CHAPTER 1 Punishment

　　Edward POV

　　I lean back against the wall of the principal's office, trying to hear the conversation my mother is having on the other side of the wall.  From the sound of it, we have really screwed up this time. It will take a lot of ass kissing to get us out of this mess.

　　"Tish," Mom's voice is almost begging. "It is time. They are all eighteen. We cannot keep them apart any longer."

　　There is a long pause, and the click of her high heels against the hard floor fills the silence. Then she growls.

　　"I don't care what kind of grudge she is holding," Mom snarls into her phone. "I won't keep my boys away from her any longer. The prophecy…"

　　A gasp leaves her lips and stomps her foot against the floor. "You will care about the prophecy when the world you live in is in ruin."

　　I spare a glance at Winston. He is listening to the conversation as well. He shares my confusion when we hear of a prophecy. If there is a prophecy regarding us, it isn't one that we have been alerted to. Why would Mom and our dads hide something from us?

　　"Tish," Mom finally sighs. "I am asking you as a friend. Not as your Luna Queen. I can't do this on my own. I need you. I need Macy."

　　A chuckle leaves my lips. Crazy Macy. I haven't seen her since we were little. She used to run around pretending she could see her wolf. She would talk to herself and wait for her imaginary wolf to reply. I doubt she has changed.

　　"Thank you, Tish," Mom's voice cracks slightly before she ends the call.

　　The office door opens, and Winston and I straighten up, pretending we didn't hear her conversation. She glares at us before looking at our dads. She is using the mind link to speak to them. Whatever decision was made must be a big deal. My father, Oliver, shakes his head and looks worried, but he always looks that way. My dad, Leo, seems amused at whatever Mom just told him.

　　Mom begins pacing the principal's office. She doesn't know where to start her lecture, and her anger is filling the room. It is making all of us uncomfortable, though I would never admit it. Each time one of my dads or the principal tries to stop her, she flashes them her fangs and growls. It is actually a little amusing to watch three grown men be terrified of Mom. She might be the Luna Queen, but she is tiny. I don't think she could win in an actual battle.

　　"What exactly are you smiling at?" She snaps in my direction.

　　"It's funny when you are mad," I say like I didn't just almost burn down half the school. "You look like a pissed off Chihuahua."

　　"Someone could have been hurt, or worse, someone could have died, Edward," she screams. "When are you two going to start taking things seriously?"

　　Winston shuffles at my side. He is just as much to blame as I am for this, but I doubt he will open his mouth to defend either one of us. In all of our eighteen years of life, I don't think I have heard him utter more than five or six words at a time.

　　"How was I supposed to know that alcohol was flammable?" I ask, putting on my best good-boy face.

　　"Because the professor fucking told you," Mom screams at me. Winston sucks in a sharp breath. We both know it is serious when Mom starts cussing. "The school's science lab is destroyed, and several students were taken to the hospital for burns. This isn't like your other pranks, Edward. You have taken things too far."

　　Leaning back in my seat, I cross my arms over my chest and glare at her. "Fine, let them suspend me. It isn't like we need school to run the Werewolf World anyway."

　　"Ha!" Mom shouts. "If you think you are taking my throne, you have another thing coming."

　　"Whatever," I growl. "It is my birthright."

　　Mom throws her hands in the air and looks at my dads for some help, but they just shrug their shoulders. They don't know what to do about us either. Leaning against the principal's desk, she crosses her arms over her chest.

　　"The decision has been made," she begins. "You will be going to the South Pack to stay until you graduate from high school. After that, we will see if the crown will pass to you and Winston or if I need to find a suitable replacement."

　　"Fuck you!" I scream at my mother. "I will not live in the middle of fucking nowhere with Crazy Macy and her family. I would rather go rogue."

　　"Now you've done it," Winston hisses and shrinks down into his seat.

　　My dad, Leo, growls so loudly that it shakes the walls of the office. The principal's face loses all color, and he looks like he is ready to run from his own office. "You will watch the tone you take with your mother."

　　"You can't be serious," I say, not backing down. "How is moving to the South Pack going to solve any of this?"

　　"You have to trust us," my father, Oliver, says calmly. He is always the voice of reason between the three of them. "The South Pack is exactly what you need."

　　"No," I jump to my feet. "I will not go. Just pay to fix the school and we can just pretend like this never happened."

　　"Money doesn't solve everything," Mom snaps at me. "Lessons must be learned."

　　"I learned my lesson. It is fine," I say, looking at the principal. "Isn't it?"

　　He shuffles awkwardly in his seat. I have put him in an awkward position between his future Kings and his current Queen. He does not know whose side to take. Respectfully, he gets to his feet. "I believe this is a family matter."

　　"Coward," I call after him as he walks from the office.

　　"Sit down," Mom commands me.

　　I struggle to fight against her command. Sweat beads on my forehead, and my knees try to buckle, but I stand firm. She can't command me forever.

　　"I said sit down," she shouts at me, and my body betrays me, and I fall back into my seat.

　　Winston snickers beside me, and Mom glares in his direction. He quickly wipes the smirk off his face. "When are we leaving for the South Pack?"

　　"Tonight," Mom whimpers.