Chapter One: Sweet Sixteen

Oh, sweet sixteen… The birthday, you normally never forget; a coming of age party where your stepping into the threshold of adulthood. And to humans, it was a fun night to party, to eat cake, open presents, and to be with friends and family. Though for wolves the day was a little different, though I suppose a party was involved.

I stand next to my mother and father, stiff as a board and unmoving. My father is shaking hands and greeting the werewolves from different packs in the area who were friends and close associates while my mother stood by his side, simply observing as she made sure I didn't run off which I wanted to do. Her fingers gently grip my shoulders reminding me to stay put and not to embarrass the family's name.

I see her brown eyes glance towards me as father busies himself with talking to one of the alphas who traveled up here from the far south, an old friend of his perhaps. The southern alpha was lanky and tall with short messy dirty blond hair, and he kept true to the appearance of a southern wolf. A piece of sweet grass hangs from the corner of his mouth and he was dressed in old dungarees, beaten work boots, and an old cotton shirt which has seen better days.

Looking at my goofy father next to this southern alpha, I still couldn't believe he was the scary and tough alpha that deemed respect from so many alphas in the country. Father from the past, is the supposedly scary man that my mom instantly fell in love with but I can only see father as a lame ginger head like me.

Yes, he had a full head of ginger hair, and I had the fortunate luck to inherit his orange locks out of all my brothers and sisters. My siblings had not only inherited mother's pretty brown hair but her beauty, grace, and intelligence. I was spitting image of my father but a female she-wolf but I could never picture father as the brutal and bloodthirsty young alpha mother portrayed him as in her bedtime stories. Father was the kindest alpha and the most welcoming, his eyes were the warmest brown that I have ever seen and he rarely showed true anger. I only saw that once and that involved Levi…

Mother smiles at me, dimples appearing on her face, now I could believe her to be a fearful alpha female. She mutters, "You grew up so fast Willow," her words sad. She reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear, revealing the chocolate diamond studs I have received from father last year on my fifteenth birthday.

There wasn't much for her to push behind my ear, I never let my hair grow past my chin, though that didn't stop my hair from looking messy or appearing that I just rolled out of bed. But today my hair is neatly brushed, all thanks to my mother. I was also cutely dressed like some type of china doll which was her doing.

The white dress I wore had short sleeves and the hem of the dress reached just above my knee. The dress neither too snug or too big and accompanied by the white dress was also lacey white flats. I didn't wear any makeup like my mother did, except the simple lip gloss which made my lips shine with glittery sparkles. The gloss was mother's idea, but I doubt the glittery shine would last, as I keep licking my lips to taste the sweet strawberry flavor the gloss provided.

I look up to her and she appears upset, well I was her youngest and tonight was one of the most important nights of my life. I would be leaving home after today so I can understand that she was sad. I felt the same to think about leaving home after spending my entire life here and to be forced to live far away which was a real possibility with wolves coming up from the far south.

I enjoyed the seasons and the forests but the winters most of all. I didn't want a green Christmas or to be surrounded by strangers. I wanted to be close to home… If no one picked me from one of these local packs which was a real possibility, then one of father's friends from the south would, obviously just feeling pity for his friend's daughter. I didn't want that… No, not at all.

I already had my bags packed for the worse, since I was told I could be going anywhere in the country, close to home or far away. I was nervous and frightened as I didn't want to leave home and I also wasn't used to having such a large crowd of people focusing on me and not only that, everything about tonight had to be perfect on my part. If tonight wasn't perfect then I wouldn't get accepted by any of them...not even fathers friend from the south.

'Though it's not like I was really accepted by them now either, none of the local packs at least,' I think bitterly to myself. I had watched all my brothers and sisters go through the same ritual I was doing tonight and this time my brothers and sisters would be watching me carefully as guests and not supportive family like mother and father. They were like all the other alphas waiting to pick on me for any of my faults, any weaknesses, and then tagging me as a defect.

I finally answer my mother's question, "I know," while staring into her brown eyes, trying my best to ignore my father's talks with the southern alpha.

"But this must happen to every wolf on their sixteenth birthday. All your brother and sisters went through it and so did your father and I, so you will be no different, Willow. But unlike us you don't have two options, you only have the one, joining another alpha's pack." she states though I feel the slight tremor in her hand on my shoulder. She was probably more nervous than I was because I'm sure she didn't want me leaving her side or finding out I was a failure for a wolf the entire time.

I nod my head as I listen to her speak. She was right. My brothers and sisters and even my parents had the options of starting their own pack or joining any pack they pretty much wanted since everyone wanted an alpha but I was just another omega, and another mouth to feed. There was a lot of us and the entire lot were bullied. And just when I think about being bullied, I hear-

"Oh… Levi, long time, no see. How have you been? I'm surprised you showed, you never been interested in these events and you are with your entire pack nonetheless," my father meshes the normal greeting question with observation questions hinting for Levi to answer why he decided to show up here on my sixteenth birthday. Father's voice was sheepish just like back then when he was in the presence of Levi's uncle, Kenny Ackerman, but apparently adult Levi makes father feel uneasy too.

