1 Prologue (Ch.1)

'Mate!!!' Kalen's wolf howled excitedly in his head.

Kalen's eyes widened as he stared at the fearless little girl before him.

Her enchanting eyes held Kalen captive, pupils black as the darkest night, looking to hold a mystery within them, a mystery so intruging Kalen felt captivated and eager to solve it.

The little girl's skin was a flawless almond, a tell tale sign of her African descent, her heart shaped face and perfectly positioned features had Kalen's heart thumping absurdly fast, her hair a thick mess of unruly curls giving her doll like features an untamed and unruly tint, her cheeks had a little baby fat giving her an over all cute look.

All in all, before Kalen stood an enchantingly beautiful little girl, one who would definitely grow up to be an unrivalled beauty.

Kalen knew he should not be having such thoughts of a little girl but he found it hard not to imagine her grown up self... when she would be all his.

"Mister, my mommy says staring at people is a rude thing to do." The little girl lectured with a huff, referring to how Kalen had not moved his gaze away from her since he had caught sight of her...but how could he?

Standing before him was his mate, this mouthy little girl....it was truly too unbelievable, notwithstanding Kalen calmed his elated heart as much as he could and focused on the matter at hand.

"What are you doing so deep in the forest?" Kalen asked the little girl, unable to keep the tenderness out of his voice, all Kalen's anger at hearing that there was a trespasser on Dark Moon territory quickly disappeared as he stared worriedly at the little girl that had somehow gotten so far into the forest that she was almost at the dark moon borders which was quite deep into the forest.

"The people from before also kept asking me this, before they called on you as well, can't I be in the forest? The forest isn't yours." The little girl replied with a firm tone.

Kalen raised an amused brow at the sight of the little girl's annoyed expression, wondering how he would explain to a little girl that the forest was in fact actually his?

Kalen could not find the words to start, he looked to his beta and third-in-command for help and both immediately avoided Kalen's gaze refusing to be involved, Kalen glared hatefully at them before deciding to go with what first came to mind.

"Uhmmm, yeeeaah, it's not mine... I work here, in a forest protection agency.... we're asking so much because the wild life here are really dangerous, it's not safe for a little girl like you to be wandering around here." Kalen explained carefully, the little girl studied him calmly for a short while before sighing dramatically.

"What danger? I can take care of myself so you need not be concerned." The little girl replied after a while of quiet and made to move past Kalen, Kalen blinked, exchanging a shocked look with his friends,

'She can take care of herself and I need not be concerned....?' What kind of little girl was this? She did not look to be more than 4 or 5 years old, how could she speak so eloquently? And with such confidence, she truly seemed unaffected by Kalen's words, not even a little bit fearful...It was truly too scary.

Kalen quickly placed a hand out to stop her, she glanced questioningly at Kalen's hand before looking up to him with a glance that said to quickly explain his interference.

"... what... where are you going?!" Kalen asked her, unable to comprehend what he was seeing, she frowned slightly, giving Kalen an exasperated look as if saying she was tired of explaining it to him.

"Over there of course, where you told me not to go...as much as I enjoyed our conversation, I have serious business to attend to, I truly must be on my way, so regretfully I cannot stay for anymore chit chat, it was nice meeting you though." The little girl replied, dismissing Kalen with a wave of her hand.

Kalen's jaws dropped open in shock and the wolves behind him struggled to contain their laughter, failing terribly as soon the quiet atmosphere in the forest was interrupted by loud boisterous laughter, Kalen shook off his shock, flashing his wolves a deadly glare that silenced them immediately.

"Little one, you really can't go there!" Kalen exclaimed in frustration, the little girl merely gave him a blank look in response.

"Why are you getting angry at me? I should be the one angry since my path is being blocked... make way!" The little girl demanded and the pack warriors burst into laughter again, Kalen's lips twitched at the little girl's fiery attitude and he raised an amused brow.

"Alright, I won't get angry anymore... can you at least tell me why you have to go further?" Kalen compromised and he could hear his warriors gasping behind him, Kalen frowned wondering what was going through their minds.

(Pack warriors thoughts: To have lived to see the day our cold Alpha is completely subdued...and by a little girl at that...we have truly lived a fulfilling life...)

"I'm looking for inspiration." The little girl replied with a shrug.

