Alora’s answer broke Kain, Galen, and their wolves, Horus and Amun’s hearts. “Because I know my own meeting with my mate won’t be as joyful.” There was a note of sorrow in her voice that struck them deep.
Werewolves from the original Heartsong lineage had a unique gift. It was their voices. The voice of those Heartsongs could make others feel what they were feeling, hypnotizing and mesmerizing the listener. It could be considered both beautiful and terrifying.
Alora’s mother, Bettina didn’t have the gift, at least not since she was adopted back into the Frost Clan. Something happened during that time that turned Bettina’s voice from something pleasing to listen to, to shrill. Alora’s sister Sarah had the same high-pitched voice as Bettina’s, and it was just as shrill.
“Why would you…?” Galen’s question trailed off, shaking his head he decided to ask another. “Do you already suspect who your mate is?”
Alora crossed her arms over her waist, her bottom sat against the door of Darien’s car. One ankle crossed over the other. Alora didn’t look at Galen when he asked the question, smile gone, she just nodded in answer.
“Who?” Kain asked, wanting to know who could be stupid enough to reject their fated mate.
Before Alora could answer, two vehicles entered the lot, one right after another. One a vibrant red Mercedes E class convertible. The other, a new military green Jeep Wrangler Rubicon four by four, with the doors and roof detached.
The red car had its music on full blast, over the state of the art sound system installed in the car. Alora wasn’t surprised at the old song blasting from her sister's speakers. It was a party song, TiK ToK by Kesha. Alora thought that only some of the lyrics matched her sister, because her sister did not ‘slap the boys away’ if they got too ‘drunk, drunk.’
Instead, she would sleep with them and many more. There had been more than a few times when Bettina and Sarah were accusing Alora of being a slut and whore, she wanted to shout that she was still a virgin. Alora didn’t, she knew it would just be a waste of her breath and would only invite a worse punishment for daring to talk back.
In the vehicle with Sarah was her possy, Agatha Leaf Stonemaker, Beatrice Fire Shadowtail, and Lauren Shadow Blackfire. Beatrice and Lauren were first cousins. Beatrice’s mother was sister to Lauren’s father, from the Blackfire Clan.
Agatha was their second cousin, her grandmother was the Aunt of Lauren’s father and Beatrice’s mother. Her mate was of a small Clan that had only come to the pack three hundred years before. They were the Leaf Clan, they came from the jungles of the third continent.
The aunt's daughter, Agatha’s mother, then mated into the Stonemaker Clan. It was a large Clan much like the Mountainmovers and the Heartsongs. Although the Heartsongs still remained the biggest Clan of the Pack.
Agatha was related to the werewolf in the jeep, Matthew Frost Stonemaker. Matthew’s mother was from the Frost Clan, and rumor had it, was told to reject her fated mate, Matt’s father. When she didn’t, she was nearly ejected from the Clan. Until it was known that her mate was Beta to the Alpha of Alpha’s.
For this reason alone, she was allowed to keep her status as a Clan member. Yet she chose to leave her Clan and was instead blood oathed into the Stonemaker Clan. Matthew's mother, now Lissanna Frost Stonemaker, didn’t have much to do with her former Clan.
However, when the Alpha’s of the Frost and Northmountain Clans were approached by Bettina to allow a relationship between Sarah and Matt, they had agreed. Thinking it a great way to bring the potential power, Lissanna had denied them by leaving their Clan, back to the Clans.
Sarah hated riding in Matt’s Jeep, and Matt had responsibilities that required him to have his own transportation. So, while Matt and Sarah were known to be dating, they drove separate vehicles to school. When Sarah turned off her car after parking nearby, Matt’s music could be heard.
Matt was listening to a really sad song by Rascal Flatts. Alora frowned, she didn’t like country music, there were only a few songs of that genre she kind of liked, and just the barest few more she could listen to without complaining. The rest of the genre was like nails to a chalkboard to Alora.
Of course, it was more than just Matt’s taste in music that had Alora frowning. Kain and Galen, observing Alora, looked in the direction her eyes were focused on. They had the same feeling of uneasiness churn in the pit of their stomachs.
*“Kain?”* Galen asked, his voice hesitant.
*“I hope not, for her sake, I truly hope not.”* Kain responded, his voice grim.
Sarah got out of her car after Matt parked on her passenger side and was getting out of his jeep. Matt was as tall as Darien, seven foot six, his muscle and body structure just a touch thicker than Darien’s. His skin was a creamy golden color, he had bright blond hair cut short.
