Chapter One

"Hurry up Ember, they're going to catch you!" Her mother called out, not slowing her pace as she ran through the woods. She turned around and gave a quick glance behind herself where two shadows were gaining on her fast. She picked up speed. She had always been an athletic girl but running with her mother didn't leave much room for flexibility. It was like sprinting down the sidewalk with your foot halfway in your shoe.

Making sure they were hidden by the trees of the forest, Ember and her mother shifted to their wolf forms. Her mothers wolf was a huge brown beast with white patches along her chest. She had white paws and white ears which sat atop her head. She ran alongside Ember making sure her daughter didn't get too far from her side. Her wolf was huge, standing at a steady five feet.

Ember on the other hand was much smaller than her mom, she's the average size for a wolf. However her coat is far from the normal feral canine. She's got snowy white fur with black spots along her face, paws, tail and neck. She runs very lightly on four legs.

As they run through the woods, they spot two shadows ahead. They turn to the left in an attempt to avoid the strange men but are stopped when they run right into another group of humans. The Humans surround them holding guns and silver chains. Ember lets out a whimper and looks to her mom whose eyes are filled with the same panic and fear that her own holds.

One of the men steps towards Ember, her mother growls and positions herself protectively over her. The man laughed. Just then, a woman from behind them shoots a tranquilizer at her mom. Her mother collapses to the ground with a panicked look on her face. "Run Ember!" She shouts. Ember turns around and sprints towards an opening between the humans but is shot with a tranquilizer before she can escape.

As she falls to the ground with a thud , her body goes numb, her vision fades to black as her mother's voice rings out in her head

'I'm so sorry sweetheart! We'll find a way to escape, I promise!'

~~~~~~~~~

The stench of urine and feces woke her up. She was locked in a small cage surrounded by rows of other cages. Crammed full of other werewolves. Ember desperately looked around for her mother but found no trace of her. Starting to panic, she began to cry out for her mom. The only answer to her cries were angry barking.

"Shut up kid!" A harsh voice spoke in a tone similar to a growl. Ember froze in fear. How could one of her kind be so cruel? "If your mother isn't back here then she's either been sold or dead. Make your peace with it now because you're never going to see her again." The wolf continued. Ember sobbed as she buried her face into the damp straw that lined her cage.

"Don't be so harsh, Sage, she's only a pup. What's your name kid?" A wolf in the cage next to her asks in a soft voice. Ember looks over to see a large white wolf with black splotches scattered across his back, snout and legs. He was looking at her with soft green eyes full of pity and concern.

She took in a shaky breath before answering. "My name's Ember.." ''How old are you, Ember?" He asked gently. She felt her lip tremble. "Six.." She whispered. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She felt helpless. Suddenly the door swung open, filling the room with light.

"Alright Ember, listen closely. They're going to be walking around the room and picking a few of us to go up front. Don't look at them, don't speak, don't growl, don't whine, don't even breathe too loudly. And most importantly, do not shift. If they choose you, don't fight them." The wolf warned. And soon enough, a tall man stopped in front of Ember's cage. He smelt of sweat and stale beer.

His eyes held a darkness that sent chills down her spine. "You'll do lovely."