1 Summer Break

Antoinette Beaumont's PoV:

Being the daughter of an Alpha isn't easy -- there's rules and responsibilities and duties that you just can't escape. My father, Antoine Beaumont, was the Alpha of the one of the biggest packs in the country. There were thousands of wolves under his control, all bowing under him and following his rule.

The pack territory was old, we had held the land for centuries, and it spanned hundred of miles. If there was ever one thing my father was proud of, it was to be the leader of such an ancient and noble pack. I was proud of him too, of course -- he was a strong, intelligent Alpha, somebody that everyone could admire.

That morning, I woke up tired. I had spent the night studying, trying to get an A on my next Biology exam. I had gotten a B the week before, and I knew that wasn't good enough. I rubbed my eyes, wondering how long I could ignore the alarm blaring on my nightstand.

With a sigh, I rolled over. It was six o'clock, so it was time to get out of bed. The morning light was just starting to creep though my curtains, illuminating parts of my room and getting in my eyes. I stood up and opened the curtains fully.

My room was fairly big, with a wooden bed, dresser, desk, and closet. The walls were stone, like all the other rooms in the Pack house, and they were decorated with a few pictures of my family. I quickly tugged my bed sheets back into place, neatly pressing in the corners of my patchwork quilt and the white fluffy pillows at the headboard.

On my nightstand laid a single letter, stamped with the pack's official seal. I glanced briefly at it; it was from my father. An angry lump formed in my throat -- why had he given me a letter instead of just speaking to me about it? Was I such a disappointment that he couldn't even bring himself to look at me?

I pushed the bitter feelings back into my chest; I would read the letter later. Instead, my eyes slid over a little box next to the letter. I knew what was in the box already, I had had it since I was thirteen. The box contained a ring, a single band of silver, with my name and betrothed engraved on either side.

William Bellerose, my fiance, the heir to the Fortier pack, had given it to me on my first full moon, when I had shifted into a wolf for the first time. We had been engaged since I was born, as a way to unify our two packs, but t was no small secret that Will and I didn't like each other.

That morning, I didn't spend long choosing my outfit. It was the last week of school, so I stopped caring as much. I chose a purple pleated skirt, a white blouse and black shoes. My hair, which was long and brown, was tucked neatly behind a purple headband. I double checked myself in the mirror, taking in my wide brown eyes and heart shaped face. My nose was small and my upper lip was just a little bit too big for the bottom lip, but that didn't bother me. When I was happy that was I neat and clean enough, I headed downstairs to eat breakfast.

I grumbled to myself as I hurried downstairs. As the daughter of an Alpha, my education was taken very seriously. I spent three days a week at a normal public high school-- in order to understand humans -- and then two days being tutored by various wolves in the art of leading a pack. Saturdays were reserved for physical training and then Sunday was free time. It was pretty intense, but my older brother, the heir to our pack, had it worse.

"Good morning Toni," my Mom said to me as I came tumbling down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her voice was happy and energetic, contrasting with my own kind of grouchy tone.

"Hi Mom."

"Are you excited for the last week of school?"

I rolled my eyes and bit back a smile. My Mom was probably the most optimistic person I knew; she was basically the physical embodiment of sun shine. I ran a hand through my hair.

"Just so long as it's over soon. I can't wait for vacation."

I grabbed a piece of bread off the kitchen counter and slid it into the toaster. The kitchen was medium sized, but there was a bigger one meant for feeding the whole pack in the basement. It had wooden cabinets, a table in the center, and big windows to let in the light. The curtains were bottle green and a little bit frayed, but they matched the table cloth perfectly.

Once my toast popped out of the toaster, I buttered it and spread some jam on top. My Mom was sat at the table, drinking coffee.

"Is Antoine up yet?" I asked. My older brother Antoine (junior) was not known for being an early riser; he hated mornings even more than I did.

"No, not yet. Aren't you going to be late for school?"

I glanced worriedly at my watch and saw the time.

"Only if I don't run," I muttered as I ran out the door, taking my toast with me. I waved a goodbye to my Mom, who was laughing at my panic.

I ate my breakfast as I ran down the street. The school was only a few blocks away, but I'd let the time slip away and had to run to make up for it. In the distance, I could see some of my friends waiting outside the gates.

I sped up and eventually reached them. I greeted them with a grin.

"I'm not technically late."

Carmen, my best friend sighed. "You've got jam on your chin."

I wiped it off, blushing, as we walked as a group into school. The building itself was tall and imposing, made of brick and the souls of sleep deprived students who bartered away their life during finals. There was litter scattered around the yard and a few bushes up against the chain link fence. We joined the hordes of teenagers on their way inside, getting jostled from one place to another was we tried to get through the doors.

I linked arms with Carmen and we followed the masses into homeroom and sat down in our desks, like we always did, ready to begin the day.