Prologue

Arcadia 2001

"Ma'am," Old man Olsen said opening the door for Carey as soon as she had parked in front of the mansion's driveway. As she walked out of the car, the old man took off his cap and bowed his head to his pack's future Lunar. "I am afraid death waltz inside."

Carey gave him her gloves and walked to the front door. She didn't say anything to him as she rushed to the door. However, before she could even reach it, a strong whiff of air riddled with pure raw fear and a scent of blood reached her nose. She covered her nose, not that it was of any use since she was a werewolf and had the strongest sense of smell, as fear started crawling up her spine.

She opened the door wider and the smell that hit her made her head whizz. She walked in and the scene of her nightmare met her. But even her nightmares seemed tame. Whatever happened here, she wondered, if she had come earlier would she have saved anyone here?

But the aftermath that she was witnessing told her that even if she was here, she wouldn't have survived. Especially since she was met by the gruesomely beheaded alpha James Wilder laying in a pool of blood. The walls, the ceilings, the floor, and everything were all covered in blood.

Ceramics, photos, furniture, everything was broken and bloodied. Here and there, a body part lay. Some half turned into werewolves, others human form others completely wolf. But as the bodies lay all over without showing any form of having fought back, she wondered who really ambushed them.

Even kids. She saw their bodies. Felt their maddening fear in the air. She walked all over the mansion and found no living soul nor anyone who wasn't in the pack photos. Except, one girl's body was missing.

Allison Aver.

A girl who was once part of her pack before she moved to this pack after her father died four years ago. Her heart started racing as she thought of seeing her dead body somewhere but couldn't. She hoped that she wasn't dead or hurt. But she knew that her hopes could remain broken just like her search was heartbreaking.

She started wondering about him. Was he okay wherever he was? Was he still alive? It's been four years since she last saw him. Even when she last saw him, he wasn't good. Even though they had spent their childhood together, she still couldn't imagine his face anymore.

All the good memories she had with him and Diana were clouded. The only memory she had of him that was vivid, was him carrying the thirteen-year-old Diana in his arms out of the temple while crying. His clothes were tattered and covered in Diana's blood.

She had told him to get lost, thinking he had killed her older sister Diana but only regretted it. It was her father who had killed Diana. She died protecting him, and he was forced to run away. A twelve-year-old, to carry his mate just a week after burying his parents.

As she walked out into the backyard, she saw proof of a fight, claw marks here and there, broken walls, bent metals, and broken glass. Drops of blood were here and there, but nobody lay in the vicinity. Or any trace of what actually fought. She followed the trail in the bushes and lost it at the edge of the forest. She walked back wondering what actually happened.

As she returned back into the mansion, I stood still watching her atop the tree I was in. I sighed not in relief but in defeat. How the hell was I going to fix this when a guardian was now in the picture? How the hell was I going to fix Laurent's mistake now? Should I just sit and watch as everything unfolds?

Looking at it, I shouldn't have done what I did years ago. I've known I was going to regret it, but not this way. I promised to protect her, but she wasn't safe. Were they going to find her now or not? I wondered. Just as I was about to lose hope and break my promise, I heard the old man shout, "we found her."

Phew! I gave a huge sigh of relief there wasn't going to be any confrontation between the Guardians and me. my heart leaping with happiness and I watched them all carefully to make sure it was her that they found. Not a body.

A few moments later, I heard the girl scream. I closed my eyes and pictured her, sitting down and holding her legs tight as she cried silently, screaming only when she was touched.

It hurt me. But it was what it was. If only I could go and kill that thing that scared her. But it wasn't my destiny. It was someone else destiny. I looked up at the sky as the moon stood on the horizon, showing her brilliance, and almost asked why I was forced to watch this. But I knew, just like I was, when the moon goddess looks down on her Lover's kids, sometimes, she curses at them and some she blesses them. I just hoped this little girl had her fill of the mother's curse and was about to enjoy a life with no more pain.

They tried to touch her again and she started screaming again so loudly and so heartbreaking one who think she is being killed. I stood for a few more minutes as Carey started trying to soothe her and get her out of the closet, but the girl didn't relent.

Fear was all over her face. she was afraid and Carey could see it. But I wasn't worried about anything except that I couldn't feed the girl, so she hadn't eaten in days. I grew worried she was going to die of starvation. Relieved, I jumped down the tree and walked off towards the fool I had to watch over too.