Chapter One
Marshall Briggs sat in English class waiting for the bell to ring to finally let him out for that summer. He was itching to get home and to get out of this hell-hole for the summer. If he could, he’d drop out of school altogether, but his father and alpha wouldn’t let him. His father was the alpha of the pack, and what he said was law. An education was something he demanded of all of his pack, and that included his son, his heir.
Beside him was his best friend, Jack Rowlands. They’d been best friends from birth. No one could separate them. Sometimes chicks tried, but they wouldn’t let them. If some bitch thought they could come between them, then they were mistaken.
Several of his friends were scattered around the classroom, and they were all members of the pack. This was going to be the summer where they finally completed their transition. By the time he returned to school, he’d be eighteen and a full wolf with his place within the pack.
“As this is your last class I want you all to share what you’re going to do this summer,” Miss Kingry said, talking to all the class.
Rolling his eyes, Marshall stared out of the window listening to all the people throw out shit like sunbathing and getting laid, which he liked a lot. He was going to get laid plenty this summer. There was nothing he liked better than sinking into willing pussy. He was only seventeen, but he knew how to fuck. Marshall also made sure he had safe sex with the girls that wanted him. His father had warned him to never bring home any shit like a pregnant girl. He smirked recalling the scolding that his father had given him. Marshall turned back to the class and what they had planned. The jocks were all about training and partying. The cheerleaders were pretty much fucking the jocks, and then there were the nerds with several different groups. Marshall and the rest of the pack that were in school were popular. They got what they wanted, and they didn’t take any shit for it.
“Scarlett, what about you?” Miss Kingry asked.
Now Scarlett, she was different from everyone in the class. She wasn’t part of any group, popular or nerd. In fact, he’d only ever seen her on her own, but then, no one would want to hang around with her.
Before she got a chance to talk others started to fire words out for her.
“Dieting.”
“Eating everything.”
“Piggy, oink, oink.”
Marshall laughed as he stared at the girl the comments were directed at. She was chunky, not overly obese, but bigger than a lot of the girls in school. She had large tits, and even though he’d never admit it, he had always responded to her, which astounded him. He wouldn’t tell Jake or anyone that he responded to the chunky girl as he didn’t understand it himself. Everything else in life he understood and yet Scarlett confused him. She made him feel shit, but he always forced that shit away, and bullied her like everyone else did. It always amazed him, so he’d gladly take on every single guy in the school than spend a moment talking to Scarlett. Jake threw a piece of paper at her head when Miss Kingry scolded everyone for talking and saying shit.
Fisting his hand, Marshall forced himself to calm down. He wanted to hurt Jake for doing what he did, but he stopped himself. This wasn’t normal. Scarlett was fat, pretty but fat, and he didn’t want fat girls.
Scarlett’s face was as red as her name.
He couldn’t help but laugh as other people made fun. Forcing all of his feelings aside, he was able to focus on everything else about her. She was dressed in tight blue jeans and a long black shirt that fell to her knees.
In all of his years going to school, Marshall couldn’t recall her wearing anything other than baggy clothes that were clearly too big on her.
“I said enough or you will all be in detention,” Miss Kingry said. “Now, Scarlett, what are you doing?”
“Nothing.” Her voice was so small. She’d sunk so far down into her chair that it was hard to actually hear her response. Marshall began tapping his foot wishing he knew what was going on.
Jake nudged him and whispered. “Are you okay, man?”
“Yeah, fine. Just want out of this place.” In this last year things had changed with Scarlett. Before this year he could bully her along with the rest of their peers without feeling anything. All of that had changed when he’d seen her for the first time that semester nearly a year ago.
It’s crazy, stupid, and idiotic.
“Scarlett…” Miss Kingry went to say more, but the bell finally rang for the end of the day.
Marshall climbed out of his chair and headed toward his locker.
“We’re out, bro. We’re finally going to be part of the pack and not just some little shits anymore,” Jack said, excited.
