One Fateful Night
Chapter 1

Beep Beep!

My alarm clocked screeches in my ear; each obnoxious sound grew louder to warn me I needed to get up. With an annoyed groan, I slam my hand down on my best friend the sleep button and roll onto my back. I look up at the ceiling with one eye open and weigh my options on going back to sleep or waking up and going to training. After a short internal battle, my responsible side took over, and I threw the blankets off of me and jumped out of bed. I ran to my closet and looked around for comfortable clothes to train in. I finally decided on a pair of black yoga pants, a sports bra, and an oversized red tank top. My hair is tossed into a messy bun then I head downstairs to grab a quick breakfast before I go to train.

“Good Morning, Mom and Dad,” I smile at them as I walk up to them and kiss them on the cheek. Mom scurried around the kitchen, cutting vegetables and arranging them on silver trays. While Dad sat at the table reading a book with his morning coffee. I hurry to the breadbox, grab two pieces of bread, then slam them into the toaster. Finally, I turned back to my parents. “What are you both up to today?”

“Good Morning Emily. As you know, Matthew, the Alpha’s son, will be coming home from his first semester of college today, and it is also his 21st birthday. So the Alpha and Luna have decided on a surprise party for him. Your mother is assisting in the decorations and the cooking for the party, while I will be driving with Alpha Thomas to pick up Matthew.” My father answered with a hint of excitement laced in his words.

I nod in acknowledgment of his words but say nothing in response. Dad, the Beta of the Blood Moon pack, had a ton of extra responsibilities compared to most wolves. But he’s excellent at his job and compliments Alpha Thomas very well. They have been best friends since childhood, and my father was picked as his Beta the day Alpha Thomas was promoted to Alpha. While Alpha Thomas is more playful and relaxed, Dad is more serious and detail-oriented, making him a perfect yin to Alpha Thomas’s yang.

My thoughts were interrupted by the pop of my completed toast, and I carefully grabbed the hot bread and threw them on my napkin. I spread some peanut butter across the top, then grabbed a water bottle. I took a sip and nearly choked when I realized I had five minutes to get to the training field or I would be late. So I gave my parents a quick kiss, took off running out of the house, and scarfed my breakfast along the way.

The training field was filled with all the hunters and trackers of the Blood Moon Pack, Austin, our head hunter held training at 5 a.m. every morning, so we all were familiar with his routine. Many of those on the field were already doing their morning stretching. I took a deep breath, began stretching my legs, and smiled at my friends who walked by. I have always found the training to be a rewarding experience. I love how fulfilling it is, and it certainly doesn’t help that I’m good at it. Finally, Austin announced for us to line up. Once the last person steps in line, we all quiet down and await instructions. Austin’s first task was a five-mile run, a few groans were heard beside me, but I ignored them and started my run. I finally replace my pace when I hear my name calling behind me. I turn around and notice my best friend Josh Massey run at his top speed to catch up with me. My mind begins to wander again as I reflect on the relationship between Josh and me. We have been best friends forever. I smile at the thought of someone to talk to while I slow my pace allowing him to catch up. As the gap between us closed, I looked at my friend. His long black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and his gray eyes showed signs of fatigue as we closed in on the end of the third mile.

“Are you ready for Matthews’s party tonight?” he asks me with a sly grin. “It’s not every day a future Alpha turns 21 and can replace his future Luna. It could even be you!” He smirked in my direction, and I rolled my eyes in disbelief.

“I’m going only because I have to; I’m not looking for a mate right now. My goal is to eventually move up in the ranks to be a Lead Tracker.” I said as I shook my head. Suddenly, a thought occurs to me, and I turn to Josh, flash him a cunning grin, and start speeding up. “CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!” I yelled as we both picked up our pace to a full sprint.

The end of the fifth mile marked me as the winner of our competition. I perform my victory dance and taunt and then chuckle at my best friend rolling his eyes at me. Once the rest of the runners were finished, our next instruction came to work on hand-to-hand combat. Again, Josh and I chose to be partners, and we moved to a far-off location where we practiced flipping each other and other standard block techniques.

“You mean to tell me you wouldn’t want to be a Luna?” He asks me again. I roll my eyes at the thought of him repeating this conversation. I chuckle at the thought of him thinking my answer would change, then I look at him and shake my head.

“You know just as well as I do that I am not Luna material. I am too stubborn and pig-headed to be with an Alpha! I’d be in the dungeons within a week!” We both laugh out loud at the reality of the statement, and he even agrees with me as Austin ends our training session. “See you later!” I yell to the guys, grab my empty water bottle from earlier, and walk back to my house. I am at a loss on what I will do for the rest of the day; since I have no plans until I need to prepare for Matthew’s party later in the evening. Maybe I could help Mom work on the decorations or food. When I arrived home, I yelled for my parents. Dad must have already left with Alpha Thomas, and Mom was no longer home. I throw myself down into the recliner and look around at a loss for something to do.

“BOOOORED!” I say to no one in particular and slam my head back against the chair.

Finally, I decided that instead of sitting here bored alone, I would shift into my wolf and let Garnet enjoy some of this beautiful day. So I left through the back door and crossed my backyard to the nearby woods. I went to the large tree nearby, quickly stripped my clothes, and shifted into Garnet, my wolf. Garnet is a beautiful wolf. Her fur is black with streaks of dark red and a large red patch around her tail. I love the look of her fur so much that I decided to use the same shade of red throughout my own black locks. The one thing that was abnormal about my wolf was the fact that she had red eyes. All the wolves I have seen have brown, green, or blue eyes; however, I have never seen any with red aside from Garnet.

Once shifted, I relaxed and allowed Garnet to take complete control, excited for the time outside; she sped through the woods at full speed. A short while later, an enticing smell hit her nose, and the thought of a rabbit dinner thrilled her. She stopped in her tracks and lowered her body to the ground level, where she began to stalk her prey. Not far away, she noticed two rabbits frolicking through the forest. With a hard pounce, she landed on the larger one of the two and gripped its neck with her sharp fangs. A snap fills the air as the rabbit’s life ends, and Garnet begins to enjoy her rabbit meal. Once her meal was complete, I regained control and returned to the house. I entered my house, went to my room, and shifted back to prepare for Matthew’s party.

I step into the shower and allow the hot water to fall on my body, relaxing my muscles that were overworked due to training. I wash my hair, shave my legs, and clean my body with my favorite vanilla almond body wash. Once clean, I step out of the shower, wrap up my body and hair, and then brush my teeth. With the question of what I will wear fresh in my mind, I step into the closet to pick a suitable outfit for tonight. Finally, I decided to wear my favorite little black dress to the party and pull it out of the closet. It is a halter-neck black dress that stops above the knees with red lace at the bottom. I put my undergarments and robe on, then turn on my blow dryer to dry my waist-length hair. I decided on a simple style of half my hair pulled into a bun while curling the other half, leaving it to flow down my back. I applied my makeup and gave myself a smoky eye, which showed off my green eyes. I then slip on my L.B.D and match it with a pair of black goddess sandals. Giving myself a once over, I apply a light coat of lipstick and leave the house to get to the party.

*******Authors Note*******

I hope you enjoy the changes I have made. They are minor, but they certainly fill out the chapter better in my opinion. Thank you for taking the time to read One Fateful Night.

Please follow me at @AndiRichAuthor on Twitter, Facebooks, or Instagram for the latest news on all my other books and new releases.

AR