Chapter One : Memories of Pain

I can still remember that day. I woke up in the morning earlier than usual. Birds were chirping sitting at my window frame. Sweet morning breeze was coming to my room. A beautiful smell of pancakes were coming from downstairs.

I saw a very young couple was enjoying themselves from my window. They looked so lovey-dovey. I was looking at their little sweet moments. I was 19 and still mateless, though generally wolves would find their mates after turning 16.

After a while I heard my dad's voice coming from downstairs calling my name. I quickly got up and freshened myself. I never wanted them to see me hurt or worried. I never wanted them to think that being mateless was depressing me.

As I was a half wolf and a half human, I wasn't a heavenly beauty like the other wolf females. But still my mom was a pretty human being, and we looked alike.

I changed my night clothes into a white T shirt with a peach printed in the middle and a peach coloured long skirt. I let loose my long blonde hairs and used a pretty light pink lip balm matching my peachy clothes and hazel green eyes. I came downstairs quickly.

"Morning dad, hey mom," I greeted them as usual by giving them small kisses on their cheeks.

Dad always used to say that I had a sunny bright side in my personality but also a calm and strong side just like my mother.

"Hey honey," my dad kissed back on my cheek while cooking.

Mom was sitting at the table. She gave me a small hug. My dad was making the pancakes. He was not just a warrior, he was a good cook as well. I started to help my dad for the breakfast. I was checking my mom in between while making the omelet cheese toasts. She was getting paler and paler. I could tell, her condition was worsening day by day.

"Mom, are you feeling unwell? " I asked.

"No honey, in fact I'm feeling a lot better today. why do you ask? " she asked me back while taking some apples to peel them.

"You don't look like you're okay. Your complexion is getting paler, " I kept my hand over hers. "Mom, you really need to see a doctor, not the wolf ones, a real human doctor, for humans," I said with worries written all over my face.

"No, no! " she suddenly got frustrated and started to shake her head. "No, honey, don't say something like this. We can't leave this pack! If we leave, they will not allow us here anymore. And your father can't live in the human territory, you know that right? Don't ever say something like this, okay sweety? " she calmed down a little and give me a small squeeze on my shoulders while smiling at me beautifully.

My mom was really very beautiful, even though she was so weak and sick and top of that anaemic, still she was looking like a princess from a fairy tale. I could tell, her beautiful smile was hiding so much pain.

I was quietly buttering the toasts. Dad was still at kitchen. Mom suddenly broke the silence.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she paused a bit. I looked at her, her eyes were teary. She continued, "I'm so sorry. I know, as a mother I couldn't do enough, in fact I should have done better, but I just couldn't, but I promise, as long as I am with you and your father I will try to give my best for you two. So, please don't worry too much, " she almost cried.

"Mom..." I was about to cry as well and tell her that how wrong she was. In fact she had done more than enough for us. But dad came to the dining with the pancakes.

"Hey!!! Pancakes are here~" he said cheerfully. I didn't want him to get upset by looking at us. I quickly wiped my face.

"Wow!! They smell awesome, dad! " so I said cheerfully while taking the tray.

This little scenario was a everyday routine here. I knew that mom wouldn't stay with us longer if we didn't treat her quickly.

But to be honest, deep inside we all knew, there was no cure for her. The damages in her body wouldn't be healed. But still everyday we kept aside all of our worries and enjoyed our precious moments together wishing someday the tale of the mystic spring would come true and heal everything.

I laughed inside at my own thoughts. In our nursery book, we would read the rhymes about the mystic spring. It was an old wolf myth. Wolves believed that awakening of the mystic spring would kill the darkness and bring back the souls and reigns by lightening the world.

"Pain and tears, will bring the fire,

Awaken the soul of the spring,

Killing the lier."

I recited the verse in my mind. Mom couldn't finish her breakfast that day as well. She started to feel unwell so I helped her to lay down.

"Hey, dumpling," dad called me in a low voice, "wanna come here for a bit? " he asked.

We sat on the sofa. It was that moment. I knew that dad loved her so much and he used to blame himself for mom's condition.

"Ella, you know it's high time, right? We can't let your mom stay like this. If she hears, she will definitely deny to leave, but I think we can't wait anymore, " he said. He was looking tensed.

"Dad? "

"Ella, You're a grown up girl now. I don't think your mate is here in this pack anymore. If he was here, you would have found him. I believe part of you is human so you will be able to find a fine man out there, it's time you take your mom and leave, " he said finally.

"What about you dad? " my voice was shaking and becoming heavy because of the tears. I already knew his answers.

"You know it, Ella. I can't come. I can't leave my pack. The moment is here for what I had been waiting. I have to avenge Isabella's death. But trust me, I love you and your mom so much, as soon as everything settles down here, I will come back to you. But I can't risk your mother's life anymore," he stopped after saying.

His eyes were getting teary as well. He was looking at the floor. His head was filled with guilts.

He had lost his first mate Isabella in a war with the Sapphires before he met my mom. I knew he loved my mom a lot, even more than his own life. But we just simply could never deny the fact that a wolf's obsession for its actual mate never dies. It was the same in case of my father. Even though he loved my mom, still the lose of his first mate never left him.

