Lance's POV

I was going crazy and I knew it but I couldn't help it. The moon goddess must be playing tricks on me. It was my eighteenth birthday but it was my saddest.

My wolf had happily tackled my sister to the ground in happiness in the presence of all that were there to celebrate my eighteenth birthday.

As the future Beta of the park, it would have been disappointing if I didn't get my wolf. It had happened before in our lineage and this had made my parents especially my mum very anxious.

My grandfather was not the direct bloodline of the Beta post but according to history his elder brother who ought to take over from their father never got his wolf.

At first, they had thought his wolf was only delayed for a particular reason but when he didn't get his wolf at the age of twenty-five, my grandfather who was twenty years then was asked to start training.

According to my grandfather, the training was difficult and draining and he nearly gave up. It wasn't easy to train to become a Beta at the age of twenty. Betas started training around the age of twelve.

Betas were usually emotionally and physically conditioned to do their jobs. The Alpha and Luna he was to serve were his main priority. My grandfather survived the training and was made the Beta of our pack.

My parents were apprehensive that if what happened before should repeat itself, it meant the Beta position might leave our family forever. The elders might not allow my sister to take over as the Beta. Our pack had never had a female occupying the post of a Beta.

That morning of my eighteenth birthday I had woken up with a mixture of joy and anxiety. I was going to get my wolf and probably my mate and live happily ever after but the moon goddess sure had another plan for me.

It was painful turning into my wolf for the first time. It was a good thing that my dad actually took his time to explain to me what it was likely to feel like and because I was having a Beta blood, the transition might be more painful than that of any normal wolf.

I smiled when I looked at my dad immediately I was able to get on my feet after my first shift. He looked at me with so much pride in his eyes and I couldn't have been more proud of myself. I couldn't wait to see the look on my mother and sister's faces when they beheld my wolf.

I nearly bolted for the house but my father's steady hands on my fur stopped me. He signaled for me to turn and face the forest. It was then I remembered I would first have to go on a run with the men of the pack. It was a way of testing my agility since I was their future Beta, they needed to be sure I could take my father's place.

No normal wolf can go through the pain of shifting into their wolf and going for a run all in one night. It was only the Alpha and Beta that were made to do it. That was why our training was always difficult and draining, it was to prepare us for the task ahead.

I howled to the sky and broke into a run into the forest followed by the men in our pack and my dad, who by then had shifted into their wolves. I knew I shouldn't fail so I kept pushing. I was the first to get to the edge of the forest, I stopped and waited for them to get to me.

My father was the first to appear I gave him a tired yelp. He came to me and rubbed his snort on my tired face as if he were cleaning my sweat. I turned away from him, mind linking him to stop, he only laughed and told us all it was time to head back, his son had proven himself worthy of being their Beta.

We stopped at the stream to drink water but I didn't want us to stop, I wanted to see my sister already. Our parents were rarely around except on occasions like my birthday so my sister and I kind of take care of each other always, more like I became her father, mother, brother, and confidant all rolled up in one.

She was my confidant too. It kind of got crazy sometimes when I tried to deal with her emotional mess alongside mine. I was just three years older than she was, yet I had to take care of us.

I could already imagine what the look on her face would be like when she beheld my wolf. We had both talked extensively about what my wolf would possibly look like. She had said I was going to have Dad's midnight black fur color. I had not argued with her because that was what I expected. I looked at my image in the stream and gave a wolfish laugh, dad lifted his head and looked at me questioningly. I shook my head at him signifying that nothing was wrong.

I looked up at the sky, it was still dark but I could actually see everything around me. I looked at my immaculately white fur in the stream and wondered why I didn't ask my sister to bet what the color of my wolf would be. At least I would have won her money and made her pout in envy.

I was so consumed with the thought of my sister that I didn't know that the others were already on the move, my dad nudged me on the side and we moved on.

When we were getting near the house I suddenly felt a pang in my chest and my breathing accelerated. My wolf seemed to take over my thinking completely. It felt strange losing control but it was not something I wasn't prepared for.

Due to the strength of my wolf, it was possible for it to consume the human part of me and submerge it totally but I was trained and I knew how to get the reins back. I tried reasoning with my wolf not to do anything rash but it kept insisting we go inside the house immediately.

'Are you ready to go in son?' My father asked through the mind link.

I turned and faced my father. 'I don't know Dad, my wolf is suddenly getting restless.'

'Maybe your mate is inside the house.'

'I would be glad Dad. I don't want to start looking for my mate all over packs.'

'Your mother invited all the eligible girls in the pack. Besides, Maureen's best friend has an eye for you. She just might be the one.'

