Prologue
Warning: this is a slow-building story. Also; this is not your typical werewolf story and I like to do things differently.
As this is still a work in progress, this book is still subject to change. Be aware that things like the title, names of characters and other details still could change in time.
Thank you all for the support I am already receiving. I hope to be able to add new chapters very soon!
Love, Alissa
Elke
My god, I’m so late today. I’ve got to get to a Sunday-lunch with my parents, the Alpha, and my sister with her spouse. My mom said there was going to be a very important guest, though she didn’t want to tell me who exactly. I’m running late, my three-month old daughter thought it was okay to leak through her diaper, forcing me to change her clothes at the last minute before I had to to head out. Now I have to busk through traffic to catch the tram, even though it’s a Sunday today, it’s still so damn busy. With my daughter in a pram tagging along, it all is just a tall bit more complicated than it would be if I were alone. But hell, I manage somehow, I always do.
The tram arrives ten minutes too late at the station, and I hurry myself to get out. I look around, searching for the exit. When I finally walk through the double doors of the tram-station, my baby starts to wail. Not just a bit of a whine, no, Louisa’s putting all effort in, to make all the heads of the people present at the station turn their way. “Lou please,” I sigh hopelessly, “Not now.”
The diaper bag doesn’t want to cooperate, I have to scuffle through it, where is her stupid pacifier again? How come Louisa always seems so clingy?
Tucked away in the smallest corner in the back I finds the pacifier. I quickly check if the thing is clean, it is, and shows it to Louisa. Immediately, two little hands reach out to the pacifier and a happy smile appears on my daughter’s face, silence returns as soon as she has the thing in her mouth.
“Thank god.” I murmur to myself.
Ten minutes later, the royal blue, majestic front door of my elderly home comes into sight. When the door opens, the grave man that is my father appears in the opening. “Elke.” A smile appears on his face as he steps aside to let me in, when I pass, he takes the opportunity to give me a kiss on my cheek. “Welcome home, sweetheart. How is my sweet little granddaughter?” Then he takes Louisa out of her pram and lifts her up, high in the air.
“She’s doing great, though she seems to be crying all the time nowadays.”
“She’s a fast-growing, hungry little pup, that’s only normal.” Her father smiles as he wiggles his nose against Louisa’s, and she cries out in pleasure. “You were just the same when you were her age.” He turns and walks further into the hall. “Let’s go and see grandma, she’ll be just as happy to see you as I am.” He coos. I follow my dad into the dining room, where my mom, my sister and her mate, and a few other guests are chatting among themselves.
“Elke, it’s great you could make it.” My mom immediately suffocates me against her chest.
“Hey mom,” I smile into my mom’s hair, but she lets go the minute she hears my dad with Louisa. She takes Louisa out of his arms and starts introducing Louisa to her guests.
“Hey Pinkie Pie,” a grovel voice comes from behind. There’s only one person in the world who still calls me after my favorite toy: Pinkie Pie. I’d recognize his voice everywhere.
“Uncle Remus.” I smiles as I spread my arms to give the grey-haired Alpha a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you, it has been a while. How are you?”
“I’m good, tired, but good.”
I frown, “how are you tired?”
“I’m not so young anymore, Elke. Things don’t go as easily as they used to.”
“Well, it’s good that you’re looking for a successor, then.”
The man smiles, his white teeth show. “Do you see the man talking to your sister?” He points at a bulky man with dark hair that reaches his shoulders. When he turns his head and catches her gaze, my heart stops, I freeze in place.
I’d recognize those hazel eyes anywhere.
No.
He's here.
I’m surprised I hadn’t noticed his strong scent before, maybe I was just distracted too much. The hazel eyes, glow, showing a bit of recognition. Then the brows above the eyes frown, but I can’t seem to tear my gaze away.
“Elke? Did you hear what I said?”
“Huh,” I shake my head, take a deep breath to steady my heartbeat, and get rid of the sudden nerves I feel. “Sorry uncle, I zoned out. What did you say?”
“I was telling you, that that man talking to your sister is Gabor Farkas, your future Alpha. You should introduce yourself to him. Especially if you keep staring at him like that.”
I feel my head go up and down, but I’m too deep in thought to actually realize what I’m doing. My heart almost beats out my chest, I can’t slow it down, I can’t control it.
“Elke? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, sorry, I thought I recognized him from somewhere and was thinking from somewhere.” I guess that’d be the biggest lie I’ve ever told Remus, I know perfectly well who that is, and who he is to me. And to Louisa.
Gabor, or Gabe; as I know him, walks over. “Hey, I think we haven’t been introduced properly, have we?” He smiles, a dark glint shows in his eyes. He thinks I’ve been running away from him, doesn’t he?
“No, we haven’t,” I smile politely, relaxed and polite Elke on the outside, chaotic and nervous as fuck Elke on the outside. “I’m Elke, Beta Peter’s daughter.”
“That’s her daughter, my goddaughter.” Remus points at Louisa. “Pretty little girl, isn’t she?” Damn, if Gabe hadn’t connected the dots when he looked at me before he certainly is going to do so now.
Gabe’s eyes darken, if possible, but he doesn’t take one look at little Louisa, he doesn’t need to. “Very pretty.” His eyes keep boring into Elke’s. “Just like her father.”
He knows.
