It wasn't even seven o'clock yet and Daciana had already put together her most exotic suicide plan yet, involving sharks, lava and one too many birthday clowns then her current income could support. Basically, she really wasn't looking forward to her Wednesday morning Math exam.
"You're being dramatic" Her brother lectured from down the hall. "It's just a stupid test, Ana!"
She hated it when he was right, it was hardly fair that he got all the good genes and seemed to be the only offspring of their parents with more than one singular crazed brain cell. She thought perhaps, for a moment, that her little twin sisters might be smarter then them both but decided against it considering their maniac tendencies.
"Easy for you to say," She called back. "Mr future pack leader!"
Kalyke appeared at the kitchen doorway, ignoring her comment and whipping together some breakfast for them both. She sunk her head back onto the bench, letting her school bag flop onto the floor.
"I had to finish school too you know, and so will Heather and Maeve when they get older" He lectured. "It's part of the honour of being the Alpha's family. You know this."
"Lunar above, you're starting to sound like Dad"
Kalyke passed her a plate. "I've been thinking about all of this, and I think you should be my beta"
Her head shot up, her eyes narrowed. He had her attention.
"It won't make me popular, sure, but I think everyone will understand considering, well…"
He trailed off but Daciana understood.
"Because no one will want to marry an ugly wolf"
He winced. "You know that's not what I meant"
"Whatever"
She stormed off, though it was hard to look serious while hopping away looking for her other shoe.
It was always the same. Act straight, hold her chin up, shoulders back and keep quiet. Daciana was the perfect role model for her fellow women in her clan, but no matter how much people praised her, she knew what they said when she looked away. Ugly mutt. Faulty gene. Useless woman. If she couldn't be picked for breeding, she was a liability to her family and clan.
She massaged her cheeks as she marched down the street, trying to calm her fangs that had shot out so viciously. They also happened to be the sharpest fangs in her family, establishing a dominance a female wolf should not have.
She tried not to think about it.
Attending school was a task only her family had to face out of the entire pack, reminding Daciana of her difference every single day. She couldn't tell whether the pressure on her back was from stress or the five textbooks in her thin bag.
Usually she'd avoid the actual school-grounds until classtime, trying to stay invisible, but today, she sliced through the hallways of the generic, bleach-scented high school. Classmates and friends raised brows at her from every direction as she passed through with not a hint of her usual shyness.
She broke into the auditorium, ready for the morning's all-school assembly and almost ran face first into a tall stranger.
The guy before her barely turned back, far too preoccupied with staring off into space to notice the person who'd almost sent them both tumbling. He was dark-haired, well-built and frankly gorgeous. She couldn't even enjoy his beauty, instead she mumbled angrily to herself about how perfect even this random human would be for the role she so desperately craved.
Still as everyone filled the room and took their seats, she glanced at the stranger again, considering her options. She could go join her human friends at the front and pretend to be totally fine or she could hid back here. Somehow Daciana could tell by his bored glare and strange jumper, at least he wouldn't try and start a conversation with her.
She sat down beside him, feeling the guy stiffen, shoving self-loathing and her fangs back down.