Chapter 1

Current time

Nymeria:

I sat up in my bed, screaming at the top of my lungs. Hyperventilating, I looked around the room. Darkness. I was back. No. I had never left in the first place, leaving had only been a dream. My nails dug into my bare skin on my arms as I sat shaking in my bed. Someone grabbed my shoulder. I would be hurt again- "RIA!" The word echoed through the room, and with a *click* the room had been lit up, Emyra, my roommate, was sitting on my bedside, stroking my back. I clung to her, sobbing silently as she rested her chin on my head, gently stroking my back.

I had been working in the royal kitchen for almost a year, and was doing fine. I was slowly building up any color to my skin, and meat to my bones, but at least I looked alive. Emyra and I had been sharing a room since I was released from the hospital, and she too worked for the royals, but as a maid. Standing at the side of my bed I reach out in my mind for Vyn, who quickly responds to my call, *you want to go for a run Vyn?* I asked her, and felt her approval for an answer.

Stripping out of my nightgown I turned to Emyra.

"I'll be taking a walk. You in?" I ask, but she shakes her head. "Niri's sick. So I have to start early." She sighed, getting into her uniform. I nod and open the window. I sit in the window frame, feeling the brisk winds in my hair. The world smelled like fresh grass and pine trees, I ruffle my hip-length hair out of the braid I had slept in, reminding myself that I needed to cut it.

Taking a deep fresh breath I jump out, transforming into my wolf form. I make sure I've properly landed before letting the control over to Vyn who stretches happily and then takes off towards the forest.

We're zig-zagging through trees in the sprouting green of the forest, ecstatic over the snow being gone. Spring was all around in the air, the least liked season for most werewolves thanks to pollen. I had to agree with that statement even though I immensely enjoyed the early spring, before the pollen attacked.

I was catapulted out of my thoughts as Vyn suddenly stopped, looking to our right. Her excitement soared and I felt our heartbeat quicken. We smelled him. We knew what he was.

647 years and 112 days and there he was.

ROWAN:

Azariah was tense that morning when I woke up, and I decided to let him roam for a while. He was running around in the forrest, babbling on about something I wasn't particularly concerned with listening to as he stopped. It took all my will and stubbornness to stop him from running off left at the speed of light *Did you smell prey? We'll eat when we return.* I told him, and he fought me his hardest, trying to run south. *She's here.* I didn't even get time to ask before he continued *We found her* this time I managed to tap in. *Who? Who did you find?* Was it a criminal, or an acquaintance or- *Mate. Ours.* And there he left me, quickly transforming back into a human. It took me a moment to remember to breathe.

I found clothes quickly and ran the way Azariah had pointed me. For every step her smell grew stronger and I slowed down as I started feeling her presence close by. I got down a hill to see her in front of me. She hadn't spotted me yet, too busy studying a butterfly. Her wolf was albino, completely white, except for her dirty paws and clear red eyes, meeting mine. Beautiful.

We stared at each other for what felt like eternity before I took a step closer. She immediately flinched, and I stepped back again, afraid of scaring her more. After several minutes she walked up to me, slowly treading closer until she stood before me. She circled me once, smelling me, and I carefully reached a hand out which she sniffed calmly before- Her eyes opened wide in a wolf-like shock and he backed away several steps before running off as quickly as possible. I watched in amazement and shock as she disappeared out of my range of sight. I looked down at my hand "F*ck." I swore loudly as I realized I probably smelled like blood. I begged the moon goddess that I hadn't killed anyone close to her, and that I would ever see her again.

When I returned to the royal pack house I went over to Seth's office, where he and his wife Ava were chatting over breakfast. Seth had always been wise enough to hold his tongue about things that might anger people of higher status- and Ava, well, I usually avoided meeting Ava. Mostly because she, a human, didn't hold back on scolding me or anyone else if it came to it, especially since she got pregnant.

I sighed and sat down in a chair in his office, looking at my hands. I had washed them over and over but could still smell the blood, the death oozing all around me. Seth watched me silently.

"So?" Ava said. "What trouble has the alpha gotten into now?" Seth sighed but didn't dare try to stop her, more afraid of his wife's wrath than his alphas.

"M- m-" I couldn't form the word properly.

"Eeh, you sick?" She asked confusedly. I shook my head.

"Mate." I got out. Seth looked like all air had been blown out of him while Ava smiled widely. She ruffled my hair. "Good for you big boy." She said. I couldn't muster the effort to tell her off for it.

"What's her name?" Seth finally asked. I shook my head again. "Scared. Ran away." I muttered, and could feel Ava wanting to mock me, but decided against it. "White." I muttered. "Her wolf was white like snow." I said. Seth nodded, probably already trying to figure out how to find her, and Ava gave me some fresh bread from their breakfast. "I'll ask around." She said, and Seth seemed to decide to do the same as he sent out through the pack link. *Beta Seth speaking. An Albino wolf is requested to come to my office. Anyone who has knowledge of her whereabouts shall report to me as quickly as possible.* The pack link went abuzz with people asking who and why and what.