Chapter 1
Chapter One
Seraphina
The forest smells of spring. My wolf is happy that the long winter is almost over. The snow has finally melted, and the green buds of spring are popping up here and there. Soon, the land will be covered in lush grass, wildflowers, and the canopy of the trees will offer shade from the hot sun.
I let my wolf have the freedom to run within the safety of Mama's protective bubble.
She reinforced it yesterday so that it's safe for me to be out without my father.
I relish these moments when I can pretend that I'm a normal wolf instead of one that must be protected at all costs.
I run until I reach my favorite meadow, lying down next to the water.
I let myself soak in the sunshine, enjoying the peace.
I'm awoken by howls and the scent of rogues just beyond the barrier my mama created. I can see them pacing only twenty feet from where I am. I turn and run toward home. I can sense the barrier weakening as the minutes pass.
I try speaking to my mother and father through our mindlink, but there's no response.
The closer I get to home, the louder the growls and sounds of fighting become.
Something has gone terribly wrong. Our home should be the safest place in the entire packlands.
This isn't right. I have to get to them to help.
Seraphina, run! My mama's voice rips through the mindlink like a razor blade. Go over the wall. Run to the East. Be safe, my heart.
Mama, I'm almost home. I can help.
No! she shouts. You must leave. Now! She puts command in her words and a small amount of magic so that I'm helpless to do anything but obey.
With a whimper, I turn and run toward the wall.
I feel the moment the barrier falls and let out a mournful howl, knowing that the only way that would happen is if my mama were gone.
Whatever is happening must be big because my mama is the strongest wolf to have been born in hundreds of years.
Her fae magic was strong enough to fight off hundreds of wolves; the only reason she wouldn't use it is if she were trying to protect my secret.
I get to the wall and quickly shift to my human form, thankful that I'm able to change with clothes due to my magic.
Crawling up a rough wall naked is definitely not something I want to do.
It only takes me a moment to find the spot my father showed me.
He made hand and foot holds in the flat stone wall that are nearly imperceptible.
Unless you know what you're looking for, you'd never notice.
I don't hesitate to start climbing. I won't let my parents' sacrifice go to waste.
I don't know what happened, but whatever it is means that I'm not safe, and my safety is always my parents' top priority.
Once I reach the top of the twenty-foot wall, I straddle it and look toward the packlands one final time.
Tears track down my cheeks as I take a moment to say goodbye to my life as I've known it until this moment.
A warm breeze surrounds me, carrying the sweet floral scent of Mama.
I can almost hear her whispering encouragements to be strong.
Without another second of hesitation, I climb down the other side of the wall and into the unknown.
I shift and run east like Mama always told me to.
I run until my lungs burn from exertion and my muscles ache.
Not knowing if I've gone far enough, I use a tiny bit of my magic to give myself a boost. My aches disappear, and I feel rejuvenated, as if I’d just awoken from a nap instead of running for my life.
I run until the sun is hanging heavy in the sky.
It will set soon, and I need to find somewhere safe to ride out the night.
Being out in the open in an unknown forest is just asking for trouble.
I've been running parallel to a river for some time, but I've avoided it because there's a greater chance of encountering someone there.
The magic Mama worked to keep my Omega status hidden is long gone, and I've stupidly not focused enough on working my own magic to hide my scent since I felt her magic leave me hours ago.
I stop and concentrate on doing just that.
I don't bother with making myself smell like a Beta.
Having no scent at all will help me hide more easily.
I slowly make my way to the riverside, taking in every scent and sound as I move closer to the water.
I can smell a small herd of deer and other small wildlife, but there are no other wolves present.
Stepping out of the treeline, I take in my surroundings.
Finding myself alone, I walk to the water's edge and drink deeply.
The cool water feels like heaven on my parched throat.
Once my thirst is quenched, I sit on my haunches and let the gravity of the situation finally sink in.
Mama is dead, and if she's gone, that means my father is too.
He wouldn't have stopped fighting until his last breath to protect his mate.
I'm officially alone in the world. I shift into my human form and let the pain flow through me.
Tears fall freely as I bury my face in my hands.
Again, a warm breeze surrounds me, and a sense of peace fills my heart.
"I love you, Mama," I whisper into the wind.
The sun is barely a sliver on the horizon, and there's a chill in the air when I finally get myself under control once again.
I shift back to my wolf form and sniff out a cave that's not far from the river.
It's not the best accommodation, but it'll keep me out of sight and give me a safe place to rest. I curl up near the back in a nook created by a rock formation.
It'll keep my snow-white fur out of sight if anyone were to come across the cave and look inside.
I fall into an exhausted sleep.