Kalen's jaws dropped once again at the little girl's words and the little girl sighed in annoyance, her exasperated gaze moving from Kalen to his warriors, Kalen did not have to look to know his warriors were all in the same shocked condition as he was.

"Inspiration...? In a dark forest?...at night?...are you looking for inspiration to murder?" Kalen's third-in-command asked the little girl in bafflement, the little girl threw him a dirty look.

"Why would I need inspiration to kill someone.... I just have to go ahead and kill them and be done with it, it's not as big a deal as this." The little girl replied,

Once again, Kalen and his pack warriors had to pick their jaws off the ground.

"Why would I need inspiration to kill someone.... I just have to go ahead and kill them and be done with it, it's not as big a deal as this." The little girl replied,

Once again, Kalen and his pack warriors had to pick their jaws off the ground.

'Killing someone was not a big deal?! How can a child like this exist??' Kalen's beta thought to him through their mindlink, Kalen did not respond, he also did not have a reply to that.

"You even know the meaning of murder? How old are you? Are you even human?!" Kalen's third-in-command asked again in alarm, the little girl's forehead rumpled slightly as she frowned in annoyance at the question posed by Kalen's third.

"What are you even talking about? Am I daft? Who doesn't know the meaning of murder? I'm 4 years old and you're the one who's not human!" The little girl threw back at him furiously, Kalen's third-in-command seemed at a loss for words and was unable to retort.

(Third in command's thoughts: A 4 year old says killing is not a big deal? How can you say you're human, where's your conscience?!")

(Pack warriors thoughts: Ah, third in command, you shouldn't feel bad, the little girl is right in anycase, you truly cannot be considered human, none of us are...)

"Calm down first and explain it to us..." Kalen solicited softly in an attempt to calm the furious four year old.

(Third in command's thoughts: Calm down?! Who is he telling to calm down? She said I'm not human! I'm the one who was cursed at! I should be the one being pacified...are you truly choosing this little brat over me?! What about our brotherhood? Alpha! Consider my years of diligent service!!!)

The little girl sighed, taking off her back pack and pulling out a huge sketch book, she handed it over to Kalen and after receiving her permission, Kalen flipped it open.

Kalen gasped in surprise at the beautifully drawn landscapes within, the pack warriors immediately shifted closer to Kalen to catch a glimpse but not close enough to trigger Kalen's anger.

"You drew all this?!" Kalen asked the little girl in astonishment.

Although the drawings were a little messy and not completely perfect but for a 4 year old it should not be possible to draw this beautifully, it looked to have been drawn by a teenager with reasonable artistic training.

"Yes, they are mostly my rough work. The more perfect duplicates are kept at home so I don't lose them, I carry this around to quickly sketch anything that catches my eye so when I return home I can draw it out more beautifully, I'm an aspiring artist... obviously." The little girl explained before pausing thoughtfully and looking around her.

The little girl retrieved her sketchbook, pulling out her pencils and a huge flashlight which she handed to Kalen, she adjusted her position so she was sitted on the ground with her back to Kalen.

She sat facing a huge oak tree, the flash light gave light to both her sketchbook and the tree and she began sketching it, talking as she drew.

"Dad loves my artwork but still does not want me taking it as a full time career, he wants me to join the company when I'm old enough so I'll probably take a course in the business field."

"I do not see the point since my big brother is a genius and will take good care of the company. I would have refused but even big brother wants me to do so. I'm not opposed to the idea either, I don't know what my plans for my art are, I just see it as a passion and a way to express myself for now, so I'll definitely take a course in business." The little girl stopped and let out a devastated sigh.

Meanwhile Kalen was completely engrossed in her words. Her beautiful voice warmed Kalen's heart and Kalen was also eager to know her better so he encouraged her with a question.

"Why the sigh?" Kalen asked with concern and the little girl sighed again.

"This time, Dad dragged Deji and I on a business trip here. It is my first time being out of my country you know, and the plane ride was extremely tiring, not to mention I thought we would stay back at the villa and recuperate but we immediately had to change as Dad insisted on dragging Deji and I to the meeting as well."

