Victoria, The Supreme Alpha (Book I of The Eresthai Series)

The Suppression Charm

Victoria

The choice to suppress my wolf wasn't one made by me. I was too young to understand what was happening and too young to understand the effect I was having on my pack.

All the elders of my pack knew, of course, as did my parents, even my older brothers all remembered feeling my wolf's aura. I was a toddler, they all kept quiet, and I grew up thinking I didn't even have a wolf.

Can you imagine being the offspring of two fated Alphas, and being the only one of four kids without a wolf? And yes, the kids at school were dicks about it and reminded me about it every day, just in case I had forgotten.

They tried their best to bully me, to make me feel less than what I was, but when you grow up with three older brothers you not only grow up faster than most, but you also grow a thicker hide and learn how to fight with older, stronger and faster wolves. In my house blood spatter on the walls was a regular occurrence from all the scuffles. It's not that we tried to hurt one another, it's just the nature of the game, and if you can't adapt, you lose, and I don't like losing. Does anyone?

The opinions of the pups in my pack meant so little to me that there wasn't much they could say or do to hurt me, and if things ever escalated my oldest brother Felix would always be there. And I mean always.

I don't know how he knew when I needed help, maybe he had senses I was unaware of. He was the future Alpha of our pack and whenever he came to my aid everyone scattered into the wind. Felix never told my parents about the bullying, I asked him not to, especially Mom, she's the scary one of the pair.

It's not often you get a female Alpha, let alone a fated pair of Alphas. We asked our parents about it, but Dad said he had only ever heard of it happening once before, and that pair never had any children. Apparently, the female was injured at an early age and was unable to carry a child to full term.

So here I am, a nine-year-old were-girl being sat down by my two Alpha parents trying to understand why I've been wearing something called a suppression charm ever since I was a toddler.

I had never questioned the necklace before, I thought it was a family heirloom, and as the only girl it was automatically handed to me. That's what I believed until my friend Leslie wanted to try it on. She burned her fingertips trying to take it off me. It wasn't a normal burn either, her fingers turned black and they stayed that way for about a week. Werewolves are highly allergic to silver; it's always been that way. So how have I been able to wear this thing for years without being burned as Leslie was?

"You inherited the Alpha aura sweetheart. You're going to inherit the pack when you're ready," my mother says.

My parents never sugarcoated the truth from us, it's always been that way. You'll find nothing here but blunt truth and it's something I've always appreciated. As the offspring of Alphas, the four of us have more responsibility and more weight added to our shoulders. Felix called it "representing".

I look over at Felix utterly confused, "But Felix is the oldest, he's going to be Alpha."

Most boys dream of being an Alpha, to be the biggest and the strongest, leader of the entire pack, respected by all. Felix doesn't look disappointed or even angry with me; he must have known all along.

He just looks at me shaking his head and shrugs nonchalantly, "If the Moon Goddess chose you to be Alpha, then it's not my place to fight it."

My jaw literally drops. I look at the twins; the only way to identify one from the other is by their scent. Without a wolf's nose, I've never been able to tell them apart.