Amity Nervy Lucid woke to the sharp beep of an alarm. Her hand flew out instinctively toward the source of the noise, but all she felt was the cold, cracked surface of the broken alarm. She grimaced. "Great," she muttered. "Leila is going to yell at me for breaking another one."
Not that it was her fault the damn thing broke so easily. Amity grumbled to herself as she got up from the bed, stretching. She made her way to the bathroom, knowing full well that Leila wouldn't hesitate to barge in if she left the door unlocked. She slammed it shut behind her and locked it just in time.
Her thoughts drifted as she brushed her teeth, the steady sound of her hand scraping the bristles against the teeth filling the silence. When she stepped into the shower, the warm water felt soothing against her skin, but no sooner had she closed her eyes than she heard the unmistakable sound of someone trying to break down the bathroom door.
"Hahaha, suckers," Amity whispered to herself with a smirk. The door was werewolf-proof—no one could break in except for Leila, since she wasn't a werewolf.
Right on cue, the door crashed down, and there stood Leila, looking triumphant and incredibly annoyed.
"What the hell, Leila?" Amity yelled, her voice echoing in the bathroom.
"Language," Leila snapped. "And you broke another damn alarm! Again!"
Amity rolled her eyes, letting the hot water pour over her as she continued washing. "If the damn things weren't so fragile…"
"Yeah, sure," Leila shot back, launching into her usual spiel about responsibility, the Alpha's role, and how Amity was setting a poor example. Amity wasn't really listening—she was already lost in thought about the upcoming meeting.
"Are you even listening to me, Am?" Leila called from the door.
"Yeah, of course I am," Amity replied absently, her eyes closed. "Totally."
Leila didn't buy it. "You're impossible."
Amity paused as the sound of Leila's footsteps retreated. She finished her bath and got dressed, choosing black jeans and a simple black T-shirt with a wolf's head on the front. Her hair was wild, a cascade of dark strands that shimmered with a faint blue tint when she was calm. Her reflection caught her eye, but the echo of that strange dream lingered in her mind.
She ran a hand through her hair, pushing the thoughts away.
When she finally made her way to the dining room, Leila had already left to check on things. Amity grabbed a plate of breakfast, sitting down next to her adopted daughter. "Come on, let's dig in," Amity said, giving a smile to the pack members gathered at the table.
After the meal, it was time to leave for the meeting. A summit of all the Alphas and Kings—creatures from every corner of the world, all brought together because someone was building an army. Whoever their leader was had delusions of becoming the ruler of the world. The whole thing sounded ridiculous to Amity, but the pack had to be there, so here she was.
Leila was already in the driver's seat when Amity arrived at the car. "Are we there yet?" Amity asked, already feeling the boredom seep in.
Leila just smirked. "Not yet, Alpha."
As they drove, Amity couldn't help but wonder if this meeting would be the same as all the others—politics, threats, and more stupid posturing. She was the strongest Alpha in the world, but that didn't make her immune to the usual power struggles.
As they neared the meeting place, Amity's mind wandered back to that dream. The images of the princesses, the distant cry of her past, the tugging in her chest—it all felt so real, like it was something she should have known. But she couldn't remember. Not yet.