" A six hour business meeting! Can you believe it?! We got there and they did not even make special provisions for chairs for us. I had to sit in the usual chair at a conference table. It honestly was my first time feeling short in my whole life! I'd have you know, it was not a very nice feeling. I could not even see above the table...talk more of what was on the projector!" The little girl exclaimed in annoyance, sketching furiously on her sketchbook, Kalen exchanged an amused look with his friends.

"After the hours of torture in the guise of a business meeting, we got home and father asked us to brief him on what happened at the meeting! Now I know Deji and I are outstanding...a little too outstanding perhaps but Dad is too much sometimes."

"If I didn't love him so much I'd tell on him to mom that he kept on eating junk the whole way here even when she told him to stay away from unhealthy food! But sadly I love him too much...I'm really too pitiful right?"

"Anyways thankfully I memorized a lot of the things they said at the meeting and narrated it to father explaining about the chair situation to avoid being asked about the video presentation, he seemed satisfied with our answers and let us off, telling us to get ready for another meeting tomorrow! He's really too impossible, I did not tag along all the way to Canada to suffer this injustice!"

"I came to have fun!...and Dad promised we'd be left to our own devices here, the realization that I was conned into a business lecture instead, my fragile heart just could not take it so I stormed out of the house to find something to sketch so I could let out a bit of anger...that was about two hours ago."

"I decided the forest would be perfect and I just needed to find something inspiring and sketch it, I've been moving through this damn forest for hours and could not find anything inspiring at all...and I just had to go and meet you crazy bunch, I'm so frustrated right now that I'm sketching such an ordinary and uninteresting tree! I'm really too pitiful!" The little girl concluded with a huff.

Kalen and his pack warriors all remained in stunned silence for a long while before they broke into laughter... what an amusing kid!

The little girl glared at Kalen and his pack warriors for a bit but she seemed to decide against saying anything, she however gave Kalen a longer glare when the flashlight shook a bit before returning her attention to her furious sketching which she soon concluded.

The little girl gazed at the beautifully drawn tree with a scornful expression before shutting her book with an annoyed huff.

"I should get going now, it's way past my bedtime, Dad must be worried." The little girl said, stretching her limbs and yawning tiredly, Kalen smiled at her cuteness.

"I will have someone escort you back." Kalen said softly, handing her the flashlight, the little girl scoffed, turning away.

"I can take care of myself Mister." The little girl replied and turned back to where she had originally been coming from.

Kalen's heart shriveled in fear that he would never get to see her again if he did not get some reliable information now.

"Wait!... where do you live?" Kalen asked the little girl in a panicked tone, the little girl paused turning to give Kalen an amused look.

"The mansion just outside the forest, come look for me sometime...do leave the craziness behind when you're coming to visit though or Dad might throw you out...he's not as open minded as I am." The little girl advised, Kalen chuckled lightly at her words, nodding in agreement.

"When do you leave Canada?" Kalen asked her and she shrugged.

"Dad's business should last about three weeks and after that we'll stay a week extra to chill and then leave...so a month." The little girl replied, Kalen nodded in approval... he had some time at least, but still, Kalen felt he had to know my beautiful mate's name at least.

"What is your name, little flame?" Kalen asked crouching down before the stubborn four year old, his heart fluttered in excitement and completeness as hy gazed upon his other half...his mate.

"Miwa....Iretomiwa." The little girl answered with a dazzling smile.

"Miwa... Iretomiwa...a beautiful name for a beautiful girl...what does it mean?" Kalen asked tenderly and the little girl grinned.

"..that you're in luck because it means blessing has come to you." The little girl replied in a childish teasing voice, Kalen threw his head back letting out a loud laughter, the joy in his heart was indescribable.

"Blessing has come to me?....Miwa, Iretomiwa....my blessing....." Kalen whispered in a loving tone, the little girl smiled again before turning around and heading home, Kalen watched her with a complicated gaze, one thought in mind.

'till we meet again my little flame."

~Author's Note~

First two chapters posted 😊😊, I'll keep the updates as constant as possible... thanks for giving this a chance.

Quick fact-Iretomiwa is a Yoruba name which translates to (blessing has come to me.)

I'd like you all to know that this is my story and I will neither tolerate nor appreciate the use of my characters or story line for anything without my permission. I'd like if you can adhere to this and inform me before any sort of use, in which case you can reach me on any of my social media platforms or my email address 👉👉 arianaebere2003@gmail.com.

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