Prologue

"So Alexandra...."

Alex raised one dark brow at her mother's use of her full name. Bridget Fraser Blake was looking at her through the rearview mirror, one hand lying gently on her husband's arm. To anyone else, she would have appeared to be the epitome of calmness and innocence. Alex knew better. Her mom was up to something.

"Dad and I were wondering if you thought a bit more about Harvard?'

Bingo! Alex rolled her eyes, "I knew that dainty-lady tone you were using was bad news."

Bridget's jade green eyes narrowed, her lips pursing. "Alexandra Elenora Fraser Blake!"

"Oh mom, please don't do that!"

Robert Blake laughed, deftly maneuvering the car around the curves of Bride's Pool road. It was rare for the CEO of Blake Corp to be driving himself and the expression on his handsome face said he was enjoying every minute of it. "Now, now honey. Alex is right. We don't need to resort to full-name-calling."

"Exactly," Alex leaned forward, placing a kiss on her dad's cheek before doing the same on her mom's. "Stop worrying and enjoy the scenery! Isn't it beautiful here?"

And it was. With its waterfalls and red-coloured earth, Plover Cove was one of truly breathtaking parks in Hong Kong and a Blake family favorite. But it wasn't the terrain or the gorgeous views of the reservoir that had Alex picking this spot for their new year trip, it was the trees. She had always had a soft spot for them. Hollow maples, Five Finger camphors, multiple species of bamboo and untouched feng shui woodlands. The thought of hiking amongst the old beings had made up her mind. That and eating peking duck pizza when they returned to the city.

"I just don't want you to feel rushed, honey," her mom sighed in the front seat. "University can be so full on and pre-med? You're only sixteen..."

Alex took a deep breath, trying hard to understand why her mother couldn't just be happy for her. She was graduating high school two years ahead of time and had received an early acceptance to Harvard; most parents would have been ecstatic. Of course, her parents weren't anything like most parents.

Despite owning one of the biggest corporations in the States, the Blakes didn't care about names and labels. Between Harvard and some unknown community college, they would have picked the community college without batting an eye if that would lead her to happiness.

'The only thing that is not overrated is happiness': that was her mom's mantra.

Alex felt her heart warm as she watched her mom adjust her pearl necklace. Only Bridget Blake would wear pearls and color combine her lipstick and trainers while going hiking.

"Actually, you're right to be worried," Alex admitted, drawing a surprised look from both of her parents. "Once I graduate from medical school, I am going to convince our company's charity department to build free medical clinics all across the world. I'm going to drain pot loads of money from the company, then demand more. I wouldn't be surprised if Blake Corp goes bankrupt because of me, so I completely understand your concerns."

Her dad burst out laughing and even her mom was smiling as her husband patted her hand. "You've raised her well, honey. Just trust her to choose her own happiness."

"Ah, fine!" Bridget pulled a suffering face. "I can't win against you two anyway. Where is James when I need him?"

"Let's not mention the traitor," Alex frowned. "I'm not forgiving him for ditching our New Year trip for that -"

"Alexandra!" Robert's warning was clear. No badmouthing was a household rule, which meant Alex had to swallow the curses she'd like to fling at her brothers' horrid girlfriend.

Lauren Washburn had dazzled James with her fake niceness and Minor-British-Aristocracy ways and now, for the first time ever, they were not going to get to spend New Year together.

Annoyed all over again, Alex pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to her brother: "Remember Traitor, a cup of coffee doesn't count as breakfast."

To her surprise, she received a response only a few moments later. "Don't worry, Brat. I had two cups."

Alexandra snorted, then checked her watch. It was 1:18 pm in Hong Kong.

"What is it?" Bridget wanted to know.

"James had his second cup of coffee already and it's only 6:18am in London. He must have woken up early to go to Europe headquarters."

Her mom brought her hand to her forehead in dejection. "He has turned into a complete workaholic."

