once they have finished their coffee they turn to address me. "We will be leaving now to go visit your brothers at school. You will be driving with Gamma Roderick." My mother informs me. It's hard to keep my face neutral even with all my preparation. I have three older brothers that I almost never see. During the school year they're training at the Academy at the Imperial Pack and during their summer break my mother makes sure to send me to a ballet camp far enough away that they can't visit. My brothers are amazing and while I'm sad they are almost never home, I'm glad they are away because I know that if they were raised here they wouldn't have ended up half as great as they are. I keep my face neutral and when they get up to leave, I follow them and enter the car behind theirs. My purse and phone are already in the back seat, just like I'm sure my suitcase is in the trunk. Once the car is moving I can relax. "Hey Roddy, do you know what's up?" I ask. Roddy has always been kind to me, like an uncle. Being alone with him is rare and when my parents are around he has to remain professional. I am kept apart from the rest of the pack so he is the only person who treats me normally other than my brothers. "Not sure. It's almost your 18th birthday, so maybe you'll be celebrating with your family at the Imperial Celebrations." he guesses. The Imperial Celebrations are three weeks when all packs in North America are invited to take part in sports, parties and art festivals. This is an annual event that I had never been allowed to attend. I chuckle not wanting to get my hopes up, "I doubt it." "I'm sure your brothers will do something fun for you," Roddy says, trying to give me something to look forward to. "We'll see." My brothers are always good at sending gifts, but they aren't allowed to leave school during the semester and my birthday is in September, so my last couple of birthdays have passed without celebration. I don't know if the rules change during the Imperial Celebrations so I have no idea if I will be seeing them in person. I know they will most likely be taking part in the sports and training demonstrations, so I will see them from a distance, but I don't know if I will get to speak to them. For the rest of the ride, Roddy gives me updates about the pack and his family. I very rarely get to interact with the pack so it's nice to at least get to hear about it. Roddy paints me a picture of all the latest drama so that I can feel included, but the only people I can actually trust with my real thoughts and feelings are Roddy and my brothers. A few tutors and staff tricked me in my earlier years to trust and confide in them, but I learned quickly not to trust anyone new. Everything gets back to my parents. We arrive at the the Moonstone Pack, which is more commonly called the Imperial pack, in a couple of hours. We share the world with humans but we draw our borders differently, each species respecting each other's borders. The Imperial Pack is in charge of all of North America. They are like the royal family and all the rest of the packs are like fiefdoms run by an Alpha instead of a Lord. Like in any monarchy, each pack has a varying degree of power and wealth as well as population and territory. The Moonstone pack runs the continent and is in charge of setting our laws. However, each pack can choose how to enforce the laws. I am counting on one of those very laws to get me away from my current life. My parents completely control every aspect of my life, but they won't be able to control who I'm mated to. They are legally not allowed to deny me my true mate bond. My hope is that my mate is from a pack far from mine. As soon as I step out of the car I dutifully walk over to my parents, standing off to their side and about a foot behind. They are greeted by the previous Alpha and Luna of the Imperial pack whose son is now in charge. It's always surreal when I see my parents among people from other packs. They are kind and easy going which is not at all their true nature. Luna Celeste hugs my mom then me. It's so nice to be hugged no matter how brief or impersonal when you can't remember the last time you were hugged. With a smile she gestures us to the large front doors and says, "Welcome to the Moonstone Pack!".