Marked By The Alpha

Chapter 1

EDITED FOR RADISH JUNE 22nd, 2020

Talia's POV

Fall is my favorite season.

I love the way my feet crunched on colored leaves as I walk towards my school. The air was always crisp but not enough for me to get cold. Fuzzy sweaters and warm blankets make life feel more peaceful than any other time- besides the times where I am alone. This time of year brings me more comfort than any other.

I listen to music almost always on my walks. It helps to not hear the constant mumbling and it keeps me concentrated to not focus on my packs stares. My scarf may have hid my mark but that didn't mean that they all hadn't seen it before.

Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday. Usually it's around this time where I'd find my mate and we'd fall in love before mating and living happily ever after. It's not like that for me.

Mating for girls starts when they start their menstrual cycle which is from the ages twelve to eighteen. For boys it's when they shift which is around fifteen to eighteen. Most never find their mate within their own pack however. Usually, you'd have to travel to find them, which you aren't allowed to do until you're a legal adult.

In order to find your mate earlier, every five years, there is a special event called a "The Spark". It's for those who reach the age of sixteen (with parental permission) and older. Here, you'll be able to find your mate and make new friends from other packs. It's also where some decide that they want to change their pack if they don't find a mate.

Most don't believe in this system. Out of the twenty-three packs in North America, only eleven do it. They claim that it's "playing Goddess". Only the Moon Goddess should lead us to our mate and we shouldn't go looking. However, it has helped a lot of wolves find their mate right before they had given up on hope.

It is held in different packs each year. This year it's in the Modish Pack.

The word Modish means fashion. It's here where all trends start and where all the models come from. Unlike most packs who choose to stay hidden, Modish is located in Long Island, near New York City. They live among humans and choose to live like them, conforming to their norms. but they rarely shift because they have nowhere to run. However, it's the life they love to live so who am I to judge?

I am from the Graceful Pack. We live in New York- close to the Canadian border. We are surrounded by forests in a small town, with small trails leading to each house, store or in this case, high school. It's private property so only wolves live here. We get some humans who get lost but other than that it's just us.

My pack likes to keep tradition close which was why I was surprised when we agreed to The Spark. We aren't as dedicated to the religion as most packs but we still like the idea of finding your mate by fate or coincidence.

However, being in this pack means that you are supposed to be kept proper. Girls usually wear dressy outfits and makeup while out and men dress properly too. You rarely see people dressed in sweatpants or a sweatshirt unless you are at home. It's here where you are supposed to put a skip in your step and a smile on your face. Anyone who goes against these rituals is automatically turned away from. Someone like me.

When I reach school grounds, I take my headphones out. Today was Thursday and my senior class along with some juniors and sophomores, are supposed to go to a meeting for our trip to Modish. Most guys look away from me or move away from me as I walk. I know they do it out of respect or whatever but I hate it. Just because I had this stupid scar didn't mean that I was off all limits. My scar meant nothing to me because the one who made it doesn't want me.