His dual colored eyes were blue on blue. The inner ring was a shallow ocean blue, the outer ring a pale icy blue. He had a broad face with a full mouth, and a long lupine nose. He wore a slightly loose light blue V-neck sleeveless shirt, and khaki colored cargo shorts with a quick release buckle.
He had on a pair of dark brown canvas flip flops. Alora didn’t like flip flops unless they had a sling back strap. Otherwise, Alora thought them noisy, making it impossible to walk around unnoticed, and inconvenient when she needed to run on two feet instead of four paws.
Matt grabbed a black pack out of his jeep then sauntered over to Sarah. Sarah was leaning against the driver side door of her car, checking her makeup. She wore a dusting of pale blue eye shadow, a slightly darker blue eyeliner, and black mascara. A dusting of translucent sparkly powder over her cheekbones, and a pale pink lip gloss.
In Sarah’s ears she had a pair of large sparkly hoops that brushed her shoulders. Her white blond hair was in a high tail on the top of her head. The long braided tail brushed her hips, the tie a sparkly silver.
Sarah wore a white V-neck crop t-shirt with a built-in shelf bra and a short white tennis flare skirt. On her feet were a pair of six inch white strappy stilettos, the delicate buckles on the ankle straps sparkly.
This was Sarah’s attempt to look pure and innocent. Something Alora knew was absolutely not true. When Matt reached Sarah, she pretended to be pleasantly surprised to see him. Closing her compact mirror and tossing it in her car Sarah looked up at Matt coquettishly.
Beatrice, Agatha, and Lauren got out of the car after Sarah. Beatrice was wearing a leopard print mini tube dress, a thick gold zipper from hem to hem down the left side. On her feet were leopard print flats. Her thick curly dark cocoa brown hair was streaked with blond highlights. It hung midway down her shoulders and was left wild. She wore a heavy foundation that matched her coco latte colored skin.
On her eyes was thick gold eyeshadow and mascara, her full lips were covered in a shiny gold lipstick. Her eyes were actually beautiful, the inner color a molten brown, the outer ring a dark glowing amber. They framed a medium sized lupine nose. In each of her ears were chunky gold hoops, followed by four gold studs.
Beatrice, like the other two girls, was much taller than Sarah, at six foot seven. Beatrice also had curves Sarah didn’t, her breasts were larger than even Alora’s. Beatrice had the hips and bottom to balance them out, her small tucked in waist that emphasized her curves, but she also had great muscle tone.
Beatrice was an excellent fighter, in fact all three of Sarah's friends qualified to be in the Beta Rank class, but for some reason were in the Scout Rank Class with Sarah.
Lauren was wearing a pair of short blue denim shorts with the button open and the fly part way down. Her top, a lacy red front zip bralette, on her feet a pair of hemp weave flip flops. Her medium thick honey brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with a black scrunchie, the tail hitting her mid back.
She had three piercings on each ear and small silver colored studs in each one. Her skin was a pale latte color with freckles across her shoulders, collarbones, her cheekbones and nose. Her wide mouth was full and a little pouty. Her lips were covered in a dark red lip stain, her eyes covered in a dark blue shadow with thick black mascara.
The makeup tried to hide how beautiful Laurens eyes really were. The inner ring was a striking emerald, the outer ring a molten gold. Her curves, still more than Sarah’s, were more compact than Alora’s. Lauren's muscle tone was lean, visible under her smooth skin. Lauren was tall and came in at six foot eight.
Agatha's hair was a brassy red with gold blond highlights, it hung free touching her hips. Her skin is a creamy peach color, and unlike most redheads, she didn’t have freckles. She was six foot nine, with medium heavy breasts and tight round bottom for curves. Her waist is lean and tucked in, her muscle tone a little thicker than Lauren’s.
Agatha wore a daisy printed blue colored ruffle peasant blouse crop top, paired with a coral pink knee length gauzy flair skirt. On her feet were khaki colored hemp weave slingback sandals. Her eyes were an inner ring of spring blue, with an outer ring of cobalt blue.
Just under Agatha’s long delicate lupine nose was a medium wide mouth and slightly full lips. They were covered in a spring pink lip stain, her eyeshadow a dusky rose with gold glitter flake, her lashes covered in thick black mascara. A pair of small white daisy-shaped studs were in her lower ears, followed by three pairs of small sapphire blue studs.