1 chapter 1

Two days after the winter moon festival ~

Evony~

The sound of chirping birds and footfall's on the forest ground stirred me awake. My body felt limp and heavy, everything hurt. Oddly enough though I wasn't laying on the ground, I was... Floating?

My head slowly started to clear and I paid more attention to what I was feeling. Whatever I was laying on seemed to be moving. Opening my eyes I watched as I was slowly moving through the forest. I'm being carried? A strange ache in my chest made itself known and I cringed squeezing my eyes shut. Why does everything hurt?

"Axton..." The man carrying me stopped and waited for me to relax.

"Not quite." The voice sounded familiar, once the pain subsided I looked up at who it was only to be startled.

"Alpha Nathaniel?"

He glanced back at me before continuing to carry me through the forest on his back, I was wrapped in an old blanket that was badly worn. What the hell is going on? Looking around I saw nothing but forest, and none of it seemed familiar either.

"Where are we..." He sighed and looked up at the sky. "Right about now were are inside the stone pack territory." He then continued to walk giving me no explanation as to why or how we got here.

"What..." So many questions were running through my head and I tried to think about the last thing I remember, the party, my friends, a dance. My head started to hurt the more I tried to focus on last night. How did I get here how long was I asleep and why was he carrying me?!

"Don't push yourself, if you don't remember then you need to wait, it will only hurt if you try to force your memories to come back... Shifting can be difficult at first." His words had my reeling.

"Shifting? W-what happened last night?! Are you saying I..."

"Yes." He cut me off. "On the night of the festival you shifted and ran into the forest, I was the only one who could readily track you, so in turn, I chased your wolf down for two whole days, until you became exhausted enough and fell unconscious. Since then I've been carrying you back to winter moon territory."

I was in shock, was he serious? I shifted? But why, how?! I hadn't even met my wolf yet and he's telling me I shifted and ran off? The story made some sense and it would explain how I got so far from home. But I still didn't understand, why would he willingly chase me down for two days then carry me back?! I thought he hated me?

"i-i could walk if you're tired..."

"No, your body has endured too much strain if you tried to stand now you would only collapse, and I don't need you to slow me down." I glared at the back of the alphas head were they all this stubborn? Although it could be worse he didn't have to follow me all the way out here, not did he have to carry me back, so I suppose he wasn't all bad. I didnt want to pester him but there were so many questioned I needed to be answered.

"Maybe we should take a break?" He seemed to pause then nod his head before looking around the area for somewhere to sit, finding a boulder we could sit by he walked over and set me down on it before he sat down on the ground. Another strange action from the alpha, most times anyone of higher position would take seats above their subjects or anyone below them yet he purposely placed me above him and chose to seat himself on the forest floor.

I watched him curiously, something seemed different, his eyes weren't as dull as before and he didnt seem as sad, what changed? Deciding that I would risk pissing him off I spoke the first question that came to mind.

"I thought you hated me?" Ok, more of a statement than a question but it was a start, my nerves had me sitting on the edge, ready to bolt if the alpha decided to try anything.

The man seemed to freeze before glancing back at me. "What made you think that?" He seemed genuinely confused.

Was he serious? He didnt hate me? "you acted kinda...strange whenever you were around me... And in the forest you. Well, it seemed like you weren't exactly fond of me... I thought you were going to kill me..." I watched as his face morphed from confusion to frustration before looking away.

"That was never my intention, I never planned to hurt you...i apologize for my strange interactions, in truth... I was still trying to figure things out..."

"What do you mean?" I watched his back muscles tense up at my question as he stayed silent.

Quickly standing to his feet he looked around before looking back at me." we should go." He was avoiding the question!

He reached out to grab me and I smacked his hand away with a growl, alpha or not I wasn't going to just let him do as he pleases. I have alpha blood so I will not back down. And be treated like a rag doll anymore.

"No! I'm not going anywhere with you until you explain everything to me!" He looked at me slightly surprised before looking away and mumbling under his breath.

"You're just like her..." Like her? Who is he talking about? Before I could react he pulled me closer and forced me onto his back unless I wanted to fall and crack my head open, I had no choice but to hang on. "I'll tell you later..."

"Put me down! You can't just toss me around! I have alpha blood too kades daughter or not!" He stumbled for a moment before a growl came from his throat.

"Are you really that blind? Kade has no alpha blood he's a false alpha, the only reason he took control over winter moon was because he betrayed the alpha and luna then chased out half the pack."

"But I have alpha blood?" He sighed and continued to walk. "Yes, you do..."

"Does that mean my mother had alpha blood?" He was silent for a moment, thinking over what he was about to say next.

"Your mother was part of the winter moon pack before he took over, if she had alpha blood then there would have been complications within the pack, it's not often possible for more than one family to have the gene within one pack, the current leaders would have probably banished her if that was the case, in order to keep the peace."

"You're saying neither of my parents had the gene but somehow I do?! That doesn't make any sense!" How is this even possible? Alpha blood is a gene passed on through family lineage that only way I would have it is if one of my parents had it.

He growled and set me down before turning to look at me. "Your logic is flawed alpha. Your saying I have the gene but both my parents lack it? That's impossible!"

"It isn't impossible, because kade is not your father!" He snarled and I could see the frustration in his eyes. I looked at him stunned, kade isn't my father? But then...who... How was I born who even are my parents?! I couldn't wrap my head around what he was saying. How does he even know all this?!

"Your mother was not kade's mate... She was mine."