Setting Boundaries (Book 2)

Chapter 1

Isla's body disappeared behind a large sycamore tree in the back fields. I grunted, trying to run faster, as her twinkling voice laughed in front of me.

"Isla, please slow down!" I begged loudly, trying to plead with her. Her giggling never ceased; I saw her dark hair whip past me.

"You're going to have to try harder than that, sis," She teased. I stopped and resting my hand against a tree, breathing deeply. She appeared beside me suddenly, cocoa brown eyes nearly glaring. "I thought you were a wolf, Sloane, not a turtle."

"When I get my hands on you," I laughed, leaving the vague promise in the air. I didn't have enough air to make a real threat, running was not my activity of choice. 

"Come on," She grabbed my arm and tugged it back in the direction of our house. "Dad's going to be angry if we don't make it in time for pack meeting."

"You were supposed to be watching the time," I said frustrated. We began to jog back, realizing we had missed the opening remarks. We slipped in through the back doors of the pack house, standing behind the mass of people in the meeting hall.

The rest of the pack was quietly listening to the Alpha speak about some shortage in our monthly funds. Isla fixed her hair and smirked at me through the sides of her eyes. I breathed out, shaking my head and my shoulder length, brown waves flew wildly.

She was always the one to get us in trouble. I was always the one to pick up the pieces.

"Isla, Sloane, nice of you to finally join us." The voice cut down the crowd and back to where we stood. Isla latched onto my wrist and maneuvered around the mass of people in front of us. It wasn't news to anyone in the pack that we were late, it was almost expected of us by now. Isla liked to make an entrance.

"Why, thank you father," Isla called sarcastically, a large, bratty smile on her face. He rolled his eyes.

"Come stand where you're supposed to," He demanded. We took our places behind him, next to our mother. Our father watched as the Alpha continued talking about the state of the pack and how things were changing.

Isla pinched my side and I nearly shrieked. I looked over at her angrily and she motioned with her head to a pack member in the crowd. He was elderly and falling asleep while standing up listening to the meeting.

I tried to suppress my laughter but failed. My father turned and shot me a stern look. I avoided his eyes and stared at my muddy shoes.

The meeting was over quickly, most likely because we had missed the first twenty minutes.

"Are you going to show up late to every pack meeting?" Our father asked. Isla shrugged noncommittally and grazed the crowd to find our friends. "Sloane, please try to control your sister."

I smiled sweetly at him, squeezing his wrist.

"You know how well that'll work," I teased. Isla noticed someone and was gone in a flash.

Our mother sighed behind me. I turned and smiled gently at her aging face.

"Mama," I smiled, stepping closer to her warmth. Her lips fought back a smiled.

"You know I love you and your sister, right?" She smirked. I nodded. "Sometimes I want to clock that girl."

"You made her that way," I reminded her, turning to find Isla in the swarm of people. Her long hair flipped back and forth as she laughed at Jett's joke. She was smitten with him, practically since she was born, and he had no idea.