Chapter One

The sound of the ocean slamming against the cliff side was peaceful today. The wind blew through the branches of the trees, and I watched as they swayed while running my brush through my dark hair. I was sitting in front of the open window in my bedroom, it had the perfect view of the water, I could see at least three boats sitting at the docks and one slowing making its way to shore. A knock on the door pulled me from my serene landscape.

"Come in," I called out without looking. I don't have too since I'm under watch day and night, out of five children I am the only girl. My parents placed three of the packs best warrior's under orders to protect me, I've never been to school, instead my teachers come after they've taught everyone else to give me private tutoring. I've never been outside of my home, besides one time when I was seven and my Father took me into the woods to pick my favorite flowers. My Mother had been going on and on about how unhealthy it was for me to be locked inside all the time. But my Father had his reasons, because the second he let his guard down and placed a flower in my hair, we were attacked.

The door to my bedroom creaked open and my Moms head peaked in, "Good Morning, did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah Mom, I slept fine."

"Good, I came to tell you that later today before dinner your Father and I would like you to meet someone. Also your evening has been cleared, no studying today."

"Why not? I was wanting to show Aristotle my painting."

"You'll have to show him tomorrow, today is a very important day for you and you will need all of your attention put towards it. Come down when you're ready, and please look presentable."

She stepped out of the room and I waited for the door to click before taking a deep breath and continued to brush my hair. When I looked back outside I noticed that the boat that was coming to shore had made it, and people were unloading boxes and placing them on the wooden dock. I wish I could go down there, I'd like to at least know what the sand felt like.

I placed my brush down on my vanity and gazed at myself in the mirror, my skin was pale with a blushing tone to it. My long hair stopped at my waist but I never had it down for long. I always had it in some kind of styled updo, my favorite is a braided bun. But today I was feeling adventurous, so instead I braided the top half of my hair down into small braids down the back and left the bottom half down and untouched. I put a little mascara on my long lashes making my blue eyes pop, and only a touch of lip gloss. My Dad would panic if I wore more than this.

Today I wore a long, turquoise, lace dress that revealed my shoulders, collar bone, and stopped an inch above my knees. It was tight in all the right places but still left a lot to the imagination. I didn't own anything sexy, because I was the symbol of purity. But I also didn't dress like a child, if anything I dressed like my Mother. I pulled my black heels on and added a pair of earrings before opening my bedroom door. Two guards stood on either side of the door, they looked at me before one stepped away from the wall, turned, and walked away for me to follow.

As I followed guard number one, guard number two followed closely behind me. They knew my entire schedule for every day and walked me to each place. The only privacy I get is when I'm in the bathroom, or in my bedroom. Guards are stationed at every entrance, and walk the grounds of the property at all times. Before I walk into any room, one of my guards go in first, sweep the area and then comes back for me as they give a nod to my other guard. But this time seems to be different as we walk to the dining room. Both are relaxed and a little less on guard duty, and instead of the usual procedure we just walk right into the dining room. They part from me and stand on either side of the doorway, I slowly walk in as I look between them and sit at the table with my family. My Dad sitting at the head of the table and me sitting at the other end, while my Mom and brothers sit opposite each other.

Everyone was eating their breakfast and not really giving each other the time of day, I picked up my glass of orange juice and took a sip as I glanced out the window. Two of my brothers are older than I am, and two of them are younger, when I was born my parents tried to have another daughter. But they were lucky to even have me.

"What is everyone's plans for the day?" I asked as I looked away from the window and towards my family. My oldest brother Carter spoke first.

"Dennis and I are going to the mountains in the far North today. Someone mentioned seeing deer there and I haven't hunted in a while." Dennis is his best friend, I only met him once when I was ten. Carter had snuck him into the house and then he snuck into my bedroom because he wanted to see if I was real.

"That sounds fun," I hummed as I pushed my food around my plate.

"I'll hunt a few for you, I can bring back a few for you to hunt here."

"I appreciate it, but it's not the same," I looked back outside, as it began to thunder.