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mate...the rest of the pack
have
to obey you. They don't have a choice either. That's the way it is.

All members have to accept and adhere to pack hierarchy. If they don't, my father will force

them, and trust me...they don't want to disobey him. I'm the only one bold enough to challenge

his authority. You've seen what happens...and I'm his
son
." He chuckled before he released my hands and started cutting into his bloody steak.

Ugh, how could he eat at a time like this
?

Quinn's voice was chipper and she didn't seem bothered to lose her position. "I'll take you

shopping. Madeleine has a dress shop, so we'll go there."

Her friendly behavior puzzled me. Riley had said she was jealous of our relationship and

she just informed me I'd be taking her position in the pack.
Why was she so happy
? I stared at my omelet, pondering this new revelation.

Riley chowed down on his food as if he didn't have a care in the world. I, on the other

hand, was in a complete state of shock and disbelief. I didn't sign up for this. I just wanted to be

with Riley and live happily in my cabin.

I ate slowly and spoke few words. I was thankful the twins didn't try to force me to

engage in conversation and were content to chat amongst themselves. Quinn stayed at the diner

until me and Riley finished our breakfast.

After I insisted on paying for our meal, she grabbed my arm and dragged me to the dress

shop. They didn't sell trendy or designer clothes. Everything looked vintage or donated so I had

to make due. I chose a sleeveless powder blue top with a low cut neckline because Quinn

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said the color matched my eyes. I decided to get a black cotton skirt, and she helped me pick a

simple pair of earrings and shoes.

I tried to pay for my clothes, but Quinn gave money to Madeleine first, and she wouldn't

refuse her and take my money instead. I couldn't help but feel wary of Quinn's generosity

because of the current circumstances.

As we were leaving the shop, my curiosity about her attitude began to grow. She was

more affectionate than usual, walking arm-and-arm with me down the street toward Celia's red

Ford Explorer parked in front of the doctor's office. Quinn had borrowed it, and told me she'd

give me a ride back to my cabin after Riley said he'd meet us there. Neither twin owned a vehicle

of their own.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm taking your position and you don't seem bothered

by it."

She answered nonchalantly. "I just accept it." I looked down at her shorter form and she

smiled. "You're better for the position anyway."

I scoffed. "How do you figure that?"

"When you take my position, you'll have a mate and people will respect you. The pack

doesn't respect me because I don't have a mate. They obey me, but I hear them talk about me

behind my back. Most females my age have mates. The only females who don't are the ones the

males consider low quality."

Outraged by her sexist comment, I yelled, "Low quality? What the hell does that mean?

Who are they to judge a person's quality?"

She laughed. "You really have a lot to learn about pack life, especially the way male

Varulv
think. What I'm saying is quite normal in all pack societies. Females with undesirable

traits or weaknesses usually don't attract a mate. Males reject them if they're born barren, deaf,

blind, or crippled---any kind of birth defect that will make them unable to hunt or reproduce. The

only time they attract a mate is if there's a male born of the same quality. Males who are too

submissive usually become Omegas, but that's rare because most of them aren't. My father

chooses one male Omega because they're the weakest member of the pack. Since it's the lowest

rank in the hierarchy, they have a hard time getting a female to accept their claim. Females who

are too dominant---like me---get rejected as well."

"But you're the Beta Female, so you're supposed to be dominant."

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"Not to my suitors." My mouth formed an 'o' as I nodded. "I can't help it. Being dominant is part of my personality and it's difficult for me to be submissive. I've tried by practicing with

Riley, but it makes me so angry. I don't like males telling me what to do. I only accept my

father's authority because he gave me life."

This time I laughed. "Well, I can understand your feelings. You shouldn't have to change

your personality. Guys should accept you the way you are."

"If only all the males thought like us," she said wistfully.

We both shared a laugh as we stood next to Celia's SUV.

* * * * *

I felt nervous while getting ready to go out that evening. Riley wouldn't tell me the

location of The Den, but I assumed I would be in the company of
Varulv
. I wondered how they

would react to me since news spread I would soon join the pack.

After I blow-dried my hair, it was a brown frizzy mess and I didn't have any hair care

products to tame it. I was two seconds away from putting my hair in a ponytail, but then I

thought,
I'd look SO stupid if I wore a ponytail with this outfit
. For a moment, I thought maybe wolves liked the wild look. Riley's hair was certainly untamed.

Ironically, he knocked on the bathroom door. "Can I come in?"

I couldn't keep the frustration from my voice. "Yeah sure, but don't be surprised by what

you see."

Riley opened the door and stood next to me at the sink. He wore all black, from his t-shirt

to his Chuck Taylors. His honey-colored skin and golden hair stood out against the dark color,

and he looked undeniably sexy.

He grinned at me in the mirror. "I like what I see."

That makes two of us
.

I turned to him with my lion's mane and spoke sarcastically. "Really? You like the frizzy

look on your women?"

He laughed. "There's nothing wrong with your hair." He gave me the once-over and my

face flushed under his scrutiny. He stepped closer, his voice low. "I like the frizzy look on
you
."

I turned back to the mirror and huffed loudly.

