PROLOGUE

EMBER

Prologue

A mist of darkness flooded the forest, followed by the smell of death looming in the air. The atmosphere was thick, smothered in a feeling of despair, and coated in hot simmering ashes. War was just beyond the border, claiming innocent lives of all kinds; wolf-shifters, dragons, fae, elvish.

The trees bowed angrily, shifting through the harsh winds. A gray wolf ran through the lanky gaps in the trees. Running to his pack with every ounce of strength he could conjure as the leaves fell silently. The moonlight illuminated the pathway for the wolf. His heavy paws skidded to a halt at the entrance of his home, Silver Crest. His yellow beady eyes scanned their faces, trying to locate his alpha. Audible gasps filled his ears, and the cluster of members parted for their beta who held the scruff of a matted charred black pup.

The moon goddess must've wept as the clouds rolled and thrashed violently with streaks of light piercing through the vast twilight.

"Gahiji," the wolf's husky voice loomed over the spurs of the pack.

The hushed cries were silenced as the members watched with sorrow. Walking between the walls of his packmates, the wolf ventured into the alpha's chambers. Each member ducks their heads at the soil and utters words of respect. Some plead for the moon goddess to spare the young child from its suffering. Others pray for a mighty warrior to arise. Their whispered pleas and wishes astonish the wolf, knowing the likelihood of Blackwell's only survivor being a sliver of reality. The pup was too far gone.

It ventured away from the ashes of its home, only to find that the rogues refused to allow anyone or anything to flee. The poor creature was limp with shallow breaths as the wolf settled the child at the foot of his leader. The smell of rotted and scorched flesh filtered through the foyer.

"Cyrus," Alpha Gahiji said, "report."

"Blackwell is gone, sir. A band of rogues had infiltrated their borders, and set fire to the entire colony. The Rogue King spared no one. Our men are working to put out the fires in the Northern region. We were too late." Cyrus said, watching the small pup's chest rise and fall. "Alpha Leonidas and his Luna were poisoned and then burned alive. We checked the land, and the savages spared no one."

Gahiji's snarl rattled the ground, causing the pup to whimper weakly, "and Leon's heir?"

"We found a small female child charred by the late Alpha and Luna," Cyrus whispered, lowering his head in defeat, "hardly any were beyond recognition. I could identify Leonidas because of his wolf, but the others..."

Gahiji nods quietly, refusing to listen to the bitter end of Cyrus's sentence. Blackwell was the first to resist the Rogue King, and they've paid the ultimate price for their insurgency. A lowly King slaughtered an entire colony of powerful beasts. With Blackwell gone, war is now nestled on the horizon. A viper of wolves awaiting to strike sharp canines into those who oppose.

"Was Fachan there?"

"No, the King was gone long before our arrival."

He lowered his head to the stiff pup, his golden eyes softening at the sight before nudging its little body. "So, where does this pup fall?"

Cyrus lowers his body to the tired orphan, watching the pup take in weak gasps of air. He sighed, "a rogue surrendered her. It asked for us to spare the child and begged for forgiveness. The waste didn't want the King to get hold of the child. I sense it may have been the father."

He hums, lowering the scruff of his belly to the ground by Cyrus and the pup. "The wolf is-"

"Tiny."

"How old do you suppose the child may be?"

Cyrus clears his throat nervously, "I'm unsure, sir. Maybe six? I've never read of a wolf capable of shifting early."

"How peculiar, " Gahiji hummed, "is this child a male or-"

"Female."

Gahiji clenched his jaw, observing the small pup's wounds once more. She would bear these marks for the rest of her life because it was now a part of her story. "Interesting."

"The poor thing must've shifted for survival as a last effort," Cyrus said slowly. "The Moon Goddess must favor this child. I've never heard of her grace cursing a child with a wicked fate."

"No, this child suffers the consequences of the actions of famished savages," Gahiji interjected. "Only a madman's tale would spin this child to be a tyrant."

Gahiji stopped abruptly when his eyes fell on the little wolf's face. Her angelic features stood out, and his heart shattered at the sight of the child's complexion. The flames of savages charred and kissed her face unevenly. Splotched on the left side of her face was thin, with heavy fur and flesh. The miserable beast whimpered, and the two men exchanged looks of anguish.

"The poor thing lost everything. If she makes it, she'll awake to an entirely new identity." Gahiji said, his voice lower, "what about the rogue that surrendered her?"

"The disgrace fled and crossed the Willowsbane border before our men could capture him. My priority shifted to bringing her home."

"I see," he sighed, gathering himself from the floor, "let's take the child to the infirmary."

"Alpha," Cyrus whisked, nipping the small wolf's neck gently, "what is to become of this?"

He leads them through the entrance and heads for the pack's hospital wing. Gahiji threads through the members with Cyrus following closely behind. "We do what we must. Honor the moon goddess's kindness and pray the child makes it through the hard days. She is family. We will raise her as one of our own and name her Tiny. Our newest member, and strong beyond the stars. We'll wait for the pup to tell us who she belongs to."

"Yes, alpha."