Chapter 2 Rosalie Murdoch

15-year-old Rosalie Murdoch opened her eyes as the afternoon sun hit through the window of their car. She let out a groan and rubbed her eyes, the nap wasn't long enough. She checked her iPhone, it was 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon and they had been on the road for the last six hours. She sat up and stretched, her muscles were stiff from the awkward sleeping position.

"Where are we, Mom?"

"We'll reach in about 20 minutes. You need to wake up and fix yourself up, dear. Your hair is a total mess." Her mom smiled as she looked back at Rosalie. Amelia Murdoch was a stunning woman. She had angular facial features, long blonde hair that hung straight to the middle of her back, matching her pale complexion. At age 35, she had a body of a twenty-five-year-old. She didn't look a day over 25.

"We'll be arriving there in a half hour or so."

They were returning from a much-needed vacation. Scott Murdoch, the newly promoted Beta of the Silver Moon Pack was an imposing figure even sitting behind the wheel.

His six foot five frames barely fit with the driver's seat, and he was 240 pounds of solid muscle and bone. His light brown hair was kept in a flattop.

"Yes, Dad, we've been over it. We are going to attend the coronation of the new Alpha." She said.

She didn't want to return so soon. But the ceremony was extremely important for the packs.

The Alpha Sullivan had suddenly died, leaving 18-year-old Chris as the heir. Rosalie blushed while thinking of Chris, he was cute. All the girls of the pack had a crush on him. She wondered who would be his mate. Rosalie was just 15, it would take her three more years to find her mate.

It was protocol for unmated sons and daughters of Alphas and Betas to be brought to all ceremonies. There were so few of them, and matings are so important to their survival.

**********

Rosalie crouched low, her eyes locked on her 'prey', as she took a leap and lunged with her fingers spread open. Her best friend Melissa shrieked in shock as they rolled down on the slope and fell into a pool of mud. They giggled, splashing mud at one another as if it was just an ordinary day at the estate. It was few hours before the ceremony. Since the girls were getting bored they had decided to play.

"Oh, dear! mom's gonna kill me," Rosalie lamented looking down at her ruined dress.

"Don't worry let us go to my places, you can borrow one of my dress," Melissa offered.

They didn't realise a pair of eyes had been looking at them from a distance.

"Who are they, Jasper ?" 18-year-old Chris Reynolds asked curiously; his gaze followed the muddy, giggling girls walking away. "They're so amusing."

Jasper gave a scrutinizing look at the girls.

"That's Rosalie and Melissa, they are omegas, very mischievous girl, always up to something, " he answered shaking his head in disapproval.

"They broke the front lawn's fountain while they were, get this, playing hide and seek, those girls are a menace!"

Chris snorted. "They seem harmless !"

"Ah, they're harmless enough, just naughty." Jasper said with a wide grin, "you must focus on your coronation today, you look so much like your father. I still remember when he was preparing for his coronation." Jasper's voice was filled with pride.

"He would be so proud of you, Chris."

Chris sighed. "I hope I can lead the pack like him. I miss him."

"We all do." Jasper nodded.

**********

Amelia pushed her daughter into the bathroom.

"What am I going to do with you, Rosie?" she asked as she took off her daughter's muddy and torn dress. She turned on the tap on the tub.

Unfortunately, Amelia was visiting the Carters at the same time when Melissa Carter returned home with her equally bedraggled friend. Amelia was furious as expected, and Roselie was dragged away by her mother.

"Go and clean yourself, it's coronation day and you have been running around in the mud spoiling the dress! Hurry up or we'll be late for the ceremony later." her mother said as she took the dirty dress and threw it into the bin.

Rosalie pouted as her mother left the bathroom, locking her inside. She was not going to be free until she had cleaned herself. She stared at the warm water in the bathtub.

"Who wants to attend that boring ceremony anyway," she grumbled, but to avoid her mother's anger Rosalie was soon splashing happily in the bathtub.

"Don't waste your time playing, Rosalie Murdoch !"

Her mom shouted again, Roselie pouted.

"Your dad has just been promoted, but this girl has no shame! What would Alpha Chris think about our family?" Her mom grumbled to herself.

Rosalie hated it when her mother disciplined her, but she was right. What would Chris think? I hope he didnt sees me playing in the mud. She thought.

Roselie took a bottle of shampoo and poured some onto her palm and started to lather it up on her hair. This sucks, she thought as she started to soap her body with sweet fragrance soap. I should look presentable for Chris.

******

Roselie watched as her mother put the final touches on her make-up.

"Mom, I'm not a Barbie doll," she stated, cringing as she touched the silk material of her pink coloured dress.

"Nonsense, Rosalie," her Mom replied as she applied lip gloss on her full lips. She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, feeling satisfied with the result. She turned and looked at her daughter. "You look stunning tonight, Rosie."

Roselie rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm going out to take some fresh air," she stated, not even waiting for her mother to answer.

She pushed open the door and trotted in her high heels down the corridor; various members of the pack walked past her. They were chatting and laughing about the coronation tonight. They looked beautiful and handsome in their penguin suits and long slinky dresses of various colours.

She hurried past the hallway, as she ran down the grand marble staircase; her heels made a loud clinking sound. She shuddered in embarrassment but she ignored it anyway as the overwhelming feeling of being watched started to make her anxious.

She knew that she wasn't as beautiful as any of those older female wolves. They had perfect curves and full bouncy breasts. She wondered if she would ever grow into such perfect beauty.

She pushed open the main door and ran gingerly down the short steps. The heels bothered her but she kept on walking to that one place, where she felt so calm. She headed straight to the forest.

The forest was dark. The last remnants of sunlight did nothing to brighten the thick vegetation. But Roselie could see well in both daylight and night without any trouble. A normal human would have scrambled around like a blind mouse waiting to be scooped up by a hungry owl. But jer enhanced werewolf senses made walking in the dark easy. She broke into a run, feeling the wind on her face but a stray tree root made her lose her footing and she fell on the ground, landing on her face.

She groaned, lying still on the ground for a moment before she straightened herself up and brushed away dirt from her expensive dress. She stared in horror as she noticed she had ripped the hem.

Mom's going to kill me, she thought anxiously as she examined the torn hem on her dress. She sighed. I'd rather run in my wolf form than dress up like a Barbie doll, she thought vehemently as she sat down on a fallen tree.

She took a deep refreshing breath. It felt good; the air was cool around her.