Chapter 1

• Zara's POV
• "Wait up Zara!" my friend called from behind me as we ran through the forest.
• There had been news that the border had been infiltrated. As I breezed past trees that had surrounded my entire childhood, my hearing picked up my friend, Hanna's beating heart as she tried to catch up to me.
• "Come on. Hurry!"I yelled as I increased my pace.
• "You're too fast!" she called back.
• My lips widened in a proud smile because I knew that was true. Even as a werewolf, I had been created differently. According to my father who had been my strongest support. He had told me stories about the day I had been born. My mother had died during childbirth. With my distinctive white hair and bright eyes while he and my mother both had normal brown eyes that changed to a light shade of yellow when they turned. At first, I had been tagged as cursed but had been eventually accepted as one of them.
• I grew up following in my father's footsteps as best as I could. As a veteran Decorated warrior who had fought in the battle between the humans and our kind, and had been among the leaders that had come back in victory. So now, I wanted to fight for my people.
• I pulled to a halting stop stilling my actions. My vision blurred.
• The only sounds I heard were the echoing of the forest.
• "Zara!"
• "Zara" the voice repeated.
• I felt the hair at the back of my nape stand on edge as I felt the intensity of my emotions. I shivered at the chill in the air.
• The room was dark filling with only one light shining down on me. Suddenly the image warped and I was standing in the forest surrounded by the thickest trees I had ever seen.
• But what had caught my attention was his voice.
• "Zara," he said in a whisper.
• His voice held a rich dark tone that seemed to melt my insides.
• "Who are you?" I called out.
• "Show yourself!" I shouted.
• A shadow passed by me in a flash leaving a trial of its scent. I took one deep breath to inhale and felt a smile creep up on my face.
• "You're so beautiful" the voice came again.
• "Show yourself!" I demanded looking around the forest as the shadow moved.
• "In time we'll meet." The voice said.
• I jerked as I felt a hand trailing up the back of my hand to my shoulder when I felt his breath. His lips came down on my shoulder kissing and nibbling as he trailed up my neck. I arched my neck in response, giving him access and sighed in pleasure as I felt my body burn hot for him.
• I turned to find him gone.
• I grimaced as I felt tears streak down my face.
• Why was I crying? Why did I feel so sad at the thought of him leaving?
• "Wait! Don't go! Come back!" I called out but the voice was gone and with it so my heart.
• I raised my hand to my chest to calm my rapidly beating heart as it yearned for its owner.
• Then suddenly everything went black.
• I gasped for air as I opened my eyes.
• "Oh my goodness you scared us!" Hanna said as she breathed a sigh of relief.
• "What happened?" I croaked out.
• "You just.. fainted."Hanna volunteered.
• I turned to my right to see Connor, one of my best friend's face scrunched up in worry.
• "We need to take you to the pack's healer to see what happened. Come on.."
• "...no, no am fine it's okay. I'm okay" I told them and to prove it, I rose from the floor, dusted myself off, and spread out my hands with a huge smile.
• "See?"
• I hissed in pain.
• My hand came up to the side of my shoulder where it stung. On high alert now, My friends rose to check it out.
• They gasped, wide-eyed as they inspected the mark.
• "What?"I asked, my panic growing.
• "You've been marked!" Hanna shouted.
• My eyes widened in horror.
• After the whole incident in the forest, which both unnerved and scared me, it wasn't as shocking as the news about Hanna and Connor mating. The whole signal had been a lie. It was just a ploy for them to meet each other whenever they carved each other's touch.
• I grimaced at the thought but my lips widened in a knowing smile.
• We went back to the pack after being sworn to secrecy to not reveal anything that had happened especially to my father, the Alpha.
• The full moon was at its peak. It was mating season. Married or mated couples would be unable to resist this time. But as one who had never been one to succumb to such selfish desires, I had never been able to relate to couples who said that they felt a strong pull to mate when the moon was at its peak. Almost like they had been possessed by the spirit of lust.Until now.
• I felt him before I heard him. His scent wafted through mine, my foot moved in the direction of the call. Without thinking I marched in the direction of his cry.His cry for me. He needed me and judging by my trembling hands, I needed him too. I felt a strong itch and I knew that he was the only one that could scratch it.
• I walked safely through the array of forests that splayed around the huge fields until I got to the border. The last of my brain cells cried for a reason but my inner wolf bellowed for him. So reluctantly I walked past the demarcation against my better judgment.
• As I walked through the unfamiliar grounds no direction other than his scent. I trailed through the forest until I got to a high-rise edge where a black wold stood howling at the full moon.
• His field was beautifully luscious and glistened under the moonlight. He was big for a wolf and stood powerfully arched toward the moon.
• I stood unnoticed for a few seconds.
• "Get closer" my inner wolf whispered.
• Without thinking, I took a step forward snapping a branch. I stared back up in surprise to see piercing green eyes staring straight at me with hunger in his eyes. My palms were sweating, my heart palpated faster, and I felt entranced almost like I was floating. My body instinctively drew closer to where he stood. All I heard were two words as I drew closer to him.
• "It's him"
• "He's mine"