2 Six years ago~

Heavy panting could be heard as the snow fell down swiftly, bloody paw prints scratched at the forest floor as Marcus hid between the bushes.

He had just turned twelve when his father had announced to the rest of the White Fang pack his choice of Alpha, it had been between him and his half-brother Damien who had gone missing for a month prior to his decision making.

After being crowned heir apparent,the Imperial Fang had been overtaken by rogues. His parents were murdered, just managing to get his younger sister to safety. He soon learned this had been a scheme by his fathers mistress Lea, a daughter of an infamous rogue pack that had come to exact revenge on the death of their former leader. Her father.

He was afraid of never seeing his sister again and for his people, who the other clans looked up to in admiration and reverence. But now even if he were twelve, he felt more like a fool than ever. Forced to flee-even his uncle and grandfather had stayed behind to fight, but he had been lethally wounded when large claws had dug in deep. Scraping him from his hip to his mid abdomen.

'Leto, Artemis have mercy on me.' He thought gritting his teeth, shuffling his stiff body towards the sound of water.

His white fur usually concealed in the snow, was stained red with blood as his wound bled profusely, leaving behind an obvious trail behind him.

Even if he wanted to close his eyes and leave his troubles for the ones that were alive and kicking, his wolf was howling and growling at him desperately. Urging him onwards, leading him somewhere further in the mountains regardless of whose territory it belonged to or whether the path was laden with blood or hope.

Collapsing behind a large tree, trying to quieten his heavy breathing when he heard the sounds of fighting. Vigorous movements could be heard, the changes of the wind ruffling his thick coat as well as the desperate screams of pain and the metallic smell of blood.

"Are they so hungry for money? That my uncle would want to kill me?" A soft voice asked before a heavy grunt could be heard, the person collapsing on the jagged rocks of the gurgling stream.

Lying on his back as he controlled his heavy breathing, he furrowed his brows at the possibility of humans encroaching on pack territory. Even if the territory were not his,as a purebred wolf the lesser clans would have to accept him unlike the humans of unknown origin and character.

"Your just a bastard child who's ruining the happiness of a family, just die so the money will go to the family you ruined!" A mans thick and coarse voice echoed across the silent forest. The only thing that could be heard was the bubbling of the stream and the ruffling of leaves and snow in the wind.

The large white wolf painting the thick green roots red as he sighed somewhat comfortably, his wolf strangely calmer than before. Allowing him to take a break after running heavily injured for so long.

"Shit is still shit no matter how much perfume you use to cover the smell... and I am no bastard child." The girl's sweet voice a complete contrast to the blunt and crude words she was speaking.

"You!" Wheezing in pain.

"My uncle and his bastard child of his are wrong if they think this is all it would take for them to kill me." The soft voice suddenly announced, feeling a chill down his spine.

The pain was so severe that he was surprised that he didn't pass out on contact with the ground, wanting to laugh at the absurd words he heard he couldn't help but sneer.

As the sounds of fighting plateaued, he heard the voice of the girl humming pleasantly like a lullaby as the pain somewhat eased off. His tendons slowly reattaching to the torn muscles and bone, making him confused as his vibrant yellow-green eyes pulsed trying to make sense of it all.

'Why doesn't it hurt as much now?'

****

Aoi looked around nonchalantly at the corpses of the dead men her aunt had hired, clearly with her uncles consent in the hopes of becoming even more wealthier. Wanting his half-brothers child's inheritance she would receive,his whole livelihood was dependent on.

Not knowing of the prior agreement dependant on there marriage, that their first child (with certain exceptions only disclosed to the involved parties) would be raised by the maternal father in his home and have minimal contact with the parents.

After learning of the possibility of her studying alone in Canada for a period of time, a mixture of jealousy and hatred ensued. Leading to a failed assassination attempt, previous ones pertaining to poison and quiet killing methods.

'They were really bold this time round.' She thought her bare feet kicking at one of the men's calves pushing him into the cold stream, as she stood perched on a flat rock supported by a samurai sword she'd stolen from one of the men.

She had been kidnapped whilst her grandfather was out of the house, luckily not so far away from where they were temporarily staying so she could walk it back comfortably, despite having no shoes on or several layers of clothes.

Unlike ordinary people she had a special physique where she couldn't feel the cold, even if she were to bathe naked for days on end in a field of ice. Specifically she was a young descendant of the snow people that lived in Hakuba- Japan. No she wasn't a demon, although she liked to think herself as no different to the average human. She wasn't.