'Dad, I hope she isn't,' I said rolling my wolf eyes. I can hear Dad laugh through the mind link.

'Why not her, son?'

'Then I have to wait another three years before I can let her know she is my mate. I don't want to be mated to a baby dad.'

'Let's go in and find out then. Let's hope it is not one of your mum's nosy friends,' Dad laughed in the mind link and I laughed too.

My father and I might not get to spend a lot of time together but we were really close and whenever he got to be around we talked a lot and I can say we were good friends. Although my sister was a different ball game. They both seemed not to have a good relationship with her. It was more like I was her parent and they were just there for us.

Maureen didn't bother with them as far as I was there with her. I once talked about it with my mother but she only said I was the one perceiving it that way. So I had to let the sleeping dog lie.

We walked into the house and I had to control my wolf from bolting to wherever it wanted to go. We had to first pay our respect to the Alpha and the Luna then to Dominus who I will be serving as his Beta. Dominus and I were friends, even best friends just like our fathers. Our mothers too were friends. We both joked about it once that maybe if the Luna had had a girl after Dominus, she would have been my sister's best friend too.

After greeting the Alpha and his family, I had to do all I could to make my wolf stop and acknowledge Mum. She looked at me with so much pride. I could see her eyes mist over. She had never shown so much emotion in my presence before. She rubbed my wolf's head gently and that seemed to calm him down a little.

My wolf suddenly seemed to smell something in the air. Before I could do anything to stop him, he made a beeline for my sister and tackled her to the ground. Maureen must have thought I was playing with her because she laughed and rubbed her hand on the fur on my side.

My wolf put his nose on Maureen's neck and sniffed her, it tickled her and she laughed harder. I took hold of control and bolted straight upstairs. I could sense the deafening silence downstairs.

'What the hell just happened? That is our sister,' I berated my wolf.

'If she is our sister, why then is her scent calling out to us?' My wolf answered nonchalantly.

'You are the only one it is calling out to, not me. I only hope the goddess didn't give me a mad wolf,' I said getting ready to change into my human form.

'I am not mad, I know what I sensed,' my wolf insisted.

'You will stay away from her, she is our sister. We ought to protect and love her. She thought just now that you were playing with her, we would keep it that way,' I shouted in my head and blocked my wolf out.

I quickly changed into my human form before my wolf could do or say anything more stupid.

I entered the bathroom feeling the opposite of what I thought I would be feeling that day. But I knew I had to push through with the ceremony, I had guests downstairs and I couldn't afford to hole up in my room. I only hope I can keep my mad wolf at bay around Maureen.

Lance's POV

I heard a soft knock on my door but I ignored it. I was sure it was one of the kitchen hands coming to wake me, probably on Mum's instruction.

I had turned all night trying to sleep. I had gone through my own birthday party like a zombie. The idea that the moon goddess gave me a crazy wolf was enough to keep me awake all night. So I wasn't ready to get up that morning.

The knock came again and I ignored it, thinking the person would go away when I refused to answer. I waited for another three seconds and dosed off to sleep.

My sister's smell was all I smelled in the house now so I wasn't ready to strain myself to get who was at the door specifically.

I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly somebody jumped into my bed. The instance the person's body touched mine I knew who it was. My wolf became too alert for my liking.

'Shit, Maureen what are you doing here so early?' I shouted at my sister the instance I got on my feet.

'Lance, I have always done this in the morning,' she answered looking at me confused. She did that every time I didn't go for training. She came into my room and slept with her head on my chest. According to her, my heartbeat relaxed her. But that had to stop else we were going to commit incest.

'Look, things are different now Maureen. You coming here unannounced, you coming to cuddle with me, they have got to stop,' I shouted angrily at her. I was becoming frustrated. I knew it was not her fault but I had to stay away from her.

'Why Lance, why are you being mean to me?' She lifted her head to look at me, her eyes filled with unshed tears and my heart broke. If only she knew what battle I was fighting within me. Trying to stop my hands from grabbing her and kissing her succulent lips.

For a fifteen-year-old, my sister was beautiful. She was filled out in all the right places like every male's fantasy. And since last night I stopped feeling like her brother, I wanted her and my wolf was not helping matters. At that moment, I was going crazy in my head wanting to touch and hold her desperately.

I was angry at her for making it so difficult for me. I knew that the look in my eyes at that moment was bad enough to make anyone cringe but Maureen was never scared of me. Instead of running, I saw the tears in her eyes flow down her beautiful cheeks.