Laughing, Marshall grabbed the books from his locker and turned in time to see Scarlett fall.
“Watch it, fatty,” Marshall said, moving out of her way. He was angry at her for confusing him like this, and he was even angrier at himself for being like this around her. At the sight of her his cock started to thicken, and he hated this response to her. The books she was holding fell to the floor.
“I’m sorry,” she said, keeping her head ducked.
“Bitch, you got to learn to stay out of the way.” Jack sneered down at the chubby girl on the floor.
Marshall watched her grab the books, and he noticed her hands were shaking.
“Fucking pain in the ass.” The rest of their peers were laughing as Scarlett did everything she could to get out of their way. Marshall was bored, turning his back on her.
“You’d think she’d go on a diet or work out or some shit.” Jack really had an issue with fat people.
She didn’t say anything to defend herself, moving away from them. Marshall didn’t know why it bothered him that she wouldn’t even fight or say anything. It was like she enjoyed being bullied. Strange girl. Seeing her kneel on the floor before him had his cock responding even more. Gritting his teeth, he turned back to Jack.
“Fatty has gone,” Marshall said.
“I don’t know why she bothers to come to school. No one likes her.”
Marshall didn’t comment. Scarlett had been part of school life, kind of like the seasons. No one really paid much attention until they didn’t have much choice. Thinking about Scarlett, he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ignoring whatever was going on, he emptied out his locker, and headed out. The summer away from school, from Scarlett, was what he needed to bring his world back into focus.
“Man, when we come back we’re going to be totally different,” Jack said.
Once the change took effect none of them would be the same again. It would change them in undeniable ways. They’d be stronger, their senses more powerful. Marshall couldn’t wait. He’d spent a long time training, getting ready for this moment. His father had instilled into him the importance of being in control. When the time was right, he would be alpha of the pack.
“Come on, let’s go and party,” Jack said.
They joined up with their other friends who also happened to be part of the pack. Marshall made his way over to his car and turned to see Scarlett standing beside the sidewalk, looking down at her wrist. Usually she had her own car. This time, she was all alone. He wondered what happened to her car. Marshall didn’t realize he’d said anything aloud until Jack commented. “She probably burst the tires with her fat ass.”
He laughed along with the rest of them. Unlike a lot of the girls in school, Scarlett didn’t pay them any attention. He wondered if that was why he was responding to her. She held a challenge no other girl did. Marshall was used to walking in a room and being the center of attention. The girls loved him, flocked to him like moths to a flame. They begged him to allow them to suck his cock. He was a guy and would never turn down the chance to get his dick wet. Marshall did make sure he never screwed a girl younger than he was. He only ever messed around with girls his own age or women who were older.
His father always warned him, telling him to clean up his act. The moment he found his mate, it would change him. His parents were lucky. They’d been childhood sweethearts, and so neither of them had a past they wanted to hide from. His parents hadn’t known they were mated until after the first transition. Once they did no one could separate them. It was a true love story. Marshall didn’t care about his mate. When he met her, he’d care, and she’d learn to deal with his past. Until he found her, he was going to have a shitload of fun.
“Time to party,” Marshall said.
Several girls ran over to them, and he forgot about everything else other than having a good time.
Scarlett ignored the commotion behind her. She didn’t need to look to see what was going on. The popular people were screaming and dancing about the end of the year, and then there was Marshall Briggs’s little clique of people who would be preparing for a night of partying. She’d never been to a party, never been invited to a party. Not that she wanted to go. There was no point in going anywhere where you weren’t invited.
She tugged the band out of her hair, letting her hair fall around her. The strands were long and heavy. No matter what she tried to do with the length, it wouldn’t do anything but stay straight. Maybe over vacation she’d get it cut. Her parents had told her they were planning a trip to Italy this year. It had been a couple of years since they last had a vacation with work keeping them busy. Her parents were both doctors, experts in their fields. For most of her life they’d been working in gaining respect and notice within their fields. It had worked, and now they were able to take much needed breaks.