Page 2 of Alpha Marked

Strider nodded. "We'll see you there."

Cherry exited the house without another word, and Strider looked at River.

"She doesn't mean to be like that. You know how she gets at the mating runs. She has a lot of responsibility."

River poked her bowl of mushy cereal. "Why do I have to go? It's not like anyone is going to want me. No one new has moved into the pack since us. And I am sure there won't be anyone new, either. And if there are, they will either be way younger than me or a rogue."

Strider walked to her and hugged her shoulder. "It's tradition, sweetheart. As long as you are in the pack, it's required."

"Yeah, well, maybe I should move away."

Strider stiffened. "Don't say that."

River shrugged. "I found a school in New York City. An art school. They have an amazing program."

Strider stared at her for a long moment. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"

River looked into her stepfather's soft brown eyes and nodded. He was so like her father, but not at the same time. They were both kind and diplomatic, but where her dad had been loud and fun, Strider was quiet and content to let her mom lead in every way.

Strider blew out a breath. "Does your mother know?"

River snorted.

He touched her shoulder. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. For today, let's get through this."

"Okay."

A squeal sounded behind her, and River's younger stepsister, Bianca, jogged into the room.

"What do you think?" she asked River, twisting from side to side and showing off her new jogging suit. "Dad got it for me. Cute, right?"

Strider smiled affectionately, making her heart squeeze. Her dad used to look at her like that.

"Super cute.” River hopped off her barstool, dumped out her cereal, and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

"Are you gonna get ready?" Bianca bounced with energy.

"Yup. Doing it now."

Bianca bounced from foot to foot. "Well, hurry up. I want to be early and check out the males."

River couldn't help but smile. "It's the same guys we've seen for the last million years."

Bianca gripped River's hands. "Maybe this will be my year. I'll see one of them, and it will be like seeing them for the first time, and our wolves will connect."

River hoped it happened for Bianca. The girl had been dreaming about her mate for as long as she could talk.

River put on a smile. "I hope this is your year, sis."

Bianca hugged River. "I'll wait for you."

River walked through the narrow hall to her room and opened the door. She scanned the room with walls plastered in various art pieces she'd cut from magazines, printed from the internet, and taken photos of on trips into New York City with her mom.

She would miss her little room when she moved away for school, but she couldn't hang around the pack and continue to let Strider and Cherry pay her way for the rest of their lives. Her dad may have been an Alpha, but that legacy and respect only went so far for a female wolf with no mate or purpose in the pack.

She stripped off her pajamas and tossed them to the floor before wrapping in a towel and heading for the shower. She wanted to get the day over with and tell her mom she was leaving to focus on her future.

River walkedto the camp center with Strider and Bianca. Bianca chattered and bounced around more than usual with frenzied excitement. River bore it patiently, smiling and nodding but not listening. Nervousness about talking to her mom about art school tied her in knots.

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