Prologue
Shifters have always had a mysterious background.
Where did they come from?
Who is the moon goddess they often speak of?
How and why can they shift into animals?
The land of Solise housed many shifters: wolves, leopards, bears, and probably so many others she hadn’t heard of. Druids, the first shifters on record, beings that could take on multiple animal forms, what was that like?
All these questions, she thought about often. She had not much else to do. As a prisoner in her own pack, she had nothing but time outside of her duties. Her only hope was a small gift from her mother, who was now long gone, a name hidden within, a person whom she was told would come for her.
And it had finally happened...
It was raining. The air was thick with the scent of smoke as the downpour pounded the ground relentlessly. It was as if the heavens were trying to escape the sky. That was the night of her salvation and freedom; she always wondered how the fire could burn so vibrantly and beautifully, and yet the flames were also so chaotic, with the rain trying so desperately to put them out to no avail. The frigid chill in the air made her tremble and shiver as they carried her away.
Good riddance.
The were-leopard pack that was burning had been the one that held her prisoner for thirteen years of her life. They had thought her a piece of property they owned, an experiment they shunned and mistreated but still wanted alive.
The sky was dark; the moon was nowhere in sight. She wondered how the man carrying her saw anything. The loud pounding of the rain against her already sodden clothing only put her more on edge as they hastily put distance between them and the den.
She remembered in that moment thinking; Was she really going to leave this place for good?
Her heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline fueling her. Were they really going to make it?
The man who held her firmly in his arms was clutching her tightly enough that she wouldn’t fall, but if she struggled enough, she’d be free of his hold. His feet hit the ground at an alarming rate as he propelled them both forward with a speed she had never seen before. He was unnaturally fast. But that was normal for their kind; they were shifters after all. Human-looking people who had an animal side, one they could transform into at will. Well, most could with the right training and willpower.
Looking over the man’s shoulder, she could see the den burning to the ground behind them. She didn’t feel the least bit remorseful; she hated them, every one of them . For her so-called family, they had done a terrible job of raising her. Her father, as the leopard pack’s Alpha, should have guaranteed she received great respect, but he did not.
Her mother had been an outsider, a wolf. The Luna of the leopard pack hated her for it, even though it wasn’t her fault. She was a half-breed, an abomination as they called her, even though it had been their goal to make her. And yet they still wanted her to have pups for them. The Alpha believed that, over time, he could breed the wolf out of her, strengthening the leopards.
“Don’t fret, I have you, little one.” The man whispered.
Her eyes darted to his face, which was strained forward. Her animalistic hearing picked up his faint, deep voice with ease. Wrapped in a soft, wet blanket, her bottom lip trembling and her body shaking from both fear and the cold. She fought back the urge to sob uncontrollably.
“What’s your name?” His voice was soothing, even though he was breathing heavily and clearly wounded. He was trying to distract her from the events that had just transpired. To ground her, keep her centred. Why was he being so kind?
“S-Sirena...” she trailed off as she clutched the small locket her mother had given her. The only piece of her she had left, and her only possession.
“You’re safe now, I promise. I won’t let them hurt you ever again.” He was trying hard to hold back his anger; she could tell. His wolf was fighting for control, his beast showing through the golden eyes that were strained on the horizon in front of them.
She was frightened of him, but he was her only way out. And he smelt oddly familiar to her; it was comforting. Suddenly, another wave of pain ripped through her lower half, evidence of the assault she had just endured. Her fingers dug into the man’s torn remains of a shirt. She could barely move, let alone walk, after what they had done to her. She was putting her trust in him.
He’d fought like hell to get to her, to get them off her. Tore them to pieces in front of her. And now she was no longer sure whose blood covered her. Hers, his or theirs. She buried her face into his firm chest and finally wailed. The pouring rain drowned the sound of her cries out as he hugged her close.
“She-She won’t speak to me.” She hiccuped as she tried to speak between her cries.
“Who?” He didn’t stop or reduce his speed.
“My beast, she won’t come out.”
“Your wolf?” He asked.
She shook her head against his chest. “She’s not a wolf, and not a leopard either.”
He made a pained expression. “She’s probably just scared, like you. Give her some time.”
She wasn’t sure how long they ran in silence. But the sun was rising when he finally slowed down. Her grip loosened on his clothing as she looked up at him. The rain had stopped, but they were still both soaked through. Her sandy blonde hair was a match for his and even mimicked the same wet mop-like state. Her skin was paler and her eyes a deep amber compared to his golden-flaked ones.
“No one is following us anymore. Let’s get you to my pack.”
“No!” she exclaimed a little too loudly.
He crouched to the ground when she began to struggle and panic. Releasing her, he stared down into her amber eyes with a sad smile. “If you don’t want to go, I won’t take you.”
She clenched the wet material to her chest, watching his expression closely. “Really?”
He made one sharp nod. “You’re the boss.”
When she stumbled on her feet trying to get her balance, he also added. “But I would like to get someone from the pack to see you and examine you. I’m no doctor, and you’re pretty badly injured.”
Pulling the damp blanket more tightly around herself, she whimpered. “I-I don’t think I can.”
“I can be with you the whole time. I won’t ever leave your side.”
“You promise?!”
“With my life.” He responded without hesitation.
“Why... why did you help me?”
“I felt the moment it happened, I can’t explain it. I knew you were in danger. I hadn’t even known you existed after the bond broke with Alisha...”
“Mother?” She tilted her head, still not understanding.
“I am... was your mother’s mate. I’d been searching for her from the day she went missing until the day she died.” A sorrow-filled darkness filled his gaze as he sighed. “I’m sorry it took me this long to realise she had a child while in captivity.”
That would explain why his scent was familiar and yet so different. His scent had lingered on her mother for some time. “Are... are you Cedric?” She asked as tears filled her eyes.
His eyes shot up, surprised. “She told you about me?”
Her bottom lip trembled as she retrieved the locket from her bundled clothing and clenched fingers. With quivering hands, she urged him to take it. “She died when I was very young... but gave me this.”
Taking the little trinket, he gently unclasped the oval-shaped jewellery, revealing a tiny scrolled-up piece of paper. Unrolling a small note, it appeared faded and well-worn; she’d clearly looked at it many times. She watched as his jaw dropped as his eyes followed the words.
‘Stay strong. Cedric will come.’
Thank heavens she had asked her so-called father to learn to read. “I wasn’t sure if... I didn’t want to have hope...” Trailing off, she watched as the grown man before her broke.
“I’m ashamed I left you out here for so long.” Tears rolled down his cheeks as he fought with his emotions.
“It’s okay. You found me now.” She tried to laugh between chattering teeth. She wasn’t sure what else to say, but his expression was making her heart ache.
“Come on, let’s get you indoors and dried off before you catch a cold.” He wiped his snotty nose and dried his eyes before offering her his hand. “I know of a little place, a hut to the south of the pack. No one will bother us there.”
She hesitated to take his hand for a moment. “O-Okay.”
What other choice did she have at this moment? She could barely walk and was going to catch pneumonia without aid. She winced as she took a step closer; everything hurt, but it finally felt good to have a choice. And she chose him.