The instance I noticed the tears in her eyes running down like a tap, I turned away from her. It was for her own good.

'You know what Maureen, get out of my room, I am not in the mood for your tantrums this morning,' I said with all the patience I could muster.

'I am not throwing tantrums, Lance. But you are being so mean to me?' She stubbornly insisted.

I turned to face her again making sure that the look in my eyes was harder. 'Please Maureen go to your room.'

'This is so unfair, Lance. Are you being like this because you turned eighteen?' She asked with stubbornness still in her voice.

'Yes. Maybe when you turn eighteen, you will understand my plight,' I said rubbing my face with my hand in frustration. I was lost and frustrated.

Maureen stood up and came towards me, she stretched out her hand to touch me but I moved away as fast as I could. If she touched me I might lose the little control I had over my wolf. No training prepared me for what I was going through at that moment.

'Don't touch me, Maureen, just go,' I shouted at her. Wishing she would just let me be.

She rushed out of my room crying. I wished I could run after her but I couldn't. Any contact could become a big mess, so I let her go and my heart sank hearing her sob as she ran the length of the corridor to her room.

I knew I couldn't sleep again so I decided to get ready for the day. I had a few things to do in the company of Dominus.

I took my bath and got dressed with a mind filled with my sister. She was all I could smell in the air everywhere I turned. It was almost driving me crazy. I knew I had to get out of the house.

'Good morning Lance,' Lucia greeted me when I entered the kitchen to find something to eat before meeting up with Dominus.

'Hey Lucia. How are you this morning?' I smiled at her refusing to meet my sister's gaze.

'I am fine,' Lucia answered hanging on to every word that came out of my mouth as if her life depended on them. It was actually funny how things worked. Dominus liked her but she liked me, so for Dominus' sake I discouraged her advances all the time.

'Thanks for attending my birthday yesterday,' I said taking Lucia's hand and playing with her fingers.

I smiled when I saw her blush furiously. I just wished she liked my friend as well. Dominus and I were banking on the fact that when she finally got her wolf she would let go of her crush for me.

'You don't have to thank me, Lance. I practically live in this house. It is not as if I can just stay in the room and not attend,' Lucia said looking so happy

'Thanks all the same,' I said smiling at her and I let go of her hand.

'Your wolf was so beautiful. What is his name?' Lucia asked. I knew both she and Maureen had been dying to know his name so I answered.

'Marshall,' I answered trying my best to concentrate on our discussion because my sister's smell bombarded my senses and was torturing me with a restless wolf.

'It was so big and beautiful. Can I see him again soon?'

'He is not a pet Lucia, he is a wolf and a Beta for that matter. He will be unpredictable like any wolf with a strong bloodline,' I said in a firm tone. I had to, I can't afford to let my wolf out around my sister.

'I guess that is true. I was scared when he tackled Maureen to the ground yesterday, I thought he would hurt her but when Maureen laughed under him, I breathed a sigh of relief.' Lucia rolled her eyes and dramatically raised her hands as if she were trying not to scold my wolf.

At her mention of the previous night's incident, I could feel my spine go rigid. I had to get out of there fast. The anger in me came to the surface and I tried to control it.

'Maureen is his sister, he would never hurt her. He has to protect her as her Beta and that is exactly what he would do,' I said looking into my sister's eyes as if I was trying to convey the information that nothing was ever going to happen between us.

I made sure I emphasized 'sister,' trying hard to remind my wolf who Maureen was and warn Maureen off too. But then she knew nothing about my inner turmoil.

'I will be out with Dominus. You girls should not wait up for me,' I said breaking eye contact with my sister. I stood up and left the house.

The moment I stepped out I decided I was going to avoid the house as much as I could, for the sake of my sanity.

I refused to go pick up my sister from school as I usually did. She had called me several times but I refused to pick up. She had a special ring tone so I don't bother when my phone is playing that particular song. I tried sleeping to while away time besides I was tired from the morning training. After turning for several minutes I fell asleep only to be woken up by my phone ringing.

'Hello,' I asked sleepily.

'Em em hello Lance,' Lucia's voice came from the other side. If I had checked the caller ID I wouldn't have picked up her call but then the worried part of me would have picked up the call.

'Hello are you there Lucia, is 'Everything ok? I asked when she fell silent.

'Yeah, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you would be coming for Maureen or if you would be sending Dominus,' Lucia rushed everything in one breath.

I was silent for a while. I didn't want to say anything out of tune.

'Are you there?' Lucia asked. I guess my silence was disturbing.

'Yes, I am here. Are you with her right now,' I asked.