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He moved behind me, but I could still see his face because he was taller. "You don't like

your hair like this?" He fluffed it with his hands, adding more volume and making it look worse.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. That's when I felt his fingers comb and entwine my hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhhh...just let me."

I stood silently while he slowly twisted my hair. His French braid wasn't perfect. He left a

few loose tendrils, but he made it and I adored him for it.

"How's that?" He held the end of the braid between his fingers. "Do you have something

for me to tie the end with?"

I was breathless with amazement. "How did you learn to do that?"

"Quinn taught me. We compromised a lot when we were pups. She agreed to play in the

mud with me, if I agreed to let her dress me up like a girl. She used to make me braid her hair."

I laughed at the thought and handed him a black scrunchie to tie on the end of the braid.

Once he finished, I turned around and kissed his lips. "Thank you."

He tucked a few stray hairs behind my ears, a real tenderness in his gaze. "You're

welcome, love."

About a half-hour later, Quinn came back to my cabin with Celia's SUV. She was dressed

in a lacy cream peasant blouse and blue skinny jeans. Her long hair fell freely down her back. I

noticed she was wearing makeup because normally she opted for the natural look.

The twins argued over who would drive to The Den, mostly because of Quinn's

unwillingness to let Riley dictate orders. They were both Betas and had equal authority, but

Riley tried to assert dominance because he was the male.
And Quinn thought I didn't know

anything about wolves
. It was dark outside by the time we left my cabin, and in the end, Riley drove while Quinn sulked in the backseat.

Riley took the road from my cabin that would lead us into town. Instead of driving to

town, he went off-road for about a half-mile until we reached another dirt road I had no idea

existed. We traveled on it for a mile and I saw lights in the distance. As we got closer, I saw

lampposts on either side of the road.

The road opened up, giving way to a rock-covered parking lot and a building that looked

like a hotel lodge. The two-story lodge was made mostly of wood with balconies on both sides.

Tiny lights illuminated the words 'The Den' on the front. There were SUV's, pick-up trucks,

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motorcycles, and dirt bikes parked in the lot. I saw some people hanging out in front, and others

leaning on vehicles smoking and drinking. Every person looked around my age and seemed to be

having a good time.

I looked at Riley, surprise in my voice. "So this is The Den? What kind of place is it?"

"I guess you can say it's a club. Young
Varulv
come here to socialize. Older pack

members leave us alone here, so we can do what we want."

Quinn added, "My father knows about this place, but he told older pack members to stay

clear. Riley and I had a hard time convincing him to let us build The Den. We argued we needed

a place where young
Varulv
could let loose. As you've probably noticed, there's not much to do in town for fun."

I had to assume older
Varulv
socialized at The Ivory Claw bar.

Riley drove through the lot slowly and parked on the end next to a late-model pick-up

truck. He took my hand as we walked toward the front door and Quinn walked on my other side.

I didn't feel the uncomfortable stares like the ones I felt at the diner. Everyone dressed casual and

greeted the twins with respect and enthusiasm. A few people said 'hello' to me, but most just

gave me curious looks. No one asked my name and I wondered if everyone already knew.

The inside of The Den really impressed me. I didn't expect to see a place like this out in

the middle of nowhere. The dim lighting gave it a mellow and hip atmosphere. I found it odd

Jay-Z and Rihanna's '
Run This Town
' played softly instead of blaring through the speakers.

"Why is the music so low?"

Riley smiled. "It's not low to me. Actually, it's pretty loud. We're wolves remember? Low

frequencies for human ears are amplified for us."

I nodded in understanding, but it still looked strange seeing people dance like the music

was blasting.
How appropriate this song is playing
, I thought. These young wolves
did
run the town tonight. They danced together, chatted and laughed at tables, and sat at the bar drinking

alcohol. They looked like normal humans I've seen in city nightclubs, and were of different races

and colors. I had no idea the Black River pack was so diverse.
Varulv
from everywhere must

have settled here.

Riley still held my hand as we approached an open room off to the side. Judging from the

drawings on the wall, and the person lying on their stomach getting inked, I had to assume it was

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a tattoo parlor. He released me and walked up to a young man of Asian descent with spiky black

hair. He sat on a stool and leaned over a young woman as he worked on her tattoo.

Riley's voice was loud with joy. "Yuji!"

The young man looked up and a wide smile broke out on his face. He and Riley did that

male handshake where they snap their hands back at the end of it.

"Hey Riley, what's up, man?"

Yuji had a silver barbell piercing in his left eyebrow and a hoop on the right side of his

bottom lip. He had small black discs in both ears and wore eyeliner. His shirt hung open to reveal

a tattoo of paw prints on his chest. With his sleeves rolled up, I saw a variety of tattoos covering

his forearms.

Riley leaned down to observe his friend's work. "Nothing much. I brought Paige here

tonight to show her the place."

Yuji looked at me and smiled. "Hey Paige, welcome to The Den."

I smiled in return. "Thanks."

"What are you putting on Mischka?" Riley asked.

Mischka’s voice sounded muffled because of her position. "I'm getting a water nymph."

Riley nodded with approval. "That's cool."

I browsed around the room admiring the drawings. I stopped in front of a snarling wolf

tattoo and looked at Riley. "Is this where you got your tatt?"

He smiled. "Yeah. You want one?"