Chapter 1- Arabella

“Aria get your ass off the couch and get ready. We are going to be late for the bonfire.” Mom hollered switching off the television.

“But what’s wrong with these clothes?” I whined.

She looked at my sweats pants and hoodie and gave me a look of disgust.

“Get dressed now.” She said in a dangerously low voice making me shiver.

I ran to my room to get dressed. Mom can be utterly terrifying when she wants to. Even dad gets scared of her.

I hate wearing a dress. Why do I have to wear something so uncomfortable and the boys can go wearing jeans? I don’t even want to go there. This is the part I hate about summer holidays. The bonfire.

The pack and my family gather at the meeting house a week before the end of the summer holidays every year for a bonfire.

Everyone is nice there. Like an extended family but it just doesn’t feel right. There are times when it feels like I don’t fit in. They are all vampires or werewolves, well except for the females but they are part of the pack. I on the other hand, am just a human.

I can’t wait to get through my final year of school and leave for college. Mom said she will handle the important things here till I am done with my studies. She is just awesome.

It has been eight years since the day mom took me to meet uncle Ryder and Xander. She has strictly warned me not to tell anybody about it and she is training me in secret. Not even by siblings know about our painful meetings.

Yup! Painful. She doesn’t go easy on me ever and Uncle Ryder keeps egging her on for no apparent reason resulting in her doubling my training every time.

The spirit wolves have also grown in number. There are a total of eleven including Xander and Uncle Ryder.

Apparently, Benjamin, Ethan and Elliott have wolves too. We are not sure if the vampire side is present in them still or not but dad says it might not have kicked in yet. Well, we will know with time. They are not of age yet anyways.

Valentina and Elizabeth seems to be half vampire but they are growing in human years. They have all the heightened senses but the age thing.

Eros is a whole different story. After his fifth birthday, he stopped growing completely. Dad says he is a full blood vampire and will grow at that rate. So, he has been five for a while now.

Everything is perfect. No chaos. No threats. The spirit wolves haven’t merged with their humans yet as there is no need for it but they will be shifting soon. Well, they don’t know about this yet. Only Uncle Leo, Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ryan knows about it.

The only thing I want at the moment is for the last year of the high school to go smoothly and I will be off to college.

We all go to Redwood High except for Eros. Mom homeschools him. The pack members go there too. Sometimes, I really want to attend Greycoast high but mom won’t let me.

School can be really frustrating at times when you know so many people there.

“Are you done yet or not?” Mom hollered from downstairs.

“Yes mom.”

I slipped my flats on and ran down the steps.

“Ari” Eros squealed as soon as I reached down and he ran into my arms.

I picked him up and placed him on my hip.

“Finally. I thought you will be in there forever.” Ben scoffed.

I was about to open my mouth but dad cut me off before the argument could start.

“Okay girls with me. Boys with Amy. Get out now.” Dad said calmly but I could see his eye twitching.

What did I miss?

We piled into two cars and drove off. In less than twenty minutes we were near the pack members’ houses. It’s a five-minute walk in the woods from here. They had lined the trees with torches for better visual for some of us.

“Amy.” Uncle Aaron and Uncle Alec came barreling towards my mom and engulfed her in a huge hug.

They pulled her towards where the other uncles and aunts were sitting and dad followed them. The twins went to where Zeno, Francis, Fabian and Vivian were hanging out. Valentina and Elizabeth joined Faye, Mila, Zoe, Griffin, Vincent and Ella. Elliott went to Hugo with Eros in tow. Everyone looked happy.

I don’t have anyone to go to. I never fit in. Well one person made sure of it that I wouldn’t have anyone outside my family. He is the very reason I hate going to school.

I sat down leaning on a tree trunk a little far away from the raging fire and away from the joyful crowd, in a way that I won’t be visible to them.

This is my every year routine. We come here and I sit under a tree till the dinner is severed.

It must feel good to have friends. I wish I had at least one.