Prologue
Under the merciless pouring and heavy wind, a tall and lean man rushed towards the two-story building. With his clothes sticking to his skin, dark wet hair covering his forehead, he barged through the front door where he soon found the family of the Alpha in the middle of dinner.
"Alpha! I apologize for my sudden arrival. But you need to come with me. It's an emergency!" the beta said. An urgency filled his tone.
"What's the matter, Donovan? Is it another rogue again?" The eleven years old boy asked before his step-father, the current alpha, could speak. Even though he was young, the command in his indifferent voice and firmness of his silver eyes forced the beta to lower his eyes in submission. After all, the boy was the future Alpha of RedClaws pack.
The soaked man shook his head, sneaking a subtle look of hesitancy towards the Luna, Ralph. "No, Vinson. There…there is a woman at the border seeking refuge from the MoonGlaze pack. They were attacked and she somehow escaped with her…four year old daughter."
The mere mention of the pack's name made Alpha Christopher tense. The way his beta held his gaze, an anxiety rolled through him. Unaware of the tension, the Luna didn't bother listening to another pack issue and continued feeding her five year old daughter. But it didn't escape the boy's eyes.
"The woman is badly injured, Alpha. She has lost a lot of blood. If not treated right away, we may lose her," the beta added, clenching his fists. He knew the woman, cared for her as his sister, but his hands were tied. "Even her daughter has several injuries."
Despite the urgency of the moment, Christopher schooled his features into coldness and rose to his feet. "I will be back in half an hour, honey. Don't wait for me."
Ralph just gave a shrug, unaware that her husband's past was knocking on the door again. And this time, it brought an illegitimate child with it. A hazel eyed little girl.
"I will come with you." Vinson stood up as well, giving the beta a look that forced the man to avoid his panicked gaze.
Alpha Christopher was uncomfortable as well. "There is no need, Vinson. It's raining outside…"
"Did I ask your permission?" The little boy raised a thick dark brow. Silver eyes challenging the alpha.
His stepfather's jaw clenched at the disrespect. But he couldn't really do anything to Vinson, the true heir of the pack. Left with no choice, he nodded and left for the borders with Vinson and the beta following him.
Even Ralph was mildly astonished at the sudden interest of her son in that particular matter. He never showed any interest related to any matter where his step-father was needed.
When they arrived at the pack borders under the heavy storm, the injured tiny frail woman already went unconscious from excessive blood loss and cold. She was immediately rushed to the small clinic situated alongside the borders, made for situations like these.
With a heaviness forming in his heart, the alpha paced outside the room where the woman was being examined by the pack doctor. Thunder flashed across the dark sky, the heavy rain didn't stop with the passing time. Not far from the clinic, weak whimpers reached Vinson's ears. Small sniffles and choked sobs followed. Worried voices could be heard where two nurses tried to urge someone to come out and let them take a look.
Despite being suspicious of his step-father's extreme anxiousness for an unknown lady, the agony filled whimpers of a little girl grabbed Vinson's attention. Something inside him wasn't comfortable with the noise. But he stood in his spot.
Once the old doctor came out, he nodded at the alpha with respect before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Alpha. We couldn't save her. She had several deep wounds from the attack. One of them was with a silver laced knife."
Christopher closed his eyes. The news was like a thunderbolt striking in his heart. His wolf cried out with desperation and agony. It clawed to come out and run to the woman he rejected three years ago to marry the widow Luna of the pack and become the new alpha. Even after rejection, the pain to lose a mate wasn't any less painful.
Guilt and pain slashed through his heart, but the practical and power hungry part of him managed to suppress his wolf's emotions. With a solemn nod, he dismissed the doctor. Whilst the beta hung his head low, his wolf mourning for the woman he often hung out with years ago when the current alpha was dating her. Only he knew about their relationship.
Vinson closely followed the alpha's stone cold features. But his reddened eyes exposed his facade.
The cry of the little girl's continued to be heard. It was endless and couldn't be tamed.
"Alpha, your dau…" the beta stopped, casting a glance at Vinson. "I mean, the little girl's condition isn't good either. Since they carried her mother to the clinic, she hadn't moved from her place and hid behind a bush in fear of getting hurt again. The petrol guards were…ruthless when they saw them. She has several injuries but it's being difficult for the nurses to assure her and get her out from behind the bush. Her condition might worsen if this continues." Concern laced his heavy voice.
The little slip up was caught by Vinson, as well as Christopher's restless concern. Though he was just eleven years old, the ancient loyal blood that ran in his blood made him wiser than the kids his age. His words and far vision was much smarter than anyone could think of. And to say rage ran through his veins predicting the betrayal his step-father gifted his mother was an understatement.
On the other hand, Christopher stiffened at his beta's word. He couldn't keep the child in the pack either. If Ralph found out…
They approached where the little girl was hidden behind the bushes. Under the drizzle of the cold night, she curled herself more into the darkness. Her tattered and bloodied white dress could be seen.
"Beta Donovan, we don't know what to do with her. She isn't coming out, we can't even force her since she is already in shock. Her condition isn't good," the middle-aged nurse said, her eyes full of concern.