Even he named me after her. The reason why dad never left this pack was hidden in the motive of revenge, that we were always aware of. Sooner or later our pack was going to start a war with the Sapphires. And my dad wanted to take revenge. For the death of his first mate.

I was about to say something when there were loud knocks at the door.

"Steven!!! Open the door!!! It's an emergency!! " a loud panicked voice came from outside.

My dad quickly opened the door. The lead Beta and his few people were at the door discussing something grave with my father. From their look, I could tell that something terrible had happened.

''Have the Sapphires made the move ?"I wondered.

We got the news a few days back that the Sapphires were planning to make a big attack on us. But we didn't expect it to be this early.

The Beta said something to my dad and my dad nodded. Then he hastily closed the door.

"Ella!!! Hurry up! Quickly pack your stuffs, you two need to leave as early as possible. The Sapphires have destroyed the wall defence already. They will be in the city within no time, if we don't stop them. You have to leave before that," he grabbed my face and looked into my eyes, " Ella, you know that your father loves you, right? Don't lose hope and don't come back no matter what. Save your mother! You have to leave," tears were falling from his eyes continuously.

He continued,"I have made all the preparations for you two to leave. Zaden will help you to get out of the pack from the back of the mountains safely, so don't worry. Take your mom and contact Zaden. He will help you to leave safely." He gave me a kiss on my cheek for the last time.

I was crying so hard that I wasn't even being able to form a word. I saw him leaving quickly after that. He didn't even bid my mom a goodbye. If he tried, he wouldn't be able to let go of us.

Mom was coughing so hard. I quickly wiped my face with the sleeves of my dress and got up.

"Mom!!" I almost cried. She was coughing blood.

"Don't worry, mom. Everything will be alright, I will bring uncle Zaden right away. Hold on a bit, mom, please," I pleaded while crying and caressing her forehead. My mom stopped me from leaving her by grabbing my hands.

She barely formed a sentenced, "too-late-Ella, " she threw up blood again, "I-know- your dad has gone and," she poured more blood while speaking, " what he wanted, but it's too late, Ella. You have to leave alone. I want to spend my last breaths here and wait for your father, I can't leave," she said finally.

Those were her last words. I shook her few times, but she wasn't responding. With my trembling fingers I tried to check her pulse. But it wasn't there anymore.

"What are you saying mom?! I can't leave you like this, mom you will be alright, trust me!! You have to go!! Mom!!!"I screamed. But she was gone.

I was sitting there speechless. Tears were coming down from my eyes, I didn't even realise. Zaden was knocking at the door continuously, but I was struck. Nothing was reaching to me anymore.

The whole day passed. Everyone came to know about my mother's death. I could tell most of them were happy. Nearly in the evening the news came. Our pack succeeded to prevent the Sapphires from entering the main town.

But another shocking news was waiting for me. My father died in that war. Within a day I became a complete orphan from a royal of the pack. I didn't run away though. My parents had sacrificed themselves, I had no more desire to live a happy life. They were all that mattered.

The war hadn't ended. In fact it had just started. Our pack barely made it. If the son of the Alpha wasn't there at the right moment reinforcing, our pack would have been destroyed till now. My father did a great job. He saved us from the bigger trouble with his life. And killed the General of the Sapphires. Since the Sapphires also suffered a huge loss as well so they decided to take a break before attacking again.

But it wasn't safe anymore to live in our houses. The wall was gone. So they could create a havoc anytime. The order came from the royals.

''The whole pack needs to transfer to the pack house immediately. Until this war ends all the wolves need to live in that house. And no one is allowed to go home or out of the pack house area without permission." - An order from the Alpha.

Everyone was ordered to move to the pack house. Though it was called a house but it was actually a huge mansion. The Alpha and his family lived there. But it was also used in case of pack wars. It was a three story mansion with large number of chambers and a huge dungeon.

Normally the royals and the betas lived in the upper floors at the time of the pack wars. The third floor was only for the Alpha. Then the betas and the omega scholars who were renowned at the second floor. And at the dungeon, the general omegas. The first floor had a kitchen, a dining and a hallway for pack meetings.

Wolf packs were normally not too big. Those were usually small communities sticking together in specific areas. So moving the members in that mansion was not too tough.

After losing my parents I was mourning. I heard the notice but was still sitting alone at the stairs of my home. I didn't know where to go. Till that day, I was living there because of my father. Now that he had gone, I didn't know where to go.

Zaden came to me in the afternoon again.

"Ella," he called me. "The senior oracle wants to talk to you, you have to come with me. Ella, your father was like a great big brother to me, it's my responsibility to look after you, but if you still want to leave this pack, I can help you. In fact I believe you shouldn't stay here anymore, " he said.

"Take me to the oracle," I said calmly." I failed to save my mother. My dad sacrificed his life here. What rights do I have to leave the pack and live a happy life? If only I wasn't born, my mom wouldn't have died. But then again, who is in the fault? Is it really me? " I looked at him and asked.

"Ella !" Zaden was surprised at my words. But after looking into my eyes he sighed. "Fine, I won't force you. You're just like your father after all. But remember one thing, you can leave whenever you want, and I will always help you," he squeezed my shoulders and patted me lightly.