Chapter 1
[Mia's POV]
On Friday evening, I returned from White Hills Academy, stepped into the white mansion, and found my mother, Lucy Anderson, preparing dinner in the kitchen.
"Good evening, Mom," I greeted her, walking into the kitchen to meet her.
"Welcome, Mia. I'm having some guests visit us today," Mom said as I looked at her face.
"Who are the guests, Mom?" I asked, frowning. Ever since I returned to this place to live with my mother and gained admission into the academy where she taught, I still cannot feel comfortable here.
I'm Mia Anderson, a 17-year-old girl. I used to live in London with my father, Rafael Anderson, before Mom requested that I apply for admission to White Hills Academy.
The academy area was sparsely populated, and I have heard howls at night. It sent chills down my spine to know that we have wolves living around us.
"Mia, I know that you are trying hard to get used to this place. But I promise you, you will love it," Mom said as she walked up to meet me and held my hand in hers.
"Mom, there's nothing for me to love around here. First, we have the woods, the forest, and wolves living around us. Aren't you scared that one of these wolves might jump on you and bite you one day? I feel scared at night and cannot sleep, and yet there are people living around us too," I complained bitterly. I wore a short blue skirt and a long red sweater with black shoes.
"Mia," Mom smiled as she walked around the kitchen to set up the delicious meals she wanted to use to entertain her guests.
"I understand that you are not happy coming back here. If your father hadn't traveled from one place to another, then you wouldn't have grown up far away from here," she said, as she checked the pot of fried rice and chicken she was preparing for dinner.
"Mom, I understand that you love this place. But I do not like it. I want to apply for a transfer to return to London. Please, I understand that you and my father got separated, and he has moved on with his life. But this place doesn't suit me," I said, stomping my feet on the ground. My mother smiled and covered the pot of rice she had finished cooking.
"Look, Mia. There's something I need to tell you about yourself, before your 18th birthday comes up," Mom said as she walked up to meet me. She wore a short white dress that barely covered her thighs. My mother could pass as my elder sister because she was light-skinned and a 36-year-old woman.
"What is it, Mom?" I asked her. She took a deep breath and said, "You are not really human, Mia."
"What?" My eyes widened in shock at her statement.
"Mom, if this is a joke, please put an end to it. What is that supposed to mean?" I asked her. She smiled and held my hands in hers.
"You are a werewolf. A Beta wolf," Mom said. I looked at her face in shock.
"Mom, please. I do not understand what you are saying. First, what is a werewolf? Do they exist? You seem to read too many fantasy books that you are now starting to believe werewolves are real and they exist among us. Let alone, I am a wolf too. Please, Mom. I do not need all these jokes. Just let me apply back to London. I will call you on the phone and we can video call every day," I said, knowing that my mother finds it hard to let go of me.
"Listen to me, Mia. Your father is not human either. He was a werewolf like me. But he is a researcher, and that's why he traveled from one place to another working on his research. He ended up taking you to London to be with him. He refused to allow me to tell you about your life here. But he knew the risk if you did not return to the pack. You could shift one day, and maybe the animal control officers in London might get hold of you and lock you up in a zoo for scaring people," Mom said. My jaw hit the ground at her revelation.
"Mom, you are scaring me right now. What do you mean that I am not human? How is that even possible?" I asked her. She smiled sadly.
Before my mother could say a word, the doorbell rang, and she said, "My guests have arrived, Mia. Do not worry. I will tell you all about it tonight. Your 18th birthday is just a month away, and you need to get prepared to meet your mate and experience your first shift as a werewolf."
"What? Mom…" I watched her run to the kitchen door to open it.
"Come on, Mia. My guests have arrived. Let's go and welcome them." Mom dragged me out of the kitchen to accompany her to welcome her guests.
You wouldn't believe that my mother lives in this big duplex all alone. After all, she was the chancellor at White Hills Academy.
I didn't want to study there, but Mom insisted, and she refused to stay in the academy hostel. So I stay at home with her and follow her to school.
I was studying banking because I want to work in a bank in London. Now, I had to live in the pack that is full of wolves.
Anxiety crept up my back as my mother and I went to the living room to welcome her guests. Mom had servants who worked for her and cleaned the house. She was a rich woman, and I am still surprised that she was single.
Why hasn't she remarried? She has a slim figure and nice curves.
"Hmm," I sighed as I looked at the door that my mother opened.
To my shock, the three bad boys from White Hills Academy—Luis, Liam, and Leon Oscar—entered the living room.
They wore white tank tops that revealed their muscular abs, black jeans that hugged their tall legs, and black boots.
"What? Mom! What are these three bullies doing here in our house?" I demanded, glaring at the three bad boys from White Hills Academy.