C H A P T E R 1

"Lilith! The Alpha needs us! Come quick!" A feminine voice abruptly exclaimed. I didn't even have to turn around to figure out who was the owner of such an outburst. Aside from me, there is just Willow.

I stood up and brushed the dirt off my skirt as soon as I noticed how she was practically running.

"What is happening, Willow? I'd rather you tell me calmly, please." I replied, confused.

Willow shook her head urgently. "There is no time for any explanation, Lilith. The Alpha is calling for a general meeting. We must be there immediately."

My father isn't really the type to call for a gathering, let alone a general meeting out of nowhere. Perhaps, there are things that need to be discussed.

In response to the Alpha's call, Willow and I traveled the distance between the pond and the territory of the Leuruna Clan, much known as my pack. As expected, my father was already commanding the attention of each wolf when we arrived.

I stood in the middle of the crowd and asked, "What possibly might be the news that demands such a sudden request for a general assembly, Alpha? This is highly unlikely of you."

The Alpha sighed upon hearing my question. "We are in great danger, Lilith. The rogues are being led by an evil and powerful man, and I'm afraid that they are coming for us. The Leuruna clan can no longer be complacent."

My lips parted in surprise. Claiming that I am merely dumbfounded is an understatement. I don't understand. The rogues were never really a threat to our pack. They usually mind their own business and disconnect themselves from the rest of the world. I couldn't help but wonder who could've possibly roused their fury.

Our band of wolves started whispering. I cast a panicked glance around the pack, and at that very time, felt a pair of lobes pierce through my back. I instantly spun around to see deeper into the jungle when I spotted a man's silhouette tucked down behind a tree. He emanates nothing but the strangest tension that I've ever felt in my entire life. The fact that he is watching us from afar is proof enough that he could be a spy, a rogue wolf, or the leader himself.

Whoever he is, I am certain that he is dangerous and poses a threat to my pack.

I turned my head back and met the eyes of the alpha, my father. "What are we exactly afraid of, Alpha Declan? We are the Leuruna Clan. Are we not?"

My father forced a smile and dismissed the crowd. "I merely want to make you aware of what we might encounter in the coming days, wolves. Please proceed with your training. I need to talk to the heiress."

I immediately got the signal and followed him inside our house.

As soon as we were alone, I spoke. "What's with the low confidence, Father? We are a strong pack and we consist of excellent warriors. We have nothing to be afraid of."

"You do not understand, Lilith. We might be one of the strongest packs among all packs, but it doesn't guarantee our safety," he paused.

"Our comrades, the Cillian Clan, were attacked last night and were almost wiped out. This is not a drill nor a joke, my daughter. This is serious. The Cillian Clan is the most respected, influential, and strongest pack among us. We come in 2nd. We are not safe."

My eyes widened at the mention of the Cillian Clan — getting almost wiped out. "But… the Cillian Clan is led by Khai Palmer… He is one of the strongest, if not the greatest, alpha that I know of."

"You are right, Lilith. They are indeed led by a great alpha and a young one at that. But they still failed to protect their pack." He paused.

"I am already aging, Lilith. I cannot protect this pack alone like I used to do. We need to work in unity. You, me, the pack's beta, our wolves, and our comrades. The Rogues are led by a wicked man who does not even flinch when he sees the lifeless bodies of a child and a lady. You should prepare yourself greatly, Lilith."

"I will, Father."

….

Atticus, Willow, and I immediately met after my father introduced me to the situation. You can see and sense how gloomy they are in one look.

Holding one beverage in my right hand, I asked. "Atticus, you are the Beta. Did you know about this before the Alpha's announcement earlier?"

"Of course, I knew. I just wasn't allowed by the Alpha to inform you before he did. This is a sensitive topic for all of us. The other wolves in our pack are already considering leaving and joining other packs."

Willow released a huge sigh and cupped her face in both of her palms. "I mean… I don't think we can really blame them, you know? We have wolves in our pack that are with their young. It's dangerous for them to stay with us."

"I know that it's dangerous, Willow. But we can't just leave each other in this kind of situation. Our pack needs to live on. We still have the next generation after us, do we not?"

Atticus nodded. "I agree with Lilith, Willow. We can't have this type of mindset. I am a Beta and She's the Alpha's Heiress. She's the next in line."

"And I'm just a normal wolf, I know," Willow replied, pouting.

I chuckled. "You're not just a normal wolf, Willow. How can you say that when you are one of the most loyal and hardworking wolves that I know?"

"I'm just joking around, Lilith. There's no need for you to flatter me." Willow said, smiling.

On the way back home, I decided to shift and let my wolf out, Dusk. Unlike the other wolves in the pack, our appearance is easily distinguished. My fur is white with streaks of silver and my eyes are bright purple. I am the only one in the pack with such a coat and eyes.

Dusk and I ran as freely as we could. I could feel how much she missed wolfing out and running around the forest.

"I'm glad that you still remember me, Lilith." She said in a sarcastic manner. I can only hear her inside my head but I might as well imagine her, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes at me.