'No. I left her believing you would be there,' Lucia lied. I could hear two people breathing from her end.

'She is no longer a child Lucia, she can take care of herself,' I said knowing fully well that she was listening to the conversation.

'When did your baby suddenly become so grown up? Because you turned eighteen?' Lucia questioned me, obviously defending her friend.

'You won't understand Lucia, there is a lot I am trying to process right now,' I sighed into the phone.

'Maureen has been calling your number all day but you are not picking,' Lucia accused me.

'Tell her to get herself home or better still sleep in school if she wants.' I had to make her hate me. It was the only way out.

'Tell her yourself I am not with her.'

'You underestimate me, Lucia. Have you forgotten that I have my wolf now? I heard two people breathing on the phone,' I said to her so she would realize that they couldn't fool me.

'What?' I heard the two of them say.

'My ears are four times sharper now than before as well as my sight. Imagine your sight better than what it already is now,' I explained with a smile playing on my lips.

'Lance?' I heard my sister call me on the phone. Her voice sounded like a soothing balm but I knew I couldn't let the feeling unsettle my now very alert wolf.

'See you around Lucia,' I said and quickly cut the call. I knew I was hurting her but that is the only way I could do it. I was hurting too.

Lance's POV

'Lance stop, let her go,' Dominus shouted at me, his voice piercing the haze covering my senses. I dropped her and started shivering.

I couldn't believe I almost killed my sister. I had warned her to stay away from me. I avoided going home because of her. I was going crazy and my wolf was not helping matters. He yearned for her like a pervert. I was going to go mad if care wasn't taken. I had to stay as far away from her as possible until my crazy wolf got back to his senses.

I had found her sleeping in my room days before, I had to strip the bed of every layer of clothing on it just to get rid of her chocolaty scent. It was bad enough that her smell hung around the house, even in the surrounding bushes.

I had cried on Mum's bosom that morning too overwhelmed with wanting her and trying to stay away from her. I was not about to commit incest because some stupid wolf thought nothing of it. If he was crazy, I was sane.

It was an endless war between me and my wolf. In the middle of the night sometimes, my wolf would wake me and demand to see her. I had reminded him several times that she was my sister but he seemed determined to bring us to ruin.

I had almost thought the moon goddess hated me enough to grant me a pervert for a wolf. A wolf that thought nothing of claiming his sister as a mate.

When my sister touched me that morning while I was crying, I nearly shifted into my wolf from the cheer and excitement of my wolf. I had to turn what I felt into enough anger to ask her to take her hands off me at that moment.

I never would have guessed that she would follow me into the forest. She was making my life difficult by being stubborn. I was trying to save us from embarrassment and disgrace but she was making it more difficult for me to do.

The human part of me was getting angrier at her for being so stubborn. The hurt I saw on her face that morning actually broke my heart but I knew it was for the best. Maybe if she stayed away for long enough, my wolf would be able to realize what our true relationship was.

After I had shouted at her to take her hands off me that morning, our parents had been very surprised. They knew how much I loved my sister. They knew my life revolved around her. Seeing me shouting at her like that shocked them to no end.

'Lancelot, why did you shout at your sister like that?' Mum had asked that morning looking bothered.

'It is nothing, Mum, she is just becoming too annoying for my liking,' I had replied trying to look nonchalant.

'Son, are you sure your sister has nothing to do with your mood?' Dad asked looking at me as if he was trying to read my mind.

'No Dad. She is just too young to understand what I am going through right now. I want her to stop disturbing me,' I answered with my heart beating fast.

I knew I had to be careful, my dad was too smart to be lied to. And I knew I had to get out of my dad's presence fast before he could question me further.

'I need to go have my bath, I will see you guys later,' I said and quickly left them before Dad could read me. He was a good negotiator because of his gift of reading people. It was nothing supernatural, he just could do it. The last thing I want is for him to find out that my wolf was crazily lusting after my sister.

I got into my room and found Dominus flipping through a magazine while sitting on the loveseat.

'Are you ok now?' He asked looking worried. Dominus was not just my friend and Alpha. He was my brother. What we shared was brotherhood and not friendship. I had not told him about what was going on but I knew I had to tell someone, or else I would run mad.

'I am not fine Dominus,' I answered and sat on the edge of the bed. Dominus stood up from the loveseat and sat down beside me on the bed.

'What is eating you up Lance, you know you can talk to me?'

'It is really bad Dom, really really bad.'

'You have to talk to somebody about it at some point. I see the way you train these days as if you want to kill yourself. The light is no longer in your eyes and you rarely smile anymore.'

