Chapter 1 Prologue

• Willow
• My name is Willow Anders, and this is my story.
• It does not start out happy, but I must remain optimistic for the future. This cannot be my life. I refuse to believe that this was what Luna had in store for me, in spite of the lack of evidence to the contrary thus far.
• I used to dream of the day when someone, anyone would rescue me from this horrid existence and the truly vile Alpha Zeke of the Southern Province, but I had given up on that pipe dream a long time ago.
• It did not used to be like this. I reminded myself of happier times when the encroaching storm clouds got too heavy to bear, back to when my parents were still alive.
• Luna, I was so naive back then.
• Although things were not perfect, my father had shielded me from the worst of it, leaving me happily unaware until the bucket of ice water had been tossed over my head in a flash as it woke me up to the harsh veracities of the world that I lived in.
• I had known that the bears were infringing, but, on our family farm, I could pretend everything was alright, at least for a little longer while I lost myself in discovering the mysterious secrets of the nature that encompassed me. That was, until the day that everything had changed.
• The unthinkable had happened. I shuddered as a chill raced down my spine, remembering that dark day as if it had occurred only yesterday.
• I had returned home from exploring the nearby caves to find my home invaded and my parents murdered.
• I still saw their panic-stricken eyes where they had laid, mutilated on the bloodied ground. The picture permanently affixed itself in my mind while I fled the scene for the sake of preserving my own life.
• I shifted into my wolf mid-stride, the pain of transformation near obsolete with my adrenaline pumping, and continued at the same punishing pace, barely managing to evade capture, or something far worse.
• I heard the bears roar with displeasure at their near miss. However, the sound of their lumbering footfalls faded away with the more distance that I placed between us, my tread outstripping theirs before much time had elapsed.
• I kept running for what felt like days, but, in all actuality, was probably only several hours. The thundering of heavy paws on the soft earth behind me had disappeared long ago, but I had pushed myself onward until my wolf was about ready to collapse.
• The trees and surrounding foliage were beginning to all converge into a green and brown mass of bleariness. It seemed the adrenaline was finally waning, and I was about to crash back down into reality.
• I began to ascertain my surroundings more thoroughly and started to look for a safe place to rest before my limbs stopped responding to my commands altogether.
• I had allowed my senses to roam while I sprinted through the forest, so I knew that I had been alone for some time, but the image stuck to my eyelids had me constantly keeping one eye open, despite my perceived safety.
• My paws ached something fierce, and I was reaching the point of exhaustion.
• All the same, I persisted to trudge forward, never letting my guard down, but I did notice that I had slowed to a near walk due to my fatigue.
• After a few more minutes, the stream that I had been utilizing as a guide and to hide my scent led to a scenic waterfall that took my already short-winded breath away.
• The water rushed down from about 50 feet above me and cascaded into rivulets that had long ago been carved into the rocks it flowed over. I scanned the gorgeous view in front of me until I located the opening that I had suspected.
• It was barely detectable, and no one but a wolf would have noticed the small opening that was concealed in the rockface behind the silvery water.
• I wasted no time in searching for the safest route to the entrance and commenced the daunting climb to my temporary sanctuary without any further delay.
• As I sloshed through the water and ascended the rockface, I counted myself lucky again that I was so familiar with the hidden caves beyond some of the waterfalls, found only in the Northern Province.
• I could safely rest here while I decided on my next best course of action. I had plenty of fresh water, and my wolf could hunt for any sustenance that we may need. Realistically though, I knew this safe haven would only briefly provide me respite.
• These caves were supposed to be a secret that only a select few guarded ferociously, and I felt confident that it would remain that way.
• Nonetheless, the bears that had overran my home would be close behind me.
• I may be faster, but if my father could not overcome the sheer number and brute force of the bears on his own, then I did not have a chance in hell of succeeding. Really, I only had one choice left: to the Southern Province I went.
• The trip took me about a week. I was not sure how long it should have taken, but I had to be careful to travel when the forest was less occupied. I knew that I could not trust anyone, and I did not want to have another encounter with the bears again.
• I decided to stay in my wolf form for the most part, mainly because she was less needy if I was being honest, and the unrelenting wave of anger and grief seemed easier to handle while in that shape.
• Wolves coped with loss differently, and I had never been so thankful to have my wolf with me than I was during that lonely transition period.
• She had provided a way for me to endure the heart-rending ache while I traveled to safety.
• I had reasoned that I would break down later when my life was no longer endangered, but I knew that I was putting off the inevitable. Every step forward reminded me that this was it. My last hope. My family and home were gone now.
• I was not sure that I would have made the arduous trek had I known what awaited me, but then again, I did not have much of a choice. I was 17 when I had arrived, heavily bleeding and running for my life. The trip had been dangerous, especially for a young girl all alone.
• I stayed obscured when others were around and used my wit to remain safe on my journey, but it appeared that my luck was about to run dry.
• I thought I would make it. I was so close to the boundary of the Southern Province. Unfortunately, the bears were also much closer than I had anticipated.
• One bear hurtled out of the undergrowth from the right. I pivoted, attempting to stay out of range, but the pain radiating out from my back, left leg told me that I had been too slow to evade the bear's massive paw.
• I yowled in pain, swiftly dodging the next blow and darting in the other direction. A second bear appeared out of nowhere, endeavoring to steer me back towards my original assailant.
• I twirled 90 degrees, wincing in pain at the abrupt motion, and took off for the Southern Boundary, hoping that there would be someone there to assist me when I arrived with the pair of bears hot on my heels.
• I heard the bears snarl in frustration and anger as they stampeded through the thick forest behind me. I ran full-out, but I knew they were gaining ground, my injury having slowed me down.
• I could hear branches cracking in front of and behind me as I prayed that the bears had not circled me and were not about to finish me off.
• Without warning, I felt blinding agony spiraling out from my right side, which, in turn, caused me to tumble into a heap on the forest floor, regardless of my best efforts to keep upright. The pain was too intense.
• My wolf retreated, leaving me lying unclothed on the forest floor as my blood seeped into the dirt. I did not have the wherewithal to care that I was naked in front of Luna only knew who, but I was aware enough to grasp the compromising position that I had been left in.
• My last vision was of half a dozen wolves closing in around me before I lost consciousness, the sound of growling fading into the ether as I was dragged under into a thankfully blissful darkness.