My eyes glance up with active interest at Levi's name being mentioned, to find the familiar face of the short male who was staring intently at my father. His height hadn't changed since he was a teenager though there was something different about him, something I couldn't quite place yet. His fierce Steele blue eyes continue staring at my father before they slowly drift towards my mother and then finally landing on me.

His eyes linger, and for a moment I feel a hotness creep up on my cheeks. He is silent, his hands stuffed into his jeans, which makes things even more awkward. His pants were tight, but not ridiculously tight, snug being the better word because I couldn't see the entire outline of his bulge but it was pretty big, I could tell. That's why I said it was an awkward thought, my eyes had only slip there briefly.

I would say he was one of the best dressed alphas here. He wore a black blazer with a white button up and neither one had a single wrinkle and I can only guess they were freshly ironed. The top two buttons were undone on his white blouse revealing the beginning of his chest and his loafers were black having a shine to them appearing to come straight from the store. He also looked like he just had a haircut.

'What did he come here looking for a mate?' I think to myself, still staring at his appearance and the significant things that have changed about him since I have last seen him, such as his undercut. He never had that before, perhaps he was looking for more of a cleaner look.

My father stretches his hand out for him to shake hands with Levi as a friendly gesture and Levi's eyes finally leave me to look at my father's outstretched hand staring at it like it was an alien object. He hesitantly goes to shake my father's hand before retracting his hand back and taking out a leather glove from his pocket.

He slips the glove on his hand before reaching for father's hand without hesitation, giving my father a firm and proper handshake. I see sweat drip down my father's face at Levi's odd behavior and I then see father this time hesitantly smiling unsure what was going through Levi's head. But I suppose father has always been a bit frightened of levi, even when Levi was just a small boy. They got into fights enough times leaving Levi outraged so I suppose father might think Levi might still be holding a grudge.

"I only came because I was looking for a new pack member to recruit but I didn't know it was your daughter's day. Don't think nothing of my presence today, I am just a guest, nothing more and nothing less," he states making sure coming today was an error and I would not be finding acceptance amongst his pack.

His eyes return to me briefly and he states almost to quickly and preventing my father from saying anything, "Brat, you haven't changed." His eyes then slip from my face to my body, and I know my mother is boiling with rage when I feel her hand tighten on my shoulder at the obvious movement of his eyes.

Levi's behavior was totally normal though he was bold, my parents were standing right here but I guess he didn't care. However, like I said alphas do normally check out omegas because omegas were not meant for fighting obviously well most anyway. There were a few exceptions but the other 99.9 percent of us were used for other things, one being chores and the second being the meaning behind his eyes, sex, aka mating. Though I never seen an alpha so boldy show his intentions in front of the parents of the omega but he was an Ackerman, a different breed from the rest of us.

His stare doesn't last long as he glances back to his pack which remained behind him and watching us with keen interest. He mutters an order, "You guys… come. No fighting, no messes. Understood?"

"Understood," they all say in unison, quickly losing interest in me more focused on their alpha. His pack was a well-oiled machine, no hint of any disorder amongst them, but I expected that much. And once Levi moves past my father, so does his pack and I'm glad everyone's attention is off of me.

My father lets out a breath of air he must have been holding in after speaking to Levi for the first time in a while. He looks at the hand he used to shake hands with Levi muttering in defeat, "I thought my damn hand was going to break… Does the boy not know how to shake a hand properly? I bet he still secretly resents me from that time…"

My mother glares daggers at my father before she hisses, "Nevermind your stupid hand, dear. Did you see the way he eyeballed our baby? You aren't going to let that stand are you? Are you not a man? A wolf? She is our baby!"

'Levi did really know how to upset both my parents, especially my mother…' I think in my head before I register what my mother had said. "Mom!" I hiss glaring at her for starting to cause a scene. I prayed he was out of earshot and continue, "He wasn't really looking at me like that... Levi would never."

She returns my glare and her voice is vicious containing a growl to it, and I want to shrink back into my skin knowing her wolf was surfacing, "Alright, Alight. Then you explain what those perverted eyes of his dropped from here to-"

My father quickly cuts my mother off by placing both of his hands on my mother's cheeks and squeezing them until her lips are puckered before he pecks her lips. The quick peck is over and he hums, "That's enough, forget about Levi, I'll deal with him later. That was the last of the guests so let our baby girl enjoy her big day. Okay, honey?" He then slides his hand around her waist pushing her forward the way Levi and his pack went and her hand that was resting on my shoulder slips off.

I start following my parents but I quickly hear a feminine yelp from my father and I see him pull his hand away from mother's waist. Her face and ears are red and my father is whining loudly, "You'd had to go for my injured hand. Where did that nice girl I met years ago go?" he jokes having a goofy smile on his face.

"I don't recall marrying a man-child," she huffs and the bluff was quickly fading.