"He'll have to be a workaholic, honey." Robert sent Alex a wink from the rearview mirror. "How else will the company make the pot loads that our future doctor is going to spend on saving the world?"

Alex was about to agree, when her mother shouted: "LOOK OUT!"

Something massive smashed into the front window and bounced off as the car jerked to the left. Alex's body flew in the opposite direction, her hands flailing as the floor became the ceiling and her head bashed against something hard and cold.

Pain. It jerked her awake from her momentary stupor. Everything was upside down. The car had come to a stand still, nestled against a patch of dark grass that now poked through the smashed windows.

Alex blinked against the sticky hot liquid dripping into her eyes. She tried to move her fingers, but her body wasn't listening to her commands.

"Alex?" Her dad's voice. She moved her neck with difficulty, angling her head so she could see the front seats where her parents hovered centimeters from the ground held up by their seat belts.

"I-I'm ok."

"Bridget, honey?"

No response.

"Mom?" she found her voice, her heart pounding now that the shock was wearing off. Mom! Mom couldn't be. She couldn't be. In the next moment, Alex was vomiting, the wrenching motion sending sharp pain through her ribs.

"Alex, it's going to be okay." She heard her dad struggling with his seatbelt in between bouts of retching. Suddenly the car shook. There was a low snarl. Her dad screamed. Alex lifted her head in time to see a gray wolf back out of the driver's window. Her dad's hands were limp, his neck hanging at an unnatural angle.

Panic was a thick wave, choking her. She willed her body to obey, bringing one shaking hand to reach out. "Dad?" The wolf was back, this time through her mother's window. She heard nothing but the rushing of her own blood in her ears as her mother's head fell forward and blood splattered everywhere.

For a moment all was still. Then a snarling began and the animal poked its head through the window below her feet.

I'm going to die. The thought occurred to her, as the beast tore at the door. It killed my parents. The second thought triggered something inside her and for a moment her leg obeyed her. She kicked downwards, as hard as she could, catching the bastard in the face. There was a whimper, and then excruciating pain as sharp teeth scraped across her leg. Alex tried to draw herself out of reach, but every inch of her body screamed out in agony. In the next moment, she came face to face with the beast, its hot yellow eyes burning into hers. Its fur was thick, its chest too wide to fit through the small back window of the car. The silver ring hanging from its neck caught the light as the wolf clawed at her, snarling.

"What are you doing!?" The angry shout came from somewhere outside. It was a female voice. "What the hell is going on!?"

The wolf backed away. Alex could only see their feet as the wolf faced the woman. Alex tried to find her voice to shout a warning, but nothing came out. She could only watch, impotent, as the wolf circled the woman's legs. Why was she not running?

Blood was in her eyes again, it was making them burn. She didn't try to see anymore. She would be dead soon. She could feel her body giving in. James. Her heart twisted at the thought of her brother. Mom, Dad and her, they were all leaving him alone.

"Shit!" The curse belonged to a man and came from just outside. Where had he come from? From the angle she was lying, Alex couldn't see him. She didn't try to. Silence descended on the bodies inside the car. Alex leaned her head back, her breathing shallow as she listened to the birds in Plover Cove sing.

She had no idea how much time went by. Scents came to her. The rose oil that her mother preferred to perfume, her dad's musky aftershave, the leather of the seats and blood. Salty and bitter.

The sound of a gunshot burst through the car.

Her teeth bit into her lip. She tasted blood. And then a set of feet passed by the window below her, making their way around the car until they stopped on the driver's side. Alex blinked blood from her eyes as a man leaned into the car, and placed a gun in her father's listless fingers. She couldn't see his face. There was a jagged cut on his hand, a circular tattoo on his arm and he smelled like...like bergamot and cigarettes. The circle tattoo with its three blue lines moved up as the man lifted her fathers hand, pointed the gun out past her mother's head and pulled the trigger.

Alex didn't jump this time.

She made no sound at all.

The world had gone black.