Manipulating water to form ice and snow, her maternal family lived long lives and even if they did marry outside of the family the secrets were still kept privy to their own kind. The first child would be brought up in the main residence in Hakuba away from the love of their parent, who it is unlikely they would accept as their own. The children generally being looked after by the elders of the family or by each other.

Humming a song as she skipped across the surface of the stream which turned to ice under her feet, she picked up a white demon mask that was floating in the shallow stream and placed it on her face hiding her ethereal beauty.

Her red lips hooked to one side as her slender fingers traced the sneer on the demons face and the long horns that extended outwards from the forehead. Finding it similar to a theatre mask with the mouth wide open, she laughed her voice like wind chimes or a bell ringing.

Her modest silk, white Juban (under-robe) Kimono was soaked with blood, wearing the demon mask and scraping the samurai sword behind her she looked like a little demoness. Or a death god coming to exact suffering on the idiotic and frail humans.

Taking the phone that she had stolen from one of the men and fiddling with it, wanting to send a message to her grandfather she suddenly paused hearing the slight sound of whimpering. Her pale blue eyes gleamed with a thousand year old ice, as she looked at one of the trees that was a distance away from her and thought aloud to herself in Japanese.

"A dog?... May be a wolf?" Arching an eyebrow as she dropped the sword and silently approached.

"Ah! It is a wolf?!"

****

Feeling comfortable as his wolf hummed in satisfaction, his green eyes a little hazy with exhaustion. He was startled when a pair of white, slender hands came round the tree supporting the body of what appeared to be a girl of similar age to him.

Growling loudly as his breathingp hitched, he flinched seeing the frightening demon mask on the young girl's face. Especially as her clothes were dripping with blood, in the dark it only further enhanced the blood on her white clothes against her fair skin.

"Why are you growling for? I thought the mask was cute." She said to the wolf unaware it could understand her and slightly pouting.

'How is this cute... you look like a psychopath in the middle of the night.'

"Oh.. you're injured?" Squatting next to Marcus she tried to get a closer look, he opened his mouth and bared his teeth at her, his acts of intimidation not working.

Unknowingly she had placed her hand and stroked his head downwards carefully, his wolf purring against her gentle caresses.

"Are you really that afraid... little wolf?" She asked a little teasingly.

'Little wolf?' He thought narrowing his eyes.

Marcus who didn't know what was going on was confused as what to do, he was certain she was a threat to him because of all the blood on her but his wolf was going against him- purring even?!

Sitting down with her legs crossed and her head leaning on her hand, she sighed as if frustrated. Marcus looking at this strange girl wondering what neck of the woods she'd come out from.

"What am I going to do?...", twirling a strand of hair with a finger, "How am I supposed to tell my cousin that Werewolves really exist? ... I won't hear the end of it."

Hearing her Marcus flinched his bright eyes looking at her in disbelief with a little murderous intent. But his wolf was growling at him, as if scolding him or trying to get his attention.

As if she hadn't said what she did her red lips hooked to one side. "Fine! Fine I'll take it off." She said before the mask was taken off of her, the night hiding most of her face.

Seeing a pair of blood red lips and dazzling blue eyes, that were as clear as the surface of a lake and just as unfathomable like an ocean.

Placing hair behind her ear she cocked her head as she looked at him with innocent eyes. Slightly stunned, he felt as if his soul was being taken from him, as she assessed his wounds.

"Why? Am I that pretty?" She asked him sarcastically, snapping him out of his reverie as he gave a little growl making her laugh.

"Because I doubt I'll ever see you again, I'll leave you with a gift..." , she said with a slight smile looking into his bright green eyes knowingly, "it's hard to explain but I could see into your soul."

Placing a delicate hand onto his head between his ears, her eyes flashed bewitchingly like a white spark making him unable to look away. His wolf desperately trying to take hold of the reigns, which even in wolf form he was reluctant to take.

'Why is he acting up now?'

Water swirled around his body following the claw marks as he looked at her in alarm, slightly perspiring she worked quickly as the streams of water cleaned out any impurities from the long wound and began enhancing the speed of his recovery.

Realigning bones and torn muscle, even the blood from his fur was washed away leaving him with the feeling of being refreshed after waking up from a restful night of sleep.

Looking away from her to look at his body, he gasped as it was like he hadn't been injured in the first place. Lost in a daze he remembered the girl, who had disappeared when he looked back except for the mask that had been left behind.

Hit with a surge of exhaustion when he tried to stand, his body fell back and curled in pain against the back of the tree trunk. Frowning as he heard the feral shouting of his wolf who was attacking him nonsensically.

'What is he saying?' Closing his eyes trying focus his remaining energy on his desperate pleas.

Mate.