I sighed deeply and looked at Dominus, I could hear his heartbeat increase and smell the worry rolling off him in waves. I knew he loved me and what affects me, affects him.

'What is the worst thing that I could do that would make you hate me?' I asked him.

He stood up and started pacing in front of me, a frown on his handsome face. He was obviously in deep thought. He suddenly looked up as he seemed to get an idea.

'Did you sleep with Lucia?' He asked his eyes bulging.

'What? I would never betray you like that,' I shouted looking surprised that he would think in that direction.

Dominus sighed and his shoulder relaxed visibly. ' What then could you have done that will make me hate you? Even if you do that I know you would not have done it intentionally.'

'It is not what I did Dom, it is what I am.'

'What you are, what do you mean by that?'

'My wolf is crazy Dom.'

'Crazy? How?' Dominus asked confused.

'My wolf thinks Maureen is his mate.'

'Which Maureen?' He asked looking at me suspiciously.

'My sister,' I answered looking sad.

'What?' Dominus asked looking comical with his big eyes almost removing from the sockets.

'It started the eve of my birthday.'

'I remember seeing your wolf tackling her to the ground. I thought nothing of it because I thought he was just happy to finally meet his sister.'

'He simply followed her scent, the fool.'

'Don't call your wolf a fool Lance.'

'What then do I call all this? Maureen is his sister,' I said throwing my hands up in surrender.

We both fell into silence, each person to his thoughts. I was very angry with the whole situation.

'The moon goddess can't be mistaken in peering us, Lance.'

'The moon goddess can't be mistaken right? Accepted. But why will she peer me with my sister, that is incest.'

'There must be an explanation somewhere,' Dominus said thoughtfully.

'I need the explanation as soon as possible before I go mad.'

'Why don't you explain this to your sister instead of treating her the way you do?

'You know I treat her somehow?' I asked surprised he noticed.

'You think I didn't notice? I know you have been avoiding her and your house generally and I heard when you shouted at her. She cried while coming upstairs you know?'

'I can't possibly sit her down and tell her that my wolf wants her besides she is not supposed to know she is my mate until her wolf recognizes mine as hers.'

'Then let us wait till she turns eighteen and see if her wolf will choose yours. Whatever happens then we will know whether to involve our parents or not,' Dominus reasoned.

'This fool here,' referring to my wolf, I pointed at my head, 'would have made me mad by then. We are talking of three good years here.'

'I know. Maybe it is time to go for that training at Royal White with me. We would be gone for almost three years by the time we get back, things might have straightened out.'

'I didn't want to go because of Maureen. Mum and Dad are ever absent. Who would take care of her?'

'Have you taken a good look at your sister these days?'

'More than I am proud to say.'

'Then you must have noticed that she is no longer a baby, she can take care of herself. Besides you need the time away before you do something you would regret.'

Dominus made a lot of sense but being separated from my sister was the last thing I wanted. But with the way my wolf was going about it, something bad might happen soon.

I thought of it deeply for a while. 'You know what? Let me have my bath and we go for a run.'

Dominus started laughing at me and I wondered what I had said that might be funny.

'Why are you laughing?'

'Are you sure this whole situation is not affecting you?' He finally answered after laughing to his contentment.

'What do you mean?' I asked still not getting his point.

'You are sweaty already. If you have your bath now, you go for another run, won't you be sweaty again? What is the essence of your bath?' Dominus explained smiling at me.

I smiled and scratched my head.

'Ok fine. Let's go and hunt our breakfast then,' I smiled and removed my shirt.

We headed for the forest. Hunting that morning on my part was difficult. If I had gone alone, I might have returned more frustrated than I left because I would not have caught anything.

I get lost in thought most of the time and lose track of whatever I am hunting.

'Hey, are you alright?' Dominus asked through the mind link.

'Yeah. I am fine. I think we should head back now. I need to rest.'

'You can sleep in my house you know, if that will give you some peace.'

'I would appreciate that.'

'Ok let me get our hunt together. I will meet you at the spot where we dropped our shorts.'

'Ok,' I said and closed the link.

I made my way towards the edge of the forest where we dropped our shorts. I could smell my sister in the breeze. It was really annoying that I couldn't seem to escape her.

Suddenly I heard her call out to me. Every word that came out of her mouth was like a sword thrust deep into my heart. I tried to stop my wolf from acting stupid to no avail. Immediately I took over the anger I felt for my wolf, it overwhelmed me and I almost killed my sister.

As I watched Dominus kneel beside her tending to her my heart broke and I did the only thing I could do at that moment. I ran.