I laughed. "I'm sorry, Dusk. I am submerged in weapon training these days. We don't exactly train in wolf form, you know."

"Why not? Your human and my wolf form work like a charm when combined. You people should give us time to use our bodies too!" She complained.

Hot-headed as ever. "You never change, Dusk."

I waited for her response, expecting to catch up since we hadn't run together in a while, but that she did not do. Dusk went in silence and didn't react.

"Dusk?" I called, feeling eerie.

"There's someone tailing us right now, Lilith. Watch our backs." She muttered, finally responding.

My eyes widened as they sought to return to the trail we'd traveled. How can I be so oblivious to my surroundings? The way the leaves behind me rustle although I am not running with someone is enough proof that someone is indeed tailing us.

"Do we just run, Lilith? That might be one of the rogues that killed most of the Cillian Clan…" Dusk asked— her question echoing in my mind.

Do we just run? I don't want to.

"No. We have to stop, Dusk. It's better to face them now than later and prove to whatever this is that we are not helpless and can stand up to them." I replied, full of determination.

With that, Dusk came to a complete halt without saying anything.

I took over our wolf form and roamed my eyes around my surroundings. Nothing seems to have a terrible odor, so I'm not sure if we're being followed by a rogue.

"Looking for me, Asteria?" A manly voice suddenly asked.

My alertness went up as I looked above the tree where I suspected the voice came from. I squinted my eyes and let out a quiet growl. How the fuck does he know my first name? I have never met, if not seen, this man in the entirety of my life.

"Shh, little puppy. Aren't you happy to see me? It's me! Your fucking nightmare." He exclaimed, darting his dark eyes upon me.

Out of frustration, I quickly hid behind one of the trees and shifted back to my human form. I took the robe our pack buried around our territory to cover my naked body and came out.

Our eyes immediately met. I'm not sure if I saw it right, but he stared at me with such delight in his eyes. Is he making fun of me?

"Bold of you to tail me in my own territory, rogue. Who even are you? You are not welcome here and I'm not allowing you to call me Asteria." I replied, my voice being firm.

He sarcastically laughed. "Are you seriously asking who I am? Your pack ruined my fucking life and you dare forget my fucking name?!" His voice roared inside the forest.

I didn't stand down. "Clearly, you weren't important enough for me to know your history. You are nothing but a filthy rogue and you cannot hide it even if you mask your scent."

He furrowed his brows and leaped down the tree, enraged. I could feel his breath caressing the skin of my cheeks as he stood so close and just in front of me. I did not take a step back to show him that he did not frighten me.

"Oh, little pup. You are so clueless about your pack's history, aren't you? Wait until you realize how important I'm gonna be to the downfall of the Leurunas, Asteria. You will remember my name. I command it." He said fiercely, staring right and directly into my soul.

I had goosebumps at the thought. He is that guy. He is the one who led the massacre of the Cillian Clan.

I pretended to be unfazed and raised my chin even more. "You are not touching my pack, rogue. You are not touching anyone in my family in this lifetime!" I raised my voice.

He chuckled. "Unfortunately, it's not up to you, Asteria. I, Eligor Wylder Koen, shall be your worst adversary and the source of the majority of your disputes throughout your life. Keep that in mind."

My heart immediately pounded. Now that I met him, I realized what my Father had been saying. He is full of rage, full of anger and his eyes reflect so much blood lust. He is seeking revenge, and I am not aware of what for.

"Eligor Koen, you say? You have such a memorable name. It's almost as though you shouldn't have been named or born at all." I replied, still pretending to be unfazed.

Eligor let out a low growl and suddenly pulled me by my waist. My eyes immediately widened but I couldn't even move my hands because of how strong his hold was.

He leaned his lips into my ears and sucked the bottom of my ear lobe down to the skin of my neck. My breathing suddenly became heavy. I bit my lower lips to stop any response from escaping.

His eyes moved towards me as the edges of his mouth curled into a smirk. "You must remember my name, Asteria," he paused.

"You will be moaning it soon."

My knees wobbled as soon as he was gone. I felt Dusk seeping into my thoughts and speaking to me as if we hadn't just been sexually harassed by a rogue.

"What the fuck was that, Lilith? Even I could not push his wolf away." She complained. My hands flew into my neck as I listened.

"I'm not sure, Dusk. I'm not fucking sure. I was just harassed by a stranger I didn't even know, yet for some reason, I couldn't pull back." I replied.

"What if that Eligor guy is our mate, Lilith?" She asked.

I shivered at the thought. "He is not our mate, Dusk. I would have felt a connection the moment that I saw him but there's nothing. And clearly, he's a rogue! Everyone knows that they aren't capable of having a mate."

Dusk sighed. "I hope that you're right, Lilith. Maybe we were just shocked by the phase of his actions earlier. He did go from talking about killing your family to talking about how you'd moan his name. I'd honestly stiffen up too."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "I will fucking kill that guy, Dusk. He is not touching me and neither my family nor my pack again! Not now, not ever. Mark my fucking words." I proclaimed, holding onto the necklace of my mother before she passed away.

This has always shielded me from them, rogues.

I know it does and I know it will.