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 really 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 go to 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 had

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 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 at human speed. They have

all the heightened senses but the age thing.

Eros is a whole different story. After his fifth birthday, he stopped growing completely but 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 human

forms 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 this.

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 called 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 for 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 Amara. 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 there. 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 standing. Valentina and Elizabeth joined

Faye, Mila, Zoe, Griffin, Vincent and Ella. Elliott went to Hugo with Eros in tow. Everyone looked

happy.

I didn'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 reason I hate to go 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.