A gentle breeze passed through the border area, kissing Vinson's skin softly. A scent of jasmine and citrus entered his nostrils, making his eyes snap to the little girl behind the bushes.
"I- I want m-mommy…" her frail voice whimpered. "C-call mommy…it hurts."
Something strong seemed to stir into Vinson's chest at her weak voice. His thick brows creased. As if in a daze, he walked closer to the bushes. Moving a few wild grass, he got a clear view of the girl curled on the forest floor. With her eyes shut tight, her small nose was tinted pink from her high fever and endless crying. Fat tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. Tendrils of red curls framed her shoulders.
When she opened her eyes to peek at Vinson, her round tear filled hazel eyes met his silvers, hitting Vinson right in the heart.
His silver eyes glowed as he stared at the little girl. The anger and hatred he felt for his stepfather and unknown stepsister vanished as soon as her scent hit him.
Even though he hadn't got his wolf yet, something seemed to shift inside him right at that moment. The alpha and the nurse's attention was on the miserable girl, but the beta noticed the future alpha's glowing orbs.
His eyes widened. How could an eleven-year-old boy's eyes change colors? The small girl only cowered back at Vinson's proximity.
"Drag her out. Her mother is no more. There is no need to keep her here. Treat her injuries and send her back from where she came from. Quick!" Christopher's voice boomed. The mere sight of the girl reminded him of his mate. At the same time, he couldn't risk her being around Ralph for long. It could cost him his position. After all, the pack would still dethrone him if their Luna from their true alpha didn't want him anymore.
The nurses flinched at the command. And before the beta could argue, Vinson turned his head over his shoulder, staring right into the nurse's eyes.
"Touch her, and you will be dead." Came his calm yet cold voice.
The nurse who was about to reach the little girl was taken aback.
"No one will touch her. I will take care of it," he said. Even though he was confused about his own sudden protectiveness towards the girl he should hate, he did what his most primal instinct asked him to do.
"Vinson. Let her take the girl…"
"I said I will take care of it!" He cut Christopher off.
Flinching, the nurse took a step back at the future alpha's command.
"Leave," he ordered the nurses before he turned to the curled up red head. His eyes softened as he reached a hand towards her. "Don't cry. No one will hurt you. I promise. Take my hand and come out, you need treatment for your injuries. It hurts, doesn't it?"
She kept silent, staring at the stranger boy talking to her with such a soft voice. He seemed…surprisingly harmless to her.
"M-mommy…" she whispered, sniffling.
Vision leaned closer, his heart ached at the truth she didn't know. "Mommy is resting inside. Do you want to see her?"
She nodded tentatively.
"Then grab my hand. I will take you to her. Do you trust me? I won't let anyone touch you, you have my word."
Her hazel eyes blinked at him, in hesitancy and confusion. But the pain in her legs was unbearable, and she needed her mother. They snatched her mother's unconscious body somewhere without even giving her a second glance.
"P-pinky promise?" she asked, blinking her doe hazel eyes. Slowly, she gave him her pinky finger.
Vinson stared at it for a moment in confusion before wrapping his pinky around her smaller one. A jolt of something electric ran across his heart, shocking him.
"Pinky promise."
With that, he slowly grabbed the girl's hand and gently pulled her out. As soon as she did, her little fists clutched the ends of Vinson's shirt tightly, peeking at the Alpha who glared at her with vicious eyes.
A fierce possessiveness took a root deep inside the future alpha. An emotion he couldn't understand. A voice more like a growl left Vinson's mouth seeing the little girl scared because of his stepfather, starling both beta and the alpha.
"She needs treatment. Back away," he commanded, tugging the girl up. Only then did he notice the blood gushing out of her feet. She whimpered again, wrapping her arms around his midriff, as if he was her last straw from drowning.
His heart unknowingly skipped a beat at her action, he could feel her pain as if it was his own. Crouching down, he pulled the four-year-old small girl up in his arms. She immediately hid her face in his chest, sniffling. Her curled long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies.
"What's your name, little butterfly?" Vinson asked, his silver gaze didn't move from her adorable features. He subconsciously took a deep breath, taking more of her flowery and powdery fragrance.
"A-aurora," she whispered.
Donovan had wonder etched across his features at the always cold boy's unnatural protectiveness towards his little stepsister.
Vinson pulled her closer to his chest, his lips curled up into a soft and small smile. His grip on her was possessive. "Aurora. Don't worry, I will keep you safe."
The name seemed to become his favorite name from then.
"She is going nowhere. She will stay here, in this pack." His tone was firm.
Christopher's eyes widened. "She can't. She doesn't belong here! She has to go…"
Vinson's silver orbs flashed to red as he met the alpha's gaze. Christopher took a step back at the sight. He couldn't believe his eyes.
The future alpha's lips curled into a sneer, daring anyone to go against him. "I, Vinson Salvatore Rustov, her stepbrother, am taking her responsibility. She belongs to the RedClaw's pack from now on. And she will stay by my side."
'Mine!' A voice growled inside the future alpha's head for the first time, leaving him astounded.
His wolf.
And it claimed her as his.
