I jolted awake to the sound of my mother's voice calling my name. My disdain for early mornings is legendary in our household, so this wasn't an unusual wake-up call. Even though I was fully awake, I stayed in bed, letting her continue to shout through the door for a bit longer.

"Katarina, really?" I heard my mother's breathy voice snap as she opened my bedroom door. With a groan, I raised my head and met her piercing blue eyes with my own.

My bright blue eyes were one of the few traits I inherited from my beautiful but strict mother. My younger sister, on the other hand, was almost her exact clone, with her slender build, curly blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, and high cheekbones. "The good looks of the family," my mother once said when she thought I wasn’t listening. It wasn't that my father lacked in appearance, but he had a rugged look, with a massive build and a face scarred from defending our pack years ago. While the women in my family had slender figures, my body was curvier—my chest and hips continued to grow, but the rest of me stayed the same. My hair was the same shade of chocolate brown as my father's, straight as a pin, and my skin was just as pale, only flushing red when blood rushed to our faces. The one saving grace of my hair was its length—it had grown long over the summer, now reaching well past my waist. My face was round and youthful, giving me a much younger appearance than my actual age.

My height was a different issue altogether. The women in my family tended to be taller than the men, with my mother standing a few inches above my father. I missed the height gene entirely. At just 5'3", both my mother and father towered over me. Even my younger sister had outgrown me over the years. As I grew up, my parents realized I wasn’t the daughter they had envisioned. Stubborn, rebellious, and insubordinate—those were the words my mother used to describe me. My older brother, Valen, the future Beta of our pack, was the only one in the family who saw my stubbornness as a hidden strength. They considered themselves lucky with my younger sister Aria, whom my mother often praised as the perfect little lady worthy of a good mate.

"I'm awake," I sighed, dreading the fact that today would be a busy one.

Every year, the Moon Ball is held on a different pack's territory. This year, it was our pack's turn—the Blue Moon Pack, to which my family and I belong. The Moon Ball is supposed to be an elaborate and romantic event designed to help young wolves find their mates. I had successfully skipped the event every year until now, but this year, there was no escaping it.

I refused to worry. There was nothing to fear; I would simply attend the ball, and when no one was looking, I’d slip away and spend the rest of the night alone. My wolf, Rose, rolled her eyes at my indifference toward finding a mate. Although she shared my reservations, she understood my reasons. After everything that had happened, there was no way I was going to become the mate of some hot-headed wolf.

"You need to get up and dressed! Valen will be here any minute!" My mother snapped, her stern gaze locked on my face, even as Aria peeked into my room.

Chiding myself for almost forgetting about Valen, I climbed out of bed and made a show of getting dressed to appease my mother. With one last disapproving look, she sighed and closed the door behind her, granting me some privacy.

Valen had been visiting a neighboring pack when he found his mate. After spending a few months with them, he was finally coming home to introduce her to us. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the thought of seeing him again. Unlike the rest of my family, Valen never viewed my personality as a flaw; he simply saw his 'feisty little sister.'

Without much thought, I grabbed a black off-the-shoulder top and a pair of ripped denim shorts, quickly dressing while pulling out my phone to text my two best friends. I created a group chat and sent them a message about Valen, knowing they’d both want to be there to welcome him home.

*Me - 10:55

-You guys up? Valen will be home any minute!

*Raven - 10:56

-Obviously we're up; not all of us like to sleep all day!

*Me - 10:57

-What can I say? I’m in a committed relationship with my bed!

*Gideon - 10:58