"That's a stab right to my pride dear…." he mutters holding his chest expressing obvious fake pain. I believe he was trying to lighten the mood by I was a nervous wreck. His eyes slide to me his voice more serious, "Willow are you ready for your big night?"

"Not really…" I mutter my heart pounding. "I honestly don't' think I'm ready." I sputter to my father and he blinks at me in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asks but he doesn't let me answer, instead continuing to talk,. "It's simple. I told you a hundred times. Once that big moon made of cheese fully rises, let your mind become blank and get in touch with your inner wolf. She will do the rest and once you transform, the others will shortly join. Don't worry it comes natural. And then by the end of the night, you will be chosen by one of the head alphas and let into their packs. A few were already interested in you, afterall you are my daughter."

I'm sure my father on his big day just walked right up in the center of everyone joking and carrying on like the life of the party being a giant goofball. He had no shame and his wolf had no shame either. His wolf was more like a dog than a real wolf. I don't think I could be like my father in that aspect, having no fear and no doubt of failure.

"I'm not so sure. What happens if I can't transform or what happens if no one wants me? I can't feel my wolf…" I question walking next to my parents with more uncertainty.

"Honey, don't worry about it, both of those things are unheard of, especially at your age. Just relax for now and celebrate. Worry about everything come nightall," my mother suggests trying to be encouraging and somehow her voice manages to unnerve me.

I shut my eyes muttering a soft, "Ok…" not letting any more panicked thoughts flood my head.

My father sighs before stopping and he says reaching over and give me a shove forward, "Good! Now go greet everyone. This is your birthday, Is it not? So go spin some heads and impress some alphas."

I swallow, glancing at my father and then at everyone who has gathered at my party. Some were gathered by the bonfire, some were staring at me, while others were talking amongst themselves drinking and eating what the party provided. There were sure a lot of people to greet and I recognized some of people that were staring at me were from Levi's pack.

I then shut my eyes briefly again and step forward towards another alpha, "Alright papa."

I encourage myself in my head and once getting up towards him I properly introduce myself, and begin conversation. This was going to be a long night…

…

…

After going around and greeting each head alpha except Levi, I was totally flustered. Some were normal to talk to, like Erwin Smith, while others were abnormal like Hange. Hange was too strange for me and I hope my only offer didn't come from her. She had gotten up close and personal, asking way to many personal questions. It was hard to lose her in the crowd of people at the party and honestly I feel bad for her pack members but they seem to used to her odd actions.

I now find time to myself and slump in the corner by my house. I sit on a log not too far from bonfire where I watch a beautiful blonde woman in her early twenties dancing with her equally attractive mate. Too bad I wasn't like her, beautiful and not afraid to let my wild side out. I continue to watch the pair.

She smiles at her mate and she takes her scarf from around neck and wraps it around the man's, swaying and moving to the beat of the music. Her movements are sensual and graceful, her feet not missing a single beat to the music as she pulls her mate closer to her, rotating her hips slower and slower being more seductive. The man smiles back and he places his hands on her hip mimicking her dancing but in his own masculine fashion.

I take a sip of a drink I been holding on to the entire night. A way to keep my mouth from going dry since I was talking so much. My eyes slip from the couple the moment they start sharing kisses to see a tall blonde man with glasses leaning his back against a tree. He was smoking a cigarette.

He was another strange alpha and when I first introduced myself, he wasn't much of a talker not that I was complaining any. I got really weird and odd vibes from him. His name is Zeke Yeager and even his pack was strange. Well some of them were strange while others were completely fine like Reiner Braun for example. He was a friendly and outgoing man and I had a lot of fun talking to him, he reminded me what it might be like to actually have an older brother instead of the poor excuses I was gifted with.

Zeke's pack lived on the other side of the river from Levi's pack and from what I heard they did not get along at all. They were like cats and dogs and Zeke had a way of constantly provoking Levi and tonight I was secretly finding myself wanting to see a fight provoked by Zeke. Though at the same time, I didn't. I was scared for Zeke's life, because in their home turfs, they had the river separating their territories.

Zeke turns his head and I make eye contact with him. I almost choke on my drink at what he does next. He takes a drag of his cigarette and waves at me smiling. He could have ignored the stare or pretended our eyes didn't connect, but instead he made sure he knew I was staring at him making things awkward but my view is cut off of Zeke.

I see the portion of a person standing a little too closely to me. Whoever it is, is holding a cup, and I can only guess the contents of the cup is booze since almost everyone here is holding the same plastic red cup with the same contents in it. The worst part is I don't need to take a guess who it is that is standing in front of me. I already knew.

"Oi brat," he says but the tone is more of a command and I want to cringe because he continues, "How come I am the only one you didn't greet? Am I not a guest? Or am I not worthy of your attention? I want an answer."

Levi Ackerman… I knew tonight was going to be a long night as I look into his unreadable steele blue eyes. A very long night...

Authors Note: Alright, I couldn't help myself with updating this as quickly as possible. Chapter Two is already in the making and if you have any friendly suggestions for the story I